Monday, November 26, 2007

Spray-on scumbags

Here's good news for men whose penises are either so large or so small that they can't find a condom to fit: A German inventor has developed a sprayer system that should ensure a proper fit for even the most unusual sizes.

"If you go into a drug store to buy condoms, the ones they sell are mainly suited to men with the average penis length of 5.5 inches, but a lot of people have penises that are smaller or larger than that," said Jan Vinzenz Krause, director of the Institute for Condom Consultancy.

"We thought why not come up with a condom that fits the man rather than vice versa? This would represent a revolution in the condom market," said Krause, whose institute gives sex education as well as providing advice on AIDS prevention and contraception.

He has filed for a patent for the latex spraying system he invented. "As far as I know our idea is unique," said Krause. A pump squirts out liquid latex through multiple nozzles that cover the erect member with a latex sheath in a matter of seconds.

Krause admits he will have to overcome some legal and technical hurdles before he can bring the product to market, but he already has a working prototype and says the system can handle most sizes. "We could spray a condom on an erect elephant," he declared.

The system works a bit like a car wash. The man put his penis in a chamber and presses a button to start the jets of liquid latex, sucked from a detachable cartridge. The rubber dries in seconds and is later rolled off and discarded like a conventional condom. The aim is for the process to take just 10 seconds but at present the latex drying time is around 20 to 25 seconds. "We're working to shorten that time," said Krause.

"In a survey we conducted, men had a two-fold reaction to the idea. Some said it's a great idea and would help them because they can't find conventional condoms that fit them. Others say they can't imagine it working in practice. There's the romance factor: applying the condom does interfere with the sex act." The machine applies the latex with a hissing sound, which may or may not be more annoying than the sound of opening a conventional condom package.

The spray-oncondoms will be available in red, green, yellow and transparent, and will be more expensive than conventional ones. The chamber will cost around $30 and the liquid latex refills, which produce between 10 and 20 condoms depending on size, will be priced at about $12. That amounts to around $1.50 per condom, compared with around 50 cents per conventional sheath.

Krause said the market launch will take time because condoms are classified as medical products that require lengthy approval procedures. (info from Spiegel onoine, photo from InventorSpot)
This is a preview, not a review.

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