WO1998049982A1

WO1998049982A1 - Compress

Info

Publication number: WO1998049982A1
Application number: PCT/AU1997/000665
Authority: WO
Inventors: Marlene Joy Cunliffe
Original assignee: Marlene Joy Cunliffe
Priority date: 1997-05-05
Filing date: 1997-10-07
Publication date: 1998-11-12
Also published as: AUPO662097A0

Abstract

A reusable compress (5) for treatment of a limb or other body part of a person, said compress (5) comprising a pouch portion (7) of textile material, the interior of which pouch portion (7) contains water absorbent crystals (11) adapted to absorb water and form an expanded fluid mass in the pouch portion (7) when immersed in water, and means to fasten (9) the compress (5) around the limb or other body part of a person.

Description

TITLE: COMPRESS

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention provides a reusable compress which may be temporarily attached to a human limb, or other part of the human body.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

It is common for humans to have sore or swollen legs and tendons as a result of knocks, kicks, jarring, particularly during sporting activities. Such injuries are advantageously treated by the application of cold or hot compresses to the injury site. Hence, it is an object of the present invention to provide a compress which may be selectively located on a human's limb or other body part and retained in that location by secure, but easily fixed and removable, attachment means for a desired period of treatment. Further objects of the invention are that the compress be reusable, and that it be useable as a hot or cold compress.

Further, it is an object of the invention to provide a compress which will not burn a human's skin as with the use of ice in direct contact with the skin, is non-toxic, and durable in ordinary use by the patient.

It is known in the prior art to provide separate gel pads used with an orthopaedic device which in use, requires removal and insertion of the pads in the device. It is also known to provide cold compress bandages of strip material whereby refrigerant packs are removably placed within said bandage. Also it is known to provide a compress formed from rectangularly shaped waterproof panels having a closable opening for the introduction of ice or hot water.

The disadvantage of this prior art is that separate packs have to be located before use in the compress and removed after use. The present invention as will be hereinafter described overcomes these disadvantages by providing a compress which does not require the use of separate insertable and removable pads or packs to achieve the function of a cold or hot compress for application to a human limb or other body part and this provides for ease of use by the patient.

The compress of the present invention is applicable for the simultaneous application of cold or hot therapy and compression by evaporative cooling or heating including heating for hypothermia and the therapeutic heating or cooling of orthopaedic joint supports by using a compress having an external thermal insulation layer such as canvas and an internal thermal control layer such as cotton to regulate the rate of heat or cold exchange between the compress and the skin of the wearer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention, there is provided a reusable compress for treatment of the limb or other body part of a person, said compress comprising a pouch portion of textile material, the interior of which pouch portion contains water absorbent crystals adapted to absorb water and form an expanded fluid mass in the pouch portion when immersed in water, and means to fasten the compress around the limb or other body part of a person.

PREFERRED ASPECTS OF THE INVENTION

According to a preferred feature of the invention, the pouch portion is constructed of two similarly shaped pieces of water permeable textile material such as cotton sewn together and it is further preferred that a similarly shaped cover piece of water impermeable material such as canvas is attached as by sewing to one side of the pouch portion.

The two pieces of water permeable textile material forming the pouch portion are partitioned, as by sewing, into a plurality of compartments. Before sealing the pouch portion, the water absorbent crystals are placed in the several compartments.

The means to fasten the pouch portion of the compress and its cover canvas sheet around a patient's limb or other body part may comprise velcro straps secured, if desired, by elastic straps at one side of the canvas cover and engaging over and onto velcro anchoring strips secured to the canvas cover at the other side thereof.

Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is a perspective view from the inner pouch portion side of the compress of a basic form of the invention,

Figure 2 is a perspective view from the canvas piece outer side of the compress of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a part cross-sectional view taken along line 3- 3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the compress of Figures 1, 2 and 3 secured to the wrist of a person,

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing a suitably shaped compress of the invention applied to the elbow of a person,

Figure 6 is a perspective view showing a suitably shaped compress of the invention applied to the ankle of a person,

Figures 7 and 8 are perspective front and back views of a compress jacket of the invention applied to a person,

Figure 9 is a perspective view showing a suitably shaped compress of the invention applied to the thigh of a person,

Figure 10 is a perspective view showing a suitably shaped compress of the invention applied to the knee of a person,

Figure 11 is a perspective view showing a suitably shaped compress of the invention applied to the calf of a person, Figure 12 is a perspective view showing a suitably shaped compress of the invention applied to the neck of a person,

Figure 13 is a perspective view of a suitably shaped compress of the invention applied to the back of a person,

Figures 14 and 15 are perspective front and back views of another compress jacket of the invention applied to a person,

Figures 16 and 17 are front and rear sides of a compress of the invention for application to the shoulder of a person, and

Figures 18 and 19 are perspective front and back views of the shoulder compress of the invention of Figures 16 and 17 as applied to a person.

