JP4431706B2 - Medical support material - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a medical support material applied to a part of the body in the medical field and the sports field, and used for a product for fixing or supporting an affected part for the purpose of treatment or protection. More specifically, the present invention relates to a medical support material used for products that treat and prevent fractures, sprains, bruises, etc., especially in the neck and limbs, and in products that protect the body from falls, impacts, etc. in sports. .

  Conventionally, in the treatment of fixing and supporting an affected part such as a fracture, a roll-like or sheet-like support material in which a water curable resin or a heat-softening resin is applied to a fiber cloth is used (for example, Patent Documents). 1 and 2). This support material is applied to the affected area and utilizes the hardening or softening reaction of the resin. However, when used, the support material can be rolled up to several layers to accommodate the size of the affected area. The size is adjusted by bending the portions to bond the support materials together or by cutting them appropriately. However, these size adjustments require a certain level of skill and dexterity, and once attached, it is difficult to remove, so appropriate treatment is delayed for urgent patients. There are drawbacks. Also, in the case of a support material using a water curable resin, once it is immersed in water, the curing reaction is completed within a limited time, so the excess support material may be wasted and heat softened. The shape of the support material using a heat-resistant resin can be adjusted by reapplying heat, but if the heat source cannot be prepared immediately (for example, if adjustment is necessary outdoors, or if heating is performed from water, When it is necessary to prepare), it is not easy to use. Furthermore, these water-curable resins or heat-softening resins are generally expensive, and the user may refrain from purchasing due to the price, and in terms of insurance medical care, there is a problem that leads to an increase in medical costs. .

  As a method of reducing the size adjustment at the time of application as described above, for example, in a cervical fixation device, two sheets are overlapped so as to correspond to the patient's neck height and engaged with a hook-and-loop fastener, A method of adjusting the amount of overlap according to the size is known (for example, see Patent Document 3). According to this brace, there is no need to prepare various cervical fixation braces in hospitals, and when position adjustment is required, it has the advantage that the height can be adjusted easily and repeatedly with a hook-and-loop fastener. Yes. However, in these appliances, an appropriate number of openings are normally provided in the sheet in order to impart air permeability, and these two openings are not provided with the openings of the sheets when the two sheets are stacked. There was a problem that it was blocked by the part and reduced the breathability of the brace. Further, not only in the height direction, but also in a curved part such as the neck, the overlapping of the sheets is shifted not only in the circumferential direction of the neck, but as a result, the opening may be blocked in the circumferential direction. there were. This shift is considered to be related to the fact that the curvature of the sheet on the side contacting the body and the sheet on the outside are different, and that the engaging means of the two sheets is relatively loose due to the hook-and-loop fastener. It is done.

JP 58-146351 A (2nd to 4th pages) JP-T 8-508909 Publication (Pages 11-22, Fig. 1) Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 44-12702 (pages 1 to 3, FIGS. 1 and 2)

  An object of the present invention is to provide a medical support material that maintains good air permeability, is easy to handle and can be manufactured at a low cost when adjusting the size of the medical support material in accordance with the affected part to be applied. It is to provide.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, in the present invention, a support material is configured by stacking a plurality of sheets having a plurality of openings, and the width of the support material is changed by changing the amount of sheet stacking in at least one arbitrary direction. The openings of the respective sheets are provided so that a plurality of passages penetrating the support member are formed by at least a part of the openings of the respective sheets at arbitrary overlapping positions of the sheets.

  According to the present invention, a support material is configured by stacking a plurality of sheets, and the width of the support material can be adjusted by changing the stacking amount of the sheets, so that a conventional medical support material is necessary. It can be applied to the affected area without the need for special mounting techniques and equipment, and a support material having a shape suitable for the affected area can be obtained by adjusting the size. In addition, the size adjustment can be performed with little troublesome work. It can be performed easily and many times with a simple operation, and even if the size is adjusted, a plurality of passages that penetrate the support material are always formed by the openings of the respective sheets. The wearing feeling is improved, and the support material of the present invention can be procured at low cost for both raw materials and manufacturing equipment, so that the cost required for medical treatment can be significantly reduced.

