Michigan man seeks patent on new condom design

An Ann Arbor, Mich., man who has struggled with proper condom use throughout his 26-year marriage has filed a patent on a new type of condom that includes an elastic band that wraps around the scrotum to prevent the condom from slipping or leaking, The Ann Arbor News reports. Leonard McCoy, 52, developed the "condom coverall," which can be made with the same thinness as conventional condoms and can be made in a variety of colors and textures. McCoy says the latex condom is as easy to put on and as comfortable as standard condoms but covers more of the penis and stays on better, offering better protection against pregnancy and transmission of sexually transmitted diseases. McCoy says the idea for the condom came to him in 1999 after talking with his wife about the problems they have using standard condoms. "I was thinking, 'The only way to make something that won't come off is to tie it on, and then it just popped in my mind--go around the testicles," McCoy told the News. "This absolutely will not come off until you take it off. There's absolutely nothing getting out of that baby, and absolutely nothing getting in." McCoy, encouraged by a doctor at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, filed for a patent for the condom earlier this year; the application is still pending.