Patent Application
20240033153
The present invention relates to a mat which is preferably used, for example, for holding the posture of a subject during an operation in orthopedics, surgery or the like.
In the fields of orthopedics, surgery and the like, when an operation is performed for a long period of time while the posture of a subject is being held steady, a sandbag, independent foam blocks of various shapes and sizes, an operation fixing tool such as a restraint band, a negative pressure fixing tool and the like are used.
For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a posture fixing mat in which a cushion body with foam heads filled in the interior of each of gas-permeable bags coupled in a longitudinal direction is stored in a gas impermeable bag, after the position of the posture of a subject is confirmed, the gas impermeable bag is deaerated to bring the cushion body into close contact with the gas impermeable bag, the foam beads are fixed within the cushion body and thus the posture of the subject is fixed.
Patent Literature 2 discloses a posture holding tool including: a main body formed with a viscoelastic gel-like material of a predetermined thickness and compressive stress and a film of a predetermined thickness, tensile strength and the like which wraps the viscoelastic gel-like material; and a bottom portion formed of an elastomer which has a predetermined thickness and a hardness higher than that of the viscoelastic gel-like material.
As a commercially available product, a mat made of low-resilience urethane foam called “Soft Nurse” (registered trademark) is used as a posture holding mat for an operation.
Patent Literature 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2019-63416
Patent Literature 2: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2005-52183
However, in principle, the posture holding mats disclosed in Patent Literatures 1 and 2 are to be washed and reused after use, and due to their structures, it is impossible to cut them to a desired size for use. Hence, the place, the posture and the like in which the posture holding mats can be used are limited. Although “Soft Nurse” (registered trademark) is also to be washed and reused after use in principle, it can be cut to a desired size. However, a cutting tool such as a cutter is required for cutting. For this reason, there is a demand for further improvement in the performance of mats used in an operating room and the like in which simple operations and quick responses are required.
The present invention is made in view of the conventional problems as described above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a posture holding mat which can be cut by an operator with fingers without use of a cutting tool such as a cutter, can be bent to be used and can be used for holding the posture of a subject during an operation in orthopedics, surgery or the like.
In order to achieve the object described above, a posture holding mat (hereinafter also simply referred to as the “mat”) according to the present invention is a mat that has a predetermined thickness to hold a posture, the posture holding mat includes: an elastic foam; and a cuttable line that allows the mat to be cut to a predetermined size and in the cuttable line, cuts penetrating in the direction of the thickness are provided at a predetermined interval.
In the posture holding mat configured as described above, the cuttable lines are preferably provided in a grid pattern in a surface perpendicular to the direction of the thickness of the mat.
In the posture holding mat configured as described above, a plurality of projections and depressions are preferably formed alternately in two orthogonal directions in plan view on one surface side and/or on the other surface side in the direction of the thickness of the mat.
In the posture holding mat configured as described above, the ratio of the height of the projection to the thickness of the mat is preferably in a range equal to or greater than 15% and equal to or less than 40%.
In the posture holding mat configured as described above, the length of the cut is preferably equal to or greater than 10 mm.
In the posture holding mat configured as described above, the length of a connection portion between the adjacent cuts is preferably in a range equal to or greater than 1 mm and equal to or less than 8 mm.
In the posture holding mat configured as described above, the foam is preferably polyurethane foam.
In the posture holding mat configured as described above, the density of the foam is preferably equal to or greater than 20 kg/m3.
In the posture holding mat configured as described above, a mark is preferably provided to serve as a cut length indicator when the mat is cut. The mark is preferably a groove that is formed in a side surface of the mat and extends in the direction of the thickness of the mat.
The posture holding mat of the present invention can be cut by an operator with fingers without use of a cutting tool such as a cutter and can be bent to be used. In this way, the posture holding mat can be effectively used for holding the posture of a subject during an operation in orthopedics, surgery or the like.
Although a mat according to the present invention will be described below with reference to drawings, the present invention is not limited to embodiments at all. In the present specification, the “direction of thickness”, an “X-direction” and a “Y-direction” are assumed to mean the direction of thickness, an X-direction and a Y-direction indicated in the drawings.
Although the thickness D (shown in
As the foam of the mat M1, for example, an elastic resin foam such as polyurethane foam, polyethylene foam or polypropylene foam can be preferably used. Among them, polyurethane foam is preferably used in which impact resilience is low and body pressure dispersion is high. Moreover, in terms of achieving the functions of breathability and water permeability, polyurethane foam of a three-dimensional mesh structure without the provision of cell membranes is recommended. An antistatic function (static electricity prevention), antibacterial performance and antifungal performance may be provided to the mat M1 by containing, in the foam, conductive powder such as carbon, an antibacterial agent and an antifungal agent.
