Surgery: splint – brace – or bandage – Bandage structure – Support covering
Patent
1999-03-01
2000-11-28
Brown, Michael A.
Surgery: splint, brace, or bandage
Bandage structure
Support covering
602 62, 602 64, 602 60, A61L 1500
Patent
active
061528935
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a compression device for application to a body portion.
Woven or knitted elastic bandages in both adhesive and non-adhesive forms are used to provide support, to assist in the repair of soft tissues such as healing of strained muscles and in the treatment of various venous conditions. Conventional elasticated woven or knitted bandages have one or more warp yarns which may comprise elastomeric materials such as natural rubber or synthetic elastomeric materials such as polyurethane. Such an elastic support is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,828,369. It is important that these bandages are applied at a tension which is sufficiently high to enable them to maintain an effective level of compressive force under the bandage over a period of time.
For example, it is known to provide compression bandages having markings which appear as squares when a planar bandage is stretched to a desired degree and which in an unstretched state appear as narrow rectangles.
However, a disadvantage associated with the known woven or knitted bandages is that if they are stretched too much during the application, the compression force under the bandage may be overly great and cause damage, for example by restriction of the blood supply. Furthermore if such a bandage is not stretched enough, little clinical benefit is gained by the application.
In order to alleviate these problems it is known to mark bandages with markings which adopt a particular identifiable configuration when a bandage has been stretched to a certain degree. Such bandages are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,613,679. Patent Application Nos. EP 0475811, DE 3640979 and DE 2329371. Thus when the configuration is achieved a person applying the bandage may determine that a desired degree of extension has been achieved. However, these bandages suffer from the disadvantage that it is often difficult to assess when a desired degree of extension has been achieved. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,520,806 discloses a splint that can be used in different limbs and different limb sizes but does not indicate a suitable degree of compression to be applied.
This is because bandages are applied by different users in different manners and therefore there is considerable variation between users in the degree of overlap of layers of bandage and the angle at which the bandage is applied relative to the longitudinal axis along a body member.
European Patent Application No. 237194 discloses a bandage comprising a rupturable medium containing a liquid or gas which indicates by rupturing if the applied pressure is too great.
Apart from possible staining problems such a bandage would not be reusable, and would only indicate if too much pressure was applied.
Additionally such compression bandages can suffer from stress relaxation, where the pressure is lost soon after application thus reducing any clinical benefit.
A further disadvantage concerns the durability of bandages as hereinbefore described on repeated washing and the lack of ease of application for the patient, especially if the patient is not very flexible.
A legging for compression therapy is described by Vernick et al [Arch. Phys. Med. Rehabil., Vol 68, pp 459, (1987)]. The legging consists of a number of pliable, unyielding, adjustable compression bands, from the knee to the instep. The compression bands can be closed, tightened and opened by the patient.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,338,290 discloses a variable tension medical device comprising multiple strips of elastic material which may be stacked. The straps are wrapped around a limb and then the tension is adjusted subjectively until pain relief is felt by the patient.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,120,300 discloses a compression band with connectors for application to a limb and slide through connectors for applying compression to the limb.
However there are several disadvantages with the use of these devices. As each strap or band is set up individually there is no simple way for setting up a consistent pressure gradient nor is there provided a way for the practitioner or t
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Houldridge David
Pigg William
Brown Michael A.
Hamilton Lalita
Smith & Nephew plc
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