GB2577047A

GB2577047A - Post-operative underwear garment

Info

Publication number: GB2577047A
Application number: GB1814722.3A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Singh Parminder
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2018-09-11
Filing date: 2018-09-11
Publication date: 2020-03-18
Anticipated expiration: 2038-09-11
Also published as: GB201814722D0; GB2577047B

Abstract

A post-operative underwear garment 10 for accommodating restrictive mobility and alleviating irritation at a wound site (dotted line) comprises a pliantly-flexible body 16 having a posterior portion 38a, two hip regions 42, a groin portion 30a, a waistband 12 defining a lower-torso opening at or adjacent to an in-use upper end 14 of the flexible body, the garment having two leg receivers 50 at or adjacent to an in-use lower end portion 40 of the body; characterised in that the body 16 has at least one hip-access opening which extends from the leg receiver to or adjacent to the waistband 12, and a closure 44 for releasably closing the opening. The groin and posterior may be of similar dimensions such that the underpants are reversible, both front-back and by turning inside-out, in order to change where the opening(s) are located. The closure may comprise a closure to adjust the location of the closure relative to the surgery site via ruching or gathering the garment. The pants may comprise compartment pockets (160, figure 4) for heat or cool packs etc. Also claimed is a set of said garments and a method of use.

Description

(54) Title of the Invention: Post-operative underwear garment Abstract Title: Post-Operative Underwear Garment (57) A post-operative underwear garment 10 for accommodating restrictive mobility and alleviating irritation at a wound site (dotted line) comprises a pliantlyflexible body 16 having a posterior portion 38a, two hip regions 42, a groin portion 30a, a waistband 12 defining a lower-torso opening at or adjacent to an in-use upper end 14 of the flexible body, the garment having two leg receivers 50 at or adjacent to an in-use lower end portion 40 of the body; characterised in that the body 16 has at least one hip-access opening which extends from the leg receiver to or adjacent to the waistband 12, and a closure 44 for releasably closing the opening. The groin and posterior may be of similar dimensions such that the underpants are reversible, both front-back and by turning inside-out, in order to change where the opening(s) are located. The closure may comprise a closure to adjust the location of the closure relative to the surgery site via ruching or gathering the garment. The pants may comprise compartment pockets (160, figure 4) for heat or cool packs etc. Also claimed is a set of said garments and a method of use.

Figure la

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Figure lb

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3/4

Figure 3

Figure 4

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Figure 5

110

112 114

Post-Operative Underwear Garment

This invention relates to clothing, specifically to a post-operative underwear garment and a method for accommodating restrictive mobility as well as alleviating irritation at a wound site by means of a post-operative underwear garment.

Following a surgical operation, such as hip replacement or hip arthroscopy, a patient will typically undergo a post-operation period during which pain makes simple acts of daily living difficult. In particular, putting on underwear typically requires an amount of bending from the patient in order to insert legs through the leg holes and pull the underwear up to their waist. This degree of hip flexion can be painful to the patient. Additionally, flexing at the hip increases the risk of hip dislocation following a hip replacement, particularly in the first six weeks following surgery. Furthermore, flexing at the hip can put strain on the wound from the operation, potentially resulting in wound complications such as re-opening of the wound and/or infections. Recovery may also be hampered by seams or fastening means of clothes chafing at or in close proximity to the wound or incision site or sites, causing irritation.

Following a surgical operation such as a hip operation, hysterectomy or a C-section, many patients need to enlist the aid of another person such as a nurse, carer or spouse to put on underwear. Nursing staff typically have many patients to look after, thus reducing the time they must spend dressing patients would enable them to tend to higher priority tasks. Additionally, in order to relieve themselves or for a nurse to inspect a surgical wound, patients must partially undress, requiring a substantial amount of movement and therefore discomfort. Requiring help with basic, intimate actions may, in some cases, result in embarrassment and/or loss of confidence.

Scarring may be reduced by the application of pressure on the wound whilst pain and inflammation may be reduced by applying a heat or a cold pack. However, in all these cases, there is no easy and convenient way of consistently applying pressure, a heat pack or a cold pack to a specific location. Additionally, the wound may not necessarily be in the same position on every patient and depends on the actual surgery performed. For instance, hip replacements result in scars which may be at the front from an anterior approach; lateral or at the side from the Hardinge approach; or at the back from a posterior approach. Hip arthroscopy results in multiple small keyhole incisions located in a cluster over the side and to some degree, at the front.

Existing devices seek to address the problem of enabling a patient to dress and undress themselves, without involving any or with more limited bending and articulation. However, these devices cannot be adjusted.

The present invention seeks to provide a solution to these problems.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a post-operative underwear garment for accommodating restrictive mobility and alleviating irritation at a wound site, the post-operative underwear garment comprising a pliantly-flexible body having a posterior portion, two hip regions, and a groin portion for receiving a user’s posterior, hips and groin respectively, a waistband defining a lower-torso opening at or adjacent to an in-use superior end portion of the pliantly-flexible body, the pliantly-flexible body having two leg receivers at or adjacent to an in-use inferior end portion therein, wherein the pliantly-flexible body has at least one hip-access opening which extends from at least one said leg receiver to or adjacent to the waistband, and a closure element for releasably closing the hip-access opening. The underwear garment therefore advantageously provides a means for patients to dress without needing to flex the hip and/or knees to put the underwear on. The patient does also not necessarily require help from a carer, and medical staff are able to quickly, easily and painlessly check a wound, whilst preserving the dignity of the patient and freeing up valuable medical staff time.