The density of the foam of the mat M1 is preferably equal to or greater than 20 kg/m3. If the density of the foam is less than 20 kg/m3, the mat M1 may tear along a cuttable line against the will of a user when the mat M1 is bent. When the mat M1 is compressed to save space during storage and transportation, there is a risk of insufficient recovery from a compressed state during use. The lower limit value of the density of the foam is more preferably 25 kg/m3. On the other hand, although the upper limit value of the density of the foam is not particularly limited, the upper limit value is generally 50 kg/m3.
As shown in
One or two or more cuttable lines L may be provided. When two or more cuttable lines L are provided, the formation intervals P1 and P2 thereof (shown in
The length Lc of the connection portion Co which forms the cuttable line L together with the cut Br and is provided between adjacent cuts Br is preferably equal to or greater than 1 mm and equal to or less than 8 mm. When the length Lc of the connection portion Co is less than 1 mm, unintended separation may occur during transportation or the like. On the other hand, when the length Lc of the connection portion Co is greater than 8 mm, the cut surface of the mat M1 may be rough, and chips may be produced. The length Lc of the connection portion Co is more preferably equal to or greater than 1 mm and equal to or less than 6 mm, further preferably equal to or greater than 1 mm and equal to or less than 4 mm and particularly preferably equal to or greater than 1 m and equal to or less than 3 mm.
Although the ratio of the length Lb of the cut Br to the length Lc of the connection portion Co in the cuttable line L is not particularly limited, in general, the length Lb of the cut Br is preferably longer than the length Lc of the connection portion Co.
The connection portion Co preferably connects the cuts Br in at least a part thereof in the direction of thickness, and, for example, a cut which has a predetermined depth in the direction of thickness of the mat M1 may be provided in the connection portion Co. The cut as described above is formed, and thus the mat M1 is more easily cut along the cuttable lines L, and the cutting of the mat M1 out of the cuttable lines L is suppressed.
As described above, in the mat of the present invention, the cuttable lines are used, and thus a small mat having a desired size can be cut from the main mat, and the mat can be bent 180 degrees to be used. Moreover, after use, the mat of the present invention can be discarded without being washed and reused like a conventional one.
The mat M2 includes seven cuttable lines L which extend linearly in the Y-direction and are formed at intervals P1 and three cuttable lines L which extend linearly in the X-direction and are formed at intervals P2. In each of the side surfaces of the mat M2 reached by these cuttable lines L, V-shaped grooves (hereinafter also referred to as the “V-grooves”) G1 which extend in the direction of thickness of the mat M2 (direction perpendicular to the plane of
The V-grooves G1 are formed at the ends of the cuttable lines L, and thus it is easy to find the formation positions of the cuttable lines L which are difficult to visually recognize in the mat M2 in a normal state where an external force such as bending stress is not applied, and the mat M2 can be more easily separated with the V-groove used as a separation starting point by applying a force with fingers so as to push and spread the side surface opposite the V-groove.
In the mat M2, U-shaped grooves (hereinafter also referred to as the “U-grooves”) G2 are formed between V-grooves G1 adjacent in the Y-direction at predetermined intervals. A plurality of U-grooves G2 are formed at regular intervals between the V-grooves G1, and thus the mat of a desired size can easily be grasped so as to be cut. Specifically, even when it is necessary to cut the mat of a length other than an integral multiple of the formation interval P2 of the cuttable lines L, the U-groove G2 is used as an indicator, and thus it is possible to easily determine the position at which the mat is cut. For example, when the length between the V-groove G-1 and the U-groove G2 and the length between the U-groove G2 and the U-groove G2 each are assumed to be 5 cm, and a met having a length of 25 cm in the V-direction is cut, since the length from a predetermined V-groove G1 to the subsequent V-groove G1 is 20 cm, the mat is preferably cut at the position of the U-groove G2 which is adjacent to the V-groove G1 so as to be distant therefrom.
The shape of the groove formed in the mat M2 is not limited to the V shape and the U shape, and a conventionally known shape can be adopted. As the shape of the groove, one type may be provided or two or more types may be provided. However, in order to be able to determine whether or not positions are the formation positions of the cuttable lines L, it is preferable to provide two or more types of shapes of the grooves and to provide a different shape of the groove at each of the formation position of the cuttable line L and the position other than the formation position.
