SELF-CLOSING SURGICAL GOWN

Abstract

A self-closing surgical gown including an anterior panel; a posterior left panel connected to the anterior panel; a posterior right panel connected to the anterior panel; a left sleeve connected to the anterior panel and the posterior left panel; a right sleeve connected to the anterior panel and the posterior right panel; and a closure brace including at least one horizontal bar, the closure brace connected to the anterior panel, the posterior left panel and the posterior right panel, wherein the at least one horizontal bar is configured preloaded to transform from a substantially straight longitudinal configuration where the at least one horizontal bar has a cambered cross section perpendicular to a longitudinal direction into a curved longitudinal configuration where the at least one horizontal bar has a substantially straight cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction by pressing on a convex portion of the cambered cross section.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to sterile surgical gowns that can be enrobed and closed by the wearer without the aid of another individual in such a manner to preserve a designated sterile zone.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Surgical gowns are used by healthcare professionals for protection from potentially harmful fluids, bioburden, micro-organisms and contaminants to which they may become exposed during a surgical procedure. Exposure to pathogens and cross-contamination is a significant risk to both the patient and the healthcare professional, therefore a sterile area within the gown is maintained. This area is typically maintained within an interior space of the gown on a ventral side of the wearer along the vertical lines between the axilla (armpit area) and the horizontal lines between the umbilicus (the umbilical area) and clavicular line.

Included in the interior space are both sleeves from the fingertips to the mid-arm to include the forearms.

Traditional surgical gowns are designed to be enrobed with the opening posteriorly facing to then allow for a non-sterile second person to secure the inner rope tie and collar before holding the non-sterile portion of the “tie card”, which is wrapped around the wearers waist and attached as the gown is tied and secured at the wearers side.

The need for an additional person or assistant to secure the gown ensures that sterility isn't compromised and key areas are not contaminated.

However, increased contact also augments the risk of contamination by the assistant and increases the time and manpower required to secure a surgical gown.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Thus, there is a long felt need for a self-closing surgical gown that eliminates the need for an assistant, therefore decreasing time required to secure the gown and improving sterility.

The object is achieved by a self-closing surgical gown, comprising: an anterior panel; a posterior left panel connected to the anterior panel; a posterior right panel connected to the anterior panel; a left sleeve connected to the anterior panel and the posterior left panel; a right sleeve connected to the anterior panel and the posterior right panel; and a closure brace including at least one horizontal bar, the closure brace connected to the anterior panel, the posterior left panel and the posterior right panel, wherein the at least one horizontal bar is configured preloaded to transform from a substantially straight longitudinal configuration where the at least one horizontal bar has a cambered cross section perpendicular to a longitudinal direction into a curved longitudinal configuration where the at least one horizontal bar has a substantially straight cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction by pressing on a convex portion of the cambered cross section, wherein the closure brace is configured to secure the anterior panel, the posterior left panel and the posterior right panel about a torso of a wearer of the self-closing surgical gown in the curved configuration of the at least one horizontal bar.

The self-closing surgical gown according to the invention also significantly reduces the contamination risk from the assistant during the process of securing the gown.

A self-closing gown also increases the zone of sterility beyond just the anterior side of the gown and forearms. The gown will retain sterility on the exterior (external) lateral and posterior facets of the gown in addition to the upper arms.

The possibility of 360 degree sterility is retained circumferentially within the horizontal lines of the shoulders and the hips of the wearer.

A bistable closure brace within the gown enables the wearer to insert their arms into a pre-folded sterile gown and once the arms are inserted and the hands are exposed beyond the cuffs of the sleeves, sections of a horizontal bar or vertical connecting bars within the bistable closure brace race are pressed by hands of the wearer in sterile gloves which triggers the bistable closure brace to close around the wearers chest and waist safely and gently securing both gown flaps behind the wearer with double-sided Velcro® or magnets without the need for a second person to assist.

Current “self donning” gowns are challenging to apply and they leave flaps, pockets and tie loops potentially exposed in front of the wearer which can obstruct or interfere with surgical instruments, cords or tubing on the sterile field.

The self-closing surgical gown according to the invention eliminates each of these problems, whilst still allowing quick and secure closure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be described in detail based on an advantageous embodiment with reference to drawing figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates an anterior view of the self-closing surgical gown;

FIG. 2 illustrates a posterior view of the open gown according to FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 illustrates a detail of an anterior view of the bistable closure brace in a straight position;

FIG. 4 illustrates a cross-section view of the bistable closure brace in the an open straight position:

FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of the bistable closure brace in a curved position;

FIG. 6 illustrates a top view of the bistable closure brace in the straight position; and

FIG. 7 illustrates a bottom view of the bistable closure brace in the curved position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 the self-closing surgical gown 10 according to the invention includes a continuous anterior chest panel 100, a continuous anterior lower panel 120, a posterior left panel 126, a posterior right panel 128, a left sleeve 112, a right sleeve 114, a collar 102 and a bistable closure brace 103. The posterior left panel 126 and the posterior right panel 128 are connected to the continuous anterior chest panel 100 and to the continuous anterior lower panel 120. The right sleeve 114 is connected to the continuous anterior chest panel 100 and the posterior right panel 128. The left sleeve 112 is connected to the continuous anterior chest panel 100 and the posterior left panel 126. The bistable closure brace is connected to an inside of the anterior chest panel 100 and the posterior right panel 128 and the posterior left panel 126. The anterior chest panel 100 includes a collar 102 adjacent to a neck of a wearer. The sleeves 112, 114 terminate in cuffs 116, 118 that seal wrists of the wearer.