Optionally, the or each hip-access opening may be at an in-use lateral side of the pliantlyflexible body for positioning the closure element relative to a wound site at the user’s hip. Alternatively or additionally, the or each hip-access opening may be anteriorly or posteriorly offset from an in-use lateral side of the pliantly-flexible body for positioning the closure element relative to a wound site at the user’s hip. Beneficially, the groin portion and the posterior portion may have similar or the same dimensions such that the post-operative underwear garment may be back-to-front reversibly wearable and/or inside-out reversibly wearable to permit alteration of an in-use position of the closure element. Furthermore, the post-operative underwear garment may include a closure element adjuster for selectively gathering the pliantly-flexible body to adjust a position of the closure element anteriorly or posteriorly relative to an in-use lateral side of the pliantly-flexible body so that the hip-access opening is selectively positionable away from a wound site at the user’s hip to avoid irritation or onto the wound site to apply scarreducing pressure. These features all beneficially allow the hip-access opening to be optimally placed relative to the wound, whether that is on the wound site to apply pressure or away from the wound to avoid any wound complications resulting from the close proximity of the closure element.

Preferably, the post-operative underwear garment may comprise a first layer having an in-use outer surface and an in-use inner surface and at least one of the posterior, hip and/or groin portions and/or the waistband has a second layer which is connected to the first layer to form a compartment having a compartment-opening for receiving padding, a heat pack, a cold pack or a negative wound therapy apparatus. Furthermore, the post-operative underwear garment may comprise a plurality of the said compartments, wherein at least one of the said compartments may be positioned on at least one of the inner surface and the outer surface. The insertion of a heat pack or a cold pack which can be easily held in place is thus enabled, alleviating pain and/or inflammation, and/or allowing pressure to be consistently applied. The closure-element adjuster may also adjust the position of the compartment.

Optionally, the compartment-opening of the or at least one of the said compartments may be positioned on the said outer surface. This allows medical staff to access the volume of an internal pocket, for example to insert or remove a heat pad, without needing to open the underwear garment.

Furthermore, the groin portion and the posterior portion may be separably fastenable by a further closure element. Additionally, the groin portion may be separably fastenable from at least one of the hip portions and/or the posterior portion. The underwear can thus be made of multiple interconnectable parts. This allows interchangeability of parts to achieve the best fit for a client. Additionally, the further closure element being located between the groin and the posterior portions makes it easier for patients to relieve themselves without needing to undo the entire underwear garment.

Preferably, the closure element may be a hook-and-loop fastener system, comprising a first fastening portion having a first-portion width and a second fastening portion having a second-portion width, such that the first-portion width is different to the second-portion width for providing a plurality of engagement positions of the first fastening portion and the second fastening portion for providing a post-operative underwear garment adjustable to the user’s waist without requiring the use of any elasticated elements. The advantage of this feature is that a hook-and-loop fastening system is re-usable, fast as well as easy to undo and redo. Multiple engagement positions allow for the underwear to be adapted to different waist sizes and/or to apply more pressure if required.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a set of post-operative underwear garments, the set comprising a first post-operative underwear garment, having the hip-access opening in a first position relative to the said lateral side of the pliantlyflexible body, a second post-operative underwear garment, having the hip-access opening in a second position relative to the said lateral side of the pliantly-flexible body, wherein the first position and the second position are different. This allows hospitals to have a range of underwear having differently-positioned hip-access openings.

According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of accommodating restrictive mobility and alleviating irritation at a patient’s wound site utilising a similar or the same post-operative underwear garment, the method comprising the steps of: a] selecting a post-operative underwear garment having a hip-access opening in a desired position relative to a lateral side of a pliantly-flexible body; b] opening the post-operative underwear garment into an open condition; c] the post-operative underwear garment being positioned so as to receive the posterior, hip and groin of a user; and d] fastening a closure element such that the post-operative underwear garment is in a closed condition. Beneficially, the method may comprise a further step e] subsequent to step of d], of e] adjusting a position of the closure element via selectively niching or gathering the postoperative underwear garment. A process for easily putting on underwear, and for selecting the position of the hip-access opening for providing an easy access to the wound is thus conveniently facilitated.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided a reversible post-operative underwear garment for accommodating restrictive mobility and alleviating irritation at a wound site, the reversible post-operative underwear garment comprising a pliantlyflexible body for receiving a user’s posterior, hip and groin, a waistband defining a lower torso opening at or adjacent to an in-use superior end portion of the pliantly-flexible body, and two leg receivers at or adjacent to an in-use inferior end portion of the pliantlyflexible body, wherein the pliantly-flexible body has at least one hip-access opening which extends from at least one said leg receivers to or adjacent to the waistband, and a closure element for releasably closing the hip-access opening, the hip-access opening being anteriorly or posteriorly offset from an in-use lateral side of the pliantly-flexible body to enable reversal of the pliantly-flexible body for positioning the closure element relative to a wound site at the user’s hip. The advantage of this underwear garment is that is can be worn in multiple ways, which allows the hip-access opening to be optimally placed.

According to a fifth aspect of the invention, there is provided an adjustable post-operative underwear garment for accommodating restrictive mobility and alleviating irritation at a wound site, the adjustable post-operative underwear garment comprising a pliantlyflexible body for receiving a user’s posterior, hip and groin, a waistband defining a lowertorso opening at or adjacent to an in-use superior end portion of the pliantly-flexible body, and two leg receivers at or adjacent to an in-use inferior end portion of the pliantlyflexible body, wherein the pliantly-flexible body has at least one hip-access opening which extends from at least one said leg receiver to or adjacent to the waistband, a closure element for releasably closing the hip-access opening, and a closure-element adjuster for selectively adjusting a position of the closure element anteriorly or posteriorly relative to an in-use lateral side of the pliantly-flexible body by niching or gathering the postoperative underwear garment, so that the hip-access opening is selectively positionable relative to a wound site at the user’s hip. Such an underwear garment thus conveniently has a hip-access opening position which can be fine-tuned to be optimally placed due to it having the closure-element adjuster.

