MEDICAL KIT FOR USE IN THE TREATMENT OF BALDNESS IN ONCOLOGICAL PATIENTS

Abstract

Medical kit comprising at least two devices. the latter being at least a first device which forms a mold adapted to accurately reproduce the profile of the head portion of a patient affected by baldness, and at least a second device. the latter being a skin patch (1) to be applied on the skin portion of the patient affected by said baldness. said skin patch (1) being made of foamed polymeric material and having a hair graft of synthetic and/or natural origin. available on the market. said hair graft being detectable on the patch portion suited to fit with the skin portion to be subjected to artificial hair thickening.

Claims

1. A method for obtaining a skin patch (1), the method providing for, starting from a previously obtained mold, accurately reproducing a patient's head skin portion to be subjected to artificial hair thickening, and in sequentially carrying out the following steps: a finishing of said mold performed by an automatic or manual filing, using specific files suited to smoothen the perimeter of said mold; an annotation of the aesthetic features of the mold, which include: the definition of the area to be hair-thickened to a greater extent, the color and type of hairs, if curly, smooth or wavy, the hair length, hair distribution, hair growth vortex direction; grizzling; attaining an avatar of the patient's head and superimposing said mold on said avatar; foaming a polymeric material on a concave surface of said mold; said foaming allowing to reproduce also said area to be hair-thickened to a greater extent; covering said foamed polymeric material, as prepared in the preceding step, with a very thin polyurethane film for medical use; automated or manual graft/transplantation of available synthetic and/or natural non-treated hairs; removing said skin patch (1), as obtained in the preceding step, from said avatar of the patient's head.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said foamed polymeric material is expanded polyurethane.

3. A medical kit comprising at least two devices, the devices consisting of at least a first device, which forms a mold that accurately reproduces the profile of a patient's head portion to be subjected to artificial hair thickening, and at least a second device, the latter being a skin patch (1) attachable to a patient's skin portion which manifests baldness; wherein, said skin patch (1) is made of foamed polymeric material and presents a graft/transplant of synthetic and/or natural origin hairs, available on the market, said hair graft being located on the patch portion suited to fit on the skin portion to be subjected to artificial hair thickening.

4. A medical kit according to claim 3, wherein the skin patch (1) is made of expanded polyurethane.

5. A medical kit according to claim 3, wherein the mold comprises a plurality of bandages made of resin, overlapped on each other.

6. A medical kit according to claim 3, wherein the hair graft or transplant present on said skin patch (1) includes commercially available European hairs.

7. A medical kit according to claim 3, comprising dermatologically-tested adhesives suited for the application of said skin patch (1).

8. A medical kit according to claim 3, wherein the mold also indicates the hair whorl, the front centerline and graft/transplant direction of the hairs.

9. A medical kit according to claim 3, for use in a baldness treatment method of oncological patients subjected to chemotherapeutic treatments.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0020] The present invention will be described in detail hereinbelow, also with reference to the enclosed figure in which:

[0021] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the skin patch 1 of the medical kit according to the present invention. More in detail the figure in question shows a plan view of the head of a subject, on which said skin patch 1 is applied in a predetermined area, said skin patch 1 having the hair graft/transplantation (not shown in the figure in question). The application of said skin patch 1 is typically, but not exclusively, performed in subjects with areas of the head affected by baldness due to chemotherapeutic treatments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] The present description refers to a particular medical kit and in particular to a kit for use in the therapeutic treatment of oncological patients subjected to chemotherapeutic treatments that induce hair loss.

[0023] Still more in detail, the present invention regards a medical kit comprising at least two devices and in particular at least a first device which forms a mold and at least a second device which forms a skin patch 1.

[0024] The present invention also refers to the method for making said medical kit and especially for obtaining one of its components, i.e. the skin patch 1, comprising a plurality of steps which follow a study step, excluded from said method, which provides for the intervention on the patient, such intervention in any case being non-invasive as specified above.

[0025] More in detail and as mentioned above, the method according to the present invention follows an analytical step for studying the skin of the patient's head which manifests baldness induced by the chemotherapy so as to attain a mold that will act as a guide model for the attainment of the final skin patch.

[0026] Said method therefore sequentially provides for the actuation of the following steps, which provide for (starting from the attainment of a mold previously obtained from a visual and automated scanning of the skin of the head of the patient and from the manual or automated superimposition of bandages made of resin, wherein said mold accurately represents the profile of the skin portion of the head of the patient to be subjected to artificial hair thickening, including all the possible curves or troughs or generally also slight irregularities for each subject): [0027] the finishing of said mold by means of automatic or manual filing with suitable files suited to smoothen the perimeter of said mold; [0028] annotation of the aesthetic features of the mold which include: the definition of the area to be hair-thickened to a greater extent, color and type of hairs if curly, smooth or wavy, hair length, hair distribution, hair growth vortex direction; grizzling; [0029] attainment of an avatar of the patient's head and superimposing said mold on said avatar; [0030] foaming of a polymeric material on the concave surface of said mold, said material being expanded polyurethane, as a non-limiting example; said foaming allowing the reproduction also of the area to be hair-thickened to a greater extent; [0031] covering of the foamed polyurethane as prepared at the preceding step, with a very thin polyurethane film for medical use; [0032] automated or manual graft/transplantation of available synthetic and/or natural non-treated hairs; [0033] the removal of the skin patch obtained from the preceding step from said avatar of the patient's head.

[0034] This final structure, i.e. the skin patch thus obtained, represents a kind of synthetic scalp of the patient himself/herself. Said skin patch is thus highly customized and specific for a given patient and is ready to be applied on the skin of the head portion of the subject which manifests baldness. The adaptation occurs by means of the use of known adhesives, dermatologically tested, by way of a non-limiting example said adhesives are analogous to those present in the transdermal medical bandages.

[0035] Several embodiments according to the present invention provide that said adhesives are comprised in said kit.

[0036] It is also of interest to indicate that the skin patch of the kit according to the present invention has a hair graft which can be subjected to the same aesthetic treatments to which natural hairs can be subjected, i.e. dyes or hairstyles. For such purpose, further embodiments according to the present invention provide for the inclusion of packages of dermatologically-tested dyes for hairs meeting the needs and aesthetic tastes of the wearer patient of the skin patch.

[0037] The skin patch 1 according to the present invention in substance comprises a biocompatible polyurethane film with natural and/or synthetic hairs enclosed that meet the national and international norms for their use in the medical field.

[0038] For the purpose of a more complete and exhaustive description, it is also reported that the skin patch 1 according to the present invention requires monthly periodic maintenance, which provides that said device is removed from the patient, hygienized, regenerated or reapplied. The specialized operator will carry out said maintenance service within dedicated structures. Generally, the service is to be supplied preferably at least monthly but one must always take the needs of the patient under consideration.

[0039] Once the actual widespread and regular growth of the patient hairs has been verified, the skin patch is no longer necessary and therefore can be removed, thus allowing the patient to restart his/her normal life.