"Composite material for medical, cosmetic and sports purposes and methods for the preparation thereof"

This invention relates to a composite material for medical, cosmetic and sports purposes.

In the medical sector there is a need, in particular for applying drugs in whatever form they may be under a regularly spread pressure onto the skin, for an elastic material which does not tear and which does not push the skin locally up. A similar need is present in the sector of the beauty care and in the sports world.

In order to enable this in accordance with the invention, the composite material according to the invention consists of an elastic carrier which is coated on at least one side with silicone.

In a preferably applied embodiment, said elastic carrier is a woven fabric.

According to possible variants, said elastic carrier is a knitted fabric or a non-woven either provided with an adhesive layer or not.

The invention also relates to the methods for the preparation of the composite material according to the invention. The composite material consists in the combination of two components, i.e. an elastic carrier and a silicone layer. The notion "elastic carrier" includes as well a woven fabric as a knitted fabric, a non-woven or a thermoplastic foil. Hence, use will always be made hereinafter of the expression "elastic carrier". The expression silicone stands for medical

silicone whether mixed with herbs, vitamins, therapeutic substances or creams or not.

Since the composite material according to the invention is the result of an intimate combination of an elastic carrier and a silicone, a method has been developed which enables to join the elastic carrier and the silicone into a homogeneous entity. The elastic carrier according to the invention can be provided on one side with an adhesive.

A possible method which enables to make a composite material which meets these different requirements, consists of the following steps: a) the elastic carrier is glued or coated on a self-adhesive non- deformable foil whereby the elastic carrier maintains temporarily the fixed shape of the self-adhesive foil; b) a layer of silicone is applied on the elastic carrier which is kept tautly in this way and spread or optionally rolled to the desired thickness; c) the self-adhesive foil with the elastic carrier and the silicone spread thereon is brought under a vacuum so that a regular penetration of the silicone layer in the elastic carrier is obtained; d) after the step described under c) a composite material is produced which can be applied in the medical, paramedical and cosmetic sectors as well as in the sports world.

The steps mentioned under b, c, and d can be repeated on a woven fabric with glue whereby the composite material is applicable as silicone plaster. Another possible method consists in the following steps: a) an elastic carrier and the silicone applied thereon is rolled through a heat source such as an open oven; b) the substantially baked silicone layer is removed from the heat source and is rolled up together with a non-adhesive layer, such as a plastic foil

or butter free paper, and stored for several hours in the rolled up form until it can be seen that the silicone layer forms a smooth elastic layer which is intimately connected to the elastic carrier.

The composite material which is produced according to the methods described here shows a very high elasticity, does not tear, but this material enables especially to achieve an extremely regularly spread pressure on the skin. When the composite material can not reach the skin in the area of the nose or for another reasons, a filling material can be used in these locations which locally transfers the pressure from the composite material to the skin. Such filling materials are known and consist of thermoplastic materials which can be deformed at the required temperature and which set at room temperature.

With the composite material according to the invention pressure clothing can be made accurately to size. Medical, sports or cosmetic pressure clothing include amongst others gloves, masks, stockings, tights, knee and ankle pieces, thorax bandages and other orthopaedic accessories. Thanks to the composite material's structure, ail problems posed when making medical elastic garments can be solved. The composite material is easy to cut or stitch.

Although the material finds wide application in the medical sector, in particular in the treatment of burns and oedema injuries, it can also be used in the cosmetic world in the treatment of the skin with all kinds of beauty problems as well as in the sports world. Due to the intimate connection between the silicone and the elastic carrier, a particularly regular distribution of the pressure exerted on the skin is obtained.

It is clear that the invention is not limited to the embodiments described hereinabove and that modifications can be

applied thereto insofar they fall within the scope of the claims appended hereto.