MXPA00008942A - Protecting skin and other tissues from friction - Google Patents

Abstract

A tissue-protective device (16, 18, 20, 60, 66, 76, 86, 96, 110, 130) and a method for protecting tissue against abrasion by attaching a pair of mutually overlying membranous layers (26, 28, 122, 124) to an area of a tissue surface such as a person's skin with only the peripheries of the layers interconnected with each other, so that the layers can easily slip along each other. An absorbent pad (88, 98) may be placed between one of the layers and the tissue, and may be impregnated with medication to be delivered to the tissue being protected. A quantity of a lubricant can be contained between the layers. The device is thin, to avoid causing pressure when it is used in restricted spaces, as within one's shoe. The device can also be implanted internally as where tendons move along an implanted plate.

Description

"PROTECTING SKIN AND OTHER FABRICS FROM FRICTION" TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to avoiding and treating irritation resulting from friction or pressure against an area of the skin, and from friction where repair of the internal tissue has been achieved by surgery.

BACKGROUND OF THE ART It is well known that shoes, gloves and other clothing that fits poorly can rub a person's skin, and in this way cause significant irritation, pain, or blisters, or can rub and remove a portion of the surface. of the skin. This irritation by friction can be caused by strips of intimate garments, by rubbing plastered bandages on the skin that tenuously covers a joint, such as a fist of a person inside this plaster bandage, or by athletic fabric or equipment rubbing a person's skin, such as when a person rides a bicycle or performs another physically required exercise over a prolonged period, particularly when there is pressure against the skin. Pain can also be caused by friction against the person's skin in a wheelchair or confined or confined to the bed for a prolonged period of time. Attempts to avoid skin damage by this friction in the past have included the use of devices intended to slide easily along the surface of the skin, as disclosed in Eilender's US Patents and other Numbers 4,959,059 and 4,572,174. Approaching the problem in another way, bandages intended to slip easily through adjacent materials are disclosed in Feret's US Patents Nos. 5,012,801 and 5, 188, 124. Various other devices have been intended to protect an irritated area from a person's skin providing a structure supported by the adjacent skin to push the irritating surfaces away from the irritated skin, or to equalize the pressure in the areas of a skin of the person prone to irritation. These devices are disclosed in Kaufman's US Patent Number 1,913,928, Scholl's US Patent Number 2,098,312, Spence's American Patent Number 3,548,420, Grubel's American Patent Number 3,821,954, Gallovich's North American Patent and Dyson's American Patent. Number 3,968,530. A flammable pad to protect pressure ulcers is disclosed by Carver in U.S. Patent Number 5,462,519. The devices disclosed in the patents mentioned above, however, have not proved to be entirely satisfactory due to several reasons. Many of the previously known devices have acted as pads, but have not satisfactorily protected the skin against the effects of friction and pressure against an adjacent surface. This friction causes the skin to be pulled in directions parallel to its surface, generating shear forces within the skin that eventually irritate and cause damage to the skin, despite the use of previously known devices to protect the skin. In addition, previously known devices, with a few exceptions, have had a thickness which in case increases the pressure of an adjacent surface against the skin in many situations, such as when a shoe fits poorly. In some cases where the tissues have been surgically repaired within the body of a patient, it is also desirable to avoid friction. For example, when a distant radial fracture is reduced by implanting a plate held in place by screws, the overlying tendons sometimes rub uncomfortably on the implanted hardware. When the tendons have been grafted or repaired, the saturated tissue may try to adhere to the surrounding tissues during the healing process, and this adhesion is undesirable. Consequently, what is still needed is an improved device for protecting the skin of a person, or certain internal tissues in the vicinity of surgically repaired tissues, from causes of friction. Preferably this improved device must be thin to avoid adding pressure to the skin or other tissues that need protection, which must greatly reduce the friction between the skin and said other tissues and an adjacent surface, which must be manufactured easily and economically and They must be easy to use.

