The invention relates to bandages. One embodiment of the invention includes a water soluble adhesive, and is particularly suited for treating slow healing and open wounds.
The treatment of slow-healing superficial wounds often requires a bandage to be placed over the wound and maintained there for a relatively long period of time. Self adhering bandages typically utilize an adhesive, that when left on the body for a long period of time, is difficult and painful to remove. As such, a bandage that sufficiently adheres to the body and yet can be easily removed when the wound is healed and/or when replacement is necessary or would be desirable.
Therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide a bandage that securely adheres to the body, and can be easily removed without painful sticking when desired by the user.
It is another object of the invention to provide a method for treating a slow healing wound.
These and other objects are achieved in the preferred embodiments of the invention described below. One embodiment of the invention includes a bandage having a wound treating section for collecting exudate from a wound, a hydrophobic layer attached to the wound treating section, and a liquid soluble adhesive positioned on the hydrophobic layer for removably adhering the bandage to a body part proximate the wound. The adhesive is dissolved upon contact with a liquid so that the bandage separates from the body part without painful sticking to the body part.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the adhesive is water soluble.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the wound treating section comprises a hydrocolloid.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the wound treating section comprises gauze.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the hydrophobic layer is adhered to the gauze by an insoluble adhesive.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the hydrophobic layer comprises polyvinyl chloride.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the bandage includes a hydrophilic layer adhered to the hydrophobic layer by the liquid soluble adhesive.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the hydrophilic layer comprises nylon 66.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the hydrophobic layer includes a first surface and a second surface, and the wound treating section is positioned proximate the first surface and the hydrophilic layer is positioned proximate the second surface.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the bandage is positioned on a body part, the wound treating section is proximate the body part and the hydrophilic layer is distal from the body part and forms a top cover of the bandage so that liquid introduced on the hydrophilic layer is allowed to seep through to the liquid soluble adhesive.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the bandage includes first and second liner sections removably adhered to the wound treating section.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, a net overlaid the wound treating section.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, first and second liner sections are removably adhered to the net.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, a bandage kit includes a bandage having a wound treating section for collecting exudate from a wound, a hydrophobic layer attached to the wound treating section, a liquid soluble adhesive positioned on the hydrophobic layer for removably adhering the bandage to a body part proximate the wound, and a hydrophilic cover layer positioned on the liquid soluble adhesive. A spraying device containing a liquid solution adapted for dissolving the liquid soluble adhesive is provided. The spraying is device adapted for delivering a fine mist of the liquid solution that permeates the hydrophilic cover layer and dissolves the liquid soluble adhesive.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the liquid soluble adhesive is water soluble, and the liquid solution comprises sterile water, aloe vera solids, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the spraying device comprises a bottle containing approximately twenty milliliters of the liquid solution, and a 130 microliter pump.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, an envelope package is provided for storing the bandage until it is to be used.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, a method for treating a wound includes the steps of providing a bandage having a wound treating section for collecting exudate from a wound, a hydrophobic layer attached to the wound treating section, a liquid soluble adhesive positioned on the hydrophobic layer for removably adhering the bandage to a body part proximate the wound, and a hydrophilic cover layer positioned on the liquid soluble adhesive. The bandage is positioned on the user's body part to cover the wound, and a fine mist of liquid solution adapted for dissolving the liquid soluble adhesive is sprayed onto the hydrophilic cover layer so that the liquid solution permeates the hydrophilic cover layer and dissolves the liquid soluble adhesive.
The invention may be best understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures in which:
Referring now to the drawings, a bandage according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in
The hydrophobic layer 16 can be a polyvinyl chloride film, and is adhered to the hydrophilic cover layer 12 by the water soluble adhesive 14. The hydrophobic layer 16 is adhered to the gauze pad 20 by a layer of water insoluble adhesive 18.
Netting 22 is overlaid onto the gauze pad 20 to hold the gauze 20 in place and minimize separation of filaments from the rest of the gauze 20. This helps prevent gauze filaments from remaining in a wound after removal of the bandage 10. The netting 22 can be comprised of a non-stick woven material.
A bottom layer of the bandage 10 has two overlapping liner segments 24a, 24b that are removably adhered to the netting 22 and gauze 20. The liner segments 24a, 24b cover the gauze 20 and netting 22, and keep them clean and unexposed to the elements until the bandage 10 is to be used. As shown in
As shown in
Preferably, the liquid solution is 78.6% sterile water, 20% aloe vera solids, 0.2% sodium benzoate and 0.2% potassium sorbate. The spray bottle 40 preferably holds 20 milliliters and includes a 130 microliter pump.
As shown in
One preferred embodiment of the bandage 10 preferably has the following dimensions: the hydrophilic cover layer 12 and the water soluble adhesive 14 are each 4×3 inches; the hydrophobic film 16, the insoluble adhesive 18, and the gauze 20 and the net 22 are each 3×2 inches; each of the liner segments 24a, 24b is 4×1⅝ inches; and each sheet of the envelope package 30 is 4½×3½ inches.
A bandage according to another preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in
A bandage, a bandage kit, and a method of using same are described above. While specific embodiments of the present invention have been described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications thereto can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the foregoing description of the preferred embodiments of the invention and the best mode for practicing the invention are provided for the purpose of illustration only and not for the purpose of limitation, the invention being defined by the claims.