Surgery: splint – brace – or bandage – Bandage structure
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-20
2001-11-13
Brown, Michael A. (Department: 3764)
Surgery: splint, brace, or bandage
Bandage structure
C602S042000, C602S043000, C602S044000, C602S045000, C602S046000, C602S047000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06316686
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to medical dressings. The present invention more particularly relates to medical pressure dressings used to effect hemostasis of a wound.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Traditionally, in order to stop bleeding wounds, for example when an artery is bleeding, healthcare workers have applied digital pressure to the wound by manually pressing against the wound. Unless the patient is able to provide the digital pressure himself, this manual digital pressure procedure for controlling bleeding if often time-consuming for a healthcare provider administering the procedure, thus significantly adding to the medical treatment costs.
Attempts have been made to provide pressure dressings that simulate the application of digital pressure exerted from a healthcare provider or the patient. U.S. Pat. No. 3,490,448 (Grubb) discloses an adhesive pressure bandage generally consisting of a pad attached to the center of a single-sided strip of tape. That design has been found to provide very limited pressure to a puncture site due to the fact that the two opposing ends of tape adhered to a patient's skin tend to be drawn toward each other, thus reducing the downward pressure exerted by the pad. U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,610 (Ito et al.) discloses a similar pressure bandage wherein the adhesive strip covering the pressure pad is formed from a stretchable material having a high recovery property. This high recovery property promotes shrinking of the material after being extended to cover the wound. Ito et al. teach that the shrinking action of the base material atop of the pressure pad causes the pressure pad to be pressed downward as the base and the skin surrounding the pressure pad are pulled toward the pad. This device is disruptive to the skin surrounding the wound. U.S. Pat. No. 5,891,074 (Cesarczyk) discloses a pressure bandage incorporating a compressed spring held against a wound by a cover adhered to the skin. Cesarczyk teaches using a folded sheet of fold-resistant material to exert pressure to exert a downward force against the wound site as it attempts to open to an unfold state. The drawback of this springing pressure device is that the springing action of the folded sheet is exerted in both an upward and downward direction. Thus, the spring exerts a force upwardly against the cover, pulling the skin inwardly toward the wound, and thus reducing the effectiveness of the downward pressure.
It would be desirable to provide a pressure dressing adapted so that a greater amount of the force exerted by the pressure pad is directed downwardly toward the wound. It would further be desirable if such pressure dressing caused minimum pulling of the skin surrounding the wound.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention includes a medical dressing for framing and covering a wound, wherein the wound has a hardness and includes a tissue covered by skin, wherein said skin includes an affixable skin annulus surrounding a skin treatment site having a first elasticity. The present medical dressing comprises:
(a) a strap having an upper strap surface and a lower strap surface, wherein said lower strap surface includes a center area between a first plurality of opposingly positioned attachment sites; and
(b) a frame having a second elasticity less than the first elasticity of the skin, wherein said frame has a lower frame surface positionable against the skin and an upper frame surface positionable against said lower strap surface with said upper frame surface having a second plurality of attachment sites corresponding to the positionment of said first plurality of attachment sites of said strap, said frame defining a channel extending transversely through said upper and lower frame surfaces and having a channel length, wherein said frame radiates outwardly from said channel and extends to an outermost frame edge;
(c) a means for affixing said first plurality of attachment sites to said second plurality of attachment sites;
(d) a means for affixing said lower frame surface to a sufficient amount of the skin annulus to reduce the elasticity of the skin treatment site; and
(e) a means for affixing a plunger of a sufficient size for being received through said channel against the center area of said strap so that the plunger is received through said channel when said upper frame surface is positioned against said lower strap surface.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3490448 (1970-01-01), Grubb
patent: 4221215 (1980-09-01), Mandelbaum
patent: 4377159 (1983-03-01), Hansen
patent: 5507721 (1996-04-01), Shippert
patent: 5618556 (1997-04-01), Johns et al.
patent: 5690610 (1997-11-01), Ito
patent: 5800372 (1998-09-01), Bell
patent: 5891074 (1999-04-01), Cesarczyk
Brown Michael A.
Hamilton Lalita M.
Johnston Susan F.
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