U.S. patent application number 10/703066 was filed with the patent office on 2005-05-12 for protective garment with elastomeric elbow patches.
This patent application is currently assigned to Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.. Invention is credited to Aroch, Maya, Day, Bryon Paul, Fitting, Steven Wayne.
Application Number | 20050097659 10/703066 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34551818 |
Filed Date | 2005-05-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050097659 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Aroch, Maya ; et
al. |
May 12, 2005 |
Protective garment with elastomeric elbow patches
Abstract
A protective garment, such as a surgical gown, includes areas
subjected to tensile stretching forces when worn by a wearer. Such
areas may correspond to elbow regions of the garment. Elastomeric
patches are provided in at least one of the identified areas
subjected to the tensile stretching forces, the elastomeric patches
being generally surrounded by the remaining garment material.
Inventors: |
Aroch, Maya; (Atlanta,
GA) ; Fitting, Steven Wayne; (Acworth, GA) ;
Day, Bryon Paul; (Canton, GA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
KIMBERLY-CLARK WORLDWIDE, INC.
401 NORTH LAKE STREET
NEENAH
WI
54956
|
Assignee: |
Kimberly-Clark Worldwide,
Inc.
|
Family ID: |
34551818 |
Appl. No.: |
10/703066 |
Filed: |
November 6, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
2/456 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A41D 13/1209 20130101;
A41D 27/10 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
002/456 |
International
Class: |
A41D 013/12 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A protective garment comprising: a body having a closed front,
an open back, sleeve openings defined by the front and back
portions, sleeves attached at a first end to the sleeve openings
and terminating in cuffs at a second end, each sleeve having a
front surface and a back surface corresponding generally to an
anterior and posterior portion of a wearer's arm, each sleeve
further comprising a non-elastomeric material, and a patch of
elastomeric material formed into each of the sleeves at the back
surface, each patch, respectively being attached to the
non-elastomeric material comprising each respective sleeve.
2. The garment of claim 1, wherein each patch has a dimension
between about 2 inches and about 10 inches.
3. The garment of claim 1, wherein each patch extends from a point
above the wearer's elbow and terminates on the sleeve proximal to
the cuff.
4. The garment of claim 1, wherein each patch comprises between
about one quarter to about three quarter's the entire sleeve
length.
5. The garment of claim 1, wherein each patch comprises a
circumferential band around the sleeve.
6. The garment of claim 1, wherein each patch is generally circular
and covers an elbow portion of the sleeve.
7. The garment of claim 1, wherein each patch is generally an
elongated trapezoidal profile with a straight edge that has a
length generally paralleling the length of the sleeve.
8. The garment of claim 1, wherein each patch is greater in a
longitudinal dimension than in a lateral dimension.
9. The garment of claim 1, wherein each patch is greater in a
lateral dimension than in a longitudinal dimension.
10. The garment of claim 1, wherein each patch is stretchable in a
longitudinal direction.
11. The garment of claim 1, wherein each patch is formed of a
necked-bonded laminate.
12. The garment of claim 1, wherein each patch forms a part of the
cuff.
13. The garment of claim 1, wherein the patches are affixed to the
sleeve by at least one of ultrasonic bonding, taping, mechanical
adhesion, chemical adhesion, thermal adhesion, tape, and
stitching.
14. The garment of claim 1, wherein the garment is a surgical gown.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] The present invention relates generally to the field of
protective garments, and more particularly to an improved surgical
gown configuration. Protective garments such as surgical gowns are
well known. The usefulness of these garments is generally
influenced by a number of factors, such as breathability,
resistance to fluid flow, barrier protection qualities, etc.
Comfort of the garment is also an important factor. For example, a
surgical gown must be comfortable to a person wearing the garment
for extended hours.
[0002] Factors affecting the comfort of the garment include the
stretch properties, softness, and breathability of the garment
material. Materials that are soft, stretchable, and breathable are
typically more comfortable than materials that do not have those
characteristics.
