Patent Application
20190209385
The present invention relates generally to the field of orthopedic medicine and more specifically to a novel orthopedic splint including a self curing waterless bandage adapted to be applied to an injured limb for purpose of immobilization, and water laden gel for purpose of curing the splint material.
Conventionally, medical bandages and splints are used to immobilize broken bones. Generally, said splint are made of strips of plaster of Paris or fiberglass impregnated with water curable substance which hardens into a rigid structure once it makes contact with water. However, this procedure is cumbersome, messy and causes the splint to become wet. Furthermore, water may not be readily available in remote areas. Moreover, when the splint is applied to broken skin or an open wound, it represent a risk of infection since the water used to soak the material is non sterile.
The orthopedic splint system of this invention comprises a tear resistant outer bag and an inner envelop or protective sleeve containing a number of juxtaposed layers of orthopedic splint material impregnated with water curable resin commonly used in the orthopedic art. Said splint material can be fiberglass, polyester, nylon or plaster of Paris. Water or water-laden gel is supplied separately and packaged as an integral part of the self-curing splint system. Said liquid is supplied in a long pouch inserted between the layers of the splint. The liquid pouch having a portion at one end containing no liquid and forming an extension of the pouch.
The extension is split into three sections where the middle section is flipped over and laid over the pouch. The outer two sections are positioned toward the opposite end of the liquid pouch and will be used to anchor the liquid pouch to the protective sleeve. The liquid pouch as described above is sandwiched between the layers of the splint material. The splint material and the liquid pouch are placed inside the protective pouch. Said protective pouch can be made out of non-woven material coated with a thin film of silicone or similar plastic material which render it air and moisture impermeable. The protective pouch is heat sealed all around except at a small area where the folded central extension tab of the liquid pouch passes through. The other two lateral extensions tabs at the opposite end of the liquid pouch are firmly attached by heat seal into the edge of the protective pouch. When manual traction is applied to the central slip tab it will cause the liquid pouch to rip and the fluid contained in the liquid pouch to be released and come in contact with the splint material.
The dry splint as described in this invention is suitable for use with any orthopedic casting material that is water-curable. The liquid pouch may contain water or viscous water-laden gel, commonly used in cosmetic or medical industry. The gel may also contain hardeners or accelerators that will interact with water curable resin such as tertiary amines, methylketones, cupper or tin salts used in appropriate percentages.
The dry splint system of the present invention provides a self-cured orthopedic splint material, which may consist of one or more layers of fiberglass or polyester sheets that are juxtaposed on top of each other. A liquid pouch containing water-laden gel and a protective pouch which is air and water tight. The liquid pouch is supplied with an extension tab at one end, which can be pulled through causing the rupture of the pouch and the release of the water-laden gel to interact with the resin contained in the splint material. In order to facilitate the curing process, the operator will have to spread and knead the splint in order to spread the released fluid. The resin will then cure causing the dry splint to become hard. The outer bag of this splint system is a package that is formed of aluminum foil or plastic such as Mylar or alike. The outer pouch is resilient and tear resistant. It becomes obvious that the self cured splint of the present invention avoids the prior art inconvenience and shortcoming of removing the orthopedic bandage and dipping it in water before applying it onto the patient.
Among other significant advantages of the dry splint of this invention, is that the protective pouch is sprayed with and antiseptic solution allowing the splint to be applied over an open wound or broken skin as frequently encountered in military battlefield, outdoors and vehicular accidents.
A greater appreciation for the embodiment of the present invention will be gained by consideration of the figures in which:
Turning now to the drawings, in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, the attached figures illustrate a liquid containing pouch 1 sealed at its periphery 3 and having two short extensions tabs 4 and 5 at one end and a long extension tab 2 folded and laid on top of the pouch and pointing toward the opposite end of the pouch. The end of said long extension tab has a hole 11 to allow the operator a better hold and grab the end as seen in
In use, the operator will manually tear the outer package and will remove the protective pouch 9 containing the casting material 9 and the liquid pouch 1. At this point, there is no need for using water or other liquid since the water for hardening the cast material will be supplied by the gel inside the liquid pouch 1. As seen in
The liquid pouch 1 as shown in
The gel used to cure the resin in the present invention can be usually supplied in rich in water gel like phase. Materials such as Propylene Glycol, Polypropylene Glycol, hydroxypropyl and hydroxymethyl cellulose as well as starch and thickeners. The amount of water needed to cure the resin and trigger the polymerization reaction is minimal Furthermore, appropriate amounts of accelerators can be added to the water laden gel in order to facilitate and accelerate the resin curing process.
While the embodiment of the present invention as disclosed herein are considered for purpose of disclosure to be preferred, it is to be understood that this invention is intended to cover all changes and modifications in the disclosed embodiments which will fall within the scope of the invention.