Although in the present embodiment, the V-grooves G1 and the U-grooves G2 formed in the side surfaces of the mat M2 are used as a cut length indicator when the mat is cut, the mark for the cut length of the mat is not limited to the groove, and may be, for example, a print display on the surface of the mat M2 or the like.
In polyurethane foam which had a length of 150 mm in the X-direction, a length of 200 mm in the Y-direction, a thickness of 60 mm and a density of 25 kg/m3 and in which the profile processing (projections of 20 mm) was performed on one surface side, cuttable lines parallel to the X-direction or the Y-direction. were formed at intervals of 50 mm in the X-direction and at intervals of 75 mm in the Y-direction, and thus mats in Examples 1 to 6 were produced. The lengths of cuts Br and connection portions Co of the cuttable lines were as shown in Table 1. Then, on the produced mats, evaluation tests of the following items were performed. Evaluations results are shown in Table 1.
Mats were produced and evaluation tests were performed as in Examples 2 to 6 except that the height of projections 11 on which the profile processing was performed was 10 mm. Evaluations results are shown in Table 1.
The mat was bent 180 degrees with a center portion in the X-direction being the center, was compressed for 2 to 3 seconds and thereafter whether or not a crack occurs in the cuttable lines was checked. Likewise, the mat was bent 180 degrees with a center portion in the Y-direction being the center, was compressed for 2 to 3 seconds and thereafter whether or not a crack occurs in the cuttable lines was checked.
Fingers were inserted into the cuts of the mat to push and spread the cuts, and ease of starting to cut was evaluated based on the following criteria.
Excellent: The first connection portion was able to be easily cut with the fingers inserted into the cuts.
Good: The first connection portion was able to be cut with the fingers inserted into the cuts but some force was required.
Poor: A force was required when the first connection portion was cut with the fingers inserted into the cuts, and it was difficult to cut the mat.
Ease of pushing, spreading and developing the cuts of the mat was evaluated based on the following criteria.
Excellent: The cuts were able to be easily pushed, spread and developed.
Good: Some force was required to push and spread the cuts but the cuts were able to be developed.
Poor: A force was required to push and spread the cuts and it was difficult to develop the cuts.
Whether or not a cut in portions other the connection portions occurs when the cuts were developed was evaluated based on the following criteria.
Excellent: The connection portions were easily cut, and were easily cut linearly along the cuts.
Good: Some force was required for cutting the connection portions, and care was needed to be taken to cut the connection portions linearly along the cuts.
Poor: A force was required to cut the connection portions, and considerable care was needed to be taken to cut the connection portions linearly along the cuts.
The state of the cut surface and whether or not chips were produced after the mat was cut along the cuttable lines were evaluated based on the following criteria.
Excellent: The cut surface was smooth, and no chips were produced.
Good: Small depressions and projections were present but no chips were produced.
Poor: Depressions and projections were remarkable, the cut surface was rough and chips might be produced.
As is clear from Table 1, it was found that among the mats in which the height of projections subjected to the profile processing was 20 mm, the mats of Examples 1 and 2 in which the length of the cut in the cuttable line was 12 mm and the lengths of the connection portions were respectively 1 mm and 2 mm were excellent both in the bending evaluation and the cutting evaluation. It was found that among the mats in which the height of projections subjected to the profile processing was 10 the mat of Example 7 in which the length of the cut in the cuttable line was 12 mm and the length of the connection portions was 2 mm was excellent both in the bending evaluation and the cutting evaluation.
It was found that in the mats of Examples 3 to 5 and Examples 8 to 10 in which the length of the cut in the cuttable line was 12 mm and the lengths of the connection portions were 3 mm, 4 mm and 6 mm, the evaluation items of the “ease of starting to cut”, the “ease of cutting” and the “state of cut surface and chips” tended to be lowered as the length of the connection portions was increased.
It was found that in the mats of Examples 6 and 11 in which the length of the cut in the cuttable line was 16 mm, the length of the connection portions was 8 mm, the ratio of the length of the cut to the length of the connection portions was the same as that in the mats of Examples 5 and 10 and the lengths are increased, as compared with the mats of Examples 5 and 10, the “ease of starting to cut” was lowered but the other evaluation items were the same.
The mat of the present invention can be cut by an operator with lingers without use of a cutting tool such as a cutler, can be bent to be used and can be effectively used for holding the posture of a subject during an operation in orthopedics, surgery or the like.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-204661 | Dec 2020 | JP | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2021/044196 | 12/2/2021 | WO |
