WO2008035075A2

WO2008035075A2 - Medical gown

Info

Publication number: WO2008035075A2
Application number: PCT/GB2007/003565
Authority: WO
Inventors: Samuel George; Abdul Raheem Haloob
Original assignee: Samuel George; Abdul Raheem Haloob
Priority date: 2006-09-20
Filing date: 2007-09-20
Publication date: 2008-03-27
Also published as: GB0618461D0; WO2008035075A3

Abstract

A medical gown comprises a central portion for covering the front or back of a wearer's body and first and second opposed side portions (8,9) on respective sides of the central portion for passing around the wearer's, body in opposite directions when the gown is being donned and then being brought together to define an overlapping region such that, when worn, the gown encircles the wearer's body with the overlapping region opposed to the central portion about the wearer's body. The overlapping region comprises upper, and lower sections (13, 14), the upper section having the first side portion overlying the second side portion and the lower section having the second side portion overlying the first side portion. A tie is removably attached to a tag that is attachable to a surface whereby, when the tag is attached to the surface, a wearer can turn to impart tension in the tie to draw a portion of the gown at least partially around the wearer's body. This preserves sterile conditions.

Description

MEDICAL GOWN

The present invention relates to a medical gown. Gowns in accordance with the invention can be worn by either surgeons or patients, or both.

Patients are provided with gowns to wear for a number of reasons: so that the patient can be uncovered easily and quickly for examination or in case of an emergency; to replace the patient's clothes to avoid damage to them, for example due to spillage of blood or other materials; and to maintain hygiene to help prevent the spread of infection.

Gowns used for patients typically have short, wide sleeves for ease of donning and removal and for ease of access to the patient's arms for administering drugs and checking blood pressure. Gowns used by surgeons typically have long sleeves with elasticated cuffs to cover the whole arm.

A commonly-used style of gown has a closed front defined by a central portion, and an open back defined by two opposed side portions that create back sections when the side portions extend to the wearer's back in use. The side portions are drawn together at the back by at least one pair of ties that extend from opposite free edges of the two side portions. The ties may, for example, be tied into bows. There may be more than one pair of ties; where there is more than one pair of ties, the pairs are suitably vertically spaced along the free edges of the two sections.

A problem with this style of gown is that the opposed edges of the two side portions are only pulled together in the regions of the ties. As a result, gaps are left between the ties and parts of the wearer's body are exposed. This compromises the wearer's modesty and is likely to make the wearer feel embarrassed, undignified and vulnerable. The only way to close these gaps is for the wearer to manually hold together the opposed edges of the side portions. This is uncomfortable at best and may be impossible if the wearer has limited movement of the arms.

In the event that healthcare professionals wish to access the front of a wearer's body, a gown can be worn backwards such that the split-open back covers the front of the wearer. However, once again the wearer's modesty will be compromised as gaps will arise at the front of the wearer's body.

Variations on this style of gown include gowns with a split-open side on one or both sides of the gown, closed front and back sections, and vertically-spaced ties that extend from opposite edges of the front and back sections across the split-open side. However, as before, gaps arise between the spaced-apart ties, this time on the flank of the wearer, again compromising the modesty and comfort of the wearer.

The gaps left by these commonly-used styles of gowns also mean that the wearer is not protected from spillages and contaminants in the regions where the gaps exist.

A further disadvantage of these commonly-used styles of gowns is that they are confusing for the wearer to put on and are often worn incorrectly. Due to the number of ties extending from opposite sections of gown and the likelihood that the ties may be out of sight at the back of the gown, it is easily possible for the wearer to mismatch opposing ties when drawing the ties together to secure the gown. This can create even bigger gaps between the spaced-apart ties, increasing the wearer's embarrassment. Often, wearers will require assistance in order to don the gown correctly.

Even when the ties are positioned at the side or the front of the gown and are clearly visible to the wearer, the number of ties required to secure the gown makes donning the gown cumbersome and time-consuming.

US 6,115,839 describes a surgical gown with an open back and two opposed back sections that overlap along the entire length of the gown to provide improved barrier protection for the wearer. A problem with this gown is that the ties are out of sight at the back of the gown, which makes it awkward for the wearer to secure the gown. Also, the overlapping sections hinder access to the ties.

WO 2005/067748 describes a surgical gown with an open front and two front sections, one of which overlaps the other to close the gown at the front. A disadvantage of a front-closing gown is that it provides less effective barrier protection to liquids and other contaminants than a back-closing gown, since the front of the gown is the area of the gown most likely to be contacted with contaminants. Moreover, the overlapping front section extends the full length of the gown and makes it difficult for the wearer to close the gown. Also, the size of the overlapping front section constitutes a waste of material, undesirably increasing the cost of the gown.

