Not applicable.
Not applicable.
The field of the present inventive concept relates generally to methods and equipment that may be utilized by medical personnel for providing a protective shield or wrap to avoid cross-contamination between a blood pressure cuff (or other medical device) and the skin of a human wearer when, the cuff or device is to be placed on the arm, leg or other body part of the user or wearer.
U.S. Published Patent Application 2007/0142794 A1; Jun. 21, 2007, Bester, W.
A hygienic article for personal wear by a male includes an elongate fabric sleeve having a first end, a longitudinally opposite second end, and a central passage extending longitudinally between the first and second ends of the sleeve. The second end of the sleeve is also open to the central passage to permit the wearer to urinate through the open second end. A dispenser is adapted for holding a plurality of such hygienic articles and facilitating sequential dispensing of the hygienic articles, one at a time, from the dispenser.
U.S. Published Patent Application, 202/0095106 A1; Caliguire, P. Jul. 18, 2002;
A carpal tunnel support for use by a wearer in the operation of components located above a work surface consisting of a 12″ flexible sleeve preferably made from nylon, and having a strip of hook and loop material fastened along its length and an elongated support panel having a strip of hook and loop material fastened along its length, the support panel is attached to the sleeve with the hook and loop material.
U.S. Pat. No. 10,383,772; Brown, R. Aug. 20, 2019
The present invention relates to a skin protection device comprising: a flexible cover having a first end and a second end. The cover comprises two sides extending between said first and second ends. The sides comprise seal sections capable of mutual engagement to form a seal. Each seal section includes a surface that is longitudinally serrated or undulating, wherein serration or undulation is provided on both sides of the section, a first female serrated or undulating side and a second male serrated or undulating side which when placed together form a mating pair and the seal. Each seal section is an extrusion as one part with a flat base and a plurality of serrations or undulations, folded and secured around the sides of the cover so that the flat base is in contact with both surfaces of the cover.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,525,238; Corrales, E; Feb. 25, 2003;
A single use disposable skin and cuff protector in the form of a wrap for surrounding at least a portion of a limb of a patient allows a sphygmomanometer cuff to be applied over the wrap. To prevent spreading of pathogens, the wrap includes a sheet having a non-porous barrier layer and optionally, an absorbent layer. The wrap is secured by a non-reusable fastener which cannot be released once fastened or once fastened, cannot be re-fastened. A line of weakening formed in the sheet facilitates removal of the wrap after use. Once secured to a patient for use, the sheet either must be severed to be removed and/or the re-usable fastener cannot be re-fastened thus preventing re-use.
U.S. Pat. No. 10,349,841; Li, Guang; Jul. 16, 2019
A blood pressure cuff assembly for an ambulatory blood pressure monitor may include a hollow cuff and an elastic liner provided on the reverse side of the cuff. An airbag may be provided in the cuff. A first connection part and a second connection part may be provided on the cuff. A third connection part and a fourth connection part may be correspondingly provided on the liner. The effect of tight inside and loose outside is achieved by the combination of the elastic liner and the cuff. When worn on an upper arm, the elastic liner has an elastic deformation and consequently tightens around the upper arm so as to realize certain slip resistance, and the cuff will not slip down even tied a bit loosely when located on the upper arm. The feeling of constraint from the cuff is reduced significantly and the comfort is improved.
The disclosed inventive concept is, in essence, a hygienic shield 1. The hygienic shield 1 may be formed by two methods resulting in two basic embodiments, referred to as a Cuff Sleeve Shield 1, 10, and a Cuff Wrap Shield 1, 20, respectively. Both embodiments 10, 20 of the hygienic shield 1 are items intended to be disposable immediately after use.
The preferred embodiment and method of use of the hygienic shield 1 is as a disposable blood pressure (BP) Cuff Sleeve Shield 10, constructed as a flexible, tubular apparatus made of blue nitrile rubber of 4.0 mm thickness. In the secondary embodiment and method of use, the Cuff Wrap Shield 20 is fabricated from planar, rectangular material, also made of blue nitrile rubber of 4.0 mm thickness. The Cuff Wrap Shield 20 further is fabricated with at least one means of attachment of a first edge 23 of the Cuff Wrap Shield 20 to a directly opposing second edge 24, thereby forming a seam 27.
The Cuff Wrap Shield 20, in its initial state, exists as a planar section of material and, in the preferred embodiment, a rectangle 28. Upon coordinated attachment of a first edge 23 of the rectangle 28 to a directly opposite, parallel, second edge 24, a tubular sleeve apparatus, the Cuff Wrap Shield 20 is formed. The Cuff Wrap Shield 20 thus formed, exhibits identical dimensions as that of a similarly-sized, pre-formed Cuff Sleeve Shield 10. It is to be noted, however, other planar forms can be utilized, including a circle 35, 36 and a diamond-shaped quadrangle 37, 38.
A primary purpose of the inventive concept is to provide a hygienic shield 1 made of non-porous, non-allergenic rubber which is easy to use, disposable, with no cleaning requirement. Further, the hygienic shield 1 must protect human patients from cross-contamination of infections, diseases and germs in circumstances where a device or item of medical equipment may be placed against the skin of a human.
An important objective is where a blood pressure (BP) cuff is to be used for acquiring blood pressure or pulse readings from a human wearer, the hygienic shield 1, 10, 20 will be placed on the arm of the human wearer, whereby the BP cuff will not touch the skin when taking the necessary readings. Both embodiments of the hygienic shield 1 are made of nitrile rubber, 4.00 mm thick, which is the same medically approved PPE nitrile rubber that medical disposable gloves are made of.
