ACCESSIBLE GARMENTS

Abstract

A single piece medical garment is provided that is entirely reversible. Single piece medial shirts and medical pants are both described. Snap strips are stitched onto garment seams to provide closure of each seam and the overall garment. Mating pin and receptacle snap strips are disposed along the garment seams with sufficient spacing to accommodate patient access by medical devices, tubes and other probes. Optional slits, pockets and snap stops may be included to improve the garment functionality and patient accessibility.

Claims

1. An easy-access pant garment comprising: a singular piece of fabric having a first side and a second side, said fabric having an outer seam and an inner seam, said outer seam affixed together by a pair of snap strips, said pair of snap strips including a pin snap strip and a receptacle snap strip, said pin snap strip disposed on one of said first and second sides, said receptacle snap strip disposed on the other of said first and second sides; and said inner seam affixed together by pair of snap strips, said pair of snap strips including a pin snap strip and a receptacle snap strip, said pin snap strip disposed on one of said first and second sides, said receptacle snap strip disposed on the other of said first and second sides.

2. The garment of claim 1 wherein said closure of said outer seam defines a pant waist.

3. The garment of claim 1 wherein said closure of said inner seam defines at least one pant leg.

4. The garment of claim 1 further comprising a draw string, said draw string threaded through said waist of said garment, said draw string causing said waist to constrict when pulled and tied at draw string ends.

5. An easy-access pant garment comprising: a singular piece of fabric having a first side and a second side, said fabric having a side seam and a crotch seam, each of said seams affixed together by pair of snap strips, one of each of said pair of snap strips being disposed on said first side of said and the other of each of said pair of snap strips being disposed on said second side of said fabric.

6. An easy-access shirt garment comprising a singular piece of fabric having a first side and a second side, said fabric having a first side seam, a second side and a shoulder seam, each of said seams affixed together by pair of snap strips, one of each of said pair of snap strips being disposed on said first side of said and the other of each of said pair of snap strips being disposed on said second side of said fabric.

7. An easy-access shirt garment comprising: a singular piece of fabric having a first side and a second side, said fabric having a first side seam, a second side seam and a shoulder seam, said first side seam affixed together by pair of snap strips, said pair of snap strips including a pin snap strip and a receptacle snap strip, said pin snap strip disposed on one of said first and second sides, said receptacle snap strip disposed on the other of said first and second sides; said second side seam affixed together by pair of snap strips, said pair of snap strips including a pin snap strip and a receptacle snap strip, said pin snap strip disposed on one of said first and second sides, said receptacle snap strip disposed on the other of said first and second sides; and said shoulder seam affixed together by pair of snap strips, said pair of snap strips including a pin snap strip and a receptacle snap strip, said pin snap strip disposed on one of said first and second sides, said receptacle snap strip disposed on the other of said first and second sides.

8. The garment of claim 7 further comprising a collar, said collar being closed upon the securing of said shoulder seam with said associated pair of snap strips.

9. The garment of claim 8 wherein said collar includes a hem.

10. The garment of claim 7 wherein said garment includes at least one pocket on said first side and at least one pocket on said second side.

11. The garment of claim 7 further comprising a slit along a centerline of said garment.

12. The garment of claim 7 wherein either of said first side or said second side comprise a front portion and a back portion, said each of snap strips being located on one of said front portion or said back portion.

13. The garment of claim 12 wherein said snap strips are all pin snap strips or receptacle snap strips.

14. The garment of 7 wherein said pins and said receptacles on said snap strip are spaced three inches apart.

15. The garment of 7 wherein at least one seam includes a snap stop, said snap stop being Velcro-based mating element.

16. The garment according to claim 1, 5, 6, or 7 wherein the garment is reversable such that said first side and said second side are mirror images of one another.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

[0011] Detailed embodiments of the present invention(s) are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention(s), which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention(s) in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. Further, the terms and phrases used herein are not intended to be limiting, but rather to provide an understandable description of the invention(s).

