CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to provisional patent application serial no. 63/406,496 filed September 14, 2022, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

[0002] While receiving medical treatment, patients typically wear a medical gown. Medical gowns are design to allow healthcare providers to easily access areas of the patient that require care and/or monitoring. However, typical medical gowns do not account for patient modesty. Accordingly, there is a need for medical gowns that allow healthcare providers to access the patient for care and/or monitoring while also meeting the patient’s modesty expectations.

SUMMARY

[0003] A medical gown according to an example of the present disclosure includes, among other possible things, a body portion having a front and a back, first and second sleeves extending from the body portion and each joined to the body portion at first and second armpits, respectively, a first access point extending along the front of the body portion from a neckline to a hem, and a second access point extending along the back of the body portion from the neckline to a stopping point.

[0004] A medical gown according to an example of the present disclosure includes, among other possible things, a waist portion, first and second leg portions extending from the waist portion, and an access point at the waist portion. The access point includes first and second overlapping flaps and at least one reusable closure configured to secure the first and second overlapping flaps.

[0005] A medical gown according to an example of the present disclosure includes, among other possible things, a top portion having a body portion having a front and a back, first and second sleeves extending from the body portion and each joined to the body portion at first and second armpits, respectively, a first access point extending along the front of the body portion from a neckline to a hem, and a second access point extending along the back of the body portion from the neckline to a stopping point. The medical gown also includes a bottom portion having a waist portion, first and second leg portions extending from the waist portion, and an access point at the waist portion. The access point includes first and second overlapping flaps and at least one reusable closure configured to secure the first and second overlapping flaps.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] Figure 1 schematically shows the back of an example medical gown.

[0007] Figure 2 schematically shows the front of the example medical gown in Figure 1.

[0008] Figures 3-8 schematically show another example medical gown.

[0009] Figures 9-12 schematically show another example medical gown.

[0010] Figures 13-14 schematically show another example medical gown.

[0011] Figures 15-16 schematically show another example medical gown.

[0012] Figures 17-20 show another example medical gown.

[0013] Figure 21 shows another example medical gown.

[0014] Figures 22-23 show another example medical gown.

[0015] Figures 24-29 show another example medical gown.

[0016] Figures 30-31 show another example medical gown.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] Figure 1 schematically shows the back of an example medical gown 100. Figure 2 schematically shows the front of the example medical gown 100. The medical gown 100, and the other medical gowns discussed herein, balance the need of healthcare providers to access the patient for providing medical care and/or monitoring and the modesty expectations of the patient. For instance, the patient may have certain modesty requirements for religious, cultural, personal, or privacy reasons. That is, the patient may want certain areas of his or her body, or the vast majority of his or her body, to remain covered as much as possible while the patient is receiving medical treatment.

[0018] To that end, the medical gown 100 includes one or more access points 102. The access points 102 each include a flap 104, which may include a releasable closure 106 like a hook-and-loop (e.g., Velcro ®) fastener, snap(s), zipper(s), etc. The access points 102 allow for selective exposure of an area of the patient’s body for medical care and/or monitoring by opening the flap, while other areas of the patient’s body remain covered. The location of the access points 102 can be tailored for particular medical care scenarios. For example, a medical gown 100 for labor and delivery would have access points 102 that allow healthcare providers access to the patient’s midsection. Other medical gowns 100 may be configured for abdominal access, for instance.

[0019] In the example of Figures 1-2, the medical gown 100 includes two access points 102 at the shoulders. The access points 102 each include a flap 104 with a reusable closure 106 that can be rolled or folded down towards the patient’s midsection. In some examples, the medical gown 100 also includes locks 108 which interact with the reusable closure 106 to hold the flaps 104 in an open position. In the particular example of Figures 1-2, the locks 108 are near the patient’s midsection.

[0020] The medical gown 100 in the example of Figures 1-2 also includes access points 102 at the patient’s inner leg in the bottom portion, with corresponding locks 108 at the patient’s outer leg. In this way, the medical gown 100 allows healthcare providers access to the patient’s legs while keeping the patient’s groin area covered.

[0021] The medical gown 100 may include pockets or openings for receiving sensors, other monitoring devices, and/or treatment devices. In other examples, sensors, monitoring devices, and/or treatment devices can be integrated with the medical gown 100.