According to a sixth aspect of the invention, there is provided an scar-reduction postoperative underwear garment for accommodating restrictive mobility and reducing scarring at a wound site, the scar-reduction post-operative underwear garment comprising a pliantly-flexible body for receiving a user’s posterior, hip and groin, the pliantly-flexible body including a first layer and at least one of a posterior portion, hip regions, and a groin portion having one or a plurality of second layers; a waistband defining a lower-torso opening at or adjacent to an in-use superior end portion of the pliantly-flexible body; and two leg receivers at or adjacent to an in-use inferior end portion of the pliantly-flexible body, wherein the pliantly-flexible body has at least one hip-access opening which extends from at least one said leg receiver to or adjacent to the waistband, a closure element for releasably closing the hip-access opening, and a closure-element adjuster for selectively adjusting a position of the closure element anteriorly or posteriorly relative to an in-use lateral side of the pliantly-flexible body, so that the closure element is selectively positionable to overlie and exert a positive pressure on a wound site at the user’s hip. The advantage of this underwear garment is that it provides an additional medical benefit in the form of reducing scarring by applying pressure via the hip-access opening or a compartment.

The invention will now be more particularly described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure la shows a front representation of one embodiment of a post-operative underwear garment in a closed condition in accordance with the first aspect of the invention;

Figure lb shows a lateral side representation of the post-operative underwear garment of Figure la wherein a hip-access opening is anteriorly offset from an in-use lateral side of the post-operative underwear garment;

Figure 2a shows a representation of an outer surface of the post-operative underwear garment of Figure la in an open condition;

Figure 2b shows a representation of an inner surface of the post-operative underwear garment of Figure la in the open condition;

Figure 3 shows a lateral side representation of the post-operative underwear garment of Figure la wherein the hip-access opening is posteriorly offset from the in-use lateral side of the post-operative underwear garment;

Figure 4 shows a lateral side representation of the post-operative underwear garment of Figure la wherein the hip-access opening is positioned at the in-use lateral side of the post-operative underwear garment; and

Figure 5 shows a front representation of a second embodiment of a post-operative underwear garment in a closed condition in accordance with the first aspect of the invention.

Referring firstly to Figure la, there is shown a post-operative underwear garment indicated as reference 10 or clothing comprising a waistband 12 positioned at a superior end portion 14 of an in-use pliantly-flexible body 16.

The waistband 12 is a piece of fabric which defines a lower-torso opening by encircling or substantially surrounding the waist or lower torso of a user, preferably at waist height. The waistband 12 may have elastic properties to ensure a snug or tight fit, although these elastic properties may not be essential. The waistband may be a band separate from the pliantly-flexible body and fastenable such as by sewing, although preferably, the waistband 12 is integrally formed with the pliantly-flexible body 16.

The pliantly-flexible body 16 is made of one first layer 18 of fabric, although in an alternative embodiment, there may be a plurality of first layers for providing additional tear-proof strength. The first layer 18 has an in-use outer surface 20a and an in-use inner surface 20b. The pliantly-flexible body 16 is crumpleable, foldable or deformable in multiple directions and/or adaptable to follow any body curve or contour. The fabric may be made of a synthetic or polymeric material, a natural material such as cotton, may be woven or non-woven, or any suitable combinations thereof. The first layer may be formed of a single material or may comprise multiple materials.

Preferably, the fabric material is washable such that the post-operative underwear garment 10 is re-usable. Additionally, the fabric material may be hypoallergenic, such as cotton, to further reduce potential wound complications. The pliantly-flexible body 16 may have at least one elasticated portion or be fully elasticated and/or have at least partly water-resistant, such as by having a waterproof coating, hydrophobic and/or hygrophobic properties. The pliantly-flexible body could additionally or alternatively have a hydrophilic portion, such as to absorb and retain leaks. The pliantly-flexible body 16 has a front panel 22a and a back panel 22b which are engageable together.

The underwear garment 10 is washable and re-usable in this case, but it could easily be envisaged that the underwear clothing may not be washable and therefore be single-use. This might be the case, for instance, in hospitals where string-like material is used for most of the pliantly-flexible body and thus is not washable or re-usable.

The front panel 22a has a front top edge 24, two front hip edges 26, a front outer surface 28a and a front inner surface 28b. The front panel 22a is divided into three distinct areas or regions along the front top edge 24, which are a groin portion 30a flanked by two front hip portions 30b.

Similarly to the front panel 22a, the back panel 22b has a back top edge 32, two back hip edges 34, a back outer surface 36a and a back inner surface 36b. The back panel 22b is divided into three distinct areas or regions along the back top edge 32, which are a posterior portion 38a flanked by two back hip portions 38b.

In this case, the front panel 22a has the same or a similar shape and a similar area to the back panel 22b so that that the front panel 22a and the back panel 22b are substantially symmetrical. Although not necessarily a strict requirement, this arrangement does allow the post-operative underwear garment 10 to be reversibly worn, whether inside-out and/or back-to-front. This also allows the underwear garment 10 to be unisex or worn by either male or female patients.

In an alternative arrangement, the back panel may be larger than the front panel to provide a better fitting garment for human anatomy. The underwear garment may alternatively be adapted differently to female and male morphologies.

In this case, the front top edge 24 and the back top edge 32 together form an in-use superior end portion 14 of the in-use post-operative underwear garment 10. The opposite end of the in-use post-operative underwear garment 10 constitutes an in-use inferior end portion 40.

Each front hip portion 30b overlaps with each back hip portion 38b such that together, they form each hip region 42. The intersection between each hip region 42 and the coronal plane of the user’s body constitutes a lateral side, such that there are two lateral sides. At least one, but in this case both hip regions 42 have a closure element 44 for releasably connecting each front hip portion 30b and their corresponding back hip portion 38b. Each front hip portion 30b has different dimensions to the corresponding back hip portion 38b, such as area and/or geometry. The benefit of this arrangement is that one of the back hip portions 38b with a relatively larger area compared to the corresponding front hip portion 30b may reach around the user’s lateral side further along the front outer surface 28a of the front panel 22a and the closure element 44 is offset anteriorly relative to the lateral side, as shown in Figures la and lb. Similarly, a relatively larger front hip portion 30b allows the front hip portion 30b to extend around the lateral side and extend further along the back outer surface 36a, enabling the closure element 44 to be offset posteriorly relative to the lateral side, as shown in Figure 3. Equal-sized and/or equal-shaped front hip portions 30b and back hip portions 38b allows for the closure element 44 to be at or substantially at the lateral side which may be beneficial if the wound site 46 is also approximately at the lateral side, as shown in Figure 4.