MODALITIES OF THE INVENTION The present invention overcomes the inconveniences of the aforementioned prior art devices and provides an improved device for protecting the skin of a person and certain other tissues from damage or irritation, as well as a method for protecting the skin of a person. same or other tissues by using this device. The protective device of the present invention is thin and in a preferred embodiment includes a pair of overlying layers of thin flexible membrane material fixed to only one another at peripheral locations, leaving the two layers free to slide relative to one another with very little friction opposite, in response to relative movement between a person's skin and an adjacent surface of clothing, a plastered or similar bandage. The device is fixed to the skin or to the adjacent surface by means of an adhesive. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the overlying flexible layers are provided in the form of a section of a tube of thin flattened walls of a synthetic plastic material. In this embodiment of the invention, the overlying layers of the membranous material are interconnected along a pair of opposite parallel images of each. A layer of an adhesive material fixed to an external surface in one of the layers has a smaller area than the area of each layer, so that the marginal portions of the layers extend beyond the margins of the layer of the adhesive material in at least two opposite directions. In another embodiment of the invention, the overlying layers are interconnected along the entire periphery of each layer, and a small amount of a lubricant material is placed between the layers.

In one embodiment of the invention, the overlying layers are of a thin porous, membranous material capable of breathing. In another embodiment of the device according to the present invention, a thin pad impregnated with useful substances such as appropriately porous antibiotics can be included between the overlying membrane layers of material to allow these useful substances to leach outwardly to the surrounding tissue to protect an operated wound of an infection. In a further embodiment of the invention, a thin pad of absorbent material is placed between the layer of adhesive material and the outer surface of one of the overlying membrane layers and can be used to carry medications to the surface of the skin, or to absorb. the fluids of the skin. In still a further embodiment of the invention, a thin cushion of cushioned material can define an opening for receiving a raised portion of the skin, such as a blister. In accordance with the method of the invention, the skin is protected against irritation by attaching a device such as one of those described above to a person's skin, or to the adjacent surface, or between two adjacent layers of clothing or equipment that move a in relation to the other and one of which carries on the skin, and thereby significantly reducing the friction resulting from this movement so that the relative movement does not cause an irritating amount of stress on the skin adjacent to the device. In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, a device constructed in accordance with the invention, can be used in a similar manner according to the method of the invention in relation to the surgical repair of tissue in situations where internal tissue movement has a tendency in relation to an adjacent surface. For example, a device according to the invention could be used in accordance with the method of the invention to protect a muscle or a tendon where a plate has been installed to stabilize a bone fracture that is healing or to ensure continuous mobility of the bone. a repaired tendon. The above objects, features and advantages and others of the invention will be more readily understood by taking into consideration the following detailed description of the invention, which is taken together with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a partially cut-away side elevational view of the foot of a person in sock and shoe, showing a pair of protective devices in accordance with the present invention in use. Figure 2 is a view of a person's hand and a portion of an arm covered by a cast bandage. Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Figure 2, showing a device in accordance with the present invention in use to protect the skin of the person's arm. Figure 4 is a perspective view of one of the skin protective devices shown in Figure 1. Figure 5 is a sectional view, taken along line 5--5, of the skin protective device shown in FIG. Figure 4, showing the device attached to a person's skin. Figure 6 is a view similar to that of Figure 5 showing a skin protective device which is an alternative embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 is a perspective view of a skin protective device which is another alternative embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 8 is a partially cut away perspective view of a skin protecting device that is still a further alternative embodiment of the present invention. Figure 9 is a perspective view of a skin protective device encompassing the present invention and including a cushioned member. Figure 10 is a perspective view of a skin protective device encompassing the present invention and including a cushion member defining an opening for surrounding an area of a person's skin. Figure 11 is a perspective view of a device in accordance with the present invention implanted in position to protect the tendons from abrasion by an implanted plate. Figure 12 is a perspective view of a device according to the present invention positioned to protect a surgically repaired tendon.

