Embodiments of this invention relate generally to protective shoulder pads such as those worn by individuals participating in athletic activities, including contact sports. In particular, this invention improves currently available protective shoulder pads with a feature that allows emergency medical personnel or others to safely and easily remove the protective shoulder pads from the individual wearing the shoulder pads in case of suspected neck or cervical spine injury.
Protective shoulder pads are commonly used by athletes and other individuals to protect the individual's shoulders, chest, upper and lower back, and upper arms from impact that may result in injury. For example, protective shoulder pads are utilized in sports where collision is inherent and produces a significant risk of injury, such as football, hockey and lacrosse. However, individuals wearing protective shoulder pads are generally reluctant to use protection for the fragile neck and upper spine because this protection significantly diminishes the mobility that athletes and other individual's desire. As a result, the neck and upper spine are more susceptible to injury than other parts of the human body.
When such neck or cervical spine injuries occur, protective shoulder pads themselves become a risk factor for iatrogenic injury during the course of initial medical evaluation and management. Currently available protective shoulder pads only allow removal as an entire unit. Known shoulder pads are designed so that energy from an impact to any portion of the pads is dissipated throughout the entire pad and minimizes the impact to the wearer. The proper technique for protective shoulder pad removal includes one member of the medical team maintaining manual stabilization of the athlete's head and neck at all times. While that member of the medical team remains in place manually stabilizing the head and neck, the injured athlete's torso is elevated to a 30-40 degree angle by flexing the athlete's lower spine and hips. Alternatively, the entire athlete must be lifted. While in this compromised position, the protective shoulder pads are then maneuvered in a manner to remove them, essentially, over the head of the injured athlete. This maneuver is extremely complicated and may potentially cause a secondary injury. Research in the field of spinal cord injury has suggested up to 25% of cervical spinal cord injured patients experience neurologic deterioration during the course of initial evaluation and management.
In the event that an individual suffers a suspected injury to the spine or neck, the current practice in the medical profession is to stabilize the individual in the supine position while diagnosing and treating the individual. The National Athletic Trainers' Association's guidelines and recommendations in this field, Prehospital Care of the Spine-Injured Athlete, incorporated by reference in its entirety, require that any athlete who is suspected of having a head and/or spinal injury should be managed as though a spinal injury exists, and if unconscious, the player is presumed to have an unstable fracture until it is proved otherwise. The guidelines further state that the improper management of a suspected spinal injury can result in a secondary injury. Head and shoulder stabilization must be maintained during any manipulation and removal of equipment to avoid cervical movement, lateral flexion and other movements which could lead to further injury.
While providing stabilization to the wearer's spine, the protective shoulder pads must be removed from the injured athlete while lying supine to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of a suspected cervical spine or neck injury. The current National Athletic Trainers' Association's guidelines and recommendations require at least four individuals to remove currently available shoulder pads. Routinely up to eight individuals may be needed to remove the currently available shoulder pads. Realizing the importance of limiting the amount of unnecessary movement during this process to prevent a secondary injury, the guidelines recommend removing the protective shoulder pads only to an extent that full access to chest, face, neck, and arms may be accessed. The National Athletic Trainers' Association's suggested method comprises the steps of cutting all soft clothing and soft portions of the shoulder pads with a knife or equivalent cutting apparatus as required to spread the two anterior halves of the protective shoulder pads that are currently available. However, the repositioning of the protective shoulder pads to this limited extent precludes sufficient access to the neck and cervical spine areas that medical personnel must access to diagnose and treat an individual with a suspected cervical spine injury.
Recent published studies by Rechtine and Horodysky at the University of Rochester have demonstrated significant motion in the cervical spine during shoulder pad removal despite the utilization of optimal techniques that are currently recommended by national athletic training and trauma specialty organizations. The consequences of such motion may include loss of one or more levels of neurologic function in the acute spinal cord injured athlete. This alone could result in a potentially ambulatory athlete becoming non-ambulatory, an independent athlete becoming dependent, or an athlete who may have independent respiration becoming respirator dependent. The human cost and the cost to society of such deterioration is enormous. No current protective shoulder pad design allows for the safe removal of the protective shoulder pads from an individual immobilized in the supine position by less than four properly trained people. Furthermore, current protective shoulder pad designs prevent both stabilization of the potentially injured athlete and an acceptable quality of radiographic imaging.