The surgical gown has an interior side and exterior side and is advantageously made from cotton, polyester, muslin or tightly woven materials commonly used in traditional surgical gowns or a mix of these and other materials.

The two sleeves 112, 114 are attached at a shoulder level of the self-closing surgical gown 10 and oriented to face in the direction of the continuous anterior chest panel 100 of the gown when the self-closing surgical gown is being wom by a person.

As shown in FIG. 3 the bistable closure brace 103 includes one or two horizontal bars 104, 110 that may be connected by one or two vertical bars 106, 108. The horizontal bars 104, 110 are longitudinally straight in a packaged condition of the surgical gown as shown in FIGS. 3 and 6 and have a cambered cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction as shown in FIG. 4. The horizontal bars 104, 110 are preloaded in the longitudinally straight condition so that they transform from the longitudinally straight condition into a longitudinally curved condition shown in FIGS. 5 and 7 when pressure is applied to a convex side of the cambered cross section of the horizontal bar 104, 110 illustrated in FIG. 4. The horizontal bars 104, 110 move into a stable longitudinally curved condition illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 7 self-acting after the application of the pressure. In the stable longitudinally curved curved condition the horizontal bars 104, 110 can form a coiled circle when ends of the horizontal bars overlap as shown in FIGS. 5-7. The bistable closure brace wraps the surgical gown at least around a portion of a waist and chest of a wearer in the curved condition.

The bistable closure brace 103 can be manufactured using either metallic components or plastic components that have the properties to retain the appropriate structure and elasticity to remain locked and open until pressure is applied to collapse and then to curve the bistable closure brace 103 into the shape shown in FIGS. 5 and 7.

The continuous anterior chest panel 100 and the continuous anterior lower panel 120 of the self-closing surgical gown 10 include a reinforcement panel stitched onto an interior section that secures a bistable closure brace 103 at the self-closing surgical gown 10 to provide secure self-acting closure of the self-closing surgical gown 10.

Two flat vertical panels are arranged on the front side of the gown that connect the two horizontal bars of the bistable closure brace 103 to ensure a consistent closure around the wearer's torso.

Bistable means that the bistable closure brace 103 is stable in the straight packaged condition as shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 6 and in the curved condition shown in FIGS. 5 and 7 after the convex outside of the cambered cross section of the horizontal bars 104, 110 has been depressed causing the horizontal bars 104, 110 to snap from the straight condition to the curved condition self-acting.

It is appreciated that the bistable closure brace 103 may be curved so that the horizontal bars overlap as shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, but the bistable closure brace can also curve without the horizontal bars 104, 110 overlapping while still functioning to secure the self-closing surgical gown about the torso of the wearer.

The two posterior side panels 126, 128 of the gown remain open until the closure is activated and they may include mechanisms to secure the panels such as double sided Velcro or magnets or other fasteners 122, 124 as shown in FIG. 2.

Each gown will also have a collar 102 that closes once the bistable closure brace 103 is triggered and the fasteners are connected. The collar flaps may also include fasteners such as Velcro® or magnets.

The self-closing surgical gown 10 includes a triggerable and self-acting closure mechanism that allows the wearer to “self-tie” without the need to reach into or beyond the designated area of sterility.

The pre-folded sterile self-closing surgical gown will allow the wearer to gown themselves as they would with a traditional gown, with the added benefit of a bistable closure brace 103 inserted into the front of the gown that will close self-acting after pressing designated panels at a front anterior side of the self-closing surgical gown.

REFERENCE NUMERALS AND DESIGNATIONS

• • 10 self-closing surgical gown
  • 100 continuous anterior chest panel
  • 102 collar
  • 103 bistable closure brace
  • 104 superior horizontal bar
  • 106 right vertical connecting bar
  • 108 left vertical connecting bar
  • 110 inferior horizontal bar
  • 112 left sleeve
  • 114 right sleeve
  • 116 left cuff
  • 118 right cuff
  • 120 continuous anterior lower panel
  • 122 left panel closure
  • 124 right panel closure
  • 126 posterior left panel
  • 128 posterior right panel

Claims

1. A self-closing surgical gown, comprising: an anterior panel;a posterior left panel connected to the anterior panel;a posterior right panel connected to the anterior panel;a left sleeve connected to the anterior panel and the posterior left panel;a right sleeve connected to the anterior panel and the posterior right panel; anda closure brace including at least one horizontal bar, the closure brace connected to the anterior panel, the posterior left panel and the posterior right panel,wherein the at least one horizontal bar is configured preloaded to transform from a substantially straight longitudinal configuration where the at least one horizontal bar has a cambered cross section perpendicular to a longitudinal direction into a curved longitudinal configuration where the at least one horizontal bar has a substantially straight cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction by pressing on a convex portion of the cambered cross section,wherein the closure brace is configured to secure the anterior panel, the posterior left panel and the posterior right panel about a torso of a wearer of the self-closing surgical gown in the curved configuration of the at least one horizontal bar.

2. The self-closing surgical gown according to claim 1, wherein the at least one horizontal bar includes two horizontal bars.

3. The self-closing surgical gown according to claim 2, wherein the two horizontal bars are releasable from the substantially straight longitudinal configuration into the curved longitudinal configuration by pressing on the at least one vertical bar.

4. The self-closing surgical gown according to claim 1, wherein ends of the at least one horizontal bar overlap each other in the curved longitudinal configuration.

5. The self-closing surgical gown according to claim 1, wherein the closure brace is connected to an interior of the self-closing surgical gown.

6. The self-closing surgical gown according to claim 1, wherein the anterior panel is continuous.

7. The surgical gown according to claim 2, wherein the two horizontal bars are connected by at least one vertical bar.