U.S. patent number 3,738,367 [Application Number 05/114,607] was granted by the patent office on 1973-06-12 for patient garment with temperature control.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Angelica Corporation. Invention is credited to John C. Hardy.
United States Patent |
3,738,367 |
Hardy |
June 12, 1973 |
PATIENT GARMENT WITH TEMPERATURE CONTROL
Abstract
A hospital patient garment of lateral stretch fabric for
conforming to different body shapes. Small-diameter tubes attached
to the garment for conveying heating or cooling fluids circulated
by a hyperthermia machine. The tubes lie longitudinally of the
garment to uniformly blanket the entire surface area of the garment
while permitting lateral expansion of the fabric when the garment
is worn by relatively obese persons. Strategically located zippers
for easy donning and doffing of the garment and for providing
selective access to different areas of the body, such as for
operations. Special adjustment straps spaced along the torso
zippers for holding the garment in place on the body of an
exceptionally obese person with the torso zippers unzipped. A
resilient pad snaps to the back of the garment for improving
comfort by yielding to the impressions of the fluid conveying
tubes. Flaps at the back of the garment can be releasably held
folded away from the lower torso area with the leg zippers
partially unzipped to free the garment from interference with the
use of a bed pan.
Inventors: |
Hardy; John C. (Weatogue,
CT) |
Assignee: |
Angelica Corporation (St.
Louis, MO)
|
Family
ID: |
22356289 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/114,607 |
Filed: |
February 11, 1971 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
607/104; 607/108;
62/259.3; 165/46 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61F
7/02 (20130101); A61F 2007/0054 (20130101); A61F
2007/0086 (20130101); A61F 2007/0001 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A61F
7/00 (20060101); A61f 007/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;128/399,400,402,379,362,68.1,82.1 ;62/259,261 ;165/59
;2/2.1R,2.1A |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
746,650 |
|
Aug 1944 |
|
DD |
|
1,115,414 |
|
May 1968 |
|
GB |
|
Primary Examiner: Howell; Kyle L.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A garment comprising fabric having torso, leg and arm covering
portions, a plurality of small-diameter tubes fastened to the inner
surface of said fabric in spaced relation to one another and
extending generally over the entire inner surfaces of said torso,
leg and arm covering portions of said garment, whereby substantial
portions of the lengths of said plurality of small-diameter tubes
can confront and engage the corresponding portions of the torso,
legs and arms of a wearer of said garment, said garment having
elongated openings in said torso, leg and arm covering portions
thereof which are selectively closable to enable said fabric to
hold said substantial portions of the lengths of said plurality of
small-diameter tubes in confronting and engaging relation with said
corresponding portions of said torso, legs and arms of said wearer
of said garment, said elongated openings being selectively openable
to enable said fabric to bodily move said substantial portions of
the lengths of said plurality of small-diameter tubes out of said
confronting and engaging relation with said corresponding portions
of said torso, legs and arms of said wearer of said garment, each
tube of said plurality of small-diameter tubes having a supply span
for receiving temperature-controlled fluid and a return span for
returning said temperature-controlled fluid after said
temperature-controlled fluid has been in heat-exchanging relation
with said corresponding portions of said torso, legs and arms of
said wearer of said garment, at least some of said small-diameter
tubes being disposed so said supply spans and said return spans
thereof coact to provide U-shaped paths for said
temperature-controlled fluid which are alternated with each other
to provide uniform temperature distribution over substantially the
entire inner surfaces of said torso, leg and arm covering portions
of said garment, said plurality of small-diameter tubes extending
longitudinally of said torso, leg and arm covering portions of said
garment, a bag secured to and extending downwardly beyond one of
said leg-covering portions of said garment, small header means
connected to said supply spans of said small-diameter tubes and
adapted to receive temperature-controlled fluid from a means to
circulate temperature-controlled fluid and to supply said
temperature-controlled fluid to said supply spans of said
small-diameter tubes and thereby enable said small-diameter tubes
to circulate said temperature-controlled fluid in heat-exchanging
relation with said corresponding portions of said torso, legs and
arms of said wearer of said garment, and further small header means
connected to said return spans of said small-diameter tubes to
receive said temperature-controlled fluid from said return spans of
said small-diameter tubes after said temperature-controlled fluid
has been in heat-exchanging relation with said corresponding
portions of said torso, legs and arms of said wearer of said
garment and adapted to return said temperature-controlled fluid to
said fluid-circulating means, the first said small header means
being located within said bag and thus being immediately adjacent
to and being supported by said one leg-covering portion of said
garment, said further small header means being located within said
bag and thus being immediately adjacent to and being supported by
said one leg-covering portion of said garment, said further small
header means being adjacent to said first said small header
means.