  As the sheet constituting the support material of the present invention, a single material or a suitable combination of materials such as plastic, metal, plant, fiber assembly and the like can be used. As a method of combining the materials, there are a method in which a mixture of various materials is formed into a sheet shape, or a sheet made of different materials is laminated. Of these materials, plastic materials are particularly preferred from the viewpoints of sheet formation, opening formation, ease of processing into product forms, economic efficiency, and reusability. For example, polyolefins (polyethylene, polypropylene, and modified products thereof) ), Olefin copolymers (ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, ethylene-ethyl (meth) acrylate copolymer, ethylene-methyl (meth) acrylate copolymer, ethylene- (meth) acrylic acid copolymer, etc.), Polyurethane, polyester, polyacrylic acid, polyamide, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, polystyrene, fluororesin, silicone resin and the like are used. These sheets are also used for surface treatment such as water repellent treatment, antibacterial treatment, painting treatment, pattern formation treatment by embossing, etc. to reduce surface contamination and scratches. Can be foamed. Further, in order to obtain a sufficient strength as a support material, it is necessary to select a sheet having a strength of 0.08 MPa or more, particularly preferably 0.10 MPa or more in the measurement of compressive strength described later. A compressive strength of 0.08 MPa or less is not preferable because the support material may be deformed and unable to maintain its shape due to excessive force applied from the wearer itself or from the outside during wearing. Further, the thickness of the sheet material used in the present invention is preferably from 0.5 mm to 10.0 mm, particularly preferably from 1.0 mm to 5.0 mm, when plastic is used. If the thickness is less than 0.5 mm, the above-described strength is difficult to obtain, and if it is more than 10.0 mm, the opening process becomes complicated, and the wearing feeling of the user further decreases.

  As means for providing an opening in the sheet, known techniques such as punching, injection molding, ultrasonic cutter, laser cutter and the like can be used. It is possible to form a sheet as a woven fabric or a knitted fabric using a highly rigid fiber material and simultaneously form openings in the woven fabric or the knitted fabric, but the woven fabric and the knitted fabric have a limited structural strength. Therefore, in order to exhibit sufficient strength as a support material, it is only possible to increase the weaving density or use a fiber material with higher rigidity, and such a choice is economically disadvantageous in any case. Therefore, the opening formation by the woven or knitted structure is not preferable as a means.

  The opening formed in the sheet is provided so that a plurality of passages penetrating the support member are formed by at least a part of the opening of each sheet in an arbitrary overlapping portion of the sheet when the overlapping amount of the sheet is changed. In practice, it is sufficient that the plurality of through passages are formed when the sheet stacking amount is changed in at least one arbitrary direction, preferably in two directions perpendicular to each other. In particular, if the amount of overlap can be changed in two directions that are perpendicular to each other, it is applicable to most size adjustments in the use site. The shape of the opening is not particularly limited, such as a circle, an ellipse, a polygon, or a combination thereof, but it is preferable that the openings having the same shape are regularly aligned on the same sheet.

In the method of aligning the openings, when the gap between adjacent openings is made smaller than the maximum width of the openings in the direction in which the sheet stacking amount is changed, a plurality of passages penetrating in many openings are formed. This is advantageous. In addition, in order to ensure sufficient air permeability and strength in the portion where the openings are regularly arranged in this way, and further, the opening process is not complicated, the sheet has 300 to 10,000 openings per 1 m ^2. and it is preferable that the opening ratio is 10 to 65% has a 1 m ² per 500 to 8000 pieces of the opening, and the aperture ratio is further preferably 15 to 55%. Here, the aperture ratio is a percentage of the total area of the openings per unit area of the sheet.

