Medical compression garment with a special joint section for increased range of motion

Abstract

A medical compression garment for applying compression to a patient's body part may include a first material adapted to be wrapped around the body part, and a second material fixated on a section of the first material. The second material collapses the first material such that the first material forms wrinkles along the section.

Claims

1. A medical compression garment for applying compression to an arm of a patient comprising: at least one closing part along a longitudinal side of the medical compression garment for fixating the medical compression garment around the arm as to form a sleeve when fixated on the arm; a first material adapted to be wrapped around the whole circumference of the arm; a second material fixated on a section of the first material and over the full width of the first material, wherein the second material collapses the first material and over the full width of the first material such that the first material forms wrinkles exclusively at an elbow part of the medical compression garment, wherein the wrinkles extend over the full width of the first material, perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the medical compression garment; and wherein the second material is more elastic than the first material and the second material is configured to be positioned substantially adjacent to and in contact with the arm of the patient when the compression garment is fixated around the arm of the patient.

2. The medical compression garment according to claim 1, wherein the second material extends in the longitudinal direction such that the first material forms at least three wrinkles.

3. The medical compression garment according to claim 2, wherein the second material extends in the longitudinal direction such that the first material forms at least five wrinkles.

4. The medical compression garment according to claim 2, wherein the second material extends in the longitudinal direction such that the first material forms at least eight wrinkles.

5. The medical compression garment according to claim 2, wherein the second material extends in the longitudinal direction such that the first material forms at least ten wrinkles.

6. The medical compression garment according to claim 1, wherein a stretchability of the first material is increased by the wrinkles in a direction perpendicular to the wrinkles.

7. The medical compression garment according to claim 1, wherein the second material is attached to the first material by gluing, welding, or sewing.

8. The medical compression garment according to claim 1, wherein the first material is a textile or leather or plastic or laminated foam.

9. The medical compression garment according to claim 1, wherein the second material is a textile or foil or plastic or laminated foam.

10. The medical compression garment of claim 1, wherein a stretchability of the second material is at least twice as high as a stretchability of the first material.

11. The medical compression garment of claim 1, wherein a stretchability of the second material is at least five times as high as a stretchability of the first material.

12. The medical compression garment according to claim 1, wherein the second material is attached to the first material between adjacent wrinkles by gluing, welding, or sewing.

13. The medical compression garment according to claim 1, further comprising a first section and a second section and an elbow section comprising the elbow part, wherein the first material extends in the longitudinal direction from a first end to a second end, the first section being at the first end and the second section being at the second end and the elbow section being between the first section and the second section.

14. A method for producing a medical compression garment according to claim 1 with the following steps: fixating the first material in a fixation device in a relaxed state, arranging the second material in a stretched state onto the first material in the fixation device, attaching the first material to the second material, removing the fixation device such that the second material relaxes and the first material forms wrinkles.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The above and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by describing in detail preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1 illustrates an example embodiment of the disclosed medical compression garment applied at an arm;

(3) FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the medical compression garment in a relaxed state showing the wrinkles of the first material;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a medical compression garment in an unwrapped state; and

(5) FIGS. 4a, 4b and 4c show the method of producing the disclosed medical compression garment.

MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

(6) FIG. 1 shows a human arm 1 with an elbow. A medical compression garment 2 is applied to the arm. The medical compression garment comprises a first material 3 which extends from a first end 3a to a second end 3b. The first material 3 extends over the full length of the medical compression garment 2. A second material 4 is fixated in a middle section of the medical compression garment 2. The second material 4 is not visible in FIG. 1 since it is arranged on the inner side of the medical compression garment, i.e. it touches the surface of the arm 1. But the second material 4 collapses the first material 3 such that the first material forms wrinkles 5 along the section where the second material 4 is fixated. The wrinkles 5 are visible in FIG. 1.

(7) With other words, the wrinkles 5 are present regardless of whether the arm is straight or bent. When the arm is bent, the wrinkles 5 are already formed and defined such that no new wrinkles are formed on the inner side 7a of the elbow which would press uncomfortably hard on the elbow joint. On the outer side 7b of the elbow, the preformed wrinkles 5 are stretched, such that the medical compression garment lies comfortably on the elbow.

(8) The medical compression garment 2 is a garment which is wrapped around the arm and fixated by closing parts 6.

(9) FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of the medical compression garment 2 along its length axis. The medical compression garment 2 comprises a first material 3, which extends from the first end 3a to the second end 3b, and a second material 4 which is arranged in the middle section of the medical compression garment 2.

(10) The first material 3 and the second material 4 are attached to each other by seams 8 between every wrinkle 5. The second material 4 is more elastic than the first material 3. Since the second material 4 is seamed to the first material 3 in a stretched state, it collapses the first material 3 in a relaxed state and six wrinkles 5 are formed. The section where the second material 4 is attached to the first material 3 is called the joint part or the elbow part of the medical compression garment, since this part is intended to be placed at the human elbow.

(11) In the present embodiment, the inner side 9a of the medical compression garment, where the second material 4 is attached, is intended to touch the skin of the human. The outer side 9b lies on the opposite side of the inner side 9a. It does not touch the skin of the human body and is adapted such that the closing parts 6 can be attached to the outer side.

(12) In the present embodiment, the first material 3 is a textile, in particular a spacer fabric, and the second material 4 is also a textile, but it is more elastic than the textile of the first material 3.

(13) FIG. 3 shows the medical compression garment from a top view in an unwrapped state. The first material 3 extends over the full length L and the second material (not shown in FIG. 3) is attached to the first material 3 such that wrinkles 5 are formed over the full width W in the middle part of the medical compression garment 2. The medical compression garment 2 is wrapped around the body part and fixated by the closing parts 6.

(14) Furthermore, the second material 4 can be attached to the first material 3 such that the stretchability of the first material 3 is increased in the direction perpendicular to the wrinkles 5, i.e. perpendicular to the direction of the width W.

(15) The FIGS. 4a, 4b and 4c illustrate the method for producing the medical compression garment. The method comprises the following steps: the first material 3 is fixated in a fixation device 10 in a relaxed state (FIG. 4a); the second material 4 is arranged in a stretched state onto the first material 3 and fixated in the fixation device 10 (FIG. 4a); the first material 3 is attached to the second material 4 by sewing the first material 3 and the second material 4 together (FIG. 4b); the fixation device 10 is removed such that the second material 4 relaxes and that the first material 3 forms wrinkles 5.

(16) The present invention has so far been described for some specific embodiments shown in the figures. It must be noted that it also can be practiced differently.