BEST WAYS TO CARRY OUT THE INVENTION Referring now to the drawings that are part of the present disclosure, in Figure 1 a foot 12 of a person is inside a shoe 14 shown partially cut. A pair of devices according to the present invention, a larger skin protective device 16 and a smaller skin protective device 18, both are adhesively fixed to the foot 12 to protect their skin against irritation by moving the foot 12 with relation to the inner surface 13 of the shoe 14. A sock 15 is used in the foot 12, between the foot and the inner surface 13 of the shoe 14, and the skin protective devices of the present invention are shown being worn between the foot 12 and the sock 15 within the shoe 14. Alternatively, the protective devices could be placed between the sock 15 and the inner surface 13. As shown in Figure 1, the protective devices 16 and 18 are adhesively attached directly to the skin of the shoe. foot 12, but the same devices could also be adhered or sewn or securely secured in another way to the interior surface 13 of the shoe 14 or to the interior or on the outside of the sock 15. In each case, the skin protective devices 16 and 18 serve to reduce the forces transmitted to friction acting on the skin of the foot 12 as a result of the movement of the inner surfaces 13 of the shoe 14 and the sock 15 in relation to the skin of the foot 12.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, a skin protective device 20 similar to the device 16 is adhesively attached to the skin of a person's arm 22 where the arm 22 is covered by a plastered bandage 24, to protect the skin of irritation as a result of relative movement between the skin and the interior of the plaster dressing 24. This may be of specific value in locations such as where the bones, in the cuff, are covered by only a thin layer of tissue including the skin. A similar situation could be found in the case of other orthopedic devices, such as in the fixation of a prosthetic member, or where the orthopedic braces rest against the skin of a natural member. The protective devices of the skin 16, 18 and are all of similar construction, except that their sizes are different, which are selected to be applicable to each specific situation so that the protective skin device 16 used in the heel of the foot 12 is larger than the skin protective device. 18 used to protect the skin of a big toe 12. As shown in Figure 4, the protective device 16 comprises a pair of overlying parallel layers 26, 28 of a thin flexible membranous material fixed to one another along the the respective peripheral margins, in a narrow connection area indicated in broken line in 29, but otherwise do not connect with each other. The layers 26 and 28 can therefore be opposite sides of a tube 30 flattened with a flexible thin synthetic plastic film. For example, the tube 30 may be made of polyethylene, with a thickness of approximately .0254 millimeter. The thickness used should be large enough to have strength to prevent it from breaking during use, but otherwise it should be as thin as practical to be able to easily conform and not add to the pressure on the skin by the thickness of the device 16. Alternatively, the layers 26 and 28 may be of a slippery but still porous material such as an expanded PTFE in order to allow moisture to evaporate from the skin through the device 16, improving comfort and allowing the skin resist pressure and friction helping to keep skin dry. Fixed to the central area of the outer surface of the layer 26, ie, on the side of the layer 26 facing away from the layer 28 and therefore on the outside of the tube 30, there is a layer 32 of an adhesive material. The adhesive material is preferably a flexible pressure sensitive adhesive covered until the device is to be used by a protective sheet 34 of a material for example as a paper coated with plastic that is easily peeled off from the layer 32 of the adhesive material. The adhesive material of the layer 32 can be used to secure the protective device 16 to a person's skin or an article of clothing such as the inner surface 13 of a shoe, or to a sock 15, in a location where the shoe or clothes have the possibility of being in contact with and moving in relation to the adjacent skin. A suitable adhesive material is a hypoallergenic pressure sensitive acrylate adhesive, such as one obtainable from 3M Medical Specialties Department, St. Paul, Minnesota, in the form of product number 1512, a transparent polyethylene film coated on both sides with the adhesive, and that is provided with a paper liner to serve as the protective sheet 34 during use. As can be seen in Figure 5, when the protective device 16 is attached to a skin 36 of the person by the adhesive material 32, the portions 38 and 40 of the layer 26 extend beyond the lateral margins 42 of the layer 32. of adhesive, which is positioned in and defines a central area of the layer 26. Similarly, the portions 39 and 41 extend beyond the upper margin 43 and a lower margin of the layer 32 of adhesive material, even when this of the upper and lower margins is somewhat less important.

