Patent Application
20200397073
The present invention relates to a garment to be worn in health care environments like hospitals or skilled nursing care facilities. More particularly, the invention relates to a warm garment having a shorter rear flap than front flap, sleeves that can be opened and closed, open side portions, and various openable flaps for accessing portions of the body frequently used during medical procedures and examinations.
Often times, in hospitals and other healthcare facilities, patients are required to wear gowns that allow a doctor to easily examine the patient or otherwise perform a medical procedure on the patient. Such garments are often constructed of thin cotton that leaves a patient uncomfortable and cold. When such a thin garment is worn, a patient needs to use numerous blankets (which typically are also thin) to try to make up for the thinness of the gown. Such gowns also require complete or partial disrobing in order for a doctor to place IV lines or access chest ports that may be used during procedures involving chemotherapy and other treatments.
The gowns typically used in hospitals or other medical facilities also do not include pockets in which personal belongings or other medical instruments and/or devices may be placed. Some garments include a single pocket near the chest, but that pocket is limited in size and thus its ability to hold items.
Finally, such gowns in the prior art include excess, bulky material and often get caught when a patient is lying in a bed. Those gowns do not allow for a range of motion for a patient and can cause a patient to “fight” against himself or herself to rise out of a bed or chair.
An improved garment to be worn by patients that is warmer, more accessible for doctors and other medical professionals, has increased storage, and allows for a greater range of motion for a patient when worn is desired.
A garment for the upper body or a bed garment described herein aims to improve upon the shortcomings of previously existing bed gowns. The improved bed garment is preferably made of a warm material such as a fleece, or in some embodiments, warm, breathable cotton. Near the neck, the bed jacket preferably includes a shawl/fold over neck to increase the warmth of the garment.
The bed garment preferably has a back portion that is shorter than its front portion such that the patient does not sit on the back portion, thus acting as a hindrance to the patient's movement. The shorter back portion also does not act as a hindrance when the wearer uses the restroom. The back portion and front portion are preferably separated from one another along the side portions of the garment below the sleeve portions to further increase the range of motion of a wearer. Having open sides as described preferably allows a medical professional such as a doctor or nurse to more easily access a patient's back, abdomen, or trunk.
The sleeves in the improved bed garment are also preferably able to be opened and closed along the length of the sleeve for easy access. When the sleeves are closed to form complete circular sleeves, portions of the sleeves may overlap, thus increasing warmth for the wearer. The sleeve portions, which may be openable and closable by way of hook and loop fasteners, may also be adjusted for a personal, customized fit. The overlapping sleeves having the ability to be opened and closed may makes it easier for a medical professional such as a doctor or nurse to access or introduce an IV line to the patient or otherwise access the patient.
At an upper portion of the front side of the garment, near the patient's chest, a flap member is preferably provided on either side of the garment. The flap member is located on either side of the garment and is preferably able to be opened so that a doctor or other medical professional may access the wearer's chest. The ability to access the wearer's chest may be beneficial, for example, when a doctor or nurse needs to access chemotherapy ports located on the wearer's chest. The flap members may be opened and closed in one embodiment by use of hook and loop fasteners.
In one embodiment, the garment may be worn during radiation due to the lack of metal parts. In a preferred embodiment, a large, kangaroo-style pocket is also preferably provided near a lower front portion of the garment, where the wearer's abdomen is traditionally located. The wearer may store personal belongings and/or necessary medical instruments or devices in the pocket, or may use the pocket as a location to place his or her hands to warm them up when the garment is worn. Thus, the wearer may slide his or her hands into the pocket to warm them. More details regarding the bed garment are set forth below in the detailed description.
Reference is now made more particularly to the drawing, which illustrate the best presently known mode of carrying out the invention and wherein similar reference characters indicate the same parts throughout the view.
In the following detailed description numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. For example, the invention is not limited in scope to the particular type of industry application depicted in the FIGURES. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the present invention.
Referring to the drawing more particularly by reference numbers wherein like numbers refer to like parts,
A shawl or crossover style collar 15 is preferably provided where the neck of a wearer would be located when the garment 1 is donned. The fold over or shawl collar 15 may be similar to those seen and used on sweaters. At a location where the collar 15 folds over itself, an attachment point 20 is preferably provided. In a preferred embodiment, the attachment point 20 may be a hook and loop fastener type, though in alternative embodiments, the attachment point 20 may be a button and hole style attachment, a snap fastener, or a zipper. The ability to use the attachment point 20 to attach the portion of the collar 15 where it overlaps with itself may allow for a snugger and more comfortable fit for a wearer. Furthermore, the attachment point 20 and its crossover-style material may allow for increased warmth around the neck area of a wearer.