[0022] The medical gown 100 may be disposable. In a particular example, the medical gown 100 is a high-quality elastic athletic-type material that wicks away sweat and other fluids from the patient’s skin and is breathable to promote patient comfort and temperature regulation. In some examples, the material is specific to the medical application in which the medical gown 100 is used. For instance, a medical gown 100 configured to use in MRI scans is free of ferromagnetic materials.

[0023] The medical gown 100 may be a dark color in order to camouflage stains and fluids, but in other examples, the medical gown 100 may be any color. Some colors, for instance, are significant in a patient’s religion. As a particular example, a patient of the Hindu faith may prefer a saffron colored gown because the color represents strength and courage in India.

[0024] The medical gown 100 may also include temperature regulation features. For instance, the medical gown may include pockets on the interior that are configured to receive ice packs to cool the patient.

[0025] In the example of Figures 1 -2, the medical gown 100 is comprised of several separate pieces, namely, an optional head piece/hood 110, a top piece 112, and a bottom piece 114 which generally correspond to a shirt component and a pants component, respectively. In general, the shirt component includes a body portion with sleeves attached to the body portion while the pants component includes leg portions extending from a waist portion. In other examples, however, the medical gown 100 may include a single integrated gown. The integrated gown may include an integrated top piece and bottom piece, like a jumpsuit, or may comprise only a longer version of a top portion as discussed herein to approximate a dress.

[0026] Multiple example medical gowns are discussed herein. It should be understood that any of the features and benefits discussed above for medical gown 100 are applicable to all of the medical gowns discussed herein.

[0027] Figures 3-8 show another example medical gown 200 which is adapted for use in labor and delivery applications but may also be used in other applications. The medical gown 200 is a one-piece integrated gown in the form of a jumpsuit. The medical gown 200 has an access point 202a along the front center of the gown 200 to the groin area, and an access point 202b/202c stemming from the access point 202a extending down each leg (best seen in Figures 6 and 7). The access points 202a/202b/202c each have a reusable closure 206 which in this example is a series of snaps. In other examples, other reusable closures such as those described above could be used. The medical gown 200 also has an access point 202d at the back of the gown 200 extending down from the neck (best seen in Figures 5 and 8). In this example, the back access point 202d includes two overlapping flaps 204 which are secured with a reusable closure 206 such as any of the example reusable closures discussed above.

[0028] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the access points 202a/202b/202c can be selectively opened to provide access to the patient’s groin and abdominal area for labor and delivery procedures such as a cesarean section. However, other areas of the patient’s body, such as the patient’s legs and chest, can remain covered.

[0029] Figures 9-12 show another example medical gown 300. In this example, the medical gown 300 includes a top piece 312 or shirt and a bottom piece 314 or pants. A hood piece 110 can also be used with the medical gown 300 as discussed above. The example medical gown 300 can be used for labor and delivery or for other applications.

[0030] In this particular example, the top piece 312 includes access points 302a/302b along each side extending from the armpit area, or area where a sleeve of the top piece 312 meets a body portion of the top piece 312 (best seen in Figures 11-12). The access points 302a/302b include reusable closures 306 which in this example are snaps but can be other reusable closures as discussed above in other examples. The bottom piece 314 includes similar access points 302c/302d along the inner side of each leg (best seen in Figure 12). Again, snaps are used as reusable closures 306 but other reusable closures could be used.

[0031] The bottom piece 314 also includes an access point 302e at the waist 315, best seen in Figure 11. In this example, the access point 302e includes flaps 304a/304b that overlap in the front of the waist 315, with reusable closures 306 in the form of ties on either side of the waist 315. In other examples other reusable closures 306 could be used. The waist 315 may be elasticized for patient comfort.

[0032] As shown in Figure 9, the top portion 312 of the gown 300 may also include an access point 302f at the patient’s chest. The access point 302f includes a flap 304 with reusable closures 306 on opposed sides of the flap 304. In this example the reusable closure is a strip such as a strip of hook-and-loop material. The opposed sides of the flap 304 track down from the patient’s shoulders towards the patient’s abdomen.

[0033] Figures 13-14 show another example medical gown 400 which is the same as the top portion 312 of the medical gown 300 except that it is longer, as a dress, such that it can be used without a bottom portion. For example, the top portion 312 of the medical gown 300 may be sized so that it ends above the knee, or approximately mid-thigh of the patient. The medical gown 400 may be sized so that it ends below the knee, or approximately mid-calf of the patient. Like reference numerals refer to the features of the medical gown 400 as the medical gown 300 except that they are preappended with a “4” instead of a “3.”

