Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SYSTl~M AND METlIOD lFOR BANDAGI~G A P.ATIENT
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~` BACKGROUND
There has been a substantial problem in applying large area adhesive
backed bandages to patients. Such bandages might be used for a surgical drape,
` 10 such as shown in Patent 3,236,370. There is considerable difficulty in keeping
the large area drapes from sticking to themselves or from wrinkling during the
application procedure. Often several nurses or physicians are required to apply
ii- such surgical incise drapes. The drape is called an "incise" drape when a
-3 surgical incision is made directly through the drape. Similar problems exist
15 with other relatively large area bandages for wounds or burns.
One type of adhesive backed bandage having a relatively large area
~ making it difficult to handle is a vapor permeable9 bacteria impermeable
;: transparent bandage manufactured by the British firm of Smith ~ Nephew, Ltdo
20 and marketed in the United States under the OP-SITE trademark. This
OP-SlTE bandage has had considerable problems because of its extremely
~lexible nature and tacky adhesive that tends to stick to itself and wrinkle if
not very carefully handled when applied to a patient.
- 25 SUMMARY OF THE INlTENTION
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The present invention overcomes the above problems by providing an
applicator handle that is joined to the bandage while such bandage is being
applied to the patient~ and this applicator handle is removed after the bandage
30 has been applied so the bandage can be smoothly contoured to the patient's
- anatomy. Such applicator handle can be mechanically or adhesively secured to
~t3~, the bandage.
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Broadly speak:Lng, thereEore, the present
inven-tion may be considered as providing, a system for
bandaging a patient, the system comprising a flexible,
rectangular bandage having a backing with an adhesive on
one surface for applying to a patien-t, and a removable
liner protecting the adhesive prior to use, wherein the
improvement compriseso first and second handles being
substantially less flexible than the bandage, and adapted
to be secured to the bandage such that the handles ~aintain
the bandage in a generally flat configuration and control
wrinkling during handling and application of the bandage
to the patient.
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TlIE DR~WINGS
Figure 1 is a top plan view of the flexible bandage;
~igure 2 is a top plan view of the flexible bandage with two applicator
handles of a first embodiment attached;
Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view talcen along line 3-3 of Figure 1;
Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Figure 2;
Figure 5 is a left end view of Figure 4 showing a clamp type handle in
closed condition;
Figure 6 is a view similar to :Figure 5, but showing the clamp type handle
in open eondition;
~ igure 7 is a scnematie showing of a patient with an incise drape;
Figure 8 is a top plan view of a second embodiment of a handle attached
to the flexible band≥
Figure g is an enlarged ~ectional view taken along line 9-9 of Figure 8;
Figui~e lO is a sectional ~iew of the flexible drape applied to a patient
with the ~pplicator handles being removed;
Figure 11 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the appllcator
handle showin~ a pair of the handles connected to the flexible bandage;
Figure 12 is a sectional view OI the drape being applied to a patient with
the applicator handles of Figure 11;
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Figure 13 is a top plan view of a sterile package containing the flexible
- bandage and two applicator handles; and
Figure 14 is a top plan view of a sterile package containing an applicator
handle.
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~ ~ D~TAILED Dl~SC~IPrION
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In Figures 1 and 3, a large area bandage, shown generally at 1, is
10 illustrated. This bandage includes a backing 2 that has one surface coated with
an adhesive 3. A nonadhesive strip 4 covers an outer edge portion of the
adhesive 3 to prevent such outer edge portion from sticking to a removable
liner 5, which protects the adhesive 3 until ready to use. Strip member 4 thus
provides a tab section for grasping and pulling off the liner 5. Backing 2 and
: ` 15 strip member 4 can be of a thermoplastic material, while removable liner 5 can
be of a paper material. For use as a bandage, preferably the backing 2 and
adhesive 3 are highly permeable to water vapor, but impermeable to liquid
water and baeteria passage. Thus, a patient's covered wound, or body areas
adjacent such wound~ can breathe and receive oxygen through the bandage.
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Figure 2 shows the flexible bandage with the protective liner 5 removed.