The posterior portion 38a is an area of the back panel 22b for receiving and covering a user’s rear, positioned between the back top edge 32 and the back hip portions 38b. The posterior portion 38a may be loose or freely-hanging, for instance if made of cotton or, alternatively, may be tight-fitting so that the posterior portion 38a follows the contours of the user. In this case, the posterior portion 38a transitions continuously into either back hip portion 38b which are positioned in either side as shown in Figures 2a and 2b.

The groin portion 30a or crotch region is an area for receiving and covering a user’s groin or crotch. The groin portion 30a may be substantially flat or may have an excess amount of fabric to form a pouch for providing sufficient space to accommodate an external element such as a catheter, for example. The groin portion 30a transitions continuously into the front hip portions 30b. In this case, the groin portion 30a and the posterior portion 38a are integrally formed such that the front panel 22a and the back panel 22b are formed of the same, continuous first layer 18 or continuous first layers of fabric or two first layers non-separably fastened together. In the preferred embodiment, there are at least two leg cut-outs 48 which, in-use form leg receivers 50 or leg openings.

In an alternative embodiment, the pliantly-flexible body may have no cut-outs and be substantially rectangular. In this alternative case, the pliantly-flexible body would be crumpleable such that, when in use, it may be bunched up so as to pass between the legs.

In the preferred embodiment, the cut-outs 48 form simple leg openings or receivers 50. However, it could easily be envisaged that tights could be attachable or permanently attached to the leg receivers such that the legs are received within said tights.

When the post-operative underwear garment 10 is in the open condition, each leg cut-out 48 is positioned between the front hip portion 30b and its corresponding back hip portion 38b as shown in Figures 2a and 2b. The cut-outs 48 may be cut out from either the back panel 22b or the front panel 22a, but preferably in this case, the cut-outs 48 are cut from both the back panel 22b and the front panel 22a for maintaining the symmetry. The cutouts 48 may optionally have an elasticated element, whether integrally formed or fastened such as by sewing, to provide a snug fit around a leg received within the leg receiver 50 formed by the cut-outs 48.

In an alternative embodiment, the cut-outs may be cut primarily from or only from the front panel so as to provide a better fit to human anatomy.

In this embodiment, the closure element 44 is preferably a fastening means having a first fastening portion 52a and a second fastening portion 52b. The closure element 44 is, in this case, a hook and loop fastener system, such as Velcro RTM. However, the closure element may be selected from a range of appropriate fastening systems such as buttons and holes or loops, hooks and eyes, adhesives, laces, press-studs or snap fasteners, buckles, safety pins or even other touch fasteners such as Quiet Closures, Dual Lock TM or Duotec RTM.

In this case, each first fastening portion 52a comprises at least one elongate strip of hook elements. The elongate strip has a longitudinal extent and a lateral extent or a first-portion width 54a. The first fastening portion 52a is positioned at or near a front hip edge 26 on the front outer surface 28a and extends from the waistband 12 to a cut-out 48. As there are two closure elements 44, there are two first fastening portions 52a, one near each front hip edge 26.

Similarly, each second fastening portion 52b comprises at least one elongate strip of loop elements, engageable with the hook elements of the first fastening portion. The elongate strip has a longitudinal extent and a lateral extent or a second-portion width 54b. The elongate strip is positioned at or near a hip edge on the back inner surface 36b and extends at least in part from the waistband 12 to a cut-out 48. In this embodiment, as there are two closure elements 44, there are two second fastening portions 52b, one near each back hip edge 34.

The first-portion width 54a is different to the second-portion width 54b which may allow the first and second fastening portions 52a, 52b to engage in a plurality of different positions. This is advantageous as it provides a simple means of adjusting the postoperative underwear garment 10 to the morphology of different patients without necessarily requiring any elasticated element. Continuous stretching of elasticated elements often results in the elasticated elements becoming loose and useless over time and with use. Additionally, exposing clothing having elastic elements to hot washing temperatures, such as those used to sterilise hospital garments, may degrade the elastic component of fabric. Having non-elasticated post-operative underwear can also allow a constant pressure to be applied as required, for example, to reduce scarring.

Alternatively, the widths of the first and second fastening portions may be the same, for instance due to a simpler manufacturing process. In this alternative embodiment, it would be advantageous for the width to be substantial, such as a plurality of centimetres, as this would provide the same benefits as different-sized widths.

In the preferred embodiment, each first fastening portion 52a is positioned on the front panel 22a and each second fastening portion 52b is positioned on the back panel 22b. However, it could easily be envisaged that the back panel may have at least one first fastening portion instead of or in addition to at least one of the said second fastening portions. Similarly, the front panel may have at least one second fastening portion instead of or in addition to at least one of the said first fastening portions.

Whilst each first or second fastening portion 52a, 52b is preferably formed of a single strip of hooks or loops respectively, an alternative embodiment may have at least one of the fastening portions comprising multiple strips of hook or loops as the case may be, either substantially colinearly and/or in parallel. The multiple strips may be spaced-out along a longitudinal extent of the closure element and/or the waistband. The fastening portions may also not form a straight continuous line. Instead, it could be envisaged that the fastening portions form other patterns such as a discontinuous line, a zig-zag, sinusoidal or any other type of line and/or are formed of circular, oval, square strips or strips of any other shape.