INTEGER LIST

5. Compress

6. Compress member

7. Pouch portion

8. Canvas cover sheet 9. Attachment straps

10. Binding

11. Water absorbent crystals

12. Pouch portion compartments

13. Stitching between pouch compartments 14. Velcro anchoring straps

15. Elastic straps

16. Attachment of velcro straps to canvas

17. Anchoring velcro strips

18. Jacket 19. Arm support

20. Flameproof jacket DETAILED DESCRIPTION WITH RESPECT TO THE DRAWINGS

In the preferred embodiments of the invention as illustrated, the compress 5, as for example the wrist compress of Figure 4, is made in the style of a rectangular compress member 6 and consists of a pouch portion 7, a pouch cover 8 and attachment means 9. The pouch portion 7 is generally constructed from two rectangular pieces of textile material pervious to water, such as cotton material. The two pieces of cotton material are sewn together with a canvas cover sheet 8 in the normal manner to form the rectangular compress member 6. Binding 10 is used on the edges of the compress to prevent fraying. Before the pouch portion 7 is sealed, water absorbent crystals 11, such as polyacrylamide crystals are placed inside. The pouch portion is typically partitioned into a plurality of compartments 12 in order to maintain a roughly uniform distribution of the crystals 11 throughout the compress compartments.

The walls for the partitions between the compartments 12 are formed by stitching the two pieces of the cotton pouch material together parallel or substantially parallel to the top and bottom edges and the side edges of the rectangular pouch portion 7. The stitching 13 must be small enough so as to prevent the crystals 11 from passing from one partition to another. The canvas cover material 8 is sewn to the pouch portion 7 along the outside edges thereof and along a horizontal line or lines of the pouch portion 7. The attachment means in this embodiment consists of velcro connection means as is well known. The straps 14 of the velcro connection means are connected to elastic straps 15 which are in turn sewn to the canvas cover material 8 at 16 and anchoring velcro strips 17 are sewn to the canvas cover 8 opposite the connection of straps 14 so that the two surfaces of the velcro connection may be brought into contact in order to fix the compress 6 in place. The elastic straps 15 ensure even pressure around the limb or other body part of the wearer in situations wherein the limb part is of different peripheral sizes.

To use the compress, it needs to be soaked in water for approximately thirty minutes. The temperature of the water may be varied in order to achieve either a hot or cold compress. When placed in water, the crystals 11 contained in the compartments 12 within the cotton pouch portion 7 absorb water and expand. After soaking, the temperature of the expanded crystals will approximate that of the water the compress was soaked in.

When applied to a person's limb, the differential in temperature between the limb and the compress will aid the healing process. When the compress reaches thermal equilibrium with the person's external body temperature, it may be resoaked in water for approximately one minute in order to reactivate the compress to the desired treatment temperature.

It will be appreciated that the fastening means may be other than velcro straps and may be of any known quick engagement and release means which will not hinder movement of the person's limbs. It will also be appreciated that the compress may be constructed in accordance with the invention so as to be useable on persons of various sizes.

When the compress is to be used in the cold state, it is preferred that the vertical lines of sewing for the compartments of the pouch portion be in multiple form as shown in Figure 1 to allow for bending of the compress around the limb or other body part for maximum contact or engagement of the pouch compartments around the limb or other body part. It has been found that a cold compress in a frozen state will not bend around a single row of stitching to form a tubular compress when applied to a person's limb. This multiple vertical stitching is not necessary when the compress is used as a hot compress.

It will also be appreciated that the compress of the invention may be shaped to be applied to body parts of non- regular shapes such as wrists, elbows, ankles, thighs, knees and calves, necks, backs and shoulders as shown in Figures 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13, 16, 17, 18 and 19.

In particular the shoulder compress of Figures 16, 17, 18 and 19 is eminently suitable for relief of shoulder strains, dislocations and like injuries received in the majority of sporting games dependant on shoulder action such as cricket, baseball, javelin, discus, tennis and golf, and in a majority of contact sports.

The fitted shoulder compress of Figure 18 may conveniently include a support member 19 for locating and supporting the arm of the shoulder being treated.

Referring to Figures 14 and 15 there is illustrated a jacket 20 being a modification of jacket 18. Jacket 20 is eminently suitable as a compress for use with persons subjected to heat over a period of time in close confinement such as, in one particular case, drivers of racing cars. Jacket 20 is provided with front and back pouch portions and a vertical front velcro fastener with compartments containing water absorbent crystals as in previous embodiments but of different material for the cover 8 to alleviate not only heat but to provide an inherently non-flammable jacket. In some instances both the pouch portion 7 and the cover 8 may be formed of non- inflammable material.