[0012] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute part of this specification, illustrate embodiments and/or aspects of the invention and/or disclosure, and together with the written description, these drawing serve to explain the principles of the invention. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like elements of an embodiment. The embodiments illustrated herein are presently preferred, it being understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown, in which:

[0013] FIG. 1 shows a front view of a medical shirt garment according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0014] FIG. 2 shows a back view of a medical shirt garment according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0015] FIG. 3 shows an open view of the entirety of a first side of a medical shirt garment according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0016] FIG. 4 shows another front view of a medical shirt garment according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0017] FIG. 5 shows the front view of a medical pant garment according to one embodiment of the invention;

[0018] FIG. 6 shows a front view of a medical pant garment according to one embodiment of the invention;

[0019] FIG. 7 shows another alternative front view of a medical pant garment according to one embodiment of the invention;

[0020] FIG. 8 shows a fully open view of the entirety of a first side of a medical pant garment according to one embodiment of the invention; and

[0021] FIG. 9 shows an alternative front view of a medical pant garment according to one embodiment of the invention.

[0022] To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate identical elements that are common to the figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] Referring to FIG. 1, the front view of a medical shirt garment 10 is provided. Shirt 10 has three seams 20 identified as shoulder seam 21, first side seam 31 and second side seam 41. Seams 20, when closed, define four medical shirt garment openings: neck opening 12, first arm opening 14, second arm opening 16 and torso opening 18. Seams 20 extend along the entire length of the medical shirt garment such that they enable the entire opening of the medical shirt garment between any two openings. In this manner, with all seams open, a singular piece of material is used to create the medical shirt garment.

[0024] Seams 20 are secured by snap strips disposed along the seams. Each snap strip comprises two sides: a pin snap strip side and a receptacle snap strip side. The two snap strip sides engage in the typical snapping manner of inserting the pin into the receptacle at each pin-receptacle mating point along the snap strips. In FIG. 1, along shoulder seam 21 is a pin strip 22 and a receptacle snap strip 26. Along first side seam 31 is a pin strip 32 and a receptacle snap strip 36. Along second side seam 41 is a pin strip 42 and a receptacle snap strip 46.

[0025] The snap strips are specially designed to have the pin-receptacle placement with an inter-snap spacing of about three inches. This allows for complete garment closure with visually decent presentation while leaving sufficient space between snaps to allow for the insertion of medical instrument leads, tubes, and other patient contacting medical equipment at convenient locations on the patient. Chest tubes, catheter tubes and other hospital equipment is bulky and requires a minimum opening size.

[0026] Medical shirt garment also includes a hemmed collar 28, one or more pockets 81 and slit 84. V-shaped, hemmed collar 28 is provided for patient comfort and garment durability. Slit 84 may be provided anywhere, with one optimal location being the area of the medical shirt garment directly in front of the central sternum area of the patient. One or more pocket(s) 81 are used to hold medical equipment used by the patient in the medical care thereof and in one optimal arrangement are located proximate to slit 84. Slit 84 is more than three inches long to a accommodate a central garment opening that is larger than those provided by the inter-snap gaps. Center slit 84 is specifically provided for patient access by larger, bulkier medical equipment and it too has a hem for comfort, overall durability, and ease of insertion. Further the hem of a different color makes the slit easy to locate, especially in variable lighted environments.

[0027] Referring to FIG. 2, the back view of a medical shirt garment 10 is provided. Rounded hemmed collar 29 is provided at the back of neck opening 12 for comfort and durability. The same considerations with respect to the functional aspects of the slit are present in all hems included on the garments of the present invention.

[0028] FIG. 3 shows an open view of the entirety of a first side 61 of a medical shirt garment according to one embodiment of the present invention. The second side 62 (face down side) and the first side 61 comprise the two sides 60 of the medical shirt garment. The overall medical shirt garment also consists of a front portion 64 and a back portion 66. As shown first side 61 of back portion 66 has sewn into the seams 20 only the receptacle snap sides at the respective seams. That is, shoulder seam receptacle snap strip 26, first side seam receptacle snap strip 36 and second side seam receptacle snap strip 46 are all sewn onto the respective seams on the first garment side 61 of back portion 66. The complementary pin snap strips are all sewn on the respective seams on the second garment side 62 of front portion 64. Pocket(s) 81 are provided on both of the garment at the exact same garment location. That is the pockets on the second side 62 are sewn, possibly using the same stitching, directly across the garment from the pocket(s) 81 on the first side 61. This results in a right-of slit, left-of-slit distinction as to pocket placement depending on which of the garment sides is in contact with the patient. On the medial shirt garment of FIG. 3, two external pockets are shown, resulting in two internal pockets also being available directly adjacent to the patient for any desirable use. Similarly, the single shoulder seam provides a right-shoulder, left-shoulder distinction depending on the patient-facing garment side. These right-left distinctions are useful for patients that require medical access at the shoulder on one particular side or another.