In-use, following a surgical operation, a patient or their carer would select an appropriate post-operative underwear garment 10 for the patient. The selection of the underwear garment 10 or clothing takes account of the approximate size of the patient and where the or each closure element 44 is positioned relative to a wound site 46 when the underwear garment 10 is worn by the patient. Depending on the operation, it may be desirable to have the closure element 44 at the wound site 46 to apply pressure. Alternatively, it may be more desirable to have the closure element 44 near but offset anteriorly or posteriorly relative to the wound site 46, for ease of inspection without any risk of the closure element 44 irritating the wound. The relative position of the closure element 44 is partly determined by the relative dimensions of the front and back hip portions 30b, 38b. Additionally, if the cut of the underwear garment 10 permits, the post-operative underwear garment 10 may be worn back-to-front and/or inside-out so as to better position the closure element 44 relative to the wound site 46 and/or the lateral side. The underwear garment 10 may be selected from a set of said underwear garments 10 comprising at least two underwear garments 10 having closure elements 44 located at different positions relative to the lateral side. Specifically, a first underwear garment 10 has a closure element 44 and thus a hip-access opening in a first position and the second underwear garment 10 has a closure element, and thus hip-access opening in a second position relative to the lateral side.

The selected post-operative underwear garment 10 is laid out in an open condition such as on a chair. The patient can then simply position their posterior above the posterior portion 38a of the underwear garment 10 and sit or lie down thereon. Alternatively, in order to avoid unnecessary joint flexion, the patient may remain standing, and by themselves or with help, thread the in-use inferior end portion 40 or in-use lower end of the underwear garment 10 between the patient’s legs such that the back panel 22b is ready to receive a patient’s rear in the posterior portion 38a and the groin portion 30a of the front panel 22a is ready to receive the patient’s crotch or groin.

On both sides of the body, each back hip portion 38b is brought forwards around part of the patient’s hip to overlay the corresponding front hip portion 30b or vice-versa, thus forming each hip region 42. The second fastening portion 52b of each back hip portion 38b, positioned on the back inner surface 36b, is engaged with the corresponding first fastening portion 52a, positioned on the front outer surface 28a of the front hip portion 30b, when worn in the normal orientation. The tightness of post-operative underwear garment 10 around the user’s torso can be increased by bringing the back hip portions 38b further forward and engaging the second fastening portions 52b with the first fastening portions 52a more anteriorly relative to the lateral sides and/or wound, or viceversa. In alternative embodiments where the fastening portions may be positioned differently, the front hip portion may overlay the back hip portion instead, the first and second fastening portions may be on the back and front panels respectively and/or the overlaying hip portion may reach further anteriorly or posteriorly to increase the pressure.

Fastening the or all closure elements 44 results in the underwear garment 10 being in an in-use, worn or closed condition, thus forming the waistband 12, leg receivers 50 and defining the superior end portion 14, the inferior end portion 40 and two lateral sides. In hip operations, the wound site 46 is often near or at a lateral side.

When the underwear garment 10 is in a closed state, a hip-access opening is formed by temporarily disengaging one of the first fastening portions 52a from the corresponding second fastening portion 52b and separating the corresponding back hip portion 38b from the front hip portion 30b. This hip-access opening allows medical staff to easily inspect a wound, without the patient needing to fully remove their underwear. The closure element 44 may then be easily re-closed and the process may be repeated as many times as necessary. The ease and therefore speed of dressing and checking a wound frees up valuable time, and reduces discomfort for the patient.

To remove the post-operative underwear garment 10 or clothing item, the first and second fastening portions 52a, 52b of each closure element 44 are disengaged, and the underwear garment 10 is easily removed.

Referring now to Figure 5, there is a shown a second embodiment of a post-operative underwear garment 110 comprising a waistband 112 positioned at a superior end portion 114 of an in-use pliantly-flexible body 116.

Features of the second embodiment which are the same or similar to features of the first embodiment have similar references with the prefix ‘ 1 ’ added.

The waistband 112 of the second embodiment is similar to the waistband 12 of the first embodiment, having similar elastic properties and being integrally formed with the pliantly-flexible body 116. Detailed description of the common features is omitted for brevity.

The pliantly-flexible body 116 of the second embodiment is also similar to the pliantlyflexible body 16 of the first embodiment, having similar front and back panels 122a,122b, and leg receivers 150. Detailed description of the common features is therefore again omitted for brevity.

In this embodiment and as shown in Figure 5, the pliantly-flexible body 116 and/or the waistband 112 may also include at least one aperture, hole or opening, such as an eyelet 156 for allowing tubing to pass through. Additionally or alternatively to the eyelet, the pliantly-flexible body and/or the waistband may have a tube-gripping element (not shown) for temporarily holding at least one tube, although this feature is not necessarily an essential requirement. The tube-gripping element may be a rubberised portion around the eyelet or moveable pincer-elements.

In this case, the eyelet 156 and/or the tube-gripping element provides a mechanism for holding and preventing unwanted motion of tubing, for example when connected to an in-use catheter or a negative-pressure wound therapy bandage. Such a mechanism would prevent accidental removal of the catheter or bandage via pulling the connected tubing, for example when re-arranging bed sheets. Additionally, flexible tubing coming out of the underwear garment 110 via the lower-torso opening can be constricted by the application of pressure. Having a separate aperture or eyelet 156 allows pressure to be applied to a wound whilst allowing flexible tubing to not be constricted.

The front panel 122a and back panel 122b of the second embodiment are similar to the front panel 22a and the back panel 22b of the first embodiment, having similar posterior, groin and hip portions as well as cut-outs and at least one closure element 144. Detailed description of the common features is omitted for brevity.

In this embodiment, the post-operative underwear garment 110 is formed of at least one first layer 118 of fabric and at least one of the posterior, groin, hip portions and/or the waistband 112 has at least one second layer 158 of fabric. Although said single first or second layer of fabric 118, 158 is desirable to simplify manufacturing and cost of production, it is feasible to have a plurality of first and/or second layers across all or other parts of the garment, as necessity dictates.

