Patent Application
20240423307
The present invention relates generally to the field of medical gowns. More specifically, the present invention relates to a novel hospital gown that can be worn by both patients and medical staff in hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, hospice care facilities, and much more. The gown has a hook and loop or any other fastening system at the back portion enabling users to put on and take off the gown independently. A plurality of pockets enable a wearer to store small items therein and a front portion slit enables a wearer to easily reveal the front sides of the body of the wearer during medical procedures. Accordingly, the present disclosure makes specific reference thereto. Nonetheless, it is to be appreciated that aspects of the present invention are also equally applicable to other like applications, devices, and methods of manufacture.
By way of background, a hospital or medical gown is a long loose piece of clothing worn in a hospital by a patient, or by someone doing or having an operation/procedure. It can also be used as clothing for bedridden patients. Although, medical treatments for treating patients have changed vastly over the last century, the gowns have not. Traditional gowns have been cumbersome and uncomfortable to wear, Commonly, a wearer is required to receive assistance while putting on the gown which is not only discomforting, but is also embarrassing. Individuals with physical limitations, injuries, and more find it extremely difficult to don and wear a gown on their own.
Conventional medical gowns do not have pockets; therefore, a wearer cannot have items in their immediate proximity and may force the wearer to leave their personal belongings behind in a locker or with another person. This is uncomfortable and unsafe for wearer.
When a wearer such as a patient wears a conventional hospital or medical gown, access to a wearer's body for medical personnel is difficult and inconvenient. It is common for a patient to remove the medical gown to enable a doctor or any other medical staff to inspect and check a frontal portion or chest portion of the body. This is time consuming, discomforting, and embarrassing for both the patient and doctor.
Therefore, there exists a long felt need in the art for an improved medical gown that is easy and comfortable to wear. There is also a long felt need in the art for a medical gown that can be donned and worn by a user independently without anyone's assistance. Additionally, there is a long felt need in the art for an improved medical gown that can store small personal items and medical equipment. Moreover, there is a long felt need in the art for an improved medical gown that improves overall aesthetics. Further, there is a long felt need in the art for an improved medical gown that enables easy access to the front body area of a wearer without removing the gown. Furthermore, there is a long felt need in the art for a hospital gown that maintains a more comfortable and stylish appearance compared to current gowns. Finally, there is a long felt need in the art for a hospital gown that offers a more comfortable and effective gown for those in hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, hospice care facilities, and much more.
The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one embodiment thereof, comprises a medical gown designed to offer better wearer access, wearability, and aesthetics compared to current gowns. The gown is configured to be put on (i.e., donned) by a wearer by slipping on over the head and neck of the wearer to cover upper body and limbs and is secured with an adjustable hook and loop fastener system positioned on a back surface of the gown. The hook and loop fastener closure system in the back makes it easier to don and remove the gown. Snap or pop-style buttons are applied to the front of the gown to reveal the front sides of the body of wearer during medical procedures. The buttons form a slit enabling easy slipping on and off of the gown. The gown has three pockets including a pair on the lower waist portion covering the pelvis and a single pocket on the chest portion of the gown. The gown comes with a pair of non-slip socks configured to be worn with the gown for additional security against slips and falls.
In this manner, the medical gown of the present invention accomplishes all of the forgoing objectives and provides users with a modified hospital gown designed to offer better patient access during a medical procedure. The set of pockets on the front sides of the gown can store small items like wires, monitors, and other medical equipment. Hook and loop fastening system enables users to don and remove the gown independently and the pair of socks improve overall aesthetics in combination with the gown.
The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosed innovation. This summary is not an extensive overview, and it is not intended to identify key/critical elements or to delineate the scope thereof. Its sole purpose is to present some general concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.
The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one embodiment thereof, comprises a medical gown for patients. The medical gown is designed to be worn easily and provides better patient access to medical personnel. The medical gown has a one-piece structure and further comprising a front portion covering a frontal body area of a wearer, a back portion covering a back portion of the wearer, a pair of sleeves for receiving arms of the wearer, the front portion including a chest portion and a lower portion, a pair of pockets disposed on the lower portion and a pocket disposed on the chest portion, the pockets function as receptacles and can be used for storing personal items and small medical equipment. The front portion has a front body slit on the chest portion extending from a neck opening of the gown and is formed by a first portion having a plurality of snap buttons and a second portion having corresponding snap button receivers wherein the first portion and the second portion form a portion of the chest portion. The back portion has a gown closure element along a length of the back portion wherein the gown closure element has a loop fastener and a hook fastener for securing the gown around the body of a wearer. The gown is washable and comes in different sizes and designs. The gown can be worn by medical assistants and patients.