[0003] Conventional disposable surgical gowns are commonly
constructed from a nonwoven fabric. The gown body section is
generally a singular piece of material, or is composed of a number
of panels of material attached together, for example, a front panel
and attached side panels that also define a back section of the
gown. Sleeves are attached to the gown body by any number of known
techniques. An example of a surgical gown made using raglan-type
sleeves attached to a one piece gown body is the Lightweight Gown
(product code 90751) from Kimberly-Clark, Corp. of Neenah, Wis.,
USA.
[0004] When a gown of this type is donned and the wearer bends his
arms, for instance, during a surgical procedure, the fabric at the
elbow area is tensioned and felt as a restrictive force against the
wearer's arms, oftentimes causing the sleeves of the gown to ride
up on the wearer's arms. this situation could potentially
compromise the gown by causing it to tear at the elbow. Worse, it
could potentially compromise the wearer by exposing him to bodily
fluids during a surgical procedure. For example, bodily fluids
could be enabled to breach the glove-gown interface by flowing
between the retracted gown sleeve and the glove cuff.
[0005] A common method to attempt to reduce or relieve these
restrictive forces is to incorporate more fabric in the areas
placed under tension, such as via pleats, or inserted secondary
patches. Another approach suggested in the art is to construct the
gown body out of an elastomeric or recoverable-stretch material so
that when the fabric is subjected to the restrictive forces (the
forces encountered by a non-elastomeric fabric), the fabric
elongates. Various elastomeric nonwoven materials and fabrics are
available for such purpose, including laminates of a nonwoven web
and elastomeric film.
[0006] A drawback of making the entire gown body, or entire panel
portions, of an elastomeric material is that such materials are
significantly more costly, and thus add to the overall cost of the
product and healthcare in general. The present invention relates to
a unique configuration for a protective garment, particularly a
surgical gown, that has the benefits of elastomeric materials
incorporated into the elbow area without the significant cost
associated with conventional elastomeric material gowns.
SUMMARY
[0007] Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in
the following description, or may be obvious from the description,
or may be learned through practice of the invention.
[0008] The present invention relates to a unique configuration for
a protective garment, particularly a surgical gown, wherein patches
of extensible material are selectively provided in the elbow region
of the gown to compensate for these areas of maximum stress or
areas subjected to a maximum stretching force when worn by a
wearer. These extensible patch areas are completely surrounded by
the remaining material of the gown (generally a non-extensible
material) and, thus, may be thought of as "islands" of extensible
material strategically located in the gown.
[0009] Thus, in one embodiment a protective garment is provided
having a body with a closed front, an open back, and sleeve
openings defined by the front and back portions. Sleeves are
attached at a first end to the sleeve openings and terminate in
cuffs at a second end. Each sleeve has a front surface and a back
surface corresponding generally to an anterior and posterior
portion of a wearer's arm. Each sleeve is generally manufactured
from a non-elastomeric material. A patch of elastomeric material is
formed into each of the sleeves at the back surface. Each of these
patches, respectively is attached to the non-elastomeric material
comprising each respective sleeve to form a protective garment with
stretchable sleeves.
[0010] The extensible material patches are not limited to any
particular shape. In one particular embodiment, the patches are
circular, in another they are square, in a third trapezoidal, in a
fourth, they extend a distance along the sleeve and generally
follow the contour of the sleeves. In another embodiment, the
extensible material patches may generally be elongated members
having a longitudinal dimension greater than a lateral
dimension.
[0011] It should be appreciated that a garment, in particular a
surgical gown, constructed in accordance with the invention is not
limited to any particular type of materials. Conventional materials
for forming the body and sleeves of a gown are well known to those
skilled in the art, and any such material may be used for a gown in
accordance with the present invention. Likewise, there are a number
of elastomeric extensible materials used in the art that may serve
adequately as the extensible material patches for use in the
present invention. Examples of such materials will be described in
greater detail below.
[0012] The garment according to the invention may have a
conventional body configuration. For example, the garment may have
a closed front portion that is made from a first panel of material
and an open back portion defined by back panels that are attached
to the first panel of material alongside the seams of the garment.