The said second layer 158 is fastened to the first layer 118, preferably by sewing, so as to form a compartment 160 or pocket having an internal volume and a compartment-opening 162. The or each compartment 160 may be of any size and shape, but preferably has an internal volume which is suitably large to receive padding, a heat pack such as a hot water bottle or gel pack, a cold pack or any other desired equipment, such as a morphine-drip remote control, a nurse-pager, a monitor, a patient information card or valuables. The or each second layer 158 is preferably made of the same fabric material or materials as the first layer 118.

The second layer 158 may be positioned on the outer surface 120a of the underwear garment 110, thereby forming at least one and preferably, two external compartments 160 or pockets, as shown in Figure 5. Alternatively or additionally, the second layer or layers may be on the inner face, thereby forming an internal compartment or compartments.

The internal and/or external compartment or compartments 160 may be positioned on at least one of the front panel 122a, the back panel 122b and one or both hip regions 142, so as to provide at least one compartment 160 anteriorly to, posteriorly to or substantially at the lateral sides and/or wound site.

Whilst the first layer and second layer are preferably of the same fabric material, it could be envisaged that the fabric material of the or at least one second layer may differ, for example by being thinner and/or formed of a different material, such as having heat insulating properties. If a second layer positioned on the outer surface had heat insulating properties, this alternative embodiment would allow a heat or cold pack to retain their temperature for longer.

Although there are two compartments 160 in this embodiment, it could be envisaged that there may be any number of compartments including none, one or at least three or more and a plurality of compartments may be formed by a single second layer and/or partially overlapping second layers.

In a further modification to the present embodiment, the second layer may be fully detachable and re-engageable with the first layer so that the compartment may be more accurately positioned and/or the internal volume may be customisable.

The compartment-opening 162 is preferably on the same side as the second layer 158 relative to the first layer 118. However, in a modification to the present embodiment, the first layer may have an aperture through which the internal volume of an internal compartment may be accessed. In this alternative embodiment, the compartment-opening is on the outer surface whilst the compartment is internal. This simplifies access to insert or remove a heat pad without needing to open the underwear, for example.

The closure element 144 of the second embodiment is similar to the closure element 44 of the first embodiment, having similar first and second fastening portions. Detailed description of the common features is omitted for brevity. Unlike in the previous embodiment, in this embodiment, at least one of the waistband 112 and the pliantlyflexible body 116 has a further closure element 164 and/or a closure-element adjuster 166 for adjusting the closure element 144.

The further closure element 164 is preferably positioned at or near the in-use superior end portion 144 or in-use upper end of the underwear garment 110, and in-use temporarily connects the front panel 122a and the back panel 122b. The further closure element 164 permits the front panel 122a and the back panel 122b to remain temporarily engaged whilst permitting the first fastening portions and the second fastening portions to be disengaged. The further closure element 164 also prevents or limits undesirable peeling apart of the first and second fastening portions. The further closure element 164 may be a further hook and loop fastener system, a button and hole, a hook and eyelet or any other suitable means for fastening. The further closure element 164 may differ or be the same mechanism as the closure element 144.

The closure-element adjuster 166 allows the position of the closure element 144, and thus the hip-access opening, to be adjusted anteriorly or posteriorly relative to a wound site and/or relative to at least one of the lateral sides. There may be at least one closureelement adjuster 166 per underwear garment 110, and preferably at least one associated with each closure element 144. The closure-element adjuster 166 may also be used to adjust the position of the or at least one of the compartments 160 to be the closest possible to the wound site for more effective relief and/or to apply pressure. The closure-element adjuster 166 comprises at least one elongate cord-element 168 and preferably four elongate cord-elements 168, as shown in Figure 5.

Each elongate cord-element 168 is preferably at least one of a string, cord, lace, rope or piece of fabric which preferably extends longitudinally in a substantially parallel direction to the waistband 112, as shown in Figure 5. Each elongate cord-element 168 has a first end 170a and a second end 170b, with each elongate cord-element 168 being fastened at the first end 170a, such as by sewing, at or near one of the hip edges 134 as shown in Figure 5. At least one elongate cord-element 168 is required for shifting the closure element anteriorly and at least one elongate cord-element 168 is required for shifting the closure element posteriorly relative to the wound site and/or the lateral side. Furthermore, to ensure all the closure element 144 is shifted, the underwear garment has at least two further said elongate cord-elements 168, spaced-apart along the longitudinal extent of the closure element, parallel or substantially parallel to the first and/or second said elongate cord-elements 168. The or each elongate cord-element 168 may conveniently be received in or at the waistband 112 and/or the pliantly-flexible body 116 by means of a holder.

The holder for receiving the elongate cord-element 168 may be a guide, a tube, a hem, casing, at least one loop, such as belt loops, at least one aperture, such as an eyelet or any combination thereof. Although typically fabric, other materials for the said holder may be considered, such as incorporation within or as part of a silicon gripper strip. In the case of the hem or casing, they may be formed by a further piece of fabric or, preferably, the hem is formed by a fold in the waistband 112 and/or pliantly-flexible body 116.

Although the preferred embodiment does not have one, at least one of the elongate cordelements may optionally further comprise a grabbable-end portion, such as a grip, knob or handle, at the second end. The grabbable-end portion may be at least one of a tab, button or, preferably, a cord-lock to prevent a loose end of the elongate cord-element from retreating into the holder. The cord-lock at the second end would be separated from the first end by a cord-distance and a system, such as an eyelet, preventing or limiting the cord-lock from unintentionally translating or migrating towards the first end. When the cord-distance is reduced, the hip edge, and thus closure element, is shifted anteriorly or posteriorly from the wound and/or the lateral side towards the second end.

In a further alternative embodiment, the elongate cord-element may form, in-use, a single continuous band which may function as a drawstring. This band may be tight fitting or have one of more slack portions or a loose end or ends to allow the band to be grabbable. The elongate cord-element may be separable from the underwear garment along the entire length or along a substantial longitudinal extent of the or each elongate cord-element to function as a drawstring.

