Surgery: splint – brace – or bandage – Bandage structure – Skin laceration or wound cover
Patent
1996-05-03
1998-02-17
Apley, Richard J.
Surgery: splint, brace, or bandage
Bandage structure
Skin laceration or wound cover
602 54, 602 75, 602 77, A61F 500
Patent
active
057186740
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to a novel form of bandages and methods for their manufacture.
Cohesive retention bandages are known such as those sold by Smith & Nephew Medical Limited under the name EASIFIX Cohesive in the UK. Although such bandages are relatively easy to apply they are difficult to tear and therefore must be cut to the appropriate length with scissors. Tearable bandages are known but generally they are not sufficiently cohesive to act as cohesive retention bandages.
Cohesive bandages are also known from British Patent No. 1320628 which describes a cohesive sheet comprising a porous, resilient open cellular web having a cell density of from 10 to 120 cells per inch and the cellular surface occupying less than 15% of the total area of the web when the web is in a non-compressed state. GB '628 suggests that webs with a cellular surface occupying greater than 15% of the total area of the web will have unsatisfactory unwind characteristics.
We have now surprisingly found that by coating certain open cellular polymeric foams with a cohesive coating these problems can be overcome or mitigated.
According to the invention we provide a bandage comprising an open cellular polymeric foam material provided with a cohesive coating characterized in that the cellular surface area on the bandage comprises at least 15% of the total surface area when the bandage is non-compressed.
The polymeric foam material may comprise a sheet or strip of material. Alternatively, the foam may be in the form of a net which net comprises a layer of foam provided with apertures or slits. The cohesive coating may be provided on only one side of the foam material, alternatively greater cohesion is achieved if the cohesive coating is on both sides of the foam material.
The cohesive coating may be a continuous layer although a non-continuous layer of cohesive coating is preferred.
Any conventionally known cohesive coatings may be used including synthetic cohesive materials. Preferred cohesive materials are rubbers which may be applied as a latex coating. The cohesive material is usually coated onto the material at a density of 5 to 20 g m.sup.-2 for one side of the material, preferably 5 to 15 g m.sup.-2 and especially 8 to 15 g m.sup.-2.
Any conventional open cell polymeric foam material may be used, foams which possess elastomeric properties are preferred. The latex coating will tend to render even hydrophilic foams as hydrophobic, but generally hydrophobic foams are preferred. It is within the scope of this invention to include profiled or reticulated foams.
The surface area of the open cells on the bandage may be from 15 to 70% of the total surface area when the bandage is non-compressed, preferably from 30 to 70%, more preferably from 40 to 70% and especially from 50 to 70% of the total surface area when the bandage is non-compressed.
The size of the open cells may be from 0.3 to 1.0 mm, preferably from 0.4 to 0.9 mm and more preferably from 0.4 to 0.8 mm.
The cellular surface area and the open cell size may be determined by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM).
Preferred foams are polyester foams and especially polyester/polyurethane foams. Foams with a high cellular area as hereinbefore described are also preferred. Such foams are commercially available from Caligen of Accrington in the United Kingdom.
Although polyester and polyester/polyurethane foams are known such foams have not been used as bandages. Thus according to a further feature of the invention we provide the use of a polyester or a polyester/polyurethane foam in the manufacture of a bandage. In particular we provide the use of a cohesive coated, eg. rubber coated polyester or polyester/polyurethane foam in the manufacture of a bandage.
Polyester and polyester/polyurethane foams are advantageous since they possess properties which render the material particularly suitable as a bandage. Bandages of the invention and polyester or polyester/polyurethane foam bandages in particular are "cross-tearable". Conventional fabric bandages must be cut, eg. using scissors, which c
REFERENCES:
patent: 4146027 (1979-03-01), Hoey
Apley Richard J.
Lee Kim M.
Smith & Nephew plc
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