In an alternate embodiment, the garment may have front and back
portions formed from a single piece of material. The style and
configuration of the garments is not a limiting factor. Regardless
of the type of garment, extensible material patches may be
incorporated into the gown at areas subjected to tensile stretching
forces.
[0013] The invention will be described in greater detail below by
reference to embodiments illustrated in the figures.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention,
including the best mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill
in the art, is set forth more particularly in the remainder of the
specification, which makes reference to the appended figures in
which:
[0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art surgical
gown.
[0016] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a garment in accordance with
the present invention.
[0017] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of
a garment in accordance with the present invention.
[0018] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of
a garment in accordance with the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0019] Reference will now be made in detail to one or more
embodiments of the invention, examples of which are graphically
illustrated in the drawings. Each example and embodiment are
provided by way of explanation of the invention, and not meant as a
limitation of the invention. For example, features illustrated or
described as part of one embodiment may be utilized with another
embodiment to yield still a further embodiment. It is intended that
the present invention include these and other modifications and
variations.
[0020] "Attached" refers to the bonding, joining, adhering,
connecting, attaching, or the like, of two elements. Two elements
may be considered attached together when they are bonded directly
to one another or indirectly to one another, such as when each is
directly attached to an intermediate element.
[0021] "Elastomeric" refers to a material or composite which can be
extended or elongated by at least 25% of its relaxed length and
which will recover, upon release of the applied force, at least 10%
of its elongation. It is generally preferred that the elastomeric
material or composite be capable of being elongated by at least
100%, recover at least 50% of its elongation. An elastomeric
material is thus stretchable and the terms "stretchable",
"elastomeric", and "extensible" may be used interchangeably.
[0022] "Elastic" or "Elasticized" means that property of a material
or composite by virtue of which it tends to recover towards its
original size and shape after removal of a force causing a
deformation.
[0023] "Neck-bonded" laminate refers to a composite material having
an elastic member that is bonded to a non-elastic member while the
non-elastomeric member is extended in the machine direction
creating a necked material that is elastic in the transverse or
cross-direction. Examples of neck-bonded laminates are disclosed in
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,965,122; 4,981,747; 5,226,992; and 5,336,545,
which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for
all purposes.
[0024] "Stretch-bonded" laminate refers to a composite material
having at least two layers in which one layer is a gatherable layer
and the other layer is an elastic layer. The layers are joined
together when the elastic layer is in an extended condition so that
upon relaxing the layers, the gatherable layer is gathered. For
example, one elastic member can be bonded to another member while
the elastic member is extended at least about 25% of its relaxed
length. Such a multilayer composite elastic material may be
stretched until the non-elastic layer is fully extended. Examples
of stretch-bonded laminates are disclosed, for example, in U.S.
Pat. Nos. 4,720,415, 4,789,699, 4781,966, 4,657,802, and 4,655,760,
which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for
all purposes.
[0025] As used herein, the term "nonwoven web" refers to a web that
has a structure of individual fibers or filaments which are
interlaid, but not in an identifiable repeating manner. Nonwoven
webs have been, in the past, formed by a variety of processes known
to those skilled in the art such as, for example, meltblowing and
melt spinning processes, spunbonding processes and bonded carded
web processes.
[0026] As used herein, the term "spunbonded web" refers to web of
small diameter fibers and/or filaments which are formed by
extruding a molten thermoplastic material as filaments from a
plurality of fine, usually circular, capillaries in a spinnerette
with the diameter of the extruded filaments then being rapidly
reduced, for example, by non-eductive or eductive fluid-drawing or
other well known spunbonding mechanisms. The production of
spunbonded nonwoven webs is illustrated in patents such as Appel,
et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,340,563; Dorschner et al., U.S. Pat. No.
3,692,618; Kinney, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,338,992 and 3,341,394; Levy,
U.S. Pat. No. 3,276,944; Peterson, U.S. Pat. No. 3,502,538;
Hartman, U.S. Pat. No. 3,502,763; Dobo et al., U.S. Pat. No.
3,542,615; and Harmon, Canadian Patent No. 803,714.
