Elastic Bandage With Tension Indicator

Abstract

A series of figures forming an overall pattern is applied to the surface of an elastic bandage. When the bandage is stretched, the contours of the figures and/or their position relative to each other are altered. The degree of such alternation is an indication of the amount of tension existing in the bandage and the pressure applied by the bandage.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

Surgical bandages

2. Prior Art

No patent disclosing a bandage according to this invention is known to exist.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A selected figure or combination of figures or other indicia is imprinted or otherwise applied to the surface of the bandage at intervals throughout the length of the bandage, or woven or otherwise incorporated into the fabric of the bandage. The figure or figures may be of a geometric form, such as a rectangle, square, circle or elipse. Or they may be of a conventionalized form, such as a star. Or of an abstract or decorative form such as a flower. Or they may be lines or dots or a combination of these. The figures may appear in a single line along the center of the bandage, or they may appear in two or more rows, one near each side, in which case they are more readily visible when the bandage is wrapped in successive turns in overlapped relation. It will be understood that regardless of the shape or form of the individual figures or the manner in which they are placed along the course of the bandage, the resulting pattern will be related to the elastic properties of the bandage in such a way that it will provide visual indication of varying amounts of tension. This constitutes a point-of-reference whereby the user may maintain the same tension throughout the wrapping process, or may adjust the tension to suit. In addition, if the bandage had been initially wrapped too tightly or too loosely, the point-of-reference feature will enable the user to rewrap the bandage without repeating the error. The tension existing in the bandage when the figures are altered and/or displaced to a predetermined extent may be printed on the bandage or may be supplied on a printed form enclosed in the package in which the bandage is sold.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a section of an elastic bandage embodying one form of the invention, the bandage being in relaxed condition.

FIG. 2 shows a portion of the bandage of FIG. 1 in stretched condition.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing a modification in which the crosswise rectangles have been applied in two parallel rows on the opposite sides of the center line of the bandage.

FIG. 4, 5 and 6 are fragmentary views showing the use of different geometric figures.

FIG. 7 is a view of a fragment of bandage showing a still further geometric form; and

FIG. 8 is a view of the piece of bandage shown in FIG. 7 after being stretched.

FIG. 9 is a view of a fragment of bandage in which two different figures have been used in combination.

FIG. 10 is a view of the piece of bandage shown in FIG. 9 after being stretched.

FIG. 11 is a view of a fragment of bandage on which appears a flower form which has been distorted by compression, the bandage being in a relaxed condition.

FIG. 12 is a representation of a flower form, such as it might appear on or in the package in which the bandage is sold or on a clip, slide or other accessory device provided for use with the bandage.

FIG. 13 is a view of the piece of bandage shown in FIG. 11 after being stretched.

FIG. 14 is a view of a fragment of bandage showing the use of a pattern composed of intersecting lines.

FIG. 15 is a view of the piece of bandage shown in FIG. 14 after being stretched.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrates a multielement pattern which consists of a single row of crosswise rectangles 10 extending lengthwise of a section of elastic bandage 11. These rectangles are preferably uniformly spaced as shown. In FIG. 2 bandage 11 has been stretched until rectangles 10 have become squares 12. At this point a predetermined amount of force is required to stretch the bandage to this extent, and this corresponds to the tension existing in the bandage. The pressure applied by the bandage will be proportional to such tension.

The amount of this tension may correspond with the average tension and pressure which is acceptable in looser-than-average conventional use of the bandage. Should the bandage be stretched to some point between the shape of rectangle 10 and square 12 this will indicate a looser-than-average tension, and should the bandage be pulled more tightly than illustrated in FIG. 2 the square 12 will be elongated into a rectangle extending lengthwise of the bandage, and this will indicate a tighter-than-average tension in the bandage.

In FIG. 3 two rows of crosswise rectangles 13, each somewhat smaller than rectangles 10, have been applied throughout the length of the bandage, these rows being parallel to each other and with the center line of the bandage. The advantage of this arrangement is that when such a bandage is wrapped with successive turns overlapping one another the rectangles 13 being placed nearer the edges of the bandage will be more readily visible than the rectangles 10 placed centrally of the bandage.

In FIG. 4 instead of making the multielement pattern by the use of crosswise rectangles, crosswise elipses 14 are used which become circles when the bandage is stretched to average tension.

In FIG. 5 and elipse 14 is placed within a similar sized rectangle 15, and upon stretching these become respectively a circle and a square simultaneously.

In FIG. 6 a rhombus 16 is placed within the rectangle 15 instead of the elipse 14. When a bandage is provided with multielement patterns made according to FIG. 6, and the bandage is stretched, to the average tightness condition of FIG. 2, both the rhombus 16 and the rectangle 15 will become squares simultaneously.

In FIG. 7 the geometric figures used for the multielement pattern is a rectangle 17 having a plurality of closely spaced parallel lines 18 extending lengthwise thereof or crosswise of the bandage. When this bandage is stretched as shown in FIG. 8 until rectangle 17 becomes the square 19, spacing between the parallel lines 18 will be increased as shown in FIG. 7. It will be understood that the proportional change in the spacing of lines 18 as the bandage is stretched from the condition of FIG. 7 to that of FIG. 8 will serve to indicate the relative change in the bandage tension.