  If the number of openings is 300 or less, it is necessary to increase the area per opening in order to form a plurality of passages that penetrate the support material while ensuring the opening ratio of 10 to 65%. There is a problem that foreign matter can easily enter from the opening, or the brace can be unexpectedly removed due to being caught by a protruding object. Further, if the number of openings is 10,000 or more, it is not preferable because labor and equipment required for opening processing become complicated. If the opening ratio is 10% or less, the user may feel stuffiness due to insufficient ventilation, and if the opening ratio is 65% or more, the compressive strength of the support material decreases, and the support material Is not preferable because it may be deformed and its shape may not be maintained. A particularly preferable pattern of opening formation is such that the opening shape is elongated and the sheets can be overlapped so that the openings intersect each other when the sheets are overlapped. With such a pattern, even when the sheets are shifted, there is a tendency that the change in the aperture ratio of the plurality of through passages is small. Here, the opening ratio of the passages penetrating is the sum of the areas of the plurality of passages penetrating the support member when the width of the support member is adjusted by changing the sheet stacking amount in at least one arbitrary direction. The ratio of the portion where the openings are overlapped to the sum of the opening areas of one sheet is preferably a value of at least 10%. When the amount of sheet overlap is changed, when the openings provided in each of the sheets are completely coincident and overlap, the opening ratio of the passages through them is 100%, and when there are no overlapping openings, the opening ratio However, if the opening ratio is less than 10%, the air permeability is not sufficient and the wearing feeling of the user is deteriorated.

  Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to examples shown in the drawings. In the reference numerals in the drawings, the same reference numerals are used for the same parts.

  FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a cervical brace according to the present invention, in which a is a plan view, b is a plan view in which a is separated into two sheets, and c is a perspective view in a state in which the cervical brace is mounted. It is. Reference numeral 1 denotes a cervical brace comprising an inner sheet 2 and an outer sheet 3, and both sheets 2, 3 are first provided at locations facing each other, that is, outside the inner sheet 2 and inside the outer sheet 3. The engaging means 4 and 5 can be overlapped and engaged with each other in a variable manner, and provided with cushioning materials 6 and 7 along the lower edge of the inner sheet 2 and the upper edge of the outer sheet 3, respectively. 3 can be wound around the affected part, that is, the neck by second engaging means 8 and 9 provided on the back surface of the one end portion and the surface of the other end portion of the outer sheet 3, respectively. Each of the sheets 2 and 3 is provided with a plurality of openings 10, and in this embodiment, the opening shape of the inner surface sheet 2 and the outer surface sheet 3 are formed when the opening shape is elongated and the sheets are overlapped with each other. The sheets are overlapped so that the openings 10 intersect each other. Such an opening formation pattern can stably secure a plurality of passages penetrating even when the sheets are shifted in order to adjust the height, so that good ventilation of the cervical brace is maintained. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, a soft polyethylene sheet having an embossed surface is used for the inner surface sheet 2 and the outer surface sheet 3, bias tapes 11 and 12 are attached to the edges of both sheets, and an opening 10 is formed by punching with a mold. Is provided. The first engaging means 4, 5 and the second engaging means 8, 9 use a hook-and-loop fastener as the engaging means. Further, the cushioning materials 6 and 7 are formed in a substantially circular cross section in which a foam is covered with synthetic leather.

  Next, a method for mounting the neck brace shown in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. First, the inner sheet 2 and the outer sheet 3 are overlapped while adjusting the engagement position between the first engagement means 4 and 5 so that the neck brace fits the height of the neck of the wearer. Thereafter, the second engaging means 8 and 9 are engaged with each other so as to wind the overlapped sheets 2 and 3 around the neck, and are fixed to the neck.

  FIG. 2 is another embodiment of the present invention, which is a splint used for fixing or supporting fractures or sprains of limbs, a is a plan view thereof, b is a plan view of a state where a is separated into two sheets, c is a perspective view of a state in which the splint is mounted on the upper limb, and the same reference numerals are given to the same parts as in FIG. In the embodiment of the splint 20 of FIG. 2, the shape of the inner surface sheet 2 and the outer surface sheet 3 and the second engagement means are not provided, but another engagement means is provided instead of the embodiment of FIG. The difference is that the bias tape and the buffer material are not provided at the edge. As the other engagement means, belts 21 and 22 provided at a plurality of locations (three locations in the example in the figure) on one edge of each of the sheets 2 and 3 are used. That is, a hook-and-loop fastener 23 is attached to the tip of one belt 21 provided on the seat 2 over a relatively long range on the outer surface, and a foot 24 (for example, a rectangular shape) is attached to the tip of the other belt 22 provided on the seat 3. Ring) is attached. In this embodiment, the opening 10 provided in both sheets 2 and 3 is formed in an approximately elliptical shape.

