Medical Gown

Abstract

The invention relates to a medical gown for a hospital patient, the medical gown comprising: a top part arranged to cover a patient's torso, the top part comprising sleeves and a front-facing opening with a wrap-around fastening; and a bottom part, separate to the top part and arranged to extend from patient's waste downwards to cover at least a portion of the patient's legs; wherein the top part comprises at least one slit positioned in a back or side portion of the top part and arranged to allow medical examination of the patient's torso through the slit without removal of the top part. The medical gown according to the present invention allows a clinician to perform a full systematic medical examination of a patient, without requiring the patient to remove any part of the gown.

Claims

1. A medical gown for a hospital patient, the medical gown comprising: a top part arranged to cover a patient's torso, the top part comprising sleeves and a front-facing opening with a wrap-around fastening; and a bottom part, separate to the top part and arranged to extend from patient's waist downwards to cover at least a portion of the patient's legs; wherein the top part comprises at least one slit positioned in a back or side portion of the top part and arranged to allow medical examination of the patient's torso through the slit without removal of the top part.

2. The medical gown of claim 1 wherein the top part comprises: a back-examination slit positioned centrally in the back of the top part.

3. The medical gown of claim 2 wherein the back-examination slit is positioned to run vertically down the centre of the back and is at least 20 cm in length.

4. The medical gown of claim 1 wherein the top part comprises: an under arm examination slit positioned on a side of the top part under the sleeve, arranged to allow examination of the patient's under arm.

5. The medical gown of claim 4 wherein the under arm examination slit is at least 10 cm in length.

6. The medical gown of claim 1 wherein the top comprises: a full front opening positioned between two opposing portions of closure fabric, the portions of closure fabric arranged to wrap consecutively around the patient to cover the patient's torso, the top portion further comprising a belt fastening for securing the closure fabric in place.

7. The medical gown of claim 6 wherein the belt is arranged above the hip of the patient and the top comprises a lower free portion below the belt, wherein the lower free portion comprises one or more slits extending upwards from a lower edge.

8. The medical gown of claim 1 wherein the bottom part comprises trousers.

9. The medical gown of claim 8 wherein the trousers comprises two hip examination slits, each hip examination slit positioned on an outer side of the trousers and running vertically along the length of the trousers to allow medical examination of the hip.

10. The medical gown of claim 8 further comprising a groin examination slit running vertically along an inner side of an upper portion of a leg of the trousers and arranged to allow medical examination of the groin.

11. The medical gown of claim 1 wherein the sleeves have a length such that they do not extend beyond the elbow when worn by a patient.

12. The medical gown of claim 11 wherein the sleeves comprise a slit extending from an opening at the end of the sleeve towards the underarm.

13. The medical gown of claim 1 wherein one or more slits comprise fastenings arranged to hold the slit closed.

14. The medical gown of claim 13 wherein the fastenings comprise snap fastenings or Velcro fastenings.

15. The medical gown of claim 1 wherein the top part and/or bottom part are made from Lyocell fibre.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] FIG. 1A schematically illustrates a front view of a medical gown according to the present invention;

[0025] FIG. 1B schematically illustrates a back view of a medical gown according to the present invention;

[0026] FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a medical gown according to the present invention being worn by a patient.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] FIGS. 1A and 1B respectively illustrate a front view and a back view of a medical gown 1 for a hospital patient according to the present invention. The medical gown comprises a top part 10 arranged to cover the patient's torso and a separate bottom part 20 arranged to extend from the patient's waist downwards to cover at least part of the patient's legs. The top part 10 of the gown 1 has sleeves 15 and a front-facing opening 11 which is closed at the front of the gown and secured by a wrap-around fastening 12. The top part 10 includes at least one slit 30 positioned on a back or side portion of the top part 10, where the slit 30 is arranged to allow medical examination of the patient's torso. The combination of the wrap-around opening at the front, side or back positioned access slit and the two-part arrangement together allow for each of the common torso examinations to be carried out by a clinician, without requiring the patient to remove the gown.