[0029] FIG. 4 shows another front view of a medical shirt garment displaying the snap strip pairs disposed on opposite garment sides so that an overlap of garment seam sides is all that is required to match mating seam strip pairs without inverting any seams or garment faces.

[0030] Referring to FIG. 5, the front view of a medical pant garment 110 is provided. Pants 110 have three seams 120 identified as side seam 121, first leg seam 131 and second leg seam 141. Seams 120, when closed, define three medical pant garment openings: torso opening 112, first leg opening 114, second leg opening 116. Seams 120 extend along the entire length of the medical pants garment such that they enable the entire opening of the medical pants garment between any two openings. In this manner, with all seams open, a singular piece of material is used to create the medical pants garment.

[0031] As with the medical shirt garment, seams 120 are secured by snap strips disposed along the seams. As shown in FIG. 6, each snap strip comprises two sides: a pin snap strip side and a receptacle snap strip side. The two snap strip sides engage in the typical snapping manner of inserting the pin into the receptacle at each pin-receptacle mating point along the snap strips. In FIG. 6, along side seam 121 is a pin strip 122 and a receptacle snap strip 126. Along first leg seam 131 is a pin snap strip 132 and a receptacle snap strip 136. Along second leg seam 141 is a pin snap strip 142 and a receptacle snap strip 146.

[0032] It should be noted that the two legs of the medical pant garment of the present invention may consist of two separate leg seams or one continuous seam. In the single seam embodiment, that seam spans the inner leg portions such that the seam Vs at the crotch pant portion to accommodate the second leg. This is the arrangement shown in FIG. 6. There a singular pin snap strip 132/142 is sewn, linearly, into the pant fabric at one seam side for both legs, and a singular receptacle snap strip 136/146 is sewn, linearly, into the other side of the pants at a second linear seam side; each snap strip portion accommodating closure for both leg openings.

[0033] As with the medial shirt garment, the snap strips are specially designed to have the pin-receptacle placement with an inter-snap spacing of about three inches. This allows for complete garment closure with visually decent presentation while leaving sufficient space between snaps to allow for the insertion of medical instrument leads, tubes, and other patient contacting medical equipment at convenient locations on the patient.

[0034] Medical pant garment 110 also includes a draw string 184 that is fed through hemmed loop 186 formed by sewing at least a portion of the pant garment edge at torso opening 12 back upon itself. One or more pockets 181 and slit 184 may also be included in the medical pants garment. Although not shown in FIGS. 5-9, slit 184 may be provided anywhere. Pocket(s) 81 are used to hold medical equipment used by the patient in the medical care thereof.

[0035] FIG. 7 shows an alternative view of the medical pants garment showing side seam 121 full open in that snap strips 122 and 126 are fully disengaged. Further, snap strip 132 is shown in the V-configuration and ready for closure.

[0036] FIG. 8 shows an open view of the entirety of a first garment side 161 of a medical pant garment according to one embodiment of the present invention. The second side 162 (face down side) and the first side 161 comprise the two sides 160 of the medical pant garment. The overall medical shirt garment also consists of a front portion 164 and a back portion 166. As shown first side 161 of back portion 166 has sewn into the seams 120 only the pin snap strips 122, 132 and 142 at the respective seams. That is, side seam pin snap strip 122, first leg seam pin snap strip 132 and second leg seam pin snap strip 142 are all sewn onto the respective seams on the first garment side 161 of front portion 164. The complementary receptacle snap strips are all sewn on the respective seams on the second garment side 162 of back portion 164. Pocket(s) 181 are provided on both of the garment at the exact same garment location. That is the pockets on the second side 162 are sewn, possibly using the same stitching, directly across the garment from the pocket(s) 181 on the first side 161. This results in a right side seam, left-side seam distinction depending on which garment side is in contact with the patient. On the medial pant garment of FIG. 8, one external pocket is shown, resulting in one internal pockets also being available directly adjacent to the patient for any desirable use. Again, these right-left distinctions are useful for patients that require medical access at the hip on one particular side or another.

