The present disclosure is directed to a wearable article for holding a medical device, such as a ventricular assist device, and methods of using and making the same.
A ventricular assist device (VAD)—also known as a mechanical circulatory support device—is an implantable mechanical pump that helps pump blood from the lower chambers of your heart (the ventricles) to the rest of the recipient's body. A VAD is used in patients who have weakened hearts or heart failure. Although a VAD can be placed in the left, right or both ventricles of your heart, it is most frequently used in the left ventricle. When placed in the left ventricle it is called a left ventricular assist device (LVAD).
A VAD consists of a pump, tubes that connect the pump to the heart, a control module (i.e., controller), and a power source. A thin cable connects the pump with the controller. This cable, also called a lead or driveline, comes out of your belly through a small cut in your skin called an exit site. The recipient carries the control module, a battery, and a back-up battery on their body.
Vests, shirts, and harnesses with pockets have been designed to carry the control module and batteries. However, a need exists to make these more discreet, user friendly, and/or comfortable.
The present disclosure is directed to a wearable article that has an interior-facing rear pocket for receiving a ventricular assist device (VAD) controller that is located in the upper back area between the shoulder blades and methods of making and using the same. The pocket can be upside-down and/or padded for comfort.
One aspect of the present disclosure is a wearable article for at least partially covering a trunk of a wearer comprising one or two front panels of fabric configured to be located on the front of the wearer during use; a rear panel of fabric configured to be located on the back of the wearer during use; the one or two front panels affixed to the rear panel to define two arm openings and at least partially define a neck opening; a rear pocket formed from a rear pocket panel affixed to the interior face of the rear panel, the opening of the pocket sized to receive a VAD controller; at least one rear strap coupled to the rear panel and configured to prevent the VAD controller when in the pocket from falling out of the pocket. In some embodiments, the rear pocket panel is affixed to the rear panel so that the opening of the rear pocket is at the bottom. In other words, the pocket can be upside down. In the same or different embodiments, the rear pocket panel can also be padded for the wearers comfort.
Another aspect of the present disclosure includes methods of using the wearable article. The user of the article can place the VAD controller or one or more of the batteries in the rear pocket. Two or more pockets may be located nearer the waistline, and the VAD controller or one or more of the batteries can also be placed in the two or more pockets at the waistline. The article can be worn underneath another article of clothing or can be the outermost article of clothing. No wires, controllers, or batteries are exposed or visible to others when properly used.
Yet a third aspect of the present disclosure making the wearable article. In some embodiments, the wearable article can be made by knitting, sewing, and/or laser cutting.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
Shown in
Shown in
The front panel 11 is affixed to the rear panel 12 to define two arm openings 13 and at least partially define a neck opening 14. The embodiment shown in the
Configured to hold an object, such as a VAD controller, a rear pocket 100 is formed from a rear pocket panel 120 affixed to the interior face of the rear panel 12. An embodiment of a rear panel 12 with a rear pocket 100 is shown in
The rear pocket 100 can be right side up or upside down. The embodiment shown in
In some embodiments, the rear pocket panel 120 is padded to provide cushioning between the wearer and the object 150 in the pocket, such as the VAD controller. Such padding can be sufficiently thick to provide for comfort to the wearer, particularly when the wearer rests his/her back up against a chair or wall, for example. The padded rear pocket panel is sized and positioned relative to the VAD controller securement member to provide cushioning over all edges of the VAD controller during use.
For embodiments with the a padded rear pocket 100, for example, the article 10 can further comprise an object securement member 160 (such as a VAD securement member) located within the rear pocket 100 and configured to limit left to right movement of an object, such as a VAD controller 150, within the rear pocket during use. For example, as shown in
Additional pockets with fasteners may also be provided in other locations on the wearable article. The pocket can be interior or exterior facing and in any orientation and the opening of the pockets may be in any side or orientation such at an angle, sideways, right side up or upside down. For example, the wearable article can also comprise a second rear pocket 500 that is the same as rear pocket 100 except positioned on the lower half of the wearer's trunk such as adjacent the sacrum area. This pocket 500 can be right side up or upside down. In the embodiment shown, the pocket is right side up. The second rear pocket can be formed from a second rear pocket panel affixed to the interior face of the rear panel to form a pocket. The second rear pocket 500 can have an opening of the pocket at the top of the second rear pocket panel. The pocket can be sized to receive the object 150 so it can be the same size as the rear pocket 100 or the inner rear pocket, for example. The second rear pocket panel can also padded to provide cushioning between the wearer and the object held therein, such as a VAD controller 150. One or more fasteners 510 such as fastener 110 described above can be configured to prevent the object within from escaping the pocket can be included. The fastener 510 can be coupled to at least one of the rear panel 12 and the second rear pocket 500 and releasable coupled to one or the other.
And like rear pocket 100 if padded, the article 10 can further comprise a second object securement member that is the same as the securement member 160 except that it is located within the second rear pocket 500 and is right side up. As such, the second object securement member can be a second inner pocket formed from rear pocket panel affixed to the interior face of the rear panel or to a face of the second rear pocket panel facing the interior face of the rear panel so that the second inner rear pocket has an opening at the top of the inner pocket panel. Also, the opening of the second inner rear pocket can be sized to receive an object, such as a VAD controller 150 but is narrower as measured from the left side to the right side than the outer rear pocket 500.
One or more pockets can also be located on one or both of the front panels 11a, 11b. As shown in
In some embodiments, as shown in
In some embodiments, a portion of the support belt 200 serves as the second rear pocket panel 210. In other words, the support belt 200 is secured to the rear panel forming a U-shaped seam such that the support belt 200 together with the rear panel 12 form a pocket wherein an object, such as a VAD controller can be held.
The rear pocket 100 of the above described device is useful when oriented upside down because the VAD controller wires that connect to the VAD extend downward and can easily extend underneath the wear's arm to connect to the chest. The position at the upper center of the back also allows the VAD controller to be worn without other's being aware of the VAD controller's presence and with less obstruction to the wearer. In addition, if a user wanted to move the VAD controller, the user could reach back, release the fastener, and easily place it in another pocket without having to remove the article 10 or disconnect any wires.
A method using the wearable article can comprise placing a VAD controller in rear pocket 100 of a wearable article as described above. The wires of the VAD controller extending from the opening of the rear pocket 100. The method can further comprise extending the wire(s) from the VAD controller, underneath an arm, and to the VAD connector that is located on the wearer's chest and connecting the VAD wire thereto. The method can further comprise removing the VAD controller 150 from rear pocket 100 and placing it in the second rear pocket 500 or a front pocket 300 or 400 while wearing the wearable article 10.
A method of making the wearable article described above can comprise attaching a rear pocket panel to an interior face of the rear panel of a wearable article at a location that would be at least partially between the shoulder blades when worn by the user. The rear pocket being like that described above and shown in
Although the present wearable article and methods of using the same has been described with reference to specific details of certain embodiments thereof, it is not intended that such details should be regarded as limitations upon the scope of the invention except as and to the extent that they are included in the accompanying claims.
Number | Date | Country | |
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63154064 | Feb 2021 | US |