[0027] As used herein, the term "meltblown web" refers to a
nonwoven web formed by extruding a molten thermoplastic material
through a plurality of fine, usually circular, die capillaries as
molten fibers into converging high velocity gas (e.g. air) streams
that attenuate the fibers of molten thermoplastic material to
reduce their diameter, which may be to microfiber diameter.
Thereafter, the meltblown fibers are carried by the high velocity
gas stream and are deposited on a collecting surface to form a web
of randomly disbursed meltblown fibers. Such a process is
disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,849,241 to Butin, et
al., which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference
thereto for all purposes. Generally speaking, meltblown fibers may
be microfibers that may be continuous or discontinuous, are
generally smaller than 10 microns in diameter, and are generally
tacky when deposited onto a collecting surface.
[0028] As used herein, the term "disposable" is not limited to
single use or limited use articles but also refers to articles that
are so inexpensive to the consumer that they can be discarded if
they become soiled or otherwise unusable after only one or a few
uses.
[0029] As used herein, the term "garment" refers to protective
garments and/or shields including for example, but not limited to,
surgical gowns, patient drapes, work suits, aprons and the
like.
[0030] As used herein, the term "liquid resistant" or "liquid
repellant" refers to material having a hydrostatic head of at least
about 25 centimeters as determined in accordance with the standard
hydrostatic pressure test AATCCTM No. 127-1977 with the following
exceptions: (1) The samples are larger than usual and are mounted
in a stretching frame that clamps onto the cross-machine direction
ends of the sample, such that the samples may be tested under a
variety of stretch conditions (e.g., 10%, 20%, 30%, 40% stretch);
and (2) The samples are supported underneath by a wire mesh to
prevent the sample from sagging under the weight of the column of
water.
[0031] As used herein, the term "breathable" means pervious to
water vapor and gases. For instance, "breathable barriers" and
"breathable films" allow water vapor to pass therethrough, but are
liquid resistant. The "breathability" of a material is measured in
terms of water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), with higher values
representing a more breathable material and lower values
representing a less breathable material. Breathable materials
generally have a WVTR of greater than about 250 grams per square
meter per 24 hours (g/m.sup.2/24 hours). In some embodiments, the
WVTR may be greater than about 1000 g/m.sup.2/24 hours. Further, in
some embodiments, the WVTR may be greater than about 3000
g/m.sup.2/24 hours. In some embodiments, the WVTR may be greater
than about 5000 g/m.sup.2/24 hours.
[0032] As used herein, the term "reversibly-necked material" refers
to a necked material that has been treated while necked to impart
memory to the material so that when force is applied to extend the
material to its pre-necked dimensions, the necked and treated
portions will generally recover to their necked dimensions upon
termination of the force. A reversibly-necked material may include
more than one layer. For example, multiple layers of spunbonded
web, multiple layers of meltblown web, multiple layers of bonded
carded web or any other suitable combination of mixtures thereof.
The production of reversibly-necked materials is illustrated in
patents such as, for example, Mormon, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,965,122 and
4,981,747.
[0033] The present invention relates to a unique configuration for
a protective garment. The garment is illustrated and described
herein as a surgical gown for illustrative purposes. It should be
appreciated though that a garment in accordance with the invention
is not limited to a gown, and may include, for example, a patient
gown or drape, work coverall, robe, etc. A prior art conventional
gown 100 is conceptually illustrated in FIG. 1. The gown includes a
gown body 12 having a front portion 14 and a back portion 16. The
gown body may be formed from a single piece of material, or may be
defined by separate panels of material joined at seams. Sleeves 22
are generally attached to the gown body at sleeve openings defined
in the body 12. The sleeves 22 may be of the same or a different
material as the body 12. Various configurations of gowns 100 are
well known to those skilled in the art and all such configurations
are within the scope and spirit of the invention.