The rear side 10 of the garment 1 preferably includes a rear flap 25 that is shorter in length than a front flap 30 of the front side 5 of the garment 1. The rear flap 25, designed to cover a substantial portion of a wearer's back, is preferably shorter than the front flap 30 such that when a patient or wearer is wearing the garment 1, he or she does not sit on the rear flap 25. In other prior art gowns or jackets, the rear portion or rear flap may be the same length as the front portion or front flap. This can cause a wearer to sit on the rear flap and limit his or her motion when he or she sits on the flap. Moreover, a longer back portion creates excess bulk material and can get wedged between the wearer's back and his or her bed and/or chair. Thus, it is preferred in the current invention that the rear flap 25 be shorter than the front flap 30. Moreover, as shown and illustrated in
Also, as shown in
In other words, the sleeve member 35 may include a slit 36 that extends longitudinally along the sleeve member 35. The sleeve member 35 further includes a first sleeve member side 37 and a second sleeve member side 38 located and positioned on either side of the slit 36. Each sleeve member 35 has a first sleeve member position and a second sleeve member position. In the first sleeve member position, the first sleeve member side 37 and second sleeve member side 38 are adjacent to and abut each other to form a circular tube or sleeve. The sleeve member 35 is therefore closed or secured in the first position. In the second sleeve position, the sleeve member 35 is open, and the first sleeve member side 37 does not abut the second sleeve member side 38. The arm of the wearer can therefore more easily be accessed by a medical professional when the sleeve member is in its second position.
The sleeve members 35 may be opened and closed in a variety of manners, but in a preferred embodiment, the sleeves may be opened and closed by way of hooks 40 and loops 45 that together make for a hook and loop fastener. In alternative embodiments, the sleeve members 35 may be opened and closed using alternative fastening methods including zippers, buttons, snap fasteners, and the like. In a preferred embodiment, when the sleeve member 35 is closed in the first sleeve position as shown in the right sleeve member 35, a portion 50 of the sleeve member 35 overlaps with itself. The overlapping portion 50 preferably allows for a wearer to adjust the sleeve members 35 to have a variety of circumferences so that the sleeve member 35 may snuggly fit a wearer. Increased personal fit by way of the overlap 50 of the sleeve members 35 may improve the comfort and the warmth of a wearer.
Near an upper portion 53 of the garment 1, the garment 1 is preferably provided with flap members 55. The garment 1 may include at least one flap member 55. In one embodiment, there are preferably two flap members 55. The flap members 55 are preferably embodied as rectangularly shaped members that may be opened so as to access the chest area of a wearer. The flaps member 55 may be other shapes in alternative embodiments. The flap members 55 may include a first flap end 57 and a second flap end 58. The first flap end 57 selectively engages the garment 1 in a first flap position, where the flap member 55 is closed. The first flap end 57 engages the garment 1, and allows the second flap end 58 to pivot at the first flap end 57.
In a second flap position, the first flap end 57 pivots at the second flap end 58, and the first flap end 57 does not engage with the garment 1. Thus, in the second flap position, the flap member 55 is open, and a medical professional may more easily access the wearer's body. However, in alternative embodiments, the first flap end 57 and the second flap end 58 may be reversed, allowing the second flap end 58 to selectively engage the garment 1.
The flap members 55 are preferably located on either side of the collar 15 near locations that may be frequently needed to be accessed by a medical professional. The first flap end 57 may selectively engage or be disengaged from the garment 1, so that the medical professional can reach through the garment to the area underneath the flap member 55. In a preferred embodiment, the flap members 55 may be opened and closed via hooks 60 and loops 65 to create a hook and loop type fastener. In other embodiments, the flap members 55 may be opened or closed through snap fasteners, conventional buttons, or other mechanisms known in the art. When a medical professional or other person would like to access a wearer's chest at the location of either of the flap members 55, he or she simply may pull the flap member 55 at the first flap end 57 outwardly such that the hooks 60 detach from the loops 65. A healthcare professional may then access the wearer's chest, for example to administer chemotherapy treatment to a port located on the wearer's chest. While the garment 1 may include at least one flap member 55, the garment 1 may include two flap members 55, or more or fewer flap members 55 in other embodiments.
In the embodiment illustrated in
In another embodiment, the garment 1 may further include at least one pocket section 75. The pocket section 75 may be a conventional pocket, also capable of holding personal items or medical supplies. The at least one pocket section 75 may be located and positioned adjacent and on top of or over the pocket member 70. However, in yet another embodiment, the pocket section 75 may be located in other places on the garment 1.
As is evident from the foregoing description, certain aspects of the present invention is not limited by the particular details of the examples illustrated herein, and it is therefore contemplated that other modifications, applications, variations, or equivalents thereof, will occur to those skilled in the art. Many such changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications of the present constructions will, however, become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering the specification and the accompanying drawing. All such changes, modifications, variations and other uses in applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present inventions are deemed to be covered by the inventions.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/689,946, filed Jun. 26, 2018, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