In yet another embodiment, a hospital gown designed to offer better patient access and function compared to current gowns is disclosed. The gown is configured to be slipped on over the head and neck of a wearer to cover the upper body of a wearer, and is secured with an adjustable hook and loop fastener strap positioned on a back surface of the gown. Other fastening mechanisms can also be used to secure and adjust the gown. The gown has a hook and loop fastener closure system in the back to make it easier to put on and take off. Snap or pop-style buttons are applied to the front of the gown to reveal the front sides of the body of the wearer during medical procedures and patient monitoring. The buttons form a slit enabling easy slipping on and off of the gown. The gown has three pockets including a pair on the lower waist portion in the front and a single pocket on the chest portion of the gown. The gown comes with a pair of non-slip socks configured to be worn with the gown for additional security against slips and falls.
In an additional embodiment of the presently described invention, a medical gown includes a front portion, the front portion is capable of covering a chest region, trunks and frontal lower limbs of a wearer, a back portion capable of covering a back region and rear lower limbs of the wearer, the back portion has a hook and loop fastener closure system for securing the gown around the body of the wearer, the front portion having a flap like first portion configured to releasably attach to the second portion to form a front body slit, the flap and the second portion form a portion of the front portion. For wearing the gown, the hook and loop fastener closure system is in an unfastened configuration and the first portion and the second portion are detached and once the gown is worn by a wearer, the hook and loop fastener are fastened and the first portion and the second portion are fastened.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, the front portion has a plurality of pockets functioning as receptacles for accommodating personal items and medical equipment.
In a further embodiment, the gown has a pair of short sleeves enabling a wearer of the gown to receive injections or any other medications into the arms.
Numerous benefits and advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which it pertains upon reading and understanding of the following detailed specification.
To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, certain illustrative aspects of the disclosed innovation are described herein in connection with the following description and the annexed drawings. These aspects are indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles disclosed herein can be employed and are intended to include all such aspects and their equivalents. Other advantages and novel features will become apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the drawings.
The description refers to provided drawings in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the different views, and in which:
The innovation is now described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding thereof. It may be evident, however, that the innovation can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to facilitate a description thereof. Various embodiments are discussed hereinafter. It should be noted that the figures are described only to facilitate the description of the embodiments. They are not intended as an exhaustive description of the invention and do not limit the scope of the invention. Additionally, an illustrated embodiment need not have all the aspects or advantages shown. Thus, in other embodiments, any of the features described herein from different embodiments may be combined.
As noted above, there is a long felt need in the art for an improved medical gown that is easy and comfortable to wear. There is also a long felt need in the art for a medical gown that can be worn by a user independently without anyone's help or assistance to don. Additionally, there is a long felt need in the art for an improved medical gown that can store small personal items and medical equipment. Moreover, there is a long felt need in the art for an improved medical gown that improves overall aesthetics. Further, there is a long felt need in the art for an improved medical gown that enables easy access to a front body portion of a wearer without removing the gown. Furthermore, there is a long felt need in the art for a hospital gown that maintains a more comfortable and stylish appearance compared to current gowns. Finally, there is a long felt need in the art for a hospital gown that offers a more comfortable and effective gown for those in hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, hospice care facilities, and much more.
The present invention, in one exemplary embodiment, is a novel medical gown. The medical gown includes a front portion, the front portion is capable of covering a chest region, trunks, and frontal limbs of a wearer, a back portion capable of covering a back region and rear limbs of the wearer, the back portion has a hook and loop fastener closure system for securing the gown around the body of the wearer, the front portion having a flap like first portion configured to releasably attach to the second portion to form a front body slit, the flap and the second portion form a portion of the front portion. For donning the gown, the hook and loop fastener closure system is in an unfastened configuration and the first portion and the second portion are detached and once the gown is donned by a wearer, the hook and loop fastener are fastened and the first portion and the second portion are fastened together.
Referring initially to the drawings,
The front body slit 108 specifically located in a chest area 110 of the front portion 102 and may be embodied as a straight narrow cut, opening, or the like. The slit 108 is formed by a first portion 112 having a plurality of snap buttons 114 and a second portion 116 having a plurality of corresponding snap button receivers 118 wherein the buttons 114 are detached from the receivers 118 to enable the first portion 112 to drop down thereby forming the front body slit 108 to easily access the front body part of a wearer of the gown 100. The first portion 112 when overlapping the second portion 116 enables the front portion to cover the chest area of the wearer and form the circular neck opening 106. The means for securing the first portion 112 and the second portion 116 include, but are not limited to, buttons, snaps, and hook and loop fasteners.
It should be noted that the front body slit 108 also enables a user to easily slip the gown 100 over the head, neck, and shoulders when the first portion 112 and the second portion 116 are detached, thus, obviating the assistance of others to don and wear the gown 100.