In FIG. 9, divided rectangles 20 and plain rectangles 21 have been used in combination, the purpose being to offer more precise indication of two different amounts of tension. Rectangles 20 will become squares under less tension than that required to elongate rectangles 21 into squares.

In FIG. 10, the bandage shown in FIG. 9 has been stretched until rectangles 20 have become lengthwise rectangles 22 and rectangles 21 have become squares 23. If a bandage wrapped at the tension indicated by this condition feels too tight, the user can rewrap the bandage so that the divided rectangles, 20, become squares.

In FIG. 11, the flower form appears distorted by compression, the bandage being in a relaxed state and the flower form having been applied to the bandage under tension.

In FIG. 12, the flower form 25 represents the appearance of the figure which was applied to bandage 11, FIG. 11, under tension. This form, duplicated on an instruction sheet, clip, slide or other device, is provided for the purpose of serving as a standard.

In FIG. 13, the bandage fragment shown in FIG. 11 has been stretched to the point where the distorted flower form 24 has become flower form 26, which in turn is similar to the standard form shown as 25 in FIG. 12. This similarity is an indication of the amount of tension existing in the bandage.

The advantage of the embodiment described and illustrated by FIGS. 11, 12, and 13 is that it compensates for variations and irregularities in the bandage. If the figures are applied to the bandage while the bandage is under a predetermined amount of tension, the contours of the figures will be distorted by compression, when the tension is removed and will return to their original form only when the bandage is again subjected to the same amount of tension. This will insure a greater degree of accuracy in the indication of tension and this accuracy will be retained until and unless the elastic properties of the bandage are changed.

In FIG. 14, points 27 have been defined by intersecting lines 28. In FIG. 15, the bandage shown in FIG. 14 has been stretched, causing displacement of points 27. The degree of this displacement is an indication of the tension existing in the bandage.

It will be understood that while, for the purposes of this disclosure the pattern FIGS. 10, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21 illustrated in FIGS. 1-9 have been assumed to have been applied while the bandage is in relaxed condition, the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 11-13 could be used. That is to say, for example, that the squares 12 shown in FIG. 2 could be applied to the bandage while under tension. In a relaxed state, squares 12 would appear as the rectangles 10, having been distorted by compression. A predetermined amount of tension would thus be required to restore the original contour.

It will be understood that regardless of the shape of the multielement patterns, they will be applied to the bandage in a color which appropriately contrasts with the color of the bandage itself. Furthermore, while all of the elements of the patterns may be of the same color, if desired, different colors may be used in different arrangements. For example, in the series of the rectangles 10 of FIG. 1 alternate rectangles may have a contrasting color with the intermediate rectangles. Also, every third or fourth etc., rectangle may have a color which contrasts with the remaining rectangles. The same, of course, may be true of the colors of the elipses 14, or of the geometric figures shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. In FIGS. 7 and 8 parallel lines 18 might be of different colors. Furthermore, in FIG. 3 the two rows of rectangles 13, and rectangles 20 and 21 of FIG. 9 could, if desired, be imprinted in different colors.

In order for the tension-indicator bandage to be of optimum value, it is important that the original dimensions of the multielement patterns illustrated and described above be retained after the laundering of the bandage and throughout the life of the bandage. Accordingly, it is desirable to utilize in the construction of the bandage, a material which will not shrink during laundering. The ability of a fiber sold under the trade name XE to retain dimensions makes it uniquely suited for the purpose.

While it is true that the patterns would still serve to indicate relative amounts of tension even after shrinking, the change in dimensions would alter the degree of tension required to bring about the looked for change in contour or placement of the pattern, thus rendering original instructions inaccurate. The use of a fiber such as described above or its equivalent is therefore desirable.

In addition to offering an advantage to the over-the-counter purchaser, the point-of-reference feature described above is of value to doctors, nurses and hospitals. It gives the doctor an effective tool for instructing his patients in the use of the bandage. This aspect could be of particular significance in hospital emergency rooms where it is not anticipated that the patient will have continuing access to the doctor. It provides also for a means of visually demonstrating the correct use of the bandage when language problems would rule out verbal instruction-- a situation frequently met in urban areas and in smaller hospitals not equipped with multilingual staffs. Further, this reference feature can be of service in those cases where a third party is involved who has neither the benefit of the doctor's experience or the patient's sense of feeling in gauging the degree of tension being applied. An example of such a situation would be that of mother and child.

Claims

I claim:

1. A bandage capable of being stretched and having indicia in a readily recognizable geometric form when the bandage is in the relaxed condition, such form changing to another distinct readily recognizable geometric form when the bandage is stretched to the desired tension.

2. A bandage according to claim 1 wherein the geometric form when the bandage is in the relaxed condition is one of the group consisting of an oval, a rhombus and a rectangle, and the geometric form after the bandage is stretched is one of the group consisting respectively of a circle, a square or a square.

3. A bandage according to claim 1 which is made of elastic material.

4. A bandage according to claim 1 wherein a plurality of such indicia are spaced lengthwise of the bandage.

5. A bandage capable of being stretched and having indicia in a readily recognizable shape when the bandage is in the relaxed condition, and changeable to another readily recognizable shape when the bandage is stretched to the desired tension.

6. A bandage according to claim 5 which is made of elastic material.

7. A bandage according to claim 5 wherein a plurality of such indicia are spaced lengthwise of the bandage.