[0034] The gown material is generally a breathable yet liquid
resistant barrier material. The breathability of the material
increases the comfort of a person wearing such a garment,
especially if the garment is worn under high heat index conditions,
vigorous physical activity, or long periods of time. Various
suitable woven and non-woven barrier materials are known and used
in the art for garments such as surgical gowns, and all such
materials are within the scope of the present invention. A suitable
gown material is, for example, a Spunbond-Meltblown-Spunbond
laminate as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,464,688, incorporated
herein by reference for all purposes, with appropriate chemical
treatments to enhance liquid repellency and static decay.
[0035] Still referring to FIG. 1, it has been determined that the
elbow area of the gown is subject to significant restrictive forces
attributed to the wearer's motions and activity while the gown is
being worn. These restrictive forces are felt by the wearer and are
generated by tensile stretching forces exerted on the material. The
restrictive force areas are designated generally by the dashed-line
areas 32 in FIG. 1. It has been found that the restrictive forces
can be greatly alleviated by replacing the non-elastomeric gown
material in the elbow area with isolated zones or patches of
elastomeric material. By replacing those portions at the elbow, and
in some embodiments, those portions generally between the elbow and
the wrist, the amount of elastomeric material used in the gown is
minimized and a more comfortable gown can be made with little
additional cost. Embodiments of garments, e.g., gowns, according to
the invention are described in greater detail below with reference
to FIGS. 2-4.
[0036] FIG. 2 illustrates a gown 10 in accordance with the
invention. The gown 10 is similar in many aspects to the
conventional gown illustrated in FIG. 1. The gown 10 includes a
gown body 12 having a front 14 and a back 16. The back 16 may be an
open back defined by adjacent back portions 18 having opposite
longitudinal edges 20. The back portions 18 include back shoulder
regions, back waist regions, lower regions, etc. Any type of known
fastening means, such as conventional ties, may be used for
securing the gown 10 on a wearer. The gown body 12 may be formed
from a single piece of material, such as a breathable yet liquid
resistant barrier material, defining a neck opening 26 and sleeve
openings 24. Sleeves 22 are attached to the gown body 12 at the
sleeve openings 24 by any conventional attaching means and
terminate in sleeve cuffs 25. In an alternate embodiment, the gown
body 12 may be formed from separate panels of the same or different
materials that are attached or adhered along seams. For example,
the back portions 18 may be panels of material adhered to a front
panel of material defining the front portion 14 along sides seams
19 as depicted in FIG. 3.
[0037] Looking again to FIG. 2, patches of elastomeric material 34
are formed into areas 32 of the gown sleeves 22 corresponding to
the wearer's elbow region. The specific location of such areas is
not limiting and may originate slightly above the elbow and extend
to the gown cuff 25 depending upon the overall style,
configuration, and size of the gown 10. Moreover, the geometric
shape of the elastomeric patches 34 may vary. In some embodiments,
the patches may be placed directly over the wearer's elbow, in
other embodiments, the patches 34 may extend circumferentially
around the elbow area, in still other embodiments, the elastomeric
patch 34 may extend generally from the elbow area to the cuff
23.
[0038] For example, in FIG. 2, the patches 34 wrap
circumferentially around the sleeves 22 in proximity to the elbow
in the form of a band. As can be seen in FIG. 3, the patches 34 are
placed at the elbow portions themselves and are otherwise generally
completely surrounded by the gown body material, which may be
non-elastomeric or less elastomeric than the patches 34. In this
regard, the patches may be thought of as "islands" of elastomeric
material corresponding to the location of the restrictive force
areas 32.
[0039] Though FIG. 3 depicts the patches 34 as generally circular,
it has been found that the patches 34 may have various shapes
according to the invention. The patches 34 may have an overall
elongated trapezoidal profile with a straight edge that has a
length generally paralleling the length of the sleeve 22.
Alternatively, the patch may be square, rectangular, of any other
suitable shape. Both the upper and lower portions of the patches 34
may extend beyond areas of the elbow actually subjected to tensile
stressing forces and, thus, turning to FIG. 4 it may be seen that
the patch 34 may comprise a longitudinal dimension 38 that is
significantly greater in length than the lateral dimension 36.