In their article Helmet and Shoulder Pad Removal in Football Players with Unstable Cervical Spine Injuries, M. C. Dahl, D. Ananthakrishnan, G. Nicandri, and R. P. Ching, the authors, while recognizing that “patient handling is often impaired due to the protective equipment worn and improper stabilization of these patients can exacerbate neurologic injury,” the authors discussed alternative methods for removing protective shoulder pads and the resulting detriments caused by each method. The levitation technique was found to produce motion in the anterior and right lateral directions. The tilt technique resulted in motions in the posterior left lateral directions, and the log roll technique generated motions in the right lateral direction and had the largest amount of increased instability when comparing the intact and lesioned specimen. According to the authors, “these findings suggest that each method of equipment removal displays unique weaknesses that the practitioner should take into account.”
In another study, the amount of motion that occurred during protective shoulder pad removal in a cadaver with an injured spine was evaluated and quantified. Helmet and shoulder pad removal from a player with suspected cervical spine injury. A cadaveric model. Spine. W F Donaldson, W C Lauerman, B Heil, R Blanc, T Swenson. 1998. The authors of the study concluded that shoulder pad removal in the unstable cervical spine is a complex maneuver, and that because of the motion observed in the unstable spine, shoulder pad removal should be performed in a carefully monitored setting by at least three, preferably four, trained people.
Another problem with currently available shoulder pads is that different types of protective shoulder pads are available for specific purposes, and the different types exacerbate the problems in removing the shoulder pads. Specific models of protective shoulder pads have posterior portions of the shoulder pads that protect down to the small of the user's back. The injured athlete must be moved to a greater degree to remove the shoulder pads, thus increasing the potential for a secondary injury. The weight of the wearer's torso exerted on the posterior member of the shoulder pads prevents easy removal of the shoulder pads, and as discussed, it is undesirable to move the individual wearing the protective shoulder pads. Another complication of attempting to remove protective shoulder pads over the head of an individual is the weight and mass of the individual. Large and heavy individuals are more difficult to lift and their body mass proves detrimental to the removal of the protective shoulder pads, thus requiring more movement of the individual and increasing the potential for a secondary injury in a person with a suspected neck or cervical spine injury.
One overriding problem of current shoulder pad design is that the pads must be rigid enough to dissipate the energy of impact to any particular portion of the pad across the majority of the entire shoulder pad, but this primary advantage is a significant deterrent to the ability to remove the one piece pads from an injured player in the supine position. Applicant is aware of several systems disclosing chest protection devices that may be removed quickly and references disclosing vests capable of carrying artillery that may be removed quickly, but none are designed to be rigid enough to dissapate the energy of impact across the entire structure and still be removable while the wearer remains in the supine position.
Branson et al. (WO/2008108856) disclose an antiballistic garment in which a front panel portion is attached to the shoulder and side portions by a quick-release cable and loop system. This vest system is not designed to withstand or dissipate impact and does not have to maintain a rigid structure when worn.
D'Annunzio (U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,948,188 and 6,769,137) discloses an armored vest that includes a retaining cable connecting together various portions of the vest, the retaining cable being easily removable in order to quickly separate the vest into its components.
Johnson (U.S. Pat. No. 7,020,897) discloses a cut away vest that includes a retaining cable connecting together various portions of the vest, the retaining cable being easily removable in order to quickly separate the vest into its components.
McDunn et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 74424,748) disclose a ballistic resistant vest that includes a retaining cable connecting together the various portions of the vest, the retaining cable being easily removable in order to quickly separate the vest into its components.
Parks et al. (US 2008/0263737) disclose a ballistic resistant garment that includes a retaining cable connecting together the various portions of the vest, the retaining cable being easily removable in order to quickly separate the vest into its components.
McBride et al. (WO/2009051619) discloses a clam-shell vest in which a front panel portion is attached to the shoulder and side portions by a quick-release cable, loop and plunger system.
These references disclose types of apparel having a release feature providing for the disengagment of portions of the apparel from other portions of the apparel. Each of these references disclose an article of apparel that is functional to remove the front portion of the apparel from the rear portion of the apparel. The references disclose articles of apparel not designed for use as a protection device during athletic activity, but disclose apparel to be utilized during military or paramilitary activities. None of the references, taken either together or alone, disclose an article of apparel for use in a contact sport rigid enough to dissipate the energy of an impact over the entire portion of the article, having with a quick release feature used to decouple front and back portions, or left and right side posterior portions, of the apparel, wherein the quick release feature is accessable from, and activated from, the front or anterior surface of the article of apparel, and the article of apparel may be removed while the individual wearing the apparel is lying in the supine position. What is needed in the industry is an article of apparel designed for and capable of dissipating the energy of an impact received during a contact sport based upon the rigidity of the individual components of the article and is also capable of removal while the individual wearing the article is lying in the supine position.