2. A garment comprising fabric having torso, leg and arm covering
portions, a plurality of small-diameter tubes fastened to the inner
surface of said fabric in spaced relation to one another and
extending generally over the entire inner surfaces of said torso,
leg and arm covering portions of said garment, said garment having
elongated openings in said torso, leg and arm covering portions
thereof which are selectively closable to enable said fabric to
hold said plurality of small-diameter tubes in confronting relation
with corresponding portions of said torso, legs and arms of a
wearer of a wearer of said garment, said elongated openings being
selectively openable to enable said fabric to bodily move said
plurality of small-diameter tubes away from said confronting
relation with said corresponding portions of said torso, legs and
arms of said wearer of said garment, each tube of said plurality of
small-diameter tubes having a supply span for receiving
temperature-controlled fluid and a return span for returning said
temperature-controlled fluid after said temperature-controlled
fluid has been in heat exchanging relation with said corresponding
portions of said torso, legs and arms of said wearer of said
garment, small distributor means connected to said supply spans of
said small-diameter tubes and adapted to receive
temperature-controlled fluid from a fluid-circulating means and to
supply said temperature-controlled fluid to said supply spans of
said small-diameter tubes and thereby enable said small-diameter
tubes to circulate said temperature-controlled fluid in heat
exchanging relation with said corresponding portions of said torso,
legs and arms of said wearer of said garment, further small
distributor means connected to said return spans of said
small-diameter tubes to receive said temperature-controlled fluid
from said return spans of said small-diameter tubes after said
temperature-controlled fluid has been in heat-exchanging relation
with said corresponding portions of said torso, legs and arms of
said wearer of said garment and adapted to return said
temperature-controlled fluid to said fluid-circulating means, said
small-diameter tubes which are fastened to said torso-covering
portion underlying the torso of said wearer of said garment
whenever said wearer of said garment is lying on his back, and a
semirigid sheet which is disposed inwardly of the fabric at the
rear of said torso-covering portion and inwardly of said
small-diameter tubes which are fastened to said inner surface of
said fabric at said rear of said torso-covering portion, said
semirigid sheet being readily detachable from said garment for
laundering and sterilization convenience, said semirigid sheet
distributing the compressive load of said small-diameter tubes,
thereby improving the mechanical comfort of said garment.
3. A garment comprising fabric having torso, leg and arm covering
portions, said fabric being stretch fabric which is stretchable in
a lateral direction to conform to differently-sized bodies of
wearers of said garment, a plurality of small-diameter tubes
fastened to said fabric in spaced relation to one another and
extending generally over the entire surface of said garment, each
tube of said plurality of small-diameter tubes having a supply span
for receiving temperature-controlled fluid and a return span for
returning said temperature-controlled fluid after said
temperature-controlled fluid has been in heat-exchanging relation
with the wearer of said garment, distributor means connected to
said supply spans of said small-diameter tubes and adapted to
receive temperature-controlled fluid from a fluid-circulating means
and to supply said temperature-controlled fluid to said supply
spans of said small-diameter tubes and thereby enable said
small-diameter tubes to circulate said temperature-controlled fluid
in heat-exchanging relation with said wearer of said garment,
further distributor means connected to said return spans of said
small-diameter tubes to receive said temperature-controlled fluid
from said return spans of said small-diameter tubes after said
temperature-controlled fluid has been in heat-exchanging relation
with said wearer of said garment and adapted to return said
temperature-controlled fluid to said fluid-circulating means,
zippers extending along the sides of said torso-covering portion of
said garment, said zippers being openable for access to the body of
said wearer of said garment and to increase the size of said
garment for an obese wearer, and straps spaced along the length of
each zipper, each strap being sewn to said garment adjacent one
side of a zipper and being movable in pivotal fashion to span the
gap between, and to extend to and beyond, the other side of such
zipper, and releasable fastener means for selectively holding said
strap to said garment adjacent said other side of said zipper.
4. The garment of claim 3 wherein said releasable fastener means
comprises a hook-type fastener and a pad-type fastener which are
readily securable to and separable from each other in a
non-destructive manner.
5. The garment of claim 3 wherein there are at least three straps
spaced vertically along each zipper which is located at the side of
said torso-covering portion of said garment.
6. The garment of claim 3 including a zipper extending downwardly
along the inner side of each of said leg-covering portions, each
zipper being oriented to open from its upper end, a slit in the
back of said torso-covering portion of said garment extending
upwardly to a point adjacent the waist of said garment and dividing
the portions of the fabric adjacent the lower back of said
torso-covering portion into two flaps that, when the two leg
zippers are at least partially unzipped, can be folded outwardly
and away from the rear of said body of said wearer of said garment
to create an opening freeing said garment from interference with
the use of a bed pan by said wearer of said garment.
7. The garment of claim 3 including a zipper extending downwardly
along the inner side of each leg-covering portion, each zipper
being oriented to open from its upper end, a slit in the back of
said torso-covering portion of said garment extending upwardly to a
point adjacent the waist of said garment and dividing the portions
of the fabric adjacent the lower back of said torso-covering
portion into two flaps that, when the said two leg zippers are at
least partially unzipped, can be folded outwardly and away from the
rear of said body of said wearer of said garment to create an
opening freeing said garment from interference with the use of a
bed pan by said wearer of said garment, and releasable fastener
means for selectively holding said two flaps in said outward folded
condition and thereby releasably holding said two flaps so they
cannot interfere with the use of said bed pan by said wearer of
said garment.
8. The garment of claim 3 including a zipper extending downwardly
along the inner side of each leg-covering portion, each zipper
being oriented to open from its upper end, a slit in the back of
said torso-covering portion of said garment extending upwardly to a
point adjacent the waist of said garment and dividing the portions
of the fabric adjacent the lower back of said torso-covering
portion into two flaps that, when the said two leg zippers are at
least partially unzipped, can be folded outwardly and away from the
rear of said body of said wearer of said garment to create an
opening freeing said garment from interference with the use of a
bed pan by said wearer of said garment, and releasable fastener
means for selectively holding said two flaps in said outward folded
condition and for releasably holding said two flaps so they cannot
interfere with the use of said bed pan by said wearer of said
garment, said releasable fastener means comprising hook-type
fasteners and pad-type fasteners which are readily securable to and
separable from each other in a non-destructive manner.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
This hospital patient garment is made of open-mesh stretch fabric
with plastic tubes attached to it. While the specific construction
is not critical, the garment described herein has two front panels
and two back panels with sleeves extending to the elbows and legs
extending to the ankles. Zippers provide access to the front and
sides of the torso, to the legs, to the arms, and to the shoulders
of the patient. Access is reversed if the garment is worn backward.
Two-way zippers and double sliders enable the entire front and legs
of the garment to be opened or any individual part thereof to be
opened for access. Zippers also extend along the outer sides and
under arms of the garment and zippers extend over the shoulders to
the neck of the garment. These are also two-way and double slider
zippers that permit full opening and also permit access along the
zipper.
All the panels of the garment are made of stretch fabric. Several
tubes are fastened to the inner side of the stretch fabric. Each
tube consists of two passes, one of which delivers and the other of
which returns fluid maintained at a desired temperature for
controlling the body temperature. The tubes are substantially
evenly spaced and extend generally longitudinally. This permits
flexibility of lateral size of the garment to fit and conform to
various body sizes. For unusually obese persons, the side zippers
may be unzipped and spread apart. Spaced along these side zippers
are straps that can overlie the resulting gap. These straps are
releasably held in the overlying positions by fasteners which are
sold under the trademark VELCRO. There are flaps at the back of the
garment that are held in closed condition by the leg zippers. When
the leg zippers are partially unzipped, the flaps can be folded
back to create an opening that frees the garment from interference
with the patient's use of a bed pan. Fasteners, which are sold
under the trademark VELCRO, releasably hold the flaps in their
folded-back condition.
The tubes terminate below the ankles and are connected to manifolds
that lead to a conventional hyperthermia machine. The manifolds and
tube ends are located in a pouch sewed to the lower edge of each
leg of the garment.
This garment conforms to the body of the patient with the
fluid-conveying tubes in direct contact with almost all areas of
the body. As such, it is superior to water circulating blankets or
pads which are not in intimate contact with the body and that
produce hot or cold spots.
A plastic encased resilient pad snaps to the outside of the back of
the garment. A plastic sheet having breathe openings snaps to the
inner surface of the back of the garment. When the patient is lying
in bed against the back of the garment, the resilient pad receives
the tubular impressions and greatly improves the comfort of wearing
the garment. The inner liner distributes the load of the tubes
while permitting breathing. Both the plastic encased pad and the
inner liner are non-moisture absorbent and can be readily
sterilized.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a front view of the garment;
FIG. 2 is a rear view of the garment with portions shown in
section, but with the tubes not shown;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the garment along the line 3--3 of
FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is an enlarged view in section along the line 4--4 of FIG.
1;
FIG. 5 is a plan view of the inner liner panel;
FIG. 6 is a view in section along the line 6--6 of FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation view of a portion
of the left side of the garment showing the zipper closed and
showing a size adjustment strap in inoperative position;
FIG. 8 is a view in section along the line 8--8 of FIG. 7;
FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation view similar to
that of FIG. 7, but showing the zipper opened and the size
adjustment strap in operative position;
FIG. 10 is a fragmentary rear elevation view of the lower torso
portion of the garment with the access flaps folded back;
FIG. 11 is a schematic view of the tube connections to a
conventional hyperthermia machine.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
This garment 10 has two front panels 11 and 12 each of which has a
torso portion 13, a leg portion 14, and a portion 15 covering the
arm to the elbow. The garment also has two back panels 16 and 17
joined together by a flat seam 18. Each of the back panels 16 and
17 has a torso portion 19, a leg portion 20 and a portion 21
covering the arm to the elbow. When these panels 11, 12, 16 and 17
are sewed together, a neck opening 22 at the top, arm openings 23
at the outer edges of the sleeves, and leg openings 24 at the lower
edges of the legs are formed. A bag 25 is sewed to the lower edge
24 of each leg in such a way that the sides 26 of the bags permit
the bags to be pushed aside when the patient's feet and ankles
extend through the lower leg openings 24 (See FIG. 3). The garment
is made of stretch fabric so that it will conform to the wearer's
body, fully covering the torso and legs to the ankles and covering
the arms to the elbows.
A zipper 27 extends vertically along the center of the front of the
torso, separating the torso portions 13 of the front panels 11 and
12. The zipper 27 has an upper slider start element 28 at the neck
line 22 and a lower slider start element 29 at the groin. An upper
slider 30 opens the zipper 27 when moved in a downward direction
and closes the zipper 27 when moved in an upward direction. A lower
slider 31 opens the zipper 27 when moved in an upward direction and
closes the zipper when moved in a downward direction. The upper
slider start element 28 acts as a double slider separating tab such
that when both the sliders 30 and 31 are moved all the way up to
the top of the slider start element 28, the upper end of the zipper
27 at the neck line 22 can be fully opened so that the two torso
panels 13 can be completely separated along the entire length of
the zipper 27. When the slider 30 moves fully downward to the
slider start element 29 the zipper 27 is opened to its lower end
but it cannot be separated at the start element 29. Thus, the
slider start element 29 is not a separator tab, but functions as a
slider stop.
Zippers 34 and 35 respectively extend vertically along the inner
sides of the right and left legs. The zippers 34 and 35 thus are
located between the leg panel portions 14 and 20 of each leg. The
zipper 34 has a lower slider 36 that moves upwardly from a zipper
start element 37 in an opening direction and downwardly in a
closing direction and has an upper slider 38 that moves downwardly
from a start element 39 in an opening direction and upwardly in a
closing direction. The zipper 35 has a similar lower slider 40 and
a start element 41 and an upper slider 42 and start element 43. The
zippers 34 and 35 extend from the point of the zipper start element
29 on the zipper 27 downwardly to the openings 24 of the legs.
Therefore, the entire front of the garment can be opened from the
neck to the groin and continuing down the insides of the two legs
to the leg openings 24.
At the sides of the garment, cloth bindings 44 form a slit 45 on
the right side and cloth bindings 46 from a slit 47 on the left
side. These cloth bindings 44 and 46 continue upwardly as the
bindings on opposite sides of two side torso zippers 49 and 50. The
two side torso zippers 49 and 50 respectively have lower zipper
start elements 51 and 52 located at about the centers of the hips
and they extend upwardly along the right and left sides of the
torso and outwardly along the undersides of the right and left arms
to the sleeve openings 23. The zipper 49 has an upper zipper start
element 53 at the right sleeve opening 23. The zipper 50 has an
upper zipper start element 54 at the sleeve opening 23. The zipper
49 has two sliders 55 and 56. The slider 55 opens the zipper 49
(and separates the start element 51) when moved toward the start
element 53 and closes the zipper when moved away from the start
element 53. The slider 56 opens the zipper 49 when moved away from
the start element 53 and closes the zipper when moved toward the
start element 53. When both the sliders 55 and 56 are moved all the
way to the start element 53, the end of the zipper 49 at the start
element 53 can be fully opened.
The zipper 50 also has two sliders 57 and 58. The slider 57 moves
in an opening direction (and separates the start element 52) when
moved toward the start element 54 and closes the zipper when moved
away from the start element 54. The slider 58 opens the zipper when
moved away from the start element 54 and closes the zipper when
moved toward the start element 54. When both the sliders 57 and 58
are moved all the way to the start element 54, that end of the
zipper 50 can be fully opened.
A zipper 60 extends from a start element 61 at the right sleeve
opening 23 longitudinally over the outer side of the arm and over
the top of the shoulder to another start element 62 at the neck
opening 22. The zipper 60 has two sliders 63 and 64. The lower
slider 63 closes the zipper 60 when moved toward the zipper start
element 61 and opens the zipper when moved away from the start
element 61. When the slider 63 is moved all the way to the starter
element 62, the zipper 60 can be fully opened at the arm opening
23. The slider 64 opens the zipper 60 when moved away from the
start element 62 and closes the zipper when moved toward the
starter element 62. When the sliders 63 and 64 are moved all the
way to the starter element 62, the zipper 60 can be fully opened at
the neck opening 22.
A similar zipper 65 extends from a starter element 66 at the arm
opening 23 over longitudinally along the outer side of the left
sleeve 15 and over the left shoulder to a start element 67 located
at the neck opening 22. The zipper 65 has two sliders 68 and 69.
The slider 68 opens the zipper 65 when moved in a direction away
from the start element 66 and closes the zipper when moved toward
the start element 66. The zipper can be fully opened at the left
sleeve opening 23 when the slider 68 is moved all the way to the
start element 67. The slider 69 opens the zipper when moved away
from the start element 67 and closes the zipper when moved in a
direction towards the element 67. When the sliders 68 and 69 are
moved all the way to the start element 67, the zipper 65 can be
fully opened at the neck opening 22.
Zippers 70 and 71, extend vertically on the outer sides of the bags
25. These zippers provide access to the interiors of the bags
25.
20 flexible plastic tubes 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83,
84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, and 93, each about one-eighth
to five thirty-second inch in outside diameter, are fastened to the
inner surface of the garment 10 by any suitable means such as
stitches 94 spaced about 3 inches along each tube, 74 - 93, or by a
heat and pressure seal process such as disclosed in the co-pending
application of the present applicant entitled METHOD OF JOINING
TUBES TO FABRICS Ser. No. 114,599, filed in the United States
Patent Office on Feb. 11, 1971 and assigned to the assignee of the
present invention. Each tube 74 - 93 has two passes 95 and 96. One
pass 95 delivers liquid from an inlet end 97 and the other pass 96
returns the liquid to an outlet end 98. The ends 97 and 98 are
below the bottom openings 24. (Only some of the ends 97 and 98 are
illustrated in FIG. 3). Of the 20 tubes 74 - 93, four tubes 74, 75,
76 and 77, each with two passes 95 and 96, are located on the right
front panel 11 and four tubes 78, 79, 80 and 81, are located on the
left front panel 12. As shown in FIG. 4, six tubes 82, 83, 84, 85,
86 and 87 are located on the right rear panel 17, and six tubes 88,
89, 90, 91, 92 and 93 are located on the left rear panel 16. The
passes 95 and 96 are approximately evenly spaced on each panel. To
achieve this even spacing, some of the tubes, such as the tubes 74
and 80, extend only along the front panels, whereas other tubes
extend over both the front panels and the arms. Although the tubes
82 - 93 are not illustrated in FIG. 2, they, likewise, are
substantially evenly spaced.
All of the inlet ends 97 of the tubes 74 - 93 that are located in
the right leg terminate and open into a manifold 102. All of the
outlet ends 98 of the tubes 74 - 93 located in the right leg
terminate in manifold 103. All of the inlet ends 97 located in the
left leg terminate and open into a manifold 104. All of the outlet
ends 98 located in the left leg terminate and open into a manifold
105. The inlet manifolds 102 and 104 have single tubes 106 and 107,
respectively, leading to a plastic T fitting 108 that has a single
tube 109 leading from a conventional hyperthermia machine 110. The
outlet manifolds 103 and 105 have single tubes 111 and 112,
respectively, leading to a plastic T fitting 113 that has a single
tube 114 leading to the inlet to the hyperthermia machine 110. The
tubes 106, 107, 109, 111, 112 and 114 are much larger in diameter
than the tubes 74 - 93.
At the back side of the garment 10, a hemmed opening 115 provides
access to the crotch area of the patient for instrumentation and
bed pan service. Two hook pads 116 which are sold under the
trademark VELCRO are sewed to the garment adjacent the opening 115
and adjacent the upper leg zipper sliders 38 and 42. At the sides
of the garment, below the bindings 44 and 46, two pile pads 117
which are sold under the trademark VELCRO are sewed to the garment.
As illustrated in FIG. 10, when the zipper sliders 38 and 42 are
partially unzipped, the lower torso flaps on either side of the
opening 115 can be folded back with the hook pads 116 pressed into
engagement with the pile pads 117. This frees the garment from
interfering with the patient's use of a bed pan.
A resilient pad assembly 119, having a lower central recess 120 is
releasably fastened by snaps 121 to the outer back surface of the
garment 10. The resilient pad assembly 119 comprises a foam sheet
122 encased within a sealed plastic container 123. Since the pad
assembly 119 extends over virtually the entire back of the torso
portion of the garment, it yields to the protrusions of the tubes
82 through 93 when the patient is lying with the pad between
himself and a hospital bed.
A plastic sheet 125 having the same general shape as the pad
assembly 119 is releasably fastened by snaps 126 to the inner
surface of the rear side of the garment 10. The plastic sheet 125
has a large number of small breather holes 127 through it. The
plastic sheet distributes the loads created by the tubes 82 through
93 when the patient is lying on his back. The plastic sheet 125 has
a lower central recess 128 in it.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and in detail in FIGS. 7, 8, and 9, the
garment 10 has special size-adjustment elements for use when the
garment is worn by an unusually obese person. Some straps 130, 131,
and 132 are sewed to the binding adjacent the rearward side of each
side zipper 49 and 50. Each strap has a pile pad 133 which is sold
under the trademark VELCRO sewed to its underside 134 and a hook
pad 135 which is sold under the trademark VELCRO sewed to its base
136 (See FIG. 8), the base 136 being the part of the strap sewed to
the garment. A pile pad 137 which is sold under the trademark
VELCRO is sewed to and covers the entire face of each strap 130,
131, and 132. A hook pad 138 which is sold under the trademark
VELCRO is sewed to the binding adjacent the forward side of each
zipper 49 and 50, opposite each strap 130, 131, and 132. When the
garment 10 is worn by a normal sized person, the straps are folded
back as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 7, with the hook and pile pads
135 and 133 releasably holding them folded back. When the garment
is worn by a person who is unusually obese, it may be necessary to
leave the side zippers 49 and 50 unzipped. In such a case, as shown
in FIG. 9, the straps are manually released from the hook and pile
pads 135 and 133 and are extended across the gaps of the unzipped
zippers 49 and 50. When the pile pads 137 are pressed against the
hook pads 138, the straps 130, 131 and 132 adjustably hold the
garment close to the body of the obese wearer.
This garment is made by fastening the tubes to each panel 11, 12,
16 and 17 and thereafter sewing the panels together to complete the
garment. The garment is used in hospitals for maintaining a
constant body temperature at a desired degree of heating or
cooling. This is accomplished by circulating temperature-controlled
water from the hyperthermia machine 110. The water flows through
the tube 109 into the T 108 and thence through the two branches 106
and 107 to the manifolds 102 and 104. From the manifolds 102 and
104, the temperature-controlled liquid flows upwardly through all
of the inlet flow passes 95 of the tubes 74 through 93. From there
the liquid flows back through the liquid return passes 96 of all
the tubes 74 through 93 to the outlet manifolds 103 and 105, then
flowing through the tubes 111 and 112 to the T 113 and through the
tube 114 back to the hyperthermia machine 110. Therefore,
temperature-controlled liquid is delivered through alternately
spaced passes 95 and returned through alternately spaced passes 96
to maintain overall uniform temperature control.
When the garment is worn, the strategic locations of the zippers
27, 34, 35, 49, 50, 60 and 65 permit almost all portions of the
garment to be opened and provide completely flexible access to
parts of the body for hospital purposes.
This hospital patient garment incorporates directly in its
construction tubes that circulate liquid at controlled
temperatures. Since the tubes are distributed over the entire
garment, efficient and direct temperature control is applied to the
entire body of the patient covered by the garment. Temperature
distribution is enhanced by alternating inlet and outlet fluid
carrying tubes to further minimize hot or cold spots. Stretch
fabric construction of the garment, and the longitudinal
orientation of the tubes, provide a snug fit for any patient body
sizes and hold the temperature control tubes against the patient's
body. The garment can be worn forward or backward, and
strategically located zippers permit easy donning and doffing of
the garment and provide flexible selected access to different areas
of the body for hospital treatment.
In these and other ways, the garment is superior in effectiveness,
efficiency, and flexibility to conventional patient body
temperature control devices. These conventional devices, which
include water circulating blankets and pads, are inefficient in
heat transfer and produce warm or cold spots because they do not
conform to the patient's body. Sterilization and laundering of
conventional devices are difficult or not possible.
Since the garment of this invention is more efficient,
temperature-controlled water from a hyperthermia machine can be
circulated through a greater number of garments. The garment is
machine launderable and sterilizable by gas sterilization, in
contrast to the difficulty of laundering or sterilizing a bulky
blanket. Also, this garment incorporates a resilient pad on the
back of the garment, and when the patient lies with the pad between
his body and the bed, the pad yields to the protruding tubes to
relieve discomfort to the patient's back.
Various changes and modifications may be made within this invention
as will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Such
changed and modifications are within the scope and teaching of this
invention as defined by the claims appended hereto.
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