[0037] FIG. 9 shows another front view of a medical pant garment displaying the snap strip pairs disposed on opposite garment sides so that an overlap of garment seam sides is all that is required to match mating seam strip pairs without inverting any seams or garment faces.

[0038] Finally, snaps are easily undone when patients are constantly tossing and turning. The constant rotational motion may cause the end snaps to come undone, which over an evening sleep, may result in significant disengagement of the snap strips. To prevent this, snap stops may be included at any of the ends of snap strips. Velcro, j-hooks, buttons, etc. would all serve as snap stops with the appreciation that they may make complicate the dressing and undressing of a patient.

Supplemental Description

[0039] Medical shirt garments may close on one side or on both sides by the use of snaps spaced to allow for tubes, drains and catheters to pass through an opening while remaining attached on one end to the patient and the other to their collection devises, bags, bulbs, or pumps. The tops have pockets placed as described above to permit placement of smaller collection devices, pumps/monitors, or to permit items to be hung or clipped without hanging or clipping directly to the top edge hems. Medical shirt garments also have a center slit in chest area, along the sternum through which leads, tubes, drains or catheters can pass. The pockets are large enough to hold mobile heart monitors and infusion pumps. Minimal to no sleeves are provided to ensure no binding at casts or braces and to permit the extremities to be in full view. It is very important for providers to be able to view as much of the extremities as possible during post-operative medical care. Also, the design permits quick access to the patient's torso in the event of any care issues that require expeditious medical attention. In the extreme, the two-section, fully separable version can be fully disassociated and removed to permit full exposure of one torso side of the patient while the reversible version need only be slid out once fully opened on one side.

[0040] Medical pant garments have the same utility and are conceived as reversible. They open fully on one side from the waist to the bottom of the leg using a draw string to cinch at the waist for the proper fit and comfort, which may change as patient swelling changes. Like the tops, the snaps along the sides and the inseam permit the pass through of the tubes, drains and catheters. Like with the tops, a pocket is provided for holding or clipping the devices, monitors or pumps. The bottoms are made as shorts to ensure no binding at casts or braces and to permit the extremities to be easily perceived. Like the tops, the design permits quick opening so that a patient's full area of garment coverage leg can be exposed in event of sudden care issues. Unlike the top, there is no slit in the shorts.

[0041] In one preferred aspect, the pockets of the present invention, particularly on the medical shirt garment, are wide (six or more inches), deep (seven or more inches) and include one or more pleats so as to provide additional pocket volume to accommodate bulkier medical equipment.

[0042] In one preferred aspect, a customized snap tape is used as the snap strip with interstitial snaps removed to accomplish the desired three inch spacing. Further, different or dynamic color snap tape may be used for ease of identification and undressing progress in emergency situations. Finally, in the final designs, the snaps are most likely going to be metal since plastic snaps do not have the longevity require for hospital laundry.

[0043] In other preferred aspects, the pant and shirt material is 100% cotton for ease of prototype manufacture and wearability comfort. However, in the commercial settings, 65%/35% or 55%/45% polyester/cotton blend materials are likely to be specified according to various institutional laundry requirements.

[0044] In other embodiments of the present invention, snaps, drawstring closures and reversable garment portions may be included anywhere, in any combination on the above-disclosed garments. Socks, head wraps/hats etc. are also contemplated as being configurable and falling within the ambit of this invention disclosure.

[0045] The terms a or an, as used herein, are defined as one or more than one. The term another, as used herein, is defined as at least a second or more.

[0046] The terms including and/or having, as used herein, are defined as comprising (i.e., open transition).

[0047] The term coupled or operatively coupled, as used herein, is defined as connected, although not necessarily directly and mechanically.

[0048] While the invention has been disclosed in connection with the preferred embodiments shown and described in detail, various modifications and improvements thereon will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the spirit and scope of the present invention is not to be limited by the foregoing examples, but is to be understood in the broadest sense allowable by law.

[0049] Although various embodiments, which incorporate the teachings of the present invention have been shown and described in detail herein, those skilled in the art can readily devise many other varied embodiments that still incorporate these teachings.