In addition, of all of the identified shoulder pad protection devices, all utilize a rear mechanical connection between the left and right posterior portions of the shoulder pads which is neither designed for, nor capable of, disconnection while the individual wearing the shoulder pad protection device is lying in the supine position, without the need to substantially reposition the athlete in a potentially detrimental manner. Previous attempts to design shoulder pads that may be dissembled easily have failed due to their lack of rigidity and their lack of the ability to dissipate the energy due to impact across the majority of the pads.
Thus, known articles of apparel and/or known protective shoulder pads become an impediment to diagnosing and treating an individual while the individual is in the supine position and wherein the removal of the article of apparel and/or shoulder pads may potentially cause a secondary injury due to repositioning of the wearer. The removal of known protective shoulder pads requires significant movement of the wearer by at least four trained medical personnel. No known protective shoulder pad is disclosed that allows for removal of the shoulder pads and allows for sufficient access to the wearer's neck and spine while maintaining the neck and spine in a neutral position, while the wearer is in the supine position. What is needed in the industry are shoulder pads allowing for safer removal of the protective shoulder pads from a wearer while substantially immobilized in the supine position without sacrificing the rigid nature of the pads. Furthermore, what is needed in the industry are shoulder pads that promote both stabilization of the potentially injured wearer and allow an acceptable quality of radiographic imaging.
These improved protective shoulder pads according to embodiments of the present invention provide a solution to the challenges of safely removing the shoulder pads to permit diagnosing and treating suspected neck and spinal injuries. By allowing the removal of the shoulder pads while maintaining the neck and spine in the neutral position, these improved shoulder pads substantially eliminate the risk of further injury to an individual wearing shoulder pads with a suspected neck or spinal injury. The benefit of these improved protective shoulder pads is the ease and effectiveness of removal of those portions of the protective shoulder pads that typically present obstacles to the effective diagnosis and treatment. Once these portions are removed, medical personnel can more effectively diagnose and treat the individual suspected of a cervical spine or neck injury. The release mechanisms for the protective shoulder pads according to an embodiment of the present invention address the risk of increasing neurologic injury in the spinal cord injured athlete by eliminating the spinal motion demonstrated by Rechtine during shoulder pad removal while maintaining the integrity of the pads during normal use. Embodiments of the present invention provide for removal of the shoulder pads by simple release mechanisms which are easily accessible by first responders and medical professionals, while maintaining the rigidity of the pad required under normal use. Once the protective shoulder pads are safely removed, the injured athlete's spine becomes readily accessible for stabilization and radiographic evaluation.
Responsive to the foregoing challenges, Applicant has developed a novel protective shoulder pad with a release mechanism.
An embodiment of the present invention are shoulder pads for use in a contact sport, comprising a left shoulder pad portion and a right shoulder pad portion, each with anterior, superior and posterior portions, wherein the anterior portions depend from an anterior face of the superior portions and the posterior portions depend from a posterior face of the superior portions, wherein the right and left shoulder pad portions are in communication at the anterior, superior, and posterior portions, wherein the shoulder pads are sufficiently rigid when assembled to dissipate the energy created by an impact to a portion of the pads across substantially the entire shoulder pad, and a release mechanism enabling removal of the shoulder pads while the wearer is in the supine position, wherein a portion of the release mechanism is disposed on the posterior portion of the pads, and wherein the release mechanism is operable to separate a first removable portion of the pad from a second removable portion of the pad while the wearer remains in the supine position.
The release mechanism may comprise a loop disposed on the first removable portion of the pads, an aperture disposed on the second removable portion of the pads, and a removable elongated coupler, wherein the loop is received by the aperture, and wherein the loop is retained in the aperture by the insertion of the removable elongated coupler through the loop received by the aperture thereby assembling the first and second removable portions of the pad, wherein removal of the elongated coupler from the loop permits egress of the loop from the aperture and disassembly of the first removable portion from the second removable portion while the wearer remains in the supine position. The loop may be in communication with or disposed on the right posterior portion of the pad and the aperture may be in communication with or disposed on the left posterior portion of the pad, or vice versa. The loop may be in communication with or disposed on the superior portions of the pad and the aperture may be in communication with or disposed on the posterior portions of the pad, or vice versa.