As shown in Figures 2 and 4, a rigid handle, shown generally at 7, is clamped
~' along a left edge of the flexible bandage of Figure 2. Also, a rigid handle 8 is
clamped to the right edge portion of the flexible bandage in Figure 2. This rigid
25 handle, shown in Figures 5 and 6, can include a pair of opposed jaws 9 and 10that are conneeted by a hinge portion 11. Jaws 9 and 10 can be held in clamped
position by a snap latch 12. Between jaws 9 and 10 in Figure 5 is clamped the
;! flexible bandage, shown generaUy at 1.
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It is acknowledged that hinged type rigid clamps with snap latches have
been known and used for completely different purposes. For instance, such
clamps have been used to hold upper edges of paper sheets for writing, clamp
umbilical cords while they are being cut, etc. To applicants' knowledge, such a
hinged clamp has never been used in a system which includes clamping an
adhesive backed bandage during the application of such bandage to a patient
and thereafter removal of such clamp, so as not to interfere with the flexible
functioning of the bandage.
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- One example of the large area bandage is shown in Figure 7 where an
li incise drape 15 has been secured to a patient 16. A surgical incision 17 has
- been made through both the drape and the patient. The water vapor permeable
and liquid and bacteria impermeable incise drape protects the patient from
5 contamination fldjacent the surgical wound.
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- ~ In a second embodiment of the applicator handle shown in ~igures 8 and
9, a rigid rectangular handle 19 is attached along one edge of a flexible bandage
20. A similar applicator handle 21 is attached to an opposite edge. It should be10 noted that in Figure 8 the applicator handles are along the longer edges of arectangular bandage, whereas in Figure 2 the handles are along the shorter
edges of a rectangular bandage. The applicator handles could be placed in
--~ either of these locations. In the enlarged sectional view of Figure 9, the
rectangular tubular handle 19 has an adhesive coating 23 on one surface that is
temporarily protected by a removable liner 24. In Figure 8, this liner 24 has
-- been removed and the adhesive 23 has been secured to flexible drape 20.
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When the adhesive backed flexible drape is applied to a patient, a
~~ patient's anatomy often has various curved configurations. As shown in
;= 20 Figure 10, the flexible bandage with a backing 25 and adhesive 26 has been
attached to a patient, shown schematically in section at 27. Strip members 28
; and 29 prevent the outermost edges of the bandage from adhering to the
patient, thus making convenient tabs for grasping when removing the bandage
from the patient. After the bandage has been applied to the patient, the
25 rectangular tubular handles 19 and 21 are peeled from the back of the flexible
bandage. This can be done by a rotating action.
Figure 11 shows still another embodiment in which the flexible bandage
31 is secured to opposed applicator handles 32 and 33, which are shown with
30 flattened lower edges secured to bandage 31 by adhesive. The applicator
handles of Figure 11 are formed of extruded tubing which can be somewhat
flexible or bendable (although stiffer than the flexible bandage). Thus, as in
Figure 12, when the flexible bandage is applied to a patient, handles 32 and 33
can temporarily conform to the patient's anatomy when sticking down the
`: ~ 35 bandage. ~landles 32 and 33 would be removed from such flexible bandage after
the application step so as not to interfere with the flexible functioning of thebandage 31.
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The flexible bandage and applicator handles can be packaged together in
~ a sterile package such as 35 in Figure 13. Here flexible bandage 36 is packaged
---. with applicator handles 37 and 38. These handles 37 and 38 can be either
~. preattached to the flexible drape 36 or merely contained in the same package
- 5 for connection to such bandage at the time of application to a patient.
; Alternatively, a sterile package 39 could contain one or more applicator
- handles, such as 40, for subsequent combining with a separate bandage.
Throughout the specification and claims the term '!bandage" has been
-` 10 used in a broad sense to include various types of dressings and drapes which are
adhesively applied to a patient.
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In the above description, specific examples have been used to describe
the invention. However, it is understood by those skilled in the art that certain
15 modifications can be made to these examples without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
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