Surgeons, too, suffer from the problems of known gowns. These problems are exacerbated because surgeons must follow strict sterile procedures when donning gowns before surgery in order to minimise the risk of infection to the patient. Once the surgeon has scrubbed up following the standard aseptic protocol he is ready to put on the gown which is provided in a sterile gown pack. Typically, the surgeon picks up the gown by the shoulders allowing the gown to gently unfold whilst ensuring that the gown does not touch any object. Holding the gown from the inside, the surgeon must open up the gown and then place his/her hands through both sleeves of the gown simultaneously. An assistant is then required to fasten the gown at the back and ensure that the gown is donned and secured properly.

The front of a surgical gown is the area of the gown that is most likely to be contacted by liquids and other contaminants in use. Therefore, it is preferable for the gown to fasten around the back and not the front of the body so that the front of the gown is made of an uninterrupted piece of material providing improved barrier protection. However, the barrier protection provided by the back of the gown is also important. Commonly used gowns such as those described above - comprising ties that extend from opposite edges of the two back sections - result in the formation of gaps between the ties when the ties are drawn together to secure the gown. The presence of these gaps is undesirable in a surgical context, since they provide a direct path for the transmission of bacteria and contaminants to and from the wearer of the gown.

Although it is preferable for the gown to fasten around the back, aseptic protocol usually does not permit a surgeon to put his hands behind his back in order to fasten a gown, since this would involve moving his hands outside of the region commonly known as the "sterile zone". This zone refers to the region generally in front of the wearer's body substantially from the neckline to the waistline and extending laterally outward to the sides of the wearer's body. The sterile zone exists in order to minimise the risk of hand contamination prior to a surgical procedure. For this reason, an assistant is required to fasten the gown behind the surgeon's back.

However, there are times when it is inconvenient for the surgeon to have to wait until an assistant is available to fasten the gown. Indeed, in an emergency situation, such a delay could be dangerous or even fatal.

WO2005/023030 describes a self-donning surgical gown of split-open back style that has a closure member that extends around the gown body and terminates at the edges of the split-open back. The closure member comprises a rigid or semi-rigid material such as a malleable strip or wire made of plastic or metal which can be deformed to the shape desired. Manipulation of the closure member at the front of the gown causes at least one of the edges of the split-open back to move towards the other edge, thereby closing the back of the gown. The gown may be fastened by a fastener located along at least a portion of at least one of the edges of the split-open back.

The gown of WO2005/023030 suffers from the disadvantage that, even though the wearer is able to move the edges of the split-open back towards one another to close the back of the gown, there is no indication as to how the wearer could then fasten the gown themselves. It appears that it would still be necessary for an assistant to actually fasten the gown so that it does not leave any gaps: indeed an assistant is still required to fasten ties behind the surgeon's neck. If the gown was merely closed by the wearer but not fastened by an assistant, the gap at the back of the gown would continue to allow transmission of bacteria and contaminants to and from the wearer of the gown. Indeed, it is possible for the gown to open inadvertently in the event that the closure member is moved accidentally. Furthermore, the fact that the closure member is formed from a rigid or semi-rigid material could mean that the wearer experiences discomfort whilst wearing the gown.

US 4,674,132 describes a surgical gown which can be donned without the assistance of a second party. The gown is of the split-open back style with two back sections and includes a malleable semi-circular wire and cardboard frame in the neck and upper chest region to facilitate donning of the gown and an extension of one of the back sections of the gown (referred to as the posterior/anterior flap element) upon which is placed adhesive strips so as to close the gown. Additionally, the gown includes a belt which is attached at one end to the extended back section and has adhesive strips on both sides of the other, free end of the belt. By means of the adhesive strips at its free end, the belt can be fastened temporarily to a sterile surface for donning the gown.

To don the gown, the wearer grasps the free end of the belt, removes a backing layer from an adhesive strip at the free end and applies that strip to a sterile surface. The wearer then turns 360° so as to cause the extended back section of the gown to overlap the edge of the other back section, removes the belt from the sterile surface, removes the backing layer of an adhesive strip on the inside of the extended back section and then attaches that strip to a point on the gown that is comfortable to him/her.

The gown of US 4,674,132 suffers from the disadvantage that the surface to which the belt is temporarily applied must be sterile. Not all surfaces in an operating theatre environment are necessarily sterile and it is unlikely that the wearer of the gown can know which surfaces are sterile and which surfaces are non-sterile. If the gown wearer were to inadvertently attach the belt to a non-sterile surface, the gown would be at risk of becoming contaminated once the belt was removed from the non-sterile surface and this would increase the risk of infection to the patient.

