Surgery: splint – brace – or bandage – Orthopedic bandage – Splint or brace
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-21
2001-05-15
Brown, Michael A. (Department: 3764)
Surgery: splint, brace, or bandage
Orthopedic bandage
Splint or brace
C602S005000, C602S008000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06231533
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to temporary support for injured limbs, and in particular to the use of glass fiber mat in orthopedic splints.
2. Technical Considerations and Prior Art
Methods of immobilizing broken, fractured, sprained or strained limbs so that they can heal over a period of time typically include the use of porous fabrics that are coated or impregnated with plaster of paris or curable resins. At the time of an accident, it is advantageous to temporarily immobilize the injured limb to prevent any further injury, for example by using a splint, until a more “permanent” immobilizer can be used to set the limb. The splint must provide sufficient strength to immobilize and if necessary support the injured limb but should also be easily removable. It would also be beneficial if the splint could mold to at least a portion of the limb so as to provide more comfortable support. Generally, such temporarily immobilizing systems typically include splints having multiple layers of resin impregnated woven fabric which remains stable when maintained in substantially moisture-free conditions but hardens quickly upon exposure to sufficient moisture to form a rigid self-supporting structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,306,549 discloses a splint arrangement that includes a woven fiberglass mat strip enclosed within a vacuum envelope. A curable hardening agent is injected into the envelope and absorbed by the woven mat. Prior to hardening, the splint is wrapped around the injured limb as a bandage to provide support.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,609,578; 4,668,563 and 4,800,872 disclose orthopedic casting systems that use curable resin coated fiberglass tapes that can harden and form a rigid support structure.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,027,803 and 5,755,678 disclose splinting and support bandages that incorporate multiple layers of woven or knitted fiberglass fabric impregnated with a reactive system that hardens when exposed to moisture.
It would be advantageous to provide a splint that incorporates a single resin impregnated layer having sufficient strength that it can support and temporarily immobilize an injured limb before conventional longer term immobilization of the limb is employed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One aspect of the present invention is an orthopedic splint for temporarily supporting an injured body limb, comprising: a non-woven mat at least partially impregnated with a curable resin matrix material; a first resin impermeable layer extending along at least a portion of at least one major surface of the mat; a second resin impermeable layer extending along at least along a portion of an opposing major surface of the mat; and a curing agent permeable cover surrounding the mat and the first and second resin impermeable layers. In one particular embodiment of the invention, the resin matrix material comprises a moisture curable, ambient air dried resin matrix material, the mat comprises a needled mat comprising randomly oriented continuous glass fibers and having a weight, prior to resin impregnation, of between about 0.15 to about 2.44 kilograms per square meter, the first resin impermeable layer is a heat insulating layer, and the cover is a water permeable cover.
Another aspect of the present invention is an orthopedic splint for temporarily supporting an injured body limb, comprising: a non-woven mat at least partially impregnated with a curable resin matrix material; and a curing agent permeable cover surrounding the mat, the cover comprising: a first portion which overlays at least a portion of a first major surface of the mat and provides a first resin impermeable barrier; and a second portion which overlays at least a portion of an opposing second major surface of the mat and provides a second resin impermeable barrier.
Still another aspect of the present invention is a method of making an orthopedic splint for temporarily supporting an injured body limb, comprising the steps of: impregnating a nonwoven mat with a moisture curable, ambient air dried resin matrix material; overlaying at least a portion of a first major surface of the mat with a first resin impermeable barrier; overlaying at least a portion of an opposing second major surface of the mat with a second resin impermeable barrier; and enclosing the mat and the first and second barriers within a curing agent permeable cover.
Yet another aspect of the present invention is a method of immobilizing a body limb comprising the steps of activating the curable resin matrix system in a splint as discussed above, applying the splint to the body limb, molding the splint to the shape of at least a portion of the body limb, temporarily securing the splint to the body limb, and allowing the resin system to cure.
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Product Information for Instron Corporation.
Novich Bruce E.
Robertson Walter J.
Brown Michael A.
Hamilton Lalita M.
PPG Industries Ohio Inc.
Siminerio Andrew C.
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