[0040] In some embodiments, the lateral dimension 36 may be between
about 2 and about 5 inches and the longitudinal dimension 38 may
range from about 4 to about 10 inches. Of course, the lateral
dimension 36 may constitute the larger dimension in some
embodiments. As such, the patch 34 may in fact extend
longitudinally along the sleeve portions 22 between sleeve openings
or seams 24 and the cuffs 25. As shown in FIG. 4, the patch 34 may
extend from a point above the elbow and terminate on the sleeve
where the cuff 25 is attached to the sleeve 22. Alternatively, the
patch may extend onto and be a part of the cuff itself. This would
provide the added advantage of providing or contributing to the
elastomeric property of the cuff. In some embodiments, the patch
may comprise between about one quarter to about three quarter's the
entire sleeve length.
[0041] In all cases, the elastomeric patches 34 should be
stretchable in the general directions of the tensile forces exerted
on the areas 32. For example, for a surgical gown, the patches 34
are stretchable at least along the length of the sleeve 22. The
arrow lines in FIG. 4 conceptually illustrates the general stretch
direction of the patches 34 which would be similar for each of the
gowns illustrated in FIGS. 2, and 3 respectively. In an embodiment
wherein the patches 34 extend onto the gown cuff, it may be
desirable to provide patches 34 with properties enabling it to be
stretchable in generally all directions to maximize benefit of the
patches.
[0042] The patches 34 are formed into the gown material by any
suitable method. For example, the patches may be sonically or
ultrasonically welded to the gown material. The patches 34 may be
stitched, taped, or adhered to the gown material. The patches 34
may be thermally bonded to the gown material. Any one of a number
of known conventional attaching methods may be used for this
purpose.
[0043] Various elastomeric materials are known in the art that may
be used for the patches 34. The patches 34 may, for example, be
composed of a single layer, multiple layers, laminates, spunbond
fabrics, films, meltblown fabrics, elastic netting, microporous
web, bonded carded webs or foams comprised of elastomeric or
polymeric materials. Elastomeric nonwoven laminate webs may include
a nonwoven material joined to one or more gatherable nonwoven webs,
films, or foams. Stretch-bonded laminates (SBL) and Neck-bonded
laminates (NBL) are examples of elastomeric nonwoven laminate webs.
Nonwoven fabrics are any web of material which has been formed
without the use of textile weaving processes which produce a
structure of individual fibers which are interwoven in an
identifiable repeating manner. Examples of suitable materials are
Spunbond-Meltblown fabrics, Spunbond-Meltblown-Spunbond fabrics,
Spunbond fabrics, or laminates of such fabrics with films, foams,
or other nonwoven webs. Elastomeric materials may include cast or
blown films, foams, or meltblown fabrics composed of polyethylene,
polypropylene, or polyolefin copolymers, as well as combinations
thereof. The elastomeric materials may include polyether block
amides such as PEBAX.RTM. elastomer (available from AtoChem located
in Philadelphia, Pa.), thermoplastic polyurethanes (e.g., both
aliphatic-polyether and aliphatic-polyester types), HYTREL.RTM.
elastomeric copolyester (available from E. I. DuPont de Nemours
located in Wilmington, Del.), KRATON.RTM. elastomer (available from
Shell Chemical Company located in Houston, Tex.), or strands of
LYCRA.RTM. elastomer (available from E. I. DuPont de Nemours
located in Wilmington, Del.), or the like, as well as combinations
thereof. The patches 34 may include materials that have elastomeric
properties through a mechanical process, printing process, heating
process, or chemical treatment. For examples such materials may be
apertured, creped, neck-stretched, heat activated, embossed, and
micro-strained; and may be in the form of films, webs, and
laminates.
[0044] In one particular embodiment, the elastomeric patches 34 are
a neck-bonded laminate of a necked non-woven web of spunbond
polypropylene laminated to an elastic film, for example a 6.8 gsm
PEBAX film with 16% (by weight) of pigment grade titanium dioxide
particles.
[0045] It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that
the system and method according to the invention have wide
applications, and that the example and embodiments set forth herein
are merely exemplary. It is intended that the present invention
include such uses and embodiments as come within the scope and
spirit of the appended claims.
* * * * *