It is an objective of this concept that the hygienic shield 1 may be fabricated from other than rectangular shapes, including a circle, rhombus, quadrilateral, hexagon, pentagon, octagon, triangle, or square. Further, each of the shapes will be made in other thicknesses from 2.0 mm to 12.0 mm. The hygienic shield 1 will also be made in a wide variety of sizes, ranging from use in providing protection to a newborn to a bariatric sized person from 1″×2″ to 1″×150.″ All hygienic shields 1 fabricated from a planar material will have a first attachment means 30 and a second attachment means 31 on respective opposite sides of the material.
In the use and functioning of the hygienic shield 1, an important objective is that the hygienic shield 1, 10, 20 (1) be non-porous, (2) be non-allergenic, (3) consist of rubber material that is thin, (4) consist of rubber that is as flexible as thin cloth material, (5) have a type of rubber that enables the determination of the location of a wearer's artery easier, (6) make it possible for a wearer's appropriate artery to be felt underneath the rubber, (7) enable visual sighting of the artery pulsating under the rubber, (8) is disposable, (9) is fixed at a very low cost to manufacture, and (10) requires a minimum of storage space.
A primary positive factor in the disclosed inventive concept is that it is simply designed, with a central tubular passage, easy to use, and very convenient for both medical practitioners and any person in the general public having need of such a device.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well as the singular forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
The objects, features, and advantages of the inventive concept presented in this application, referred to generically as a “hygienic shield” 1. The inventive concept is more readily understood when referring to the accompanying drawings. The drawings, totaling nine figures, show the basic components and functions of embodiments and/or methods of use. In the several figures, like reference numbers are used in each figure to correspond to the same component as may be depicted in other figures.
The discussion of the present inventive concept will be initiated with
In its preferred embodiment rendering, the Cuff Sleeve Shield 10 is composed of blue, nitrile rubber, of 4.0 mm thickness (T) 15. Thus, the Cuff Sleeve Shield 10 is inherently an extremely flexible, its interior surface forming a central tubular passage. The length and width dimensions of the Cuff Sleeve Shield 10 are variable, in accordance with the weight and anatomy structure of the intended wearer.
In its preferred embodiment, the Cuff Sleeve Shield 10 is intended for use as a hygienic shield 1 between the skin of a user (the wearer) and the surface of a blood pressure (BP) cuff. As commonly used, a BP cuff is applied at the upper arm, or bicep area of the anatomy of a wearer/user, thus measuring his/her blood pressure. A wearer of the Cuff Sleeve Shield 10 will first place the Cuff Sleeve Shield 10 about his/her upper arm area, with the exterior surface 11 of the Cuff Sleeve Shield 10 exposed. Immediately afterwards, the user of the Cuff Sleeve Shield 10, or a caregiver, will place a blood pressure cuff directly about the exposed length (L) 29 of the Cuff Sleeve Shield 10, thereby providing hygienic shielding of the user/wearer's skin from any type of contaminants or particles that may reside on the blood pressure cuff.
By way of further analysis, the optimum length (L) 29 of the Cuff Sleeve Shield 10 is 16.0 inches. Similarly, the optimum diameter (D) 17 of the Cuff Sleeve Shield 10 is approximately 4.7 inches, which accommodates the circumference of either bicep of the average person. The length 29 of the Cuff Sleeve Shield 10 is measured from the first end 13 of the Cuff Sleeve Shield 10 to the second end 14 of the device. The optimum diameter (D) 17 translates to a circumference, about the exterior surface 11 of the Cuff Sleeve Shield 10, of approximately 14.0 inches.
It is to be understood that both the length (L)29 and optimum diameter (D) 17 of the Cuff Sleeve Shield 10 may be altered and varied at the point of manufacture to provide this device in a size appropriate for use in accommodating the anatomy of infants as well as that of significantly obese individuals.
In
Continuing with
In this manner, the Cuff Wrap Shield 20 in
Directing attention to
At this stage of the “roll over” procedure, it is seen that the first attachment means 30 and second attachment means 31 sufficiently proximate each other so as to form a common bond. The configuration of the rectangle 28 as shown in
In viewing
The disposable blue nitrile rubber used in both the Cuff Sleeve Shield 10 and the Cuff Wrap Shield 20 is the same medically approved material that is utilized for personal protective equipment (PPE) in health care facilities. Just as a substantial quantity of rubber gloves are made of nitrile rubber, non-allergenic, non-porous and used as a PPE, similarly the Cuff Sleeve Shield 10 and Cuff Wrap Shield 20 will provide personal protection to the patient when placed on the arm or leg prior to many medical or health monitoring procedures.
While preferred embodiments of the present inventive method have been shown and disclosed herein, it will be obvious to those persons skilled in the art that such embodiments are presented by way of example only, and not as a limitation to the scope of the inventive concept. Numerous variations, changes, and substitutions may occur or be suggested to those skilled in the art without departing from the intent, scope, and totality of this inventive concept. Such variations, changes, and substitutions may involve other features which are already known per se and which may be used instead of, in combination with, or in addition to features already disclosed herein. Accordingly, it is intended that this inventive concept be inclusive of such variations, changes, and substitutions, as described by the scope of the claims presented herein.
This patent application claims the benefit of priority from previously-filed U.S. provisional patent application, Ser. No. 63/090,166, filed on Oct. 9, 2020 as though fully appearing herein. This patent application further claims the benefit and priority of a Petition, pursuant to 37 CFR 1.78(c), filed with the Commissioner of Patents on Dec. 8, 2021, said Petition seeking an extension of time of two (2) months for the effectivity of the filing date of provisional patent application No. 63/090,166.