Patent Application
20150144143
N/A
The present invention relates generally to the field of devices and methods for treating pressure sores.
A pressure sore, also referred to as a pressure ulcer, decubitus ulcer, or bedsore, is a localized breakdown of skin caused by constant pressure on one location. Generally, treatment proceeds by reduction of pressure in the affected area, and by ensuring air circulation.
It is well established that pressure sores can be very difficult to prevent or treat in older bed confined or critically ill patients, or individuals who are wheel chair users.
Well-known prevention methods are based on redistributing pressure by turning or repositioning the patient regularly. Special bed devices and mattress designs have been employed to facilitate easy rotation or altered pressure distribution. However, these devices have often proven expensive and cumbersome in use, and are not always effective in alleviating pressure in all locations on the human body.
As such, considering the foregoing, it may be appreciated that there continues to be a need for novel and improved devices and methods to treat and prevent pressure sores.
The foregoing needs are met, to a great extent, by the present invention, wherein in aspects of this invention, enhancements are provided to the existing models of pressure sore prevention and treatment.
In an aspect of the present invention, a pressure sore treatment device for reducing pressure on an area of the skin of a patient, and thereby treating or preventing a pressure sore, can include a cover box, which further contains a cover box cavity, which goes through the cover box, with openings on the outer and inner sides of the cover box, so that the cover box can be placed over the area of the skin of the patient, whereby the opening on the inner side of the box structure reduces pressure on the affected area of the skin.
In a related aspect, the pressure treatment device can further include a belt strap to secure the pressure sore treatment device to an area of a patient's body.
In a related aspect, the cover box and the belt strap can further include a fastening mechanism so that the cover box can be attached to and removed from the belt strap.
In a related aspect, the cover box can be made with an inner core of a suitably firm foam material, which furthermore can be covered by an external cover made from a soft medical textile.
In a further related aspect, both the belt strap and the external cover can be made from an antimicrobial medical textile material, such as for example an antiseptic bio-textile.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, certain embodiments of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof herein may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional embodiments of the invention that will be described below and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of embodiments in addition to those described and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein, as well as the abstract, are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Before describing the invention in detail, it should be observed that the present invention resides primarily in a novel and non-obvious combination of elements and process steps. So as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will readily be apparent to those skilled in the art, certain conventional elements and steps have been presented with lesser detail, while the drawings and specification describe in greater detail other elements and steps pertinent to understanding the invention.
The following embodiments are not intended to define limits as to the structure or method of the invention, but only to provide exemplary constructions. The embodiments are permissive rather than mandatory and illustrative rather than exhaustive.
In the following we describe the structure of such an embodiment in the form of a pressure sore treatment device 400 with reference to
In an embodiment, illustrated in
In an embodiment, the cover box 200 can be used without the belt strap 100, for example by positioning underneath a patient lying in a bed. It can for example be used alleviate pressure on the tailbone of a patient, who is lying on the back, so that the cover box 200 is placed under the patient, with the opening on the inner side 208 placed directly under the tailbone, thereby alleviating pressure on the tailbone area and reducing the risk of a bedsore in this area.
In various related embodiments, the box-to-belt, belt-to-box, and belt-to-belt fastening mechanisms can use a variety of fastening mechanisms, in a variety of configurations and shapes, such as for example:
In a related embodiment, a mesh fabric cover 312 can cover the opening on the outer side 308 of the box structure cavity 210, and thereby allow air circulation, while preventing foreign objects to enter the box structure cavity 210
In a related embodiment, the pressure sore cover 400 can be permanently attached to the belt strap 100, for example by being sewn or glued together.
In related embodiments, the left and right belt fastening pads, and the inner and outer fastening pads 104504, can be attached to the belt body 102, by common fastening methods, such as sewn stitches or glue.
In a related embodiment, the box structure 202 can be made of a firm foam material, such as for example an extruded closed-cell polystyrene foam in a density range from 25 to 50 kg/m3. Alternatively, it can be another type of firm foam, such as for example an open-cell flexible polyurethane foam with a density in a range from 40 to 80 kg/m3. In general, the foam material can be an expanded or extruded, open- or closed-cell foam. In these various embodiments, the foam material should have a sufficient firmness that is comfortable but does not exhibit excessive deformation in normal use, which could deform the hole openings of the box structure 202, and thereby reduce the effectiveness of the pressure sore treatment device 400. A foam of sufficient firmness can have an indentation force deflection at 25% of 40-80 pounds/50 in2, but this can vary depending on application and type of foam.
In a further related embodiment, the box structure 202 can be made of a reticulated foam material, of sufficient firmness, whereby the box structure can allow for excess moisture or liquid to evaporate or drain off, and further can allow for easy cleaning. A reticulated foam of sufficient firmness can for example be a reticulated polyurethane foam with a density in a range of 20 to 50 kg/m3.
In a related embodiment, the box structure 202 can further include an external cover made by a medical fabric material, such as a soft medical cotton material.
In further related embodiments, parts of or all of the pressure sore cover device 400, can be antimicrobial, for example via treatment with an antimicrobial agent, or via construction from materials that are inherently antimicrobial. This can include treatment with or use of various well-known agents or materials with antibiotic and/or antifungal properties.
In a further related example embodiment, both the belt body 102 and the external cover of the box structure 202, can be made of a medical fabric, which is an antiseptic bio-textile, for example a medical fabric, composed of a cotton textile treated with Zeolite or Triclosan.
In a related embodiment, the belt body 102 can be made of an elastic medical fabric.
In various related embodiments, the pressure sore treatment device 400 can be made in a plurality of sizes and specific shapes to fit different parts of the human body. In an example embodiment, suitable for general use, the box structure can have a depth, equal to the depth of the hole from the outer side 308 to the inner side 208, of 2 inches, and an equal length and width of 4 inches, whereby the outer side 308 and the inner side 208 are quadratic, with side lengths of 4 inches. In this example embodiment, the openings of the hole on respectively the outer side 308 and the inner side 208 can be centrally located on each outer and inner side 308208 of the box structure, and be quadratic with a length and width of 1.5 inches, and a depth of 2 inches, similar to the depth of the box structure. The belt strap 100, can in this example embodiment have a length of 23 inches, and width, similar to the width of the box structure, of 4 inches.
A method for preventing or treating pressure sores can comprise:
In a further embodiment, the method can further comprise: applying a protective skin ointment, such as petroleum jelly, or similar skin ointment, to the treatment area, before placing the box structure over the treatment area.
In a limited study of an embodiment of the pressure sore treatment device 400, a patient had suffered a bone fracture in the upper leg, and had to have pins embedded in the leg to keep bones in place during healing. Pressure from the other leg, caused the pins to rupture the skin, resulting in significant pain, and a progressively worsening sore, that did not respond to standard attempts at treatment. After installation of an embodiment of the pressure sore treatment device 400, the patient's condition improved, the skin healed, and pain subsided. In continuing preventive treatment, there were no further episodes of skin breaking.
The many features and advantages of the invention are apparent from the detailed specification, and thus, it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such features and advantages of the invention, which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.
Many such alternative configurations are readily apparent, and should be considered to be fully included in this specification and the claims appended hereto. Accordingly, since numerous modifications and variations will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation illustrated and described, and thus, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.
