Therapeutic Boot

Abstract

A limb encircling sleeve or boot is provided wherein a split sleeve or boot of essentially unyielding material shaped to fit a limb (leg or arm) is unyieldingly held in position by one or more bands of interlocking faric material such as Velcro or Scotchmate. Where a plurality of bands are employed, they are preferably touching each other and contoured to match the limb configuration. Means are provided for enabling tightening of the interlocking fabric. The device is used in the medical treatment of lymphedema or other circulatory disorders and enables the application of adjustable uniform or gradient pressure to the encircled limb of humans and animals.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Extremeties or limbs of humans or animals having medical indications such as, lymphedema, phlebitis, varicose veins, post-fracture and injury edema, stasis ulcers or other circulatory disorders requiring pressure and/or supportive therapy have, in the past, been treated by elastic stockings or sleeves, spirally wound bandages, such as the "Ace" bandage, or molded thin plaster casts. Elastic materials such as support stockings, "Ace" bandages, and the like suffer from the disadvantage of not presenting adjustable uniform or gradient pressure to the afflicted areas, except in the cases where an elastic stocking or sleeve is custom-made from measurements requiring considerable time and skill. In the case of elastic materials, the pressure and consequently the therapeutic effects are, by the inherent characteristic of an elastic material, reduced in proportion to the reduction in size or swelling of the limb. Thus, the therapeutic values of the elastic stocking or boot are compromised. Further, if desired therapeutic effects are to be maintained, the elastic stocking or sleeve must be replaced when significant size or swelling changes take place. The "Ace"-type bandage must be unwrapped and rewrapped to obtain changes in applied pressure. Elastic stockings and "Ace"-type bandages suffer loss of elasticity due to repeated stretching, attack of body chemicals and frequent washings. Unyielding sleeves, such as, thin casts of bandage impregnated with materials which harden on drying or on exposure to air such as "Gelucast" and plaster casts have serious disadvantages of chaffing, irritation, irremovability, unadjustability, and lack of ventilation. Such unyielding casts are used in indications, such as, advanced lymphedema and those requiring supportive as well as pressure therapy.

The device of the present invention permits the application of adjustable uniform or gradient pressure to the afflicted area and may readily be adapted to acceptable style standards.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of this invention to provide an essentially unyielding limb-encircling device for therapeutic purposes, such as a sleeve or boot, which enables the application of adjustable uniform or gradient pressure to the limb.

Another object of the invention is to provide a therapeutic sleeve or boot which does not require for its construction a large number of measurements requiring considerable skill and time.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device for application of pressure to the limb which does not require replacement due to inherent pressure reduction if the therapeutic effects of applied pressure reduces the size or swelling of the limb.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device for the application of pressure to the limb which will not require frequent replacement due to change in limb size or loss of elasticity of the material. An elastic stocking or "Ace"-type bandage worn and washed daily seldom retains satisfactory therapeutic effect longer than 6 months, and may last only 1 month, depending on the oil, salt, alkaline, or acid nature of the wearer's skin.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a therapeutic device which has an aesthetic appearance.

Another object of this invention is to provide such a therapeutic device which may be rapidly and easily applied to the limb and removed from the limb; and, which enables rapid and simple adjustment of the applied pressure to various portions of the limb. The device further is readily molded to the contours and diameters of various portions of the limb.

The device comprises a split sleeve or boot of essentially unyielding flexible material such as leather or a plastic coated fabric or the like, generally shaped to fit the limb. One or more adjacent bands of interlocking fabric material are provided along the length of the sleeve for compressing the sleeve about the limb with the desired amount of pressure. When the interlocking nap and hook fabric material are engaged in position, it is unyielding, but may readily be pulled apart to adjust the pressure.

The flesh of a limb or extremities is an essentially fluid or plastic body. The application of band tightening force establishes sustainable fluid pressure within the limb areas encompassed by the sleeve or boot. In the case of lymphedema, the accumulation of lymphatic fluids and consequent swelling is inhibited thereby. Movement of muscles within the encased limb increases and decreases this preestablished pressure thereby resulting in promotion of circulation and fluid removal from the blood lymphatic system. The principle of the present invention may be applied to arm encircling sleeves and also adapted for use on animals, such as horses.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of a boot embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of a boot of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a partial cross-section view of an alternative form of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a partial front view of a further modification of a boot embodying the invention.