A material suitable for this purpose is of Nomex (registered trade mark) aramid fibre manufactured by Du Pont having a composition of Nomex/Viscose FR 50/50. The Viscose FR in the composition provides for extra comfort and is moisture absorbent whilst being inherently nonflammable with no melting, dripping or break open. The moisture absorption feature allows for the water absorbent crystals in the compartments of the pouch portions to absorb water and expand when the jacket 20 is soaked in water before use. The cotton pouch portion 7 may also be treated with a fire retardant composition if desired.

In regard to Figures 7 and 8, the jacket 18 has pouch portions as shown with compartments 12 containing crystals 11 and is secured around the body by means of a velcro fastener down the front of the jacket 18. Jacket 18 is eminently suitable for sportsmen for use during intervals in a game such as football and particularly in hot weather. The cold jacket firmly secured on the upper part of the body provides evaporative cooling with a resultant therapeutic cooling of orthopaedic joint supports as previously described. Jacket 18 is also very effective when used as a hot compress to provide evaporative heating for hypothermia and the heating of orthopaedic joint supports in a regulated manner.

Claims

CLAIMS : -

1. A reusable compress for treatment of the limb or other body part of a person, said compress comprising a pouch portion of textile material, the interior of which pouch portion contains water absorbent crystals adapted to absorb water and form an expanded fluid mass in the pouch portion when immersed in water, and means to fasten the compress in its expanded form around the limb or other body part of a person.

2. A reusable compress according to Claim 1, wherein the pouch portion is constructed of two similarly shaped pieces of water permeable textile material sewn together around the edges thereof to form the pouch portion with a cover piece of water impermeable material attached as by sewing to one side of the pouch portion.

3. A reusable compress according to Claim 2, wherein the other side of the pouch portion is adapted to contact the limb or other body part of a person.

4. A reusable compress according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the two water permeable pieces of textile material forming the pouch portion are partitioned, as by sewing, into a plurality of compartments.

5. A reusable compress according to Claim 4, wherein before sealing and closing the compartments of the pouch portion, the water absorbent crystals are placed in equal amounts in the several compartments.

6. A reusable compress according to any one of the preceding Claims 2 to 5 wherein the fastening means for the compress comprise velcro straps secured at one edge of the cover sheet and engaging over and onto velcro anchoring strips secured to the cover piece at the other side thereof.

7. A reusable compress according to any one of the preceding Claims wherein binding is secured along the edges of the pouch portion and the cover sheet to prevent fraying thereof.

8. A reusable compress according to any one of the preceding Claims wherein the water permeable pouch portion is of cotton material.

9. A reusable compress according to any one of Claims 2 to 8 wherein the water impermeable cover piece is of canvas or like material.

10. A reusable compress according to any one of the preceding Claims and shaped for treatment of a wrist of a person.

11. A reusable compress according to any one of Claims 1 to 9 and shaped for treatment of an elbow of a person.

12. A reusable compress according to any one of Claims 1 to 9 and shaped for treatment of an ankle of a person.

13. A reusable compress according to any one of Claims 1 to 9 and shaped for treatment of a thigh of a person.

14. A reusable compress according to any one of Claims 1 to 9 and shaped for treatment of a knee of a person.

15. A reusable compress according to any one on Claims 1 to 9 and shaped for treatment of a calf of a person.

16. A reusable compress according to any one of Claims 1 to 9 and shaped for treatment of the neck of a person.

17. A reusable compress according to any one of Claims 1 to 9 and shaped for treatment of the back of a person.

18. A reusable compress according to any one of Claims 1 to 9 and shaped for treatment of a shoulder of a person.

19. A reusable compress having the features of any one of Claims 1 to 9 and shaped in the form of a jacket.

20. A reusable compress in the form of a jacket according to Claim 19 wherein the fastening means comprise a front and centrally located velcro fastener means.

21. A reusable compress according to Claim 19 or Claim 20 wherein the jacket is constructed of non-inflammable or heat retardant material.

22. A reusable compress according to Claim 21 wherein the non-inflammable jacket material is a moisture absorbent material.

23. A reusable compress according to any one of Claims 6 to 18 wherein the velcro straps incorporate sections of elastic material to ensure even pressure around the limb or other body part when the compress consists of different peripheral sizes.

24. A reusable compress according to any one of the preceding Claims wherein the water absorbent crystals are particles of a polyacrylamide.