A tampon inserter is included in a package of about the size used for conventional digital tampons, without, a decrease in the number of such tampons in the package. The inserter provides an alternate means for insertion of digital and other tampons and may be used as a training device for new users.

A digital tampon of unitary construction made of absorbent material capable of being compressed to self-sustaining form. A portion of the material is compressed to a rod-like shape to provide a rigid central support for the remaining relatively uncompressed portion which originates at the top of the rigid central support and is draped downwardly to surround and extend past the lower terminus of the support to form a finger receiving pocket at the tampon base. During insertion the rigid central rod provides positive support to the softer outer portion, while the portion of the tampon surrounding the finger protects the finger from contact with menstrual fluid. After insertion the finger can easily spread the draped over portion to better deploy and position the tampon within the body.

A compact tampon applicator is disclosed having a hollow first tube with a forward end and a rearward end. A tampon is slidably positioned within the first tube. The tampon has a longitudinally aligned central aperture formed therein which is open at both ends and has a withdrawal string attached thereto. The applicator also contains a radially expandable second tube having a forward end and a rearward end. The forward end is initially retained in the central aperture of the tampon and the rearward end initially extends out of the rearward end of the first tube. The second tube is capable of expanding radially once the forward end is removed from the tampon such that the second tube acquires a larger diameter and can be manually moved forward to eject the tampon from the first tube.

A reusable tampon includes an interior cavity which can be filled with absorbent material. The absorbent material can be removed and new absorbent material inserted in its place through an opening in an upper portion of the tampon. The tampon has a body which is hollow and formed of flexible, human tissue-friendly material. The lower part of the body is closed and has a semi-circular shape. Inflow apertures in the body of the tampon are inclined inwardly and toward the semi-circular lower portion of the body, allowing menstrual blood to pass into the interior cavity. Axially extending inflow grooves may also be provided. The tampon may have an elliptical cross-section, and a plurality of small balls of highly aborbent material may be disposed in the interior cavity.

A multifunctional device for use in an endoscopically performed operative procedure of the type where a narrow portal is established through the skin to provide access to an operative site and the multifunctional device is introduced to the operative site through the narrow portal. The multifunctional device is formed of an absorbent material, preferably expandable, having a substantially rigid dry state prior to introduction to the operative site and a soft, flexible wet state after absorbing fluids. The absorbent material can be formed with a spine therein of either a continuous or a discontinuous, segmented construction, and the spine can be branched and tubular or solid. The absorbent material can have portions or segments thereof expandable to different sizes to produce rounded protuberances to facilitate manipulation at the operative site and can have predetermined, non-straight configurations in the wet state, the predetermined configurations being controlled by the spine in the absorbent material or the method of forming the absorbent material. The multifunctional device can have a passage therethrough to accommodate laser, electrosurgical, biopsy or culturing instruments.