FIG. 5 is a partial front view of a further modification of a boot embodying the invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of one of the bands of the embodiment of FIG. 5.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the drawings, 11 indicates a boot suitably made of essentially unyielding material such as leather or a plastic coated fabric or the like. The boot 11 is split at 12 for substantially the entire length of the boot for the application of pressure to the limb. Adjacent to the split there are secured a plurality of bands 14 of interlocking nap material such as Velcro or Scotchmate. The bands may be secured to the boot adhesively or by stitching. The bands 14 are secured to the boot on one side of the split 12. As illustrated in FIG. 3, a plurality of D-rings 15 are suitably fastened to the boot 11 at the other side of the split 12, made of metal or other rigid material. The bands or tabs 14 are looped through the D-rings 15 and doubled back on themselves with the application of the desired tension and the interlocking nap and hook faces are pressed together.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4, the rings or loops 15 are preferably staggered as they are necessarily wider than the adjacent bands 16 and would interfere with or overlap each other unless staggered.

The tabs or bands 14 are preferably touching each other to prevent "ridging" of the flesh between adjacent bands. If the bands were spaced apart, the flesh would bulge between the spaced bands, which is undesirable.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, tabls 14 of interlocking hook material are secured to one side of the split 12 of the boot 11 and a strip 16 of interlocking nap material is secured to the boot at the other side of the split. The nap material may be secured adhesively or by stitching. The tab 14 is then tensioned and interlocked with the strip 16 to apply the desired pressure to the limb. As best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the bands 14 are alternately positioned on the right and left of the split so as to prevent rotation of the boot around the limb.

FIG. 4 shows a further embodiment of the invention wherein the split sleeve 11 is provided with interlocking nap material surface 16 on both sides of the split. The tabs 14, with mating interlocking hook surfaces, are threaded through a rigid ring 15 and doubled back with the desired tension to apply pressure to the encircled limb. This arrangement provides for tightening using both hands or either hand, and for staggering the D-rings as desired since they are movable. In using both hands the bands are simultaneously pulled with equal force in opposite directions and on down to engage the interlocking nap and hook fabrics. For one hand tightening, one band is looped back and its interlocking nap and hook fabrics are engaged without tension and positioning the D-ring as desired; then the other band is pulled tight and on down to engage the nap and hook fabrics.

In the embodiments of FIGS. 3 and 4, the bands 16, when looped back through the D-rings 15, have their nap surfaces toward each other. The hooked surface closure tab 14 of band 16 may either be permanently attached to the end of the band 16 or preferably it may be removable, having hook surfaces on opposite sides of its opposite ends. The removable closure tab offers the advantage that a boot or sleeve may be made without exact limb contour measurements, overlength bands being employed which are easily cut to proper length by the user before affixing the removable closure tabs, and the further advantage that where reduction in size or swelling of the limb is effected by the boot or sleeve, the closure tab may simply be removed, the band shortened, and the closure tab reaffixed thereto.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show a further preferred embodiment wherein the bands 14 are provided with a section 18 of reduced width at one end, and a corresponding opening, or slot 17, adjacent to the other end of the band whereby the end portion 18 is inserted through the opening and the hook surface on the back of the end tabs are interlocked with the surface nap fabric of the band. Tightening and closure of the band 14 is effected by inserting the reduced section 18 through the slot 17 and simultaneously pulling the ends in opposite directions to apply desired tightening force and the tab ends are then pressed down so that the hook surface under their ends engage the nap surface.

The hook material on the back of the nap surfaced band 14 of FIG. 6 may be omitted, and closure effected by two removable end closure tabs, each being a single piece of hook surfaced material and affixed by mating of its hook surface with the nap surface of its band end, and having the same advantages as the removable closure tabs described for the embodiments of FIGS. 3 and 4.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 6 the bands 14 may be separate and need not be fastened to the boot or sleeve. Bands 14 of FIGS. 1-6 may not be continuous around the back of the boot or sleeve, depending on whether or not a rear separation to secure better fit is indicated.

A sleeve or boot may employ a single band where there is no significant change in longitudinal limb diameter under the width of the band.

Claims

I claim:

1. A compressive therapeutic limb-encircling device comprising a split sleeve of unyielding flexible material shaped to fit the contour of the limb, a plurality of adjacent bands of mating interlocking fabric material in abutting, non-overlapping contact with each other and in tensionable relation with the sleeve on opposite sides of the split, said bands being spaced along the length thereof, whereby said sleeve may be compressed and held in unyielding position by the interlocking of the nap and hook surfaces of the interlocking fabric material.

2. The device set forth in claim 1 wherein the encircling sleeve is provided with loop elements adjacent to the split for each band enabling the application of uniform tension to such bands.

3. The device set forth in claim 1 wherein the bands are contoured to fit the encircled limb.

4. The device set forth in claim 1 wherein the sleeve is a boot.

5. The device set forth in claim 1 wherein the interlocking fabric material is Velcro.

6. The device set forth in claim 2 wherein a single fixed D-ring is secured to the sleeve for each band.

7. The device set forth in claim 1 wherein a movable D-ring is provided for each band.

8. The device set forth in claim 1 wherein one end of said band is apertured to receive the other end portion.

9. The device set forth in claim 1 wherein said bands are removably positioned along said sleeve.