[0028] In more detail, the specific exemplary gown 1 illustrated in the figures, comprises a wrap-around or kimono-style top 10. In other words, unlike standard hospital gowns which generally open at the back, the top part 10 has a jacket or kimono style front opening 11 positioned between two front panels which comprise opposing pieces of closure fabric 12a, 12b which are extend sufficiently to allow them to wrap consecutively around the patient's torso, the second piece 12b wrapping over the first 12a, to cover the majority of the front of the patient's torso.

[0029] The top of this example further comprises a fastening 13 usable to secure the portions of closure fabric 12a, 12b in the wrapped and closed arrangement shown in FIG. 1A. In this example the fastening comprises a tie fastening, or belt fastening, but in other examples it may equally be replaced with a button, hook and loop or VELCRO. A tie fastening is particularly preferable as it is more accessible for patients with reduced manual dexterity, such as those with arthritis of the fingers, who cannot manage buttons.

[0030] The fastening 13, in this case a tie fastening, is preferably positioned above the hip, for example so as to be aligned with the bottom of the rib cage or higher. Positioning of the fastening higher on the body facilitates lower abdominal examination by lifting the bottom, free portion 14 of the top, without requiring the patient to remove the gown. The bottom portion 14 of the front panels of the top 10 preferably extend below the waist to cover the top of the bottom part 20 of the gown 1, thereby providing cover of the lower abdomen while not extending so far as to inhibit access for lower abdominal examination. Preferably the top part 10 extends to below the hip but not to the knee so as to facilitate examination. The lower part of the top 10 may preferably also comprise one or more slits 37 which extend upwards form a lower edge of the top part 10, preferably positioned in the back and sides of the gown as shown in FIG. 1B, to further facilitate lifting of individual parts of the lower part 10 of the gown for examination of specific regions of the lower abdomen, while the top 10 is being worn by the patient.

[0031] The wrap-around arrangement has been selected by the applicant for the provision of a number of advantages related to clinical patient examination. Whereas standard hospital gowns which generally fasten at the back or are pulled over the head do not allow for chest, abdominal or shoulder examination without the gown being removed, the present invention facilitates the examination of each of these key areas. In particular, by opening one side of the gown, i.e. by opening one of the closure portions 12a, the patient is able to expose only one side of the body for examination, which particularly facilitates breast examination. With a patient wearing a standard open back hospital gown, routine breast examination is not possible without removing the gown, providing significant intrusion and discomfort for the patient.

[0032] The wrap-around front fastening therefore facilitates chest, precordial, breast and shoulder examination, shoulder injection and insertion of a line, without requiring removal of the gown. The wrap-around fastening also preferably leaves a portion of the upper chest exposed so that many of these examinations, particularly chest and precordial can take place without even partially opening the wrap around fastening. To facilitate this further, the closure portions 12a, 12b of the top part 10 preferably have angled facing edges 16 defining the opening 11, thereby providing a V-shaped neckline, illustrated in FIG. 2, which can be adjusted in size to allow for examination of the upper chest without removable of the top 10.

[0033] As shown in the rear view of the gown in FIG. 1B, the top part 10 includes at least one slit 30 to provide access for clinical examination. The size and position of the one or more slits must be carefully configured such that, together with the front wrap-around fastening, a clinician has appropriate access for each of the most common examinations, whilst maintaining sufficient coverage to ensure patient comfort and dignity.

[0034] The example of FIG. 1 includes a back examination slit 31 positioned centrally in the back panel of the top part 10, which runs vertically down the top part 10, i.e. from a position toward the neck downwards to a position near the waist. The back examination slit 31 thereby provides access for back and lung examination and also axillary examination. The back examination slit preferably extends over a majority of the upper back and is preferably vertically aligned, following the spine. The back examination slit should preferably be at least 20 cm and more preferably 30 cm to provide adequate access to the clinician to examine the back and lungs. In the present example the slit is 33 cm in length.

[0035] However, the medical gown 1 may alternatively or additionally include an under arm slit 32, positioned under each sleeve 15 to provide access to both the back and underarms for axillary examination. Preferably, as shown in the example of the figures, the gown 1 includes both a back examination slit 31 and underarm slits 32 which significantly increases ease of access for both back and lung examination and axillary examination. The underarm slits 32 are preferably at least 10 cm in length to provide sufficient access. In the example of FIG. 1 they measure 14 cm in length. The underarm slits preferably extend vertically along the side of the top part 10 under the sleeve 15.