Moreover, once the wearer has completed the 360° turn and the belt is removed from the surface, the belt becomes redundant and hangs loose from the side of the gown. This is potentially problematic because the adhesive strips at the free end of the belt could become stuck to other objects or persons during the operating procedure. This is irritating and inconvenient; it could also be dangerous if, for example, the belt creates a trip hazard. Moreover, a loose belt could also further increase the spread of contamination if the belt was previously applied to a non-sterile surface.

It is an aim of the present invention to provide a surgical gown that overcomes the abovementioned disadvantages.

In one sense, the present invention resides in a medical gown, comprising:

a central portion for covering the front or back of a wearer's body; and first and second opposed side portions on respective sides of the central portion for passing around the wearer's body in opposite directions when the gown is being donned and then being brought together to define an overlapping region such that, when worn, the gown encircles the wearer's body with the overlapping region opposed to the central portion about the wearer's body;

wherein the overlapping region comprises upper and lower sections, the upper section having the first side portion overlying the second side portion and the lower section having the second side portion overlying the first side portion.

By virtue of the invention, the gown can be closed with no significant gaps between the opposed side sections, leading to a neat solution that provides a more effective barrier against contaminants than the prior art. Moreover if used as a patient gown, the invention provides greater modesty. Yet, the gown of the invention is easy to don.

The central portion of the gown may have an upper edge that at least partially defines a neck opening in use and arm openings may be spaced laterally below the upper edge.

Each side portion may have a flap extending laterally to define a respective section of the overlapping region. Such a flap may be arranged to overlie a part of the opposed side portion and the flap of at least one side portion may extend around the wearer's body to the central portion when worn in use.

A tie preferably extends from at least one of the flaps for fastening the gown in use. At least one tie may comprise a loop. The or each tie may extend around the wearer's body to the central portion when worn in use. This eases fastening of the or each tie. Moreover, the or each tie may at least partially define a belt for the gown when fastened in use. This further improves the comfort and neatness of the gown in use. Where the flap of the gown defines an upper edge, the tie may be attached to the flap at or close to the upper edge to maintain tension in the edge when the tie is fastened in use.

The central portion of the gown suitably has an attachment means for attachment of the tie to the central portion. For example, the attachment means may be a button or a hook-and-loop fastener. Where each flap has a respective tie, the ties may be attached to each other to fasten the gown in use.

In some embodiments of the invention, the tie is removably attached to a tag that is attachable in turn to a surface. That surface need not be sterile. When the tag is attached to the surface, the wearer can turn to impart tension in the tie to draw the flap at least partially around the wearer's body. For example, the wearer may turn through 360°.

The tie may be knotted to the tag by knot, which may be a releasable knot, or the tag may be removable from the tie by being torn. The tie may, for example, extend through a hole in the tag, in which case frangible means such as perforations may extend from the hole to the edge of the tag to ease removal of the tie by tearing the tag.

The tag may be adhesively attachable to the surface, suitably by an adhesive tab. The adhesive tab may be covered by a protective layer which is removable before use. The tag may be elongate, in which case the adhesive tab is advantageously disposed at or near one end of the tag, with the tie being attached to the tag at or near an opposed end. This enables the wearer to remove the tag from the surface without touching the possibly non-sterile surface and without touching the adhesive tab that could, therefore, carry contaminants.

The lower section of the overlapping region may be defined by a flap whose upper edge is generally horizontal in use. The upper edge of that flap and any associated tie may thereby follow the wearer's waistline for optimum comfort, while maintaining excellent coverage. Conversely, the upper section of the overlapping region may be defined by a flap whose upper edge is inclined with respect to the horizontal in use. This minimises usage of material, eases donning and increases comfort. In particular, the upper edge of the flap defining the upper section may be inclined downwardly toward its free end. An associated tie may thereby extend comfortably and securely under the wearer's arm in a direction leading from the neck opening of the gown.

In embodiments illustrated herein, the upper edge of the flap defining the upper section extends with increasing inclination into a neck opening of the gown. The flap defining the upper section may have a lower edge that converges with the upper edge towards its free end. Suitably, the upper edge may be shorter than the lower edge.

More generally, the flap associated with the lower section of the overlapping region may be generally oblong and the flap of the upper section of the overlapping region may be generally triangular. These upper and lower sections are suitably of different depths: for example, the upper section may be shallower than the lower section. The upper and lower sections of the overlapping region suitably meet at waist level. The lower section of the overlapping region may partially define a bottom edge of the gown.