[0034] Figures 15-16 show another example medical gown 500. This medical gown 500 is adapted for use for MRI imaging as discussed above and may be free of ferromagnetic materials, though other materials and uses are contemplated as discussed above. In this example, the medical gown 500 includes a top portion 512 and a bottom portion 514, though a hood portion 110 may also be used as discussed above. The top portion 512 includes a two- way access point 502 having a vertical component 502a and a horizontal component 502b which meet near the center of the patient’s chest. The components 502a/502b each have a set of flaps 504 and reusable closures 506 which in this example is a series of snaps but in other examples other reusable closures as discussed above could be used. In Figure 15 the horizontal component 502b is open while in Figure 16 the access point 502 is closed. The components 502a/502b can be selectively opened and closed to allow access to the patient’s chest for instance to place a medical device 600. The bottom portion 514 may not include access points, in one example, but in other examples may include any of the features discussed herein.

[0035] Figure 17 shows another example medical gown 550 similar to the example medical gown 500, but further including access points 550a/550b along the inner side of each arm. The access points 550a/550b include flaps 554 and reusable closures 556 as with any of the examples discussed above.

[0036] Figures 19-21 show another example medical gown 700. This medical gown

700 is adopted for use in for vascular surgical procedures and thus has access points configured to provide access to common vascular access points such as the femoral artery in the patients’ groin as well as the patient’s heart. The example medical gown 700 includes a top portion 712 and a bottom portion 714. The top portion 712 generally has short sleeves, which allows for access to the patient’s radial artery. The top portion 712 also includes an access point 702b along the patient’s right shoulder, an access point 702a along the patient’s left shoulder, and an access point 702c extending from the neckline 701a (see Figure 21) of the top portion 712 downwards along the patient’s chest and over the patient’s heart. Figure 21 shows the access points 702a/702b/702c closed while Figure 18 shows the access points 702a/702b/702c opened. Each of the access points 702a/702b/702c have a set of flaps 704 and reusable closures 706 which in this example are a series of snaps. In other examples other reusable closures as discussed above could be used.

[0037] The bottom portion 714, best seen in Figures 19-20 has an access point 702d at the waist 715 which includes a set of overlapping flaps 704 and may optionally include one or more reusable closures (not pictured) as discussed above. As best seen in Figure 19, when the waist flaps 704 are opened, openings 703 along the patient’s thighs are revealed as defined by a center flap 705 extending from the waist 715. The openings 703 allow for access to the patient’s vasculature while the patient’s groin remains covered. The bottom portion 714 may also include access points 702e/702f along front of each leg, which can have flaps 704 and reusable closures 706 as with the other access points discussed above.

[0038] Figures 22-23 show another example medical gown 800. In this example, the medical gown includes an access point 802a along the back from the neckline 801a to the hem 801b, or in other examples, along a portion of that distance. The medical gown 800 also includes a similar access point 802b in the front from the neckline 801a to the hem 801b, or along at least a portion of that distance. The medical gown 800 also includes a set of access points 802c/802d extending from the neckline 801a to the armpit area. Each of the access points 802a/802b/802c/802d includes flaps and reusable closures as discussed above.

[0039] Figures 25-29 show another example medical gown 900 having a top portion 912 and a bottom portion 914. In this example, the top portion 912 is similar to the medical gown 800 except that it has a shorter length. For example, the top portion 912 of the medical gown 900 may be sized so that the hem 90 lb ends above the knee, or approximately mid-thigh of the patient. On the other hand, the medical gown 800 may be sized so that the hem 801b ends below the knee, or approximately mid-calf of the patient.