[0036] The combination of the two-part structure of the gown 1, the wrap around fastening 12 and the back and under arm slits 31, 32 therefore allows for a full torso examination of the patient, without requiring them to remove the gown. It also provides greater coverage of the body to ensure patient comfort in the hospital environment and provides greater ease of movement that conventional hospital gowns.

[0037] A number of further features are included in the exemplary gown 1 illustrated in the figures to further enhance its function. The sleeves 15 of the gown are preferably loosely cut to allow for the sleeves 15 to be lifted up to facilitate elbow and shoulder examinationand to not obstruct the application of IV line cannula. The sleeves preferably have a circumference around the sleeve opening of at least 30 cm, preferably at least 45 cm. They may also have a slit 33 in the opening of the sleeve to further facilitate elbow and shoulder examination and to allow application of a cannula. The sleeves 15 preferably do not extend beyond the elbow to further facilitate examination and to minimise infection risk.

[0038] The bottom part 20 of the gown covers the patient's legs from the waist downwards, extending over a majority of the legs. In the example of FIG. 1 the bottom part 20 is in the form of trousers 20, which provide greater comfort and range of movement than traditional gowns. This supports movement during recovery rather than prolonged periods in bed, as is increasingly being encouraged for patients recovering from procedures. The trousers 20 are preferably adjustable at the waistband 21, for example by means of a drawstring 22 so as to be easily adjustable, even for patients with limited dexterity such as those suffering from arthritis. The trousers extend preferably below the knee and may comprise a slit 36 at the opening to facilitate examination of the legs as shown in FIG. 2.

[0039] The bottom part 20 of the gown also preferably comprises one or more slits to facilitate medical examination of the lower half of the body. In particular, the bottom part 20 preferably comprises a hip examination slit 34 positioned on each side over the upper part of the leg. The hip examination slit 34 preferably extends vertically down the leg from a position near the waistband 21 downwards long the side of the leg towards the knee. The hip examination slit 34 is preferably over 15 cm, more preferably over 20 cm to provide the required access to a clinician to examine the hip and to administer joint injection of the hip and trochanteric bursa. In this example the hip examination slit is 22 cm in length.

[0040] The bottom part 20, i.e. the trousers in the example of the figures, preferably further includes an inner thigh slit 35 providing access to examine the groin, for example for analysis of lymph nodes, inguinal examination and testicular examination. An inner thigh slit 35 may be provided on one or both legs, with each running vertically down the inner side of the leg from the groin, towards the knee. The inner thigh slits are preferably at least 10 cm in length and less than 20 cm in length, in this case having a length of 14 cm. Genital examination is clearly particularly prone to causing anxiety and discomfort in patients and the provision of the inner thigh slits to facilitate examination without requiring removal of the gown and unnecessary exposure is a particular advantage.

[0041] The trousers 20 preferably extend to just below the knee to facilitate examination of the lower limb joints. The opening of each leg is preferably provided with a slit 36 extending up the leg from the leg opening to the knee to provide access to the knee for examination, as shown in FIG. 2. The slit preferably extends over a length of greater than 10 cm, preferably 10-20 cm, in this case 16.5 cm. As with the sleeves, the leg openings are preferably loosely cut to allow the legs to be lifted up for examination. For example the openings may have a circumference of at least 30 cm, preferably at least 60 cm.

[0042] Each of the slits 30 provided in the gown may be simply be open as, if appropriately sized and positioned as described above, they will not expose the patient's body unless opened. However, in some examples of the invention the slits may comprises closures to ensure they remain closed until access for examination is required. In particular, the slits may be closed by snap fastenings, hook and loop or VELCROfastenings, buttons or tie strings.

[0043] The gown is preferably made from an antibacterial material, for example Lyocell fibre, such as TENCELwhich is cost effective but maintains patient comfort and provides antibacterial properties suitable for use in hospital.

[0044] The patient gown 1 according to the present invention therefore provides increased patient comfort by facilitating medical examination without requiring removal of the gown.