The elongated coupler may be routed from the posterior portion of the pads to the superior portion of the pads, or, in an alternative embodiment, from the posterior portion of the pads, over the superior portion of the pads, and terminating on the anterior portion of the pads. The elongated coupler may be comprised of a cable, cord, pin, strap, tie, filament, wire, tether, any other suitable structure, or any combination thereof, and may be comprised of metal, plastic, polymer, synthetic, textile, elastic, or any other suitable material.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the release mechanism may be a hinge assembly comprising a first hinge knuckle, a second hinge knuckle, and a removable elongated coupler capable of insertion through the hinge knuckles, wherein the first hinge knuckle is disposed on a first removable portion of the pads and the second hinge knuckle is disposed on a second removable portion of the pads, wherein the elongated coupler is threaded through the first knuckle and the second knuckle when the first removable portion of the pads is assembled to the second removable portion of the pads, wherein the removal of the elongated coupler from the first and second knuckles is operable when the wearer is in the supine position, and wherein removal of the elongated coupler decouples the first removable portion from the second removable portion while the wearer remains in the supine position.
The first removable portion of the pad may be the posterior portion and the second removable portion may be the superior portion. In one embodiment, the first removable portion may be the left shoulder pad portion and the second removable portion may be the right shoulder pad portion. The elongated coupler may be comprised of a cable, cord, pin, strap, tie, filament, wire, tether, or any other suitable structure, or any combination thereof, and may be comprised of metal, plastic, polymer, synthetic, textile, elastic, or any other suitable material.
One embodiment of the present invention are shoulder pads for use in a contact sport, comprising a left shoulder pad portion and a right shoulder pad portion, each with anterior, superior and posterior portions, the superior portion having a central opening, wherein the anterior portions depend from an anterior face of the superior portions and the posterior portions depend from a posterior face of the superior portions, a release mechanism operable to separate a first removable portion of the pad from a second removable portion of the pad while the wearer remains in the supine position, wherein a portion of the release mechanism is disposed on the posterior portion of the pads. A portion of the release mechanism may extend to the superior portion of the pad, and in an embodiment may extend over the superior portion of the pad and terminate on the anterior portion of the pad. In an embodiment a portion of the release mechanism may extend substantially the length of the posterior portion of the pads.
One embodiment of the present invention are shoulder pads for use in a contact sport, comprising a left shoulder pad portion and a right shoulder pad portion, each with anterior, superior and posterior portions, and the superior portion having a central opening, wherein the anterior portions depend from an anterior face of the superior portions and the posterior portions depend from a posterior face of the superior portions a release mechanism operable to separate a first removable portion of the pad from a second removable portion of the pad wherein a portion of the release mechanism is disposed on the posterior portion of the pads and extends to the superior portion of the pads disposed between the central opening and a lateral portion of the pads. In one embodiment, the release mechanism may comprise an elongated coupler extending from the posterior portion of the pads to the superior portion of the pads, wherein a first end of the elongated coupler is accessible at the superior portion of the pad. In one embodiment, the release mechanism may comprise a strap with a first end terminating in a loop and a second end in communication with the first removable portion of the pads, an aperture disposed on the second removable portion of the pads, wherein the loop is received by the aperture, and a removable elongated coupler threaded through the loop received in the aperture and retaining the first end of the strap in the aperture thereby assembling the first and second removable portions of the pad, wherein the elongated coupler extends substantially along the posterior portion of the pads, over the superior portion of the pads, having a first end terminating at the anterior portion of the pads, wherein removal of the elongated coupler from the loop permits the first end of the strap to egress back through the aperture allowing disassembly of the first removable portion from the second removable portion.
An embodiment may use mechanical fasteners or equivalent which allow for removal of the posterior portions of the protective shoulder pads from the superior portions of the protective shoulder pads while the individual wearing the protective shoulder pads is in the supine position, the posterior portions of the protective shoulder pads are attached to the superior portions of the protective shoulder pads at approximately the 3rd and 4th thoracic vertebrae. The mechanical fasteners or equivalent allow for efficient and simple detachment of the posterior portions of the protective shoulder pads from the superior, anterior, and lateral portions of the protective shoulder pads while the individual suspected of the cervical spine or neck injury is lying in the supine position. The posterior portions of the protective shoulder pads can be subsequently reattached to the remaining portions of the protective shoulder pads if desired. Alternatively, using a mechanical fastener or equivalent which allows for detachment of the left shoulder portion of the protective shoulder pads from the right shoulder portion of the protective shoulder pads while the individual wearing the shoulder pads is in the supine position, the left shoulder pad and the right shoulder pad may be separated from each other and removed from underneath the individual while the individual is lying in the supine position. The left shoulder pad and the right shoulder pad can be subsequently reattached in this alternate configuration if desired.