Within the same inventive concept, the invention also contemplates a method of donning a medical gown, comprising:

inserting a wearer's arms through arm openings of the gown such that a central portion of the gown covers the front or back of the wearer's body;

passing first and second opposed side portions around the wearer's body in opposite directions; and

bringing the side portions together to define an overlapping region between the side portions such that the gown encircles the wearer's body with the overlapping region opposed to the central portion about the wearer's body;

wherein the overlapping portion is defined by: laying the first side portion over the second side portion in an upper section of the overlapping portion; and

laying the second side portion over the first side portion in a lower section of the overlapping portion.

The method of the invention preferably further comprises tensioning each side portion while laying it over the other side portion. For example, the side portions may be tensioned by pulling respective ties, in which case the ties may be tied to each other when the overlapping portion has been defined. It is further envisaged that the side portions are fastened while under tension when the overlapping portion has been defined. In any case, the side portions are advantageously fastened in a sterile zone at or above the wearer's waist when the overlapping portion has been defined.

The invention extends to a medical gown having a tie removably attached to a tag that is attachable to a surface whereby, when the tag is attached to the surface, a wearer can turn to impart tension in the tie to draw a portion of the gown at least partially around the wearer's body. This enables a wearer, such as a surgeon, to don the gown without assistance while keeping his hands in the sterile zone in front of his body; yet, sterile conditions are maintained by removing and discarding the tag, or at least the part of the tag that contacted the surface. In this way, contact with the surface does not contaminate the tie, the rest of the gown or the surgeon's hands.

Thus, in a related method, the invention may also be expressed as a method of donning a medical gown, comprising:

inserting a wearer's arms through arm openings of the gown such that a central portion of the gown covers the front of the wearer's body;

extending a tie from a flap of the gown, the tie having a tag attached thereto;

attaching the tag to an anchor surface separate from the gown to anchor the tag; the wearer turning to pull the flap into a closed position by tensioning the tie attached to the anchored tag;

removing the tie from the tag or from an anchor portion of the tag; and

securing the tie to hold the flap in the closed position.

The tag is suitably removed from the tie after the tag has been removed from the surface. To maintain sterile conditions, the tag is removed from the surface without the wearer touching the surface or any part of the tag that touched the surface. For similar reasons, the tie is suitably fastened in a sterile zone at or above the wearer's waist.

The tag may include a tie portion to which the tie is attached, and the tie portion may be removed from the anchor portion of the tag. In that case, the tie portion of the tag may be removed from the anchor portion after the anchor portion has been removed from the surface, or the tie portion of the tag may be removed from the anchor portion while the anchor portion remains attached to the surface.

The method of donning a medical gown may also be expressed as:

extending a first tie from a first flap of the gown, the first tie having a first tag attached thereto;

attaching the first tag to an anchor surface separate from the gown to anchor the first tag;

the wearer turning in a first direction to pull the first flap into a closed position by tensioning the first tie attached to the anchored first tag;

removing the first tie from the first tag or from an anchor portion of the first tag; extending a second tie from a second flap of the gown, the second tie having a second tag attached thereto;

attaching the second tag to an anchor surface separate from the gown to anchor the second tag;

the wearer turning in a second direction opposed to the first direction to pull the second flap into a closed position by tensioning the second tie attached to the anchored second tag; and

removing the second tie from the second tag or from an anchor portion of the second tag.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a back view of a gown in a first embodiment of the present invention, with the gown unfastened;

Figure 2 is a front view of the gown of Figure 1, again unfastened, and showing tags removably attached to ties and to the front of the gown;

Figures 3a and 3b are detail views from opposite sides of a tag removably attached to a tie in the first embodiment of the present invention, Figure 3b showing the position of an adhesive tab on the tag;

Figure 4 is a front view showing a tag of Figures 3 a and 3b attached to a surface as the gown of the first embodiment is being donned in use;

Figure 5 is a front view showing the gown of Figure 4 at the next stage of the donning process, where a tie has been detached from the tag and attached to the front of the gown after the wearer has turned through 360°; Figure 6 is a front view showing the gown of Figure 5 at the next stage of the donning process, where a second tag of Figures 3a and 3b has been attached to a surface;

Figure 7 is a front view of the gown of Figure 6 after the gown has been fully donned and fastened;

Figure 8 is a back view of the fully- fastened gown of Figure 7;

Figure 9 is a back view of an unfastened gown in a second embodiment of the present invention, in which ties are not provided with tags;

Figure 10 is a back view of a closed but not yet fastened gown in a third embodiment of the present invention akin to that shown in Figure 9, but in which one of the ties has been replaced by a loop;

Figure 11 is a front view of the gown shown in Figure 10, now fully fastened, showing how the remaining tie and the loop are attached to a button on the front of the gown; and

Figure 12 is a front view of the front of a gown being a variant of the third embodiment, in which the remaining tie is knotted directly to the loop.

Referