U.S. patent number 3,823,713 [Application Number 05/305,439] was granted by the patent office on 1974-07-16 for aural dressing.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Richards Manufacturing Company. Invention is credited to Navnit Shankerlal Shah.
United States Patent |
3,823,713 |
Shah |
July 16, 1974 |
AURAL DRESSING
Abstract
An aural dressing having a flexible body formed of open cell
material. The body includes a base portion for attaching to a
patient's head surrounding his ear and includes flap portions for
folding over the base portion and covering the patient's ear. The
base portion is provided with a slot for allowing the patient's ear
to pass therethrough.
Inventors: |
Shah; Navnit Shankerlal
(London, EN) |
Assignee: |
Richards Manufacturing Company
(Memphis, TN)
|
Family
ID: |
23180786 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/305,439 |
Filed: |
November 10, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
602/74; 2/209;
D24/189; 2/174 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61F
13/12 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A61F
13/12 (20060101); A61f 013/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;128/155,156,157,163,151,152,82 ;2/174,209 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Laudenslager; Lucie H.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Walker, III; John R.
Claims
I claim:
1. An aural dressing for protecting a patient's ear, said dressing
comprising a body including a base portion for surrounding the
external ear and including flap means for folding over the base
portion and covering the external ear, said base portion being
provided with an opening for allowing the external ear to extend
therethrough, said flap means including first and second flap
portions disposed on either side of said base portion for folding
over said base portion and for partially overlapping each
other.
2. The aural dressing of claim 1 in which said first flap portion
includes adhesive means, said adhesive means being positioned so
that when said first and second flap portions are folded over said
base portion said adhesive means attaches to said second flap
portion where it overlaps said first flap portion.
3. An aural dressing for protecting a patient's ear, said dressing
comprising a flexible body consisting of a porous material for
allowing air to flow therethrough, said body including a base
portion for surrounding the external ear, said base portion having
a curved slot for allowing the external ear to extend therethrough,
said base portion including adhesive means adjacent said slot for
attaching said body to a portion of the patient's head surrounding
his external ear, and said body including first and second flap
portions disposed on either side of said base portion for folding
over said base portion, partially overlapping each other and
covering the external ear, said first flap portion including
adhesive means, said adhesive means being positioned so that when
said first and second flap portions are folded over said base
portion said adhesive means attaches to said second flap portion
where it overlaps said first flap portion.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an aural dressing for various medical
uses.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Previous aural dressings known to the applicant consist of gauze
attached to the patient's head by gauze strips or by adhesive tape.
This type of dressing is known as the "firm mastoid dressing." To
construct such a dressing, a hole is cut in the center of a 4"
.times. 4" gauze pad. The gauze pad is then placed over the ear.
The gauze pad is then attached to the patient's head by wrapping
gauze strips or adhesive tape around his head and the gauze pad. It
can be clearly seen that such a dressing would be time-consuming to
apply and uncomfortable to wear.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed towards overcoming the problems
and disadvantages in previous aural dressings. The concept of the
present invention is to provide an aural dressing comprising a
flexible body consisting of an open cell foam material. The body
includes a base portion for surrounding the patient's ear and
includes flap portions for folding over the base portion and
covering the patient's ear. The base portion has a slot therein for
allowing the patient's ear to pass therethrough. Adhesive means is
provided on the base portion for attaching the body to a portion of
the patient's head surrounding his ear. Adhesive means is also
provided on one flap portion for holding the flap portions together
when they are folded over the base portion.
The present invention is a very versatile aural dressing which is
adapted for many uses in a hospital or the like, as for example,
following many types of mastoid surgeries, tympanoplasties and
otoplasties. It meets the requirements of protecting the post aural
wound and prevents the packing in the ear canal from falling out
without the bulk of the old style aural dressings. It is quickly
applied and is soft and comfortable to wear. The open cell foam
material allows the patient to hear through the aural dressing.
Also, air can flow through the open cell foam material and keep the
patient's ear cool.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a front view of the aural dressing of the present
invention.
FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the aural dressing as taken on the
line II--II of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view showing the aural dressing in an open
position on a patient's head.
FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic view showing the aural dressing in a
closed position on a patient's head.
FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken as on the line V--V of FIG. 4.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The aural dressing 11 of the present invention comprises in general
a body 13 including a base portion 15 and flap means 17. The base
portion 15 is provided with an opening or slot 19 for allowing the
external ear of a patient to extend therethrough. The opening 19 is
preferably curved for closely surrounding the external ear. The
body 13 is formed of a flexible porous material for permitting air
to flow therethrough. The porous material is preferably an open
cell material of the type known to those skilled in the art as
reticulated polyurethane foam. An open cell material found suitable
for this purpose is that produced by the Foam Division of Scott
Paper Co. of 1500 East Second Street, Chester, Pa., and known as
Scott Industrial Foam. Preferably, the foam material used provides
a soft and fine pore characteristic having approximately 84 pores
per square inch as designated by Scott Paper Co.
In use, the base portion 15 surrounds the external ear of the
patient and the flap means 17 folds over the base portion 15 and
covers the external ear, thus protecting the post aural wound and
preventing the packing in the ear canal from falling out. The flap
means 17 preferably includes a first flap portion 21 and a second
flap portion 23. The first and second flap portions 21, 23 are
disposed on either side of the base portion 15. Flexible joints 25
are provided between the first and second flap portions 21, 23 and
base portion 15. Preferably, the flexible joints 25 are made by an
impulse sealing operation performed by a well known method on the
foam material of the body 13 between the base portion 15 and the
first and second flap portions 21, 23. In other words, the base
portion 15 and the first and second flap portions 21, 23 are formed
integrally of one piece of foam material. The foam material is
heated on one side along a pair of lines between the base portion
15 and the first and second flap portions 21, 23, thereby making a
pair of creases along the joints 25. Excess foam material is then
clipped away from the joints 25. The first and second flap portions
21, 23 will then lie substantially flat against the base portion 15
when folded thereover.
The base portion 15 preferably includes an adhesive means 27
adjacent the opening 19 for attaching the body 13 to a portion of
the patient's head surrounding his external ear. The adhesive means
27 consists of an adhesive portion 29 and a protective cover
portion 31. The adhesive portion 29 consists of a double face
medical tape having one face attached to the base portion 15 and
having the other face attached to the protective cover portion 31.
When the aural dressing 11 is applied to a patient's head, the
cover portion 31 is removed from the adhesive portion 29 and the
adhesive portion 29 is attached to a portion of the patient's head
surrounding his external ear. Preferably, the adhesive means 27 is
spaced away from one side of the opening 19 to provide an open area
33. This open area 33 prevents damage to the sutures located behind
the patient's ear after mastoid surgery.
The first flap portion 21 includes an adhesive means 35 positioned
so that when the first and second flap portions 19, 21 are folded
over the base portion 15, the adhesive means 35 attaches to the
second flap portion 23 where it overlaps the first flap portion 21.
The adhesive means 35 includes an adhesive portion 37 and a
protective cover portion 39. The adhesive portion 37 consists of a
double faced medical tape having one face attached to the first
flap portion 21 and having the other face attached to the
protective cover portion 39. When the aural dressing 11 is attached
to a patient's head, the first flap portion 21 is folded over the
base portion 15 and the protective cover portion 39 is removed.
Next, the second flap portion 23 is folded over the base portion 15
and overlaps the adhesive portion 37 of the first flap portion 21
and is attached thereto.
In using the aural dressing 11 of the present invention, the first
step is to remove the protective cover portion 31 from the adhesive
means 27, as heretofore described. Next, the aural dressing 11 is
positioned on the patient's head H in an open position as shown in
FIG. 3. The patient's external ear E is pulled through the opening
19 and the aural dressing 11 is secured to the patient's head H by
means of the adhesive portion 29. Next, the first flap portion 21
is folded over the base portion 15 and the patient's external ear
E. The protective cover portion 39 is removed from the adhesive
means 35 and the second flap portion 23 is folded over the base
portion 15 and the patient's external ear E and is attached to the
adhesive portion 37 of the first flap portion 21 so that the aural
dressing 11 is in the closed position as shown in FIGS. 4 and
5.
It should be noted that the aural dressing 11 is designed in such a
way that it may be used on either the right or left ear of the
patient. When in the closed position, the aural dressing 11 takes
on a rounded form to appear as least conspicuous as possible. For
the same reason, the aural dressing 11 is preferably constructed of
a foam material that is flesh colored.
It should be noted that when the term "external ear" is used in the
specification, it is deemed to comprise, in general, the helix, the
antihelix, the fossa of the antihelix, the antitragus, the tragus,
and the lobe.
Although the invention has been described and illustrated with
respect to a preferred embodiment thereof, it is not to be so
limited since changes and modifications may be made therein which
are within the full intended scope of the invention.
* * * * *