The opposing inner surfaces 44 of the overlying layers 26 and 28, ie, the inner surfaces of the flattened tube 30, have a very small coefficient of friction, one relative to the other, preferably as a result of the material from which they are made. layers 26 and 28 overlying. In this way, when a surface such as the inner surface 13 of the shoe 14 is moved relative to the foot 12, particularly in any of the directions shown by the arrows 48 in Figures 1 and 5, the inner surfaces 44 slide into each other. along the other. The protective device 16 in this way transmits only a small amount of stress between the inner surface 13 and the skin 36 by friction, as long as the degree of movement is limited. As the inner surfaces 44 slide along one another, one of the extended pieces 38 and 40 of the layer 26 is wound from its original position to the position previously occupied by a portion of the layer 28, as shown in FIG. indicated by arrows 50 in Figure 5. Similarly, a portion of layer 28 moves to a new position as a further extension of the original location of layer 26. As layer 28 moves to the right As shown in Figure 5, portions 38 and 40 of the flattened tube 30 extending beyond the central area where the adhesive layer 32 is placed and including the connecting portions 29 interconnecting the layers 26 and 28, adopt the positions indicated by the reference numbers 52. When the layer 28 moves to the left relative to the layer 26, the portions 38 and 40 and the connections 29 of the flattened tube 30 move towards the positions indicated by the reference number 54. Additional movement of the layer 28 relative to the layer 26 is limited by the adhesive attachment of the device 16 to the skin 36 (or to a sock or a surface such as the inner surface 13, depending on where it is placed the device 16). Although the device 16 is shown in Figures 4 and 5 as having a significant distance between the opposing inner surfaces 44, the distance is actually greatly exaggerated in the drawings, to more clearly illustrate the rolling movement of the portions 38. and 40 as the inner surfaces 44 of the layers 26 and 28 slide one along the other. In actual use of the device 16, the opposing inner surfaces 44 are normally in direct contact with each other. The tube-like structure of the device 16 provides the layers 26 and 28 with the freedom to move relative to one another farther away in the direction indicated by the arrows 48. As mentioned above, the wide flexibility of the material from which the layers 26 and 28 are manufactured is desirable. This flexibility of the parts 38 and 40 that extend beyond the margins 42 of the central area including the adhesive material 32 allows the movement of the layers 26 and 28 relative to each other in other directions, as well as the directions of the arrows 48. In this way the device 16 reduces the amount of friction when there is a relative movement in any direction between the area of the skin 36 that is being protected by the device 16 and an adjacent surface, such as the inner surface 13 of the shoe 14. However, since the freedom of movement of the layers 26 and 28 relative to one another is greater in the direction indicated by the arrows 48, it is preferred to apply the device 16 to the skin 36 oriented in a manner in which where the largest amount of relative movement expected from an adjacent surface against the skin 36 is parallel with the arrow 48. Referring now to Figure 6, in a slight mode Unlike the invention, a protective device 60 is generally similar to the protective device 16, and like reference numbers are used for the same parts. The device 60 differs, however, in that between the inner surfaces 44 of the layers 26 and 28 a layer of a smooth sliding material such as a piece 62 of a thin satin fabric is provided. This sliding material is fixed to the inner surface 44 of the layer 26, in an area preferably coextensive with or smaller than the area of the layer 32 of adhesive material, where it improves the ability of the layers 26 and 28 to move one relative to the other between the surface of the skin 36, and an adjacent surface such as the inner surface 13 of the shoe 14. Even when the protective devices 16 and 60 have been illustrated as having the shape of a flattened tube 30., it will be understood that it is also possible to manufacture these devices in more than one manner, including placing separately fabricated layers 26 and 28 of appropriate material to appropriate positions that lie above one another, and then interconnecting the respective marginal portions of those layers, to form the linear connections 29 between layers 26 and 28 (Figure 4). These connections 29 are preferably smooth and flexible as well as practical, and are free to move as indicated by the arrows 50 (Figures 5, 6) as the layers 26 and 28 move relative to one another. - 1! Depending on the location on the skin of a person where the protective device according to the invention is intended to be used, it may also be desirable to interconnect the layers 26 and 28 with each other as in the skin protective device 66 shown in FIG. Figure 7. There, the layers 26 and 28 are also held together by a narrow connection along a margin 68, so that the layers 26 and 28 are interconnected with one another along three sides of the protective device. the rectangular skin 66 shown in Figure 7. Layers 26 and 28 remain disconnected along the remaining margin 70, and are free to slide easily relative to one another with some flexion occurring along the margin 68. A device protector 76, shown in Figure 8 is generally similar to the device 66 shown in Figure 7, except that both the lower margin 68 and an upper margin 78 of the device are closed by a linear connection so that the peripheral connections of the layer 26 to the layer 28 are completely surrounded, but are spaced outwardly from the central area including the layer 32 of the adhesive material, forming a closed envelope of the two layers 26 and 28 above. The resulting envelope may contain a certain small amount of a lubricant, such as a few droplets 80 of an appropriate oil or a small amount of a lubricating powder. The amount of this lubricant is intended to be kept small so that it serves only as a lubricant to allow the layers 26 and 28 to move relative to one another between the skin 36 of a person and an opposite surface, without causing the protective device 76 has a significant cylindrical thickness that could increase the pressure of an adjacent surface of a shoe or other article against the skin intended to be protected by the device 