The front portion 102 has a pair of pockets 120, 122 positioned on the lower portion 124. The lower portion 124 is defined as the area of the front portion 102 covering the pelvis of a wearer. A separate pocket 126 is positioned on the chest area 110, preferably on the opposite side of the front body slit 108. The pockets 120, 122, 126 are designed to securely carry personal items, pacifiers, keys, medical equipment, such as monitors and wires and more. The pockets 120, 122, 126 can include a receptacle, a cavity, an opening, or a small baglike attachment forming part of a garment. In one exemplary embodiment, the pockets 120, 122, 126 have a size of about 6″ (L)×4″ (W).
The gown 100 has a generally mid-leg length (i.e., knee length) bottom lateral edge 128 (and along with the front body slit 108), enabling caretakers easy access to various other parts of the wearer's body including upper legs, groin area, abdomen, pelvis, and back. The gown 100 is functional for performing feminine hygiene, perineal care, groin treatment, and the like. The gown 100 has a pair of short or half sleeves 130, 132 for covering a portion of the arms of a wearer that enable the wearer to easily receive an injection, blood pressure measuring machine, and more.
The gown 100 comes with a pair of matching socks 134 that go with the gown 100 to improve its overall aesthetic and to prevent slips and falls. The socks 134 can be of various lengths and are antimicrobial in nature.
It is envisioned that the hospital gown 100 and the socks 134 in accordance with aspects of the invention could be formed of many different fabrics or combinations of fabrics including, but not limited to, cotton, wool, silk, polyester, acrylic, nylon, and spandex. It is further contemplated that such gown 100 might include additional utilitarian features such as internal liner panels and pockets, as well as additional decorative features such as logos and designs. It may be desirable to have a fabric that is comfortable and durable as well as cost effective for manufacturing. There may be many uses for the various embodiments of the present invention that can be used as a hospital gown as well as that can be used at home and the like. A garment as described herein is not meant to be limited to the hospital setting. In alternative embodiments, the present invention may include a shirt, a house dress, and the like.
More specifically, the back portion 104 is open and has a first rear portion 206 and a second rear portion 208 that are fastened together using the gown closure element 204 to place the gown 100 around the body by a wearer. Free end 210 of the first rear portion 206 has a hook fastener 212 and the free end 214 of the second rear portion 208 has loop fastener 216 wherein the hook fastener 212 and the loop fastener 216 form the gown closure element 204. Using the gown closure element 204, the gown 100 closes completely to accommodate a wearer without any discomfort to the wearer. The gown closure element 204 enables easy opening and closing of the gown 100 such that the gown 100 can be easily worn by a wearer without any external assistance to don.
The sleeve portions 130, 132 accommodate the arms of the wearer and the gown looks like a conventional medical gown, but with enhanced patient access and functions compared to conventional gowns.
In one embodiment of the present invention, for wearing the medical gown, the front body slit and the hook and loop fastening system are opened or unfastened, the gown is then slipped over the head onto the body by the wearer, thereafter, the hook and loop fastener are releasably attached and the front body slit is closed using the snap or pop buttons to completely cover the body of the wearer.
It should be appreciated that the medical gown of various embodiments of the present invention effectively helps in better patient access and storage of personal items. Further, the gown can be worn independently without asking for assistance from others. The gown and the socks complement each other and help in improving overall aesthetics and preventing slips and falls.
The gown 100, 400 may be of any suitable size and color to fulfil the needs of the users. The gown 100, 400 may include a design or pattern as well on the front and back portions to provide additional aesthetic features. These designs or patterns could be brand names, logos, inspirational messages, or the like.
Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claims to refer to particular features or components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, different persons may refer to the same feature or component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components or features that differ in name but not structure or function. As used herein “medical gown”, “hospital gown”, “gown”, and “multifunctional hospital gown” are interchangeable and refer to the medical gown 100,400 of the present invention.
Notwithstanding the forgoing, the medical gown 100, 400 of the present invention can be of any suitable size and configuration as is known in the art without affecting the overall concept of the invention, provided that it accomplishes the above stated objectives. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the medical gown 100, 400 as shown in the FIGS. are for illustrative purposes only, and that many other sizes and shapes of the medical gown 100, 400 are well within the scope of the present disclosure. Although the dimensions of the medical gown 100, 400 are important design parameters for user convenience, the medical gown 100, 400 may be of any size that ensures optimal performance during use and/or that suits the user's needs and/or preferences.
Various modifications and additions can be made to the exemplary embodiments discussed without departing from the scope of the present invention. While the embodiments described above refer to particular features, the scope of this invention also includes embodiments having different combinations of features and embodiments that do not include all of the described features. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variations as fall within the scope of the claims, together with all equivalents thereof.
What has been described above includes examples of the claimed subject matter. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the claimed subject matter, but one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that many further combinations and permutations of the claimed subject matter are possible. Accordingly, the claimed subject matter is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, to the extent that the term “includes” is used in either the detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.
The present application claims priority to, and the benefit of, U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/510,193, which was filed on Jun. 26, 2023 and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63510193 | Jun 2023 | US |