The weight of the individual's torso on the posterior portion of the shoulder pads becomes immaterial because there is no requirement for the individual to be repositioned to effectuate removal of the portion of the protective shoulder pads that impedes treatment and diagnosis of the suspected cervical spine or neck injury. Upon removal, medical personnel and others gain access to the location of the suspected cervical spine and neck injury to treat the injury. Additionally, radiographic imaging machines can be positioned to provide clearer images of the suspected injury while only the posterior portions of the protective shoulder pads, or in the alternative, no portions of the protective shoulder pads remain in place.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein by reference, and which constitute a part of this specification, illustrate certain embodiments of the invention and, together with the detailed description, serve to explain the principles of the present invention.
In order to assist the understanding of this invention, reference will now be made to the appended drawings, in which like reference characters refer to like elements. The drawings are exemplary only, and should not be construed as limiting the invention.
Embodiments of this invention relate generally to protective shoulder pads such as those worn by individuals participating in athletic activities, including contact sports, such as, but not limited to, football, hockey, and lacrosse. In particular, these embodiments improve currently available protective shoulder pads providing a feature that allows emergency medical personnel or others to more safely and easily remove the protective shoulder pads from the individual wearing the shoulder pads in case of suspected neck or cervical spine injury without sacrificing the ability of the pads to dissipate the force of an impact while the pads are in normal use. Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
As shown in
Shoulder pads 2 comprise a release mechanism 7 enabling removal of the shoulder pads 2 while the wearer is in the supine position. A portion of the release mechanism 7 is disposed on the posterior portion 8 of the pads, and the release mechanism 7 is operable to separate a first removable portion of the pad from a second removable portion of the pad while the wearer remains in the supine position. The first removable portion of the pad may comprise the posterior portion 8 and the second removable portion may comprise the superior portion 4. In an alternative embodiment, as shown in
As can be seen in
By way of example only as shown in
In one embodiment, comprising hinge leaves 14 and 18, the hinge knuckles 12 of the hinge leaf 14 that is attached to the superior portion 4 of each protective shoulder pad 2 mate at the hinge knuckles 16 of the hinge leaf 18 that is attached to the posterior portion 8 of the protective shoulder pads 2. The hinge leaves 14 and 18 may be chemically bonded, mechanically fastened, or otherwise attached to or molded into the pads by any other suitable means. Alternatively, the superior hinge knuckles 12 and the posterior hinge knuckles 16 can be manufactured into each of the superior portions 4 and posterior portions 8 of the protective shoulder pads 2. In one embodiment hinge knuckles 12 and 16 may be disposed on, or in otherwise communication with, the posterior portion 8 of the left portion 9 and posterior portion 8 of right portion 9′.
As shown in
By way of example only as shown in
In one embodiment, comprising hinge leaves 14 and 18, the hinge knuckles 12 of the hinge leaf 14 that is attached to the left shoulder pad portion 9 of each protective shoulder pad 2 mate at the hinge knuckles 16 of the hinge leaf 18 that is attached to the right shoulder pad portion 9′ of the protective shoulder pads 2. The hinge leaves 14 and 18 may be chemically bonded, mechanically fastened, or otherwise attached to or molded into the pads by any other suitable means. Alternatively, the superior hinge knuckles 12 and the posterior hinge knuckles 16 can be manufactured into each of the left shoulder pad portion 9 and right shoulder pad portion 9′ of the protective shoulder pads 2. As such, hinge knuckles 12 and 16 may be disposed on, or in otherwise communication with, the posterior portion 8 of the left portion 9 and posterior portion 8 of right portion 9′.
The elongated coupler 40 may be routed from the posterior portion 8 of the pads to the superior portion 4 of the pads, or, in an alternative embodiment, from the posterior portion 8 of the pads, over the superior portion 4 of the pads, and terminating on or near the anterior portion 3 of the pads. The elongated coupler 40 may be comprised of a cable, cord, pin, strap, tie, filament, wire, tether, any other suitable structure, or any combination thereof, and may be comprised of metal, plastic, polymer, synthetic, textile, elastic, or any other suitable material.
By way of example only, in this immediate discussion, the first removable portion of the pads is the left portion 9, and the second removable portion of the pads is the right portion 9′. As can be seen in
As
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It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variations and modifications of the present invention can be made without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover all such modifications and variations of the invention, provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
The present application is a Continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/793,050 filed Jun. 3, 2010, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,776,275, which is a Continuation in part of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/290,510 filed Oct. 31, 2008, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,087,102, all of which are herein incorporated by reference as if fully set forth.
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Number | Date | Country |
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2008108856 | Sep 2008 | WO |
2009051619 | Apr 2009 | WO |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20130014319 A1 | Jan 2013 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 12793050 | Jun 2010 | US |
Child | 13554760 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 12290510 | Oct 2008 | US |
Child | 12793050 | US |