In another modification to the preferred embodiment, the elongate cord-element may be at least partially elasticated. The elongate cord-element may be sewn onto the underwear garment in a plurality of locations such that the closure-element adjuster adjusts the position of the closure element by niching, shirring, gathering or pleating. Additionally or alternatively to this modified embodiment, there may be a plurality of elongate cordelements which are parallel or substantially parallel to one another and which are spacedapart along the longitudinal extent of the closure element. These spaced-apart elongate cord-elements may be elasticated, sewn onto the garment in multiple locations or held within further holders.

The uses of the second embodiment are similar to the uses of the first embodiment. Detailed description of the common features is omitted for brevity. Differences with the uses of the first embodiment are as follows.

If using the underwear garment 110 having at least one compartment 160, regards should be given to selecting an underwear garment 110 having a compartment 160 appropriately placed relative to the wound site.

When the underwear garment 110 is in an open condition, the further closure element 164 is open or disengaged. If a catheter and/or a negative-pressure wound therapy bandage having tubing is to be applied to the patient, this may be done prior to putting on the underwear garment 110. The flexible tubing is fed through the eyelet 156 or aperture. If using a heat pack or cold pack, the heat pack or cold pack may be inserted into the compartment or compartments 160 prior to or after closing the closure element 144.

The further closure element 164 is openable or closable independently of the closure element 144. Thus, the further closure element 164 may be fastened either before or after the first fastening portion and the second fastening portion of the closure element 164 are engaged. The hip-access opening may be formed by opening the closure element 144 without requiring the further closure element 164 to be opened.

The position of the closure element 144 and therefore hip-access opening or compartment 160 may be adjusted by the closure-element adjuster 166. In this case, the second end 170b of the relevant elongate cord-element 168 is pulled and if using a cord-lock, the position of the cord-lock along the elongate cord-element is correspondingly adjusted.

Although not provided in this embodiment, in an alternative embodiment, further optional features may include one or more zips such as on the front panel, or the back panel if the underwear is to be worn back-to-front, for allowing men to relieve themselves without having to open, fully or partially, the closure element or elements.

Additionally, the leg receivers may have a system similar to the closure-element adjuster for tightening the fabric around each leg, which may be useful for preventing leakages.

Whilst in this case, the underwear garment 110 is primarily aimed as post-surgery patients, it could be envisaged that this underwear garment would be appropriate for the elderly, particularly those in nursing or care homes and/or handicapped people of any age. As such, this underwear garment may be customisable and may be formed, at least in part, of other materials such as lace, chiffon, ribbon, velvet or leather.

Although in this embodiment, the front panel 122a and the back panel 122b are connected via the in-use inferior end portion 140 and both hip regions 142 have a closure element 144, in an alternative embodiment, the front panel and the back panel may be permanently connected via one lateral side such as by being sewn together or formed of a single, continuous first layer of fabric. In this alternative, only one lateral side has a closure element and thus a hip-access opening. In such a configuration, the underwear garment may have a further fastening means at the in-use inferior portion. This further fastening would be required to allow a wearer to avoid having to perform any joint flexion when putting on the underwear garment. In this alternative embodiment, there may be two or alternatively four cut-outs to form the leg receivers.

In a further alternative embodiment, the underwear garment may be made of at least two separate pieces of fabric. The front panel and the back panel may be engageable via the front groin portion and the posterior portion by having a fastening means such as attachable strings, buttons engageable with a hole or a loop, hooks and loops, or a hook and loop fastener system such as Velcro RTM. Having a fastening means in this location would be beneficial for instance, for allowing people, and women in particular, to more easily relieve themselves without having to remove the entire underwear. Alternatively, the front panel and/or the back panel may have no integrally formed hip portions such that the hip regions are separably engageable with the front panel and/or the back panel.

In a modification to the current embodiment, there may be more than two closure elements, which allows for more hip-access openings and/or flexible tubing to go through in various locations. The closure elements may extend part of or all the way from the waistband to the leg receivers.

In a further modification to the current arrangement, a smart device or an electronic device such as a heart rate monitor or a pressure measurement device, for indicating how much pressure is applied to the wound, may be provided with or may be received in or on the post-operative underwear garment.

Although the second embodiment has many additional features compared to the first embodiment, a further embodiment may have all the features of the first embodiment with only the compartment or compartments of the second embodiment.

It is thus possible to provide a post-operative underwear garment for accommodating users needing to limit or prevent joint flexion and alleviating irritation, scarring, inflammation and/or pain at or near a wound site following surgery. It is also further possible to provide a method of accommodating restrictive mobility and alleviating irritation scarring, inflammation and/or pain at or near a patient’s wound site utilising a similar or the same post-operative underwear garment. The post-operative underwear garment allows medical staff to easily inspect a wound, without the patient needing to fully remove their underwear. The closure element may then be easily re-closed and the process may be repeated as many times as necessary. The ease and therefore speed of dressing and checking a wound frees up valuable time, and reduces discomfort for the patient.

The words ‘comprises/comprising’ and the words ‘having/including’ when used herein with reference to the present invention are used to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof.

It is appreciated that certain features of the invention, which are, for clarity, described in the context of separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the invention which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any suitable sub-combination.

The embodiments described above are provided by way of examples only, and various other modifications will be apparent to persons skilled in the field without departing from the scope of the invention as defined herein.

