Acrochordon excising bandage

Abstract

A bandage system lances a skin tag from a person's body and thereafter projects the wound created. The system has a base layer that is adhesively attached to the person such that the skin tag passes through an opening of the base layer. A cutter is located atop the base layer and uses a pair of blades that are squeezed together to cut the skin tag protruding through the opening. After cutting, a protective layer is adhered to the base layer such that a medicine laden absorbent pad on the protective layer overlays the opening on the base layer absorbing any blood from the wound and applying the medicine to the wound. Thereafter, the system is worn as a typical bandage.

Claims

1. A bandage comprising: a base layer having a first upper surface, an adhesive-laden first lower surface, and an opening therethrough; first and second sharpened edges slidably disposed on said first upper surface on opposing sides of said opening, said first and second sharpened edges configured to excise a skin tag protruding through said opening upon sliding toward and overriding one another over said opening; and a protective layer coupled to said base layer; wherein upon overlaying engagement of said protective layer with said base layer, said protective layer disposes over said opening.

2. The bandage of claim 1, wherein said first and second sharpened edges are each arcuate.

3. The bandage of claim 1, wherein said first sharpened edge has a first nub on a first end thereof and said second sharpened edge has a second nub on a second end thereof.

4. The bandage of claim 1, wherein said first sharpened edge is slidably disposed within a first housing attached to said first upper surface of said base layer, and said second sharpened edge is slidably disposed within a second housing attached to said first upper surface of said base layer.

5. The bandage of claim 1, wherein said base layer comprises a flexible material.

6. The bandage of claim 1, wherein said protective layer comprises a flexible material.

7. The bandage of claim 1, wherein said first and second sharpened edges are disposed in vertically spaced-apart relation.

8. The bandage of claim 1, wherein said bandage is sterile.

9. A bandage comprising: a base layer having a first upper surface, an adhesive-laden first lower surface, and an opening therethrough; first and second sharpened edges slidably disposed on said first upper surface on opposing sides of said opening, said first and second sharpened edges are height offset relative to one another with respective to said base layer, said first and second sharpened edges configured to excise a skin tag protruding through said opening; a protective layer coupled to said base layer; wherein upon overlaying engagement of said protective layer with said base layer, said protective layer disposes over said opening.

10. The bandage of claim 9, wherein said first and second sharpened edges are each arcuate.

11. The bandage of claim 9, wherein said first sharpened edge has a first nub on a first end thereof and said second sharpened edge has a second nub on a second end thereof.

12. The bandage of claim 9, wherein said first sharpened edge is slidably disposed within a first housing attached to said first upper surface of said base layer, and said second sharpened edge is slidably disposed within a second housing attached to said first upper surface of said base layer.

13. The bandage of claim 9, wherein said base layer comprises a flexible material.

14. The bandage of claim 9, wherein said protective layer comprises a flexible material.

15. The bandage of claim 9, wherein upon sliding over said opening, one of said first and second sharpened edges overrides the other of said first and second sharpened edges.

16. The bandage of claim 9, wherein said bandage is sterile.

17. A bandage comprising: a base layer having a first upper surface, an adhesive-laden first lower surface, and an opening therethrough; first and second sharpened edges slidably disposed on said first upper surface on opposing sides of said opening; wherein upon engagement, said first and second sharpened edges separate a skin tag protruding through said opening from a body; a protective layer coupled to said base layer; wherein upon overlaying engagement of said protective layer with said base layer, said protective layer disposes over said opening.

18. The bandage of claim 17, wherein said base layer comprises a flexible material.

19. The bandage of claim 17, wherein said protective layer comprises a flexible material.

20. The bandage of claim 17, wherein upon sliding over said opening, one of said first and second sharpened edges overrides the other of said first and second sharpened edges.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the acrochordon excising bandage of the present invention.

(2) FIG. 2 is a top view of the acrochordon excising bandage.

(3) FIG. 3 is a side view of the acrochordon excising bandage

(4) FIG. 4 is an environmental view of the acrochordon excising bandage excising an acrochordon.

(5) FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the acrochordon excising bandage covering the wound site from where the acrochordon was excised.

(6) Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(7) Referring now to the drawings, it is seen that the acrochordon excising bandage of the present invention, generally denoted by reference numeral 10, is comprised of a base layer 12 that has a first upper surface 14, a first lower surface 16, and an opening 18. The base layer 12 is a typical bandage member, an adhesive sheet, and is made from an appropriate bandage material such as woven fabric, plastic (including PVC, polyethylene, and polyurethane) and has an appropriate adhesive 20 located on the first lower surface 16 thereof, the adhesive 20 being made from a bandage appropriate material such as acrylate. The adhesive laden first lower surface 16 of the base layer 12 is protected from exposure prior to use via an appropriate coated first backing layer 22 as is well known in the art.