76. A protective device 86, shown in Figure 9, includes a structure generally similar to the protective device 16 shown in Figure 4. In addition, there is a thin pad 88 adhered to the outer surface of the layer 26, and a layer 90 of adhesive material is superimposed on the thin pad 88. The adhesive material of the layer 90 it is preferably limited to marginal portions of the thin pad 88, leaving a central portion 92 of the pad 88 free of material adhesive. This central part 92 is therefore available to absorb the exudate from a blister or a previously irritated area of skin through which skin protecting device 86 can be applied. In addition, the thin pad 88 may be impregnated with a medicament before placing the protective device 86 on a person's skin. The medicament is therefore retained in contact with the underlying skin to stimulate healing while the protective device 86 reduces friction and thus protects the skin from further irritation and damage which could otherwise be caused by the rubbing of a adjacent surface of an article of clothing or the like. A skin protector device 96 shown in Figure 10 is generally similar to the protective device 86 shown in Figure 9, but instead of the thin pad 88 of the device 86, there is a thin pad 98 defining an aperture 100 surrounded by a layer 102 of an adhesive material. The thin pad 98 in this manner can be adhesively attached to a person's skin, surrounding a damaged swollen or raised area such as a blister, providing additional separation between the irritated surface of the skin and an adjacent surface. At the same time, the protective device 96 reduces friction and allows the adjacent surface to move easily relative to the skin when it is fixed to the skin. A device in accordance with the present invention can also be used internally, inside a patient's body, to protect the tissues that move relative to each other in situations where surgery has created an abnormal situation, such as when a living tissue moves relative to a non-living object surgically implanted. For example, as shown in Figure 11, a friction reducing protective device 110 is used between a pair of tendons 112 that extend tightly along a fractured bone 114, the parts of which have been stabilized with respect to each other. by an implanted metal plate 116 fixed to the bone by screws 118. In this situation, the movement of the tendons, which normally occurs in a longitudinal direction as indicated by arrow 120, will result in friction between the tendons 112 and the plate and screws 116, 118, except as regards the presence of protective device 110 as shown. The protective device 110 can generally be the same in its construction as one of the skin protective devices 16, 18 or 20, made of biologically-implantable materials securely, and placed so that the adjacent overlying layers 122, 124 are connected one to the other. the other in locations 126 corresponding to locations 29 in device 16 shown in Figure 4. In this manner, as tendons 112 move longitudinally as indicated by arrow 120 with respect to plate 116 and screws 118, the upper layer 124 of the protected device 110 moves with respect to the lower layer 122 together with the tendons 112, protecting the irritation and friction abrasion tendons 112 as they move relative to the bone 114. The protective device 110 can be retained in place by an appropriate adhesive material (not shown) approved for use within the body of a person, in a location This is as appropriate to fix the lower layer 122 to the plate 116. In many cases, a specific fixation would not be required since the soft tissue surrounding the tendons 112 will have the protective device 110 properly in a functional position. The protective device 112 can be left in place indefinitely, or could be removed in a back arrow when the plate 116 of the screws 118 is removed, once the bone 114 has completely healed. It will be appreciated that other forms of the protective device in accordance with the present invention, properly prepared for internal use, could also be desirable, such as when a device similar to the protective device 60, shown in Figure 6, could be used in order to provide a amount of medication to the area protected by this device. That is, by enclosing the medicament, or a small pad impregnated with a medicament in a location corresponding to that of the piece 62 of the satin fabric within the protective device 60 shown in Figure 6, the medicament could be released into the surrounding tissues through a prolonged time interval. In some cases, it may be desirable for this thin pad impregnated with the medicament placed on an outer surface of one of the layers 122 and 124, similar to the placement of the thin pad 88 shown in Figure 9. Also referring to the Figure 12, an implantable protective device 130 can be used to partially encircle or surround a tendon 132 that has been repaired by securing the tendon portions to one another by sutures 134. The protective device 130, which could be constructed generally similar to one of the protective devices described above, shown wrapped around the outside of the tendon 132 repaired so as to allow the movement of the tendon 132 longitudinally, as indicated by the arrow 136, with the inner and outer membrane layers of the device 130 interconnected one with the another along the ends 138 extending circumferentially around the repaired tendon and, being rolled along the length of the tendon 132, allow the inner and outer layers of the protective device 130 to move relative to one another with their opposite surfaces sliding one above the other in the directions indicated by the arrow 136 to protect from friction the sutures 134. The margins 140, 142 of the device 130 could be close to and parallel to each other and could be interconnected with one another by an appropriate adhesive material or by a few sutures 144 interconnecting the margins of each other. the outer membrane with one another or with an adjacent soft tissue as long as the loose loose material is provided to allow the inner and outer layers of the protective device 130 to move relative to each other in a direction parallel with the arrow 136 The terms and expressions that have been employed in the foregoing specification are used herein as terms of description n and not of limitation, and there is no intention, in the use of these terms and expressions, to exclude equivalents of the particularities shown and described or portions thereof, it being recognized that the scope of the invention is defined and limited only by the claims that will be given below.