Claims

Claims

1. A post-operative underwear garment for accommodating restrictive mobility and alleviating irritation at a wound site, the post-operative underwear garment comprising:

a pliantly-flexible body having a posterior portion, two hip regions, and a groin portion for receiving a user’s posterior, hips and groin respectively, a waistband defining a lower-torso opening at or adjacent to an in-use superior end portion of the pliantly-flexible body, the pliantly-flexible body having two leg receivers at or adjacent to an inuse inferior end portion therein, wherein the pliantly-flexible body has at least one hip-access opening which extends from at least one said leg receiver to or adjacent to the waistband, and a closure element for releasably closing the hip-access opening.
2. A post-operative underwear garment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the or each hip-access opening is at an in-use lateral side of the pliantly-flexible body for positioning the closure element relative to a wound site at the user’s hip.
3. A post-operative underwear garment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the or each hip-access opening is anteriorly or posteriorly offset from an in-use lateral side of the pliantly-flexible body for positioning the closure element relative to a wound site at the user’s hip.
4. A post-operative underwear garment as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the groin portion and the posterior portion have similar or the same dimensions to one another, such that the post-operative underwear garment is back-to-front reversibly wearable and/or inside-out reversibly wearable to permit alteration of an in-use position of the closure element.
5. A post-operative underwear garment as claimed in any of the preceding claims, further comprising a closure-element adjuster for selectively gathering the pliantly-flexible body to adjust a position of the closure element anteriorly or posteriorly relative to an in-use lateral side of the pliantly-flexible body so that the hip-access opening is selectively positionable away from a wound site at the user’s hip to avoid irritation or onto the wound site to apply scar-reducing pressure.
6. A post-operative underwear garment as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the post-operative underwear garment comprises a first layer having an in-use outer surface and an in-use inner surface and at least one of the posterior, hip and/or groin portions and/or the waistband has a second layer which is connected to the first layer to form a compartment having a compartment-opening for receiving padding, a heat pack, a cold pack or a negative wound therapy apparatus.
7. A post-operative underwear garment as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a plurality of the said compartments, wherein at least one of the said compartments is positioned on at least one of the inner surface and the outer surface.
8. A post-operative underwear garment as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7, wherein the compartment-opening of the or at least one of the said compartments is positioned on the said outer surface.
9. A post-operative underwear garment as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the groin portion and the posterior portion are separably fastenable by a further closure element.
10. A post-operative underwear garment as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the groin portion is separably fastenable from at least one of the hip portions and/or the posterior portion.
11. A post-operative underwear garment as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the closure element is a hook-and-loop fastener system, comprising a first fastening portion having a first-portion width and a second fastening portion having a second-portion width, such that the first-portion width is different to the second-portion width for providing a plurality of engagement positions of the first fastening portion and the second fastening portion for providing a post-operative underwear garment adjustable to the user’s waist without requiring the use of any elasticated elements.
12. A set of post-operative underwear garments, the set comprising a first post-operative underwear garment as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, having the hip-access opening in a first position relative to the said lateral side of the pliantly-flexible body, a second post-operative underwear garment as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, having the hip-access opening in a second position relative to the said lateral side of the pliantly-flexible body, wherein the first position and the second position are different.
13. A method of accommodating restrictive mobility and alleviating irritation at a patient’s wound site utilising a similar or the same post-operative underwear garment as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11, the method comprising the steps of:

a] selecting a post-operative underwear garment having a hip-access opening in a desired position relative to a lateral side of a pliantly-flexible body;

b] opening the post-operative underwear garment into an open condition;

c] the post-operative underwear garment being positioned so as to receive the posterior, hip and groin of a user; and

d] fastening a closure element such that the post-operative underwear garment is in a closed condition.
14. A method as claimed in claim 13, comprising a further step e] subsequent to step of d], of e] adjusting a position of the closure element via selectively niching or gathering the post-operative underwear garment.
15. A reversible post-operative underwear garment for accommodating restrictive mobility and alleviating irritation at a wound site, the reversible post-operative underwear garment comprising a pliantly-flexible body for receiving a user’s posterior, hip and groin, a waistband defining a lower torso opening at or adjacent to an in-use superior end portion of the pliantly-flexible body, and two leg receivers at or adjacent to an in-use inferior end portion of the pliantly-flexible body, wherein the pliantly-flexible body has at least one hip-access opening which extends from at least one said leg receivers to or adjacent to the waistband, and a closure element for releasably closing the hip-access opening, the hip-access opening being anteriorly or posteriorly offset from an in-use lateral side of the pliantly-flexible body to enable reversal of the pliantly-flexible body for positioning the closure element relative to a wound site at the user’s hip.
16. An adjustable post-operative underwear garment for accommodating restrictive mobility and alleviating irritation at a wound site, the adjustable post-operative underwear garment comprising a pliantly-flexible body for receiving a user’s posterior, hip and groin, a waistband defining a lower-torso opening at or adjacent to an in-use superior end portion of the pliantly-flexible body, and two leg receivers at or adjacent to an in-use inferior end portion of the pliantly-flexible body, wherein the pliantly-flexible body has at least one hip-access opening which extends from at least one said leg receiver to or adjacent to the waistband, a closure element for releasably closing the hip-access opening, and a closureelement adjuster for selectively adjusting a position of the closure element anteriorly or posteriorly relative to an in-use lateral side of the pliantly-flexible body by niching or gathering the post-operative underwear garment, so that the hip-access opening is selectively positionable relative to a wound site at the user’s hip.
17. A scar-reduction post-operative underwear garment for accommodating restrictive mobility and reducing scarring at a wound site, the scar-reduction postoperative underwear garment comprising a pliantly-flexible body for receiving a user’s posterior, hip and groin, the pliantly-flexible body including a first layer and at least one of a posterior portion, hip regions, and a groin portion having one or a plurality of second layers; a waistband defining a lower-torso opening at or adjacent to an in-use superior end portion of the pliantly-flexible body; and two leg receivers at or adjacent to an in-use inferior end portion of the pliantly-flexible 5 body, wherein the pliantly-flexible body has at least one hip-access opening which extends from at least one said leg receiver to or adjacent to the waistband, a closure element for releasably closing the hip-access opening, and a closureelement adjuster for selectively adjusting a position of the closure element anteriorly or posteriorly relative to an in-use lateral side of the pliantly-flexible 10 body, so that the closure element is selectively positionable to overlie and exert a positive pressure on a wound site at the user’s hip.

Intellectual

Property

Office

Application No: GB1814722.3 Examiner: Mr Chris Morris