(8) A cutting system is located on the first upper surface of the base layer 12. The cutting system is comprised of a first housing 26 attached to the first upper surface 14 on one side of the opening 24 and a second housing 28 attached to the first upper surface 14 on an opposing side of the opening 24, attachment of the first housing 26 and the second housing 28 being in any appropriate manner known in the art, such as via adhesion. A first cutter 30 is slidably disposed within the first housing 26. As seen, the first cutter 30 has a first main body 32 with a first blade 34 (sharpened edge) located on a first end thereof, and a first nub 36 located on a second end thereof. As seen, the first blade 34 may be arcuate. Similarly, a second cutter 38 is slidably disposed within the second housing 28. As seen, the second cutter 38 has a second main body 40 with a second blade 42 (sharpened edge) located on a third end thereof, and a second nub 44 located on a second end thereof. As seen, the second blade 42 may be arcuate. The first main body 32 and the second main body 40 are height offset relative to one another with respect to the base layer 12 so that when the first main body 32 and the second main body 40 are slid toward one another, one of the main bodies 32 or 40 overrides the other main body 40 or 32, as best seen in FIG. 4, so that the first blade 34 and the second blade 42 override one another and thus cut whatever may be therebetween in scissors-like fashion.

(9) A protective layer 46 is connected to the base layer 12 via a neck 48 and has a second upper surface 50 and a second lower surface 52. A pad 54, such as a gauze pad or water absorbing gel or other absorbent pad, is attached to the second lower surface 52 of the protective layer 46 and may have medicine 56 thereon, the medicine 56 being appropriate to foster healing of the wound created as more fully described below and may include a local anesthetic to help numb the pain immediately after wound creation. The outer portion of the second lower surface 52 of the protective layer 44 has an appropriate adhesive 58 located thereon, the adhesive 58 being made from a bandage appropriate material such as acrylate. The protective layer 46 is also a typical bandage member, an adhesive sheet, and is made from an appropriate bandage material such as woven fabric, plastic (including PVC, polyethylene and polyurethane). The neck 48 may also be made from a typical bandage material and the base layer 12, the protective layer 46, and the neck 48 can be made as a single unitary member. The second lower surface 52 is protected from exposure prior to use via an appropriate coated second backing layer 60 as is well known in the art.

(10) The first main body 32 and the second main body 40 are each made from an appropriate material such as stainless steel or hard plastic that can hold a sufficiently sharp edge thereon. The first housing 26 and the second housing 28 can be made from a similar material.

(11) The entire acrochordon excising bandage 10 is held within an appropriate package (not illustrated) in order to keep the acrochordon excising bandage of the present invention 10 sterile prior to use.

(12) In order to use the acrochordon excising bandage 10 of the present invention, the acrochordon excising bandage 10 is removed from its packaging. The first backing layer 22 is removed from the first lower surface 16 of the base layer 12, exposing the adhesive 20 thereon. The base layer 12 is positioned onto a person's body such that the acrochordon S is received through the opening 18 on the base layer 12. The base layer 12 is pressed onto the person's body like any bandage would be placed in order to retain the base layer 12 thereat. Once the base layer 12 is secured on the body, the first main body 32 and the second main body 40 are squeezed toward one another with the assistance of the first nub 36 and the second nub 44, respectively. The squeezing of the first main body 32 and the second main body 40 causes the first blade 34 and the second blade 42 to contact, pinch, and eventually excise the acrochordon S, separating the acrochordon S from the user's body. Thereafter, the first main body 32 and the second main body 40 are retracted, again via the nubs 36 and 44 respectively, in order to expose the opening 18 of the base layer 12 and thus the wound created underneath—the first main body 32 and the second main body 40 may be spring loaded for retraction, but for simplicity of design, such spring loading is not required. Unless the first main body 32 and the second main body 40 have some form of stop system (not illustrated) to help prevent each from being removed from their respective housing 26 and 28, the first main body 32 and the second main body 40 are completely removed from their respective housing 26 and 28 and discarded in appropriate fashion. Thereafter, the second backing layer 60 is removed from the second lower surface 52 of the protective layer 46, and the protective layer 46 is pivoted, via the neck 48, into covering relationship with the base layer 12 so that the protective layer 46 adheres to the base layer 12 via the adhesive 58 located on the second lower surface 52 of the protective layer 46. When the protective layer 46 is properly positioned, the pad 54 and its medicine 56 are positioned over the opening 18 of the base layer 12 and thus the wound created wherefrom the acrochordon S was excised so as to absorb any blood that may have been drawn and to place the medicine 56 onto the wound site. The wound is permitted to heal, protected by the acrochordon excising bandage 10.

(13) While the base layer 12 and the protective layer 46 are illustrated as being generally round, they may have any appropriate shape.

(14) While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to an embodiment thereof, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.