Claims (28)

CLAIMS:

1. A tissue protective device comprising: (a) a pair of parallel overlying protective layers of membranous material that lie above each other, each of the layers extending outwardly beyond a central area thereof; (b) the said layers are joined to each other in a connection placed outwardly away from the central area; and (c) each of the layers has an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner faces are confronted with each other and are free to slide one along the other through at least a limited distance.

2. The tissue protective device of claim 1, further including a layer of an adhesive material placed completely within the central area, on an outer face of one of the layers.

3. The tissue protective device of claim 1, the connection includes a narrow strip extending along a peripheral line spaced out from the central area.

4. The tissue protective device of claim 1, the layers of the membrane material include respective portions of a collapsed tube having a thin flexible wall structure and a pair of open ends, each of the layers including a portion of a side respective of a pair of opposite sides of the tube.

The tissue protective device of claim 1, wherein each of the layers of membranous material is a thin film of a synthetic plastic material.

The tissue protective device of claim 1, wherein the connection completely surrounds the central area, and wherein an amount of a lubricant is enclosed between the layers within an area defined by the connection.

The tissue protective device of claim 1, including an absorbent layer attached to one of the layers of the membranous material, between the outer face thereof and the layer of adhesive material.

8. The tissue protective device of claim 6, wherein the absorbent layer is medicated.

9. The tissue protective device of claim 6, wherein the absorbent layer defines a through opening.

The tissue protective device of claim 9, wherein the opening is large enough to surround an ampoule in an area of the skin.

The fabric protective device of claim 1, including a removable adhesive protective sheet affixed to and covering the layer of adhesive material.

12. The tissue protective device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the layers of the membrane material is porous material.

The tissue protective device of claim 1, wherein the layers of membranous material are spaced apart and are free to move relative to one another along at least a portion of a periphery of the device.

The tissue protective device of claim 1, wherein the membranous material is biologically implantable.

15. The fabric protective device of claim 1, wherein a portion of one of the layers is attached to an article of clothing.

16. The tissue protective device of claim 1, wherein the connection completely surrounds the central area, and wherein a quantity of a medicament is enclosed between the layers within an area defined by said connection.

17. The tissue protective device of claim 1, wherein a quantity of a medicament is enclosed between the layers within an area defined by said connection.

18. A method for protecting living tissue against friction irritation comprising the steps of: (a) placing a device that includes a pair of layers of thin flexible membranous material between a surface area of the tissue designated for protection and a surface adjacent that confronts the surface area of the tissue; (b) attaching one of the layers to a selected area of the surface area of the tissue and the adjacent surface by the use of an adhesive, the pair of layers thereby separating the surface area of the tissue from the adjacent surface; and (c) in response to movement of the adjacent surface relative to the tissue surface area, moving the layers of the membranous material one along the other through a limited movement scale with a coefficient of friction between the layers which is essentially smaller than a coefficient of friction that would be present between the area of the fabric and the surface of the fabric and the adjacent surface being absent from the pair of layers.

The method of claim 18, which includes the additional step of providing a layer of an absorbent material impregnated with an amount of medicament between the layers of the membrane material and causing at least a portion of the medicament to be delivered therefrom to the membranous material. tissue placed adjacent to the device.

The method of claim 19, wherein at least a portion of the membranous material is porous, including the step of gradually delivering the medicament through the porous membrane material.

The method of claim 18, wherein the said adjacent surface is a surface of an implanted non-living object.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the living tissue is the skin.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein said adjacent surface is an interior surface of a plaster bandage.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein said adjacent surface is an interior surface of an orthopedic support device.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein said adjacent surface is a surface of a garment.

26. The method of claim 18, wherein the surface of the fabric is the skin, including the additional step of providing an absorbent layer attached to one of the layers of the membranous material and placed between the layers of the membrane material and the area of the membrane. skin.

The method of claim 26, wherein said absorbent layer defines an opening therethrough and includes the step of placing the device against the area of the skin at a position therein wherein the opening is aligned with a previously irritated portion of said skin area.

28. The method of claim 18, wherein said membranous material is biologically implantable.