  Next, a method for mounting the splint in FIG. 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. In use, the inner sheet 2 and the outer sheet 3 are overlapped while adjusting the first engaging means 4 and 5 so that the splint 20 fits the size of the affected part of the wearer (upper limb in the illustrated example). . Thereafter, the overlapped sheets 2 and 3 are applied from above the affected part to which a tube bandage or the like is attached, the tip of the belt 21 is inserted through the foot 24 and folded, and the hook and loop fastener 23 is used to engage the belt 21 Let them fix to the affected area.

  FIG. 3 shows still another embodiment of the present invention, which is a pad for protecting a body from an impact received when a sports athlete contacts between athletes or an elderly person falls, and a is a plane of the pad. Fig. B is a plan view of a state in which a is separated into two sheets, and c and d are perspective views of a state in which a pad is mounted on the lower limb. In the embodiment of the pad 30 of FIG. 3, the shape of the inner surface sheet 2 and the outer surface sheet 3 and the second engaging means are not provided, and further, the bias tape and the cushioning material are provided at the edge. The difference is that is not provided. That is, each of the sheets 2 and 3 is provided with engaging means 4 and 5 at a part of the periphery thereof as engaging means between both sheets, and the opening 10 is formed in an elongated groove shape extending obliquely from the upper part toward the lower part. The inner surface sheet 2 extends from the upper left to the lower right, and the outer surface sheet conversely extends from the upper right to the lower left.

  Next, a method for mounting the pad of FIG. 3 will be described using b, c, and d of FIG. In use, the inner sheet 2 and the outer sheet 3 are overlapped while adjusting the first engaging means 4, 5 so that the pad 30 fits the size of the wearing site of the wearer. After that, the overlapped sheet is inserted between the body and the body to be worn, and is fixed to the body so as to be pressed by the pressure of the body or placed in a pocket 31 formed in advance on the body. To fix to the body. As shown in FIG. 3c, the former is a method of wearing a tibial pad used in soccer or the like, and the latter is a method in which an elderly person falls as shown in FIG. 3d. This is a mounting method of a shock absorbing pad used for preventing fracture of the greater trochanter.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, an example in which two sheets are used as the sheets to be overlapped is shown. However, two or more sheets can be overlapped in accordance with the application and fixed strength. In the above-described embodiment, only the example in which the hook-and-loop fastener is used as the first engaging means is shown as the engaging means between the sheets. However, a known engaging means can be used instead. As such an engagement means, a button, a hook, a bolt and a nut, and a fitting mechanism formed by molding between opposing sheets can be used.

  Further, the compressive strength was verified for the sheet used as the support material of the present invention. The test method will be described below.

The compressive strength was tested according to “JIS K 7181 Plastic Compression Properties Test Method”. First, three test pieces having a width of 40 mm and a length of 70 mm are prepared from the support material before the opening is formed. Next, as shown in FIG. 4, an opening 41 is provided in the range of one end portion 1600 mm ² (width 40 mm, length 40 mm) of the test piece 40, and one end (width 40 mm, length 30 mm) where no opening is provided. Is fixed to the chuck 43 of the universal testing machine (Autograph AG-D, manufactured by Shimadzu Corp.) 42 with scissors. Next, a brass cylinder 44 having a diameter of 100 mm, a height of 25 mm, and a weight of 1570 g is brought into contact with the upper portion of the fixed test piece 40, and the test piece is compressed at a load cell of 5 KN and a test speed of 10 mm / min. The compressive stress (MPa) was measured, and the average of three test pieces having this value was defined as the compressive strength.

FIG. 5 shows the details of the test pieces used in the examples and the measurement results of the compressive strength thereof. In addition, the numerical aperture and the numerical aperture shown in FIG. 5 are calculated by converting the numerical aperture provided in the range of 1600 mm ² (the portion of 40 mm in width and 40 mm in length) of the one end of the test piece and the aperture ratio in that range into 1 m ^2. It is the value. In addition, as a comparison of the characteristics of the present invention, the conventional neck brace support material is Comparative Example 1 ("Polyneck Mesh" manufactured by ALCARE) and Comparative Example 2 ("PolyNeck Soft" manufactured by Alcare). And also verified.