[0040] The bottom portion 914 is similar to the bottom portion 714 shown in

Figures 19-20, discussed above. Figures 24-25 show a front view of the bottom piece 914 while Figure 26 shows a back view. The bottom piece 914 includes an access point 902e at the waist 915. In this example, the access point 902e includes flaps 904a/904b that overlap in the front of the waist 915, with reusable closures 906 in the form of ties on either side of the waist 915. In other examples other reusable closures 906 could be used. In some examples, an optional center flap 905 extends from the crotch 913 of the bottom portion 904 to the waist 915. The flaps 904a/904b overlap over the center flap 904c when in the closed position as shown in Figure 24. When the flaps 904a/904b are opened as in the open position shown in Figure 25, the center flap 905 is exposed. The center flap 905 provides coverage of the patient’s groin while the flaps 904a/904b are in the open position but can be moved aside for medical access to the patient’ s groin if needed. The center flap 904c may include one or more reusable closures 906 to connect the center flap 904c to the flaps 904a/904b when the flaps 904a/904b are in the closed position.

[0041] The waist 915 may be elasticized for patient comfort. For instance, at least the back side of the waist 915, best seen in Figure 26, includes an elastic element 915a.

[0042] The bottom piece 914 may also include access points 902f/902g along the front of one or both legs similar to the bottom piece 714 shown in Figures 19-20 and discussed above. Each of these leg access points 902f/902g can have flaps 904 and reusable closures 906 as with the other access points discussed herein. In this particular example, the reusable closures 906 comprise a plurality of hook-and-loop (e.g., Velcro ®) fasteners spaced apart from one another and situated along the length of the access points 902f/902g. The fasteners 906 in this example are squares, but other shapes are contemplated.

[0043] As best seen in Figures 27-28, the top portion 912 includes a set of access points 902c/902d extending from the neckline 901a to the armpit area along with an access point 902b down the front of the top portion 912 like the medical gown 800 discussed above. In some examples, the top portion 912 also includes a second set of access points 902h/902i, each situated in between the access points 902c/902d and the access point 902b, respectively. This allows for customization of the amount of the patient exposed when the access points are accessed depending on the patients’ physique and the amount/type of access needed. Each of these access points 902b/902c/902d/902h/902i can have flaps 904 and reusable closures 906 as with the other access points discussed herein. In this particular example, the reusable closures 906 comprise a plurality of hook-and-loop (e.g., Velcro ®) fasteners spaced apart from one another and situated along the length of the access points 902f/902g. The fasteners 906 in this example are squares, but other shapes are contemplated. [0044] As best seen in Figure 29, the top portion 912 includes an access point 902a along the back of the patient similar to the medical gown 800 discussed above. The access point 902a may extend from the neckline 901a to the hem 901b of the top portion 912 like the access point 802a discussed above for the medical gown 800. In another example, however, as shown in Figure 29, in this example the access point 902a extends from the neckline 901a to a point 901d below a waistline of the top portion 912 but above the hem 901b. From the stopping point 901d to the hem 901b of the top potion 912, the top portion may be permanently closed such as by a sewn seam.

[0045] Figures 27-29 show an optional drawstring 975 at the waistline of the medical gown 900. The drawstring can be used to hold the flaps 904 at the access point 902a opened. The drawstring 975 may include one or more cord lock stops 976 as are well known in the art to hold the drawstring and thus the flaps 904 in a desired position.

[0046] For example, when the medical gown 900 is used in a labor and delivery setting, the access point 902a can provide access to the patient’s spine for an epidural. The access points 902c/902d/902b/902h/902i can provide access for the patient to nurse.

[0047] Figures 30-31 show another example medical gown 950 that is similar to the top portion 912 discussed above except that it has short sleeves. The medical gown 950 can be used with or without a bottom portion as can the top portion 912. Figure 40 shows an optional drawstring 975 at the waistline of the medical gown 950. The drawstring can be used to hold the flaps 954 at the access point 902a opened as best seen in Figure 31.

[0048] Though the foregoing description describes the use of the medical gowns by patients, it should be understood that the medical gowns may also be worn by healthcare providers who may benefit from certain of the features of the medical gowns, such as the temperature regulation features.

[0049] Although a combination of features is shown in the illustrated examples, not all of them need to be combined to realize the benefits of various embodiments of this disclosure. In other words, a system designed according to an embodiment of this disclosure will not necessarily include all of the features shown in any one of the Figures or all of the portions schematically shown in the Figures. Moreover, selected features of one example embodiment may be combined with selected features of other example embodiments.

[0050] The preceding description is exemplary rather than limiting in nature. Variations and modifications to the disclosed examples may become apparent to those skilled in the art that do not necessarily depart from this disclosure. The scope of legal protection given to this disclosure can only be determined by studying the following claims.