  In the sheet of each embodiment of FIG. 5, when the sheet stacking amount is changed in at least one arbitrary direction, a plurality of passages penetrating the support material are formed by openings of the respective sheets at arbitrary stacking positions. As can be seen from the test results, both the numerical aperture and the aperture ratio are within the desired ranges, so that good air permeability can be maintained and sufficient strength as a support material can be satisfied. Although not shown in FIG. 5, the sheet of each example has an opening ratio of 10% or more of the passages through which the openings overlap each other when the sheet stacking amount is changed. Is maintained. On the other hand, in Comparative Example 1, good results were obtained in terms of air permeability, but sufficient strength as a support material was not obtained. This is because the effective area for expressing the strength of the support material is reduced by forming the numerical aperture larger than the desired range, and further, the structural strength is reduced by using the knitted fabric as the opening forming means. Conceivable. Similarly, in Comparative Example 2, sufficient strength as a support material was not obtained.

In the embodiment in which the present invention is applied to the cervical brace, a is a plan view, b is a plan view in a state where a is separated into two sheets, and c is a perspective view in a mounted state. In the different embodiments in which the present invention is applied to the splint, a is a plan view, b is a plan view in a state where a is separated into two sheets, and c is a perspective view in a state where it is attached to an upper limb. In another embodiment in which the present invention is applied to the pad, a is a plan view, b is a plan view in a state where a is separated into two sheets, and c and d are perspective views in a state where they are attached to the lower limbs. It is a perspective view which shows the test method of compressive strength. It is a graph of the measurement result of the characteristic of the test piece used for the Example of this invention, and the test piece of a comparative example.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Neck orthosis 2 Inner surface sheet 3 Outer surface sheet 4 1st engagement means 5 1st engagement means 6 Buffer material 7 Buffer material 8 2nd engagement means 9 2nd engagement means 10 Opening 11 Bias tape 20 splint 21 belt 22 belt 23 face fastener 24 foot 30 pad 31 pocket 40 test piece 41 opening 42 universal testing machine 43 chuck 44 cylinder

Claims (3)

A medical support material that is applied to a part of a human body and fixes, supports, or protects an affected part, and a support material is formed by stacking a plurality of sheets (2, 3) each having a plurality of openings (10). The width of the support material can be applied to the use site by changing the amount of overlapping of the sheet surfaces of the sheets (2, 3) by shifting the sheets (2, 3) from each other in the sheet surface direction. To be able to adjust to the size ,
Each of the sheets (2, 3) has 300 to 10,000 openings per 1 m ² and an opening ratio of 10 to 65%, and the shape of the opening (10) is an elongated shape, an oval shape, a polygonal shape, or Make up a combination of them,
When the openings (10) of the sheets (2, 3) are overlapped with each other within a range in which the width of the support material is a size applicable to the use site, the openings (10) of the sheets (2, 3) A medical support material in which a plurality of air passages penetrating the support material from one side to the other side are formed by at least a part of the air passage, and an opening ratio of the air passage is at least 10% or more . A cervical brace using at least a part of the medical support material according to claim 1 . A first engagement means provided with a vertically long plastic inner sheet (2) and an outer sheet (3) each having a plurality of openings (10), the sheets (2, 3) being provided at locations facing each other. (4, 5) can be overlapped and engaged in the longitudinal direction of the cervical vertebra and can be engaged along the lower edge of the inner sheet (2) and the upper edge of the outer sheet (3). 7), and both the sheets (2, 3) are wound and fixed to the affected area by the second engagement means (8, 9) provided on the back surface of the one end portion and the surface of the other end portion of the outer sheet (3). Possible cervical brace (1),
Each of the sheets (2, 3) has 300 to 10000 openings per 1 m ² and an opening ratio of 10 to 65%, and the openings (10) are formed in an elongated shape ,
Superposed one another and the opening (10) of the opening (10) and said outer sheet (3) of the inner sheet (2), wherein the overlapping amount of the sheets (2, 3) by changing the cervical length axis upon adjusting the cervical axial direction of the height of the neck brace (1), wherein at any overlying position of the sheets (2, 3), the opening of the sheets (2,3) (10) a plurality of vent path through the neck brace at least a part (1) from the inside of the inner sheet (2) to the outside of the outer sheet (3) is made form the aperture ratio of the vent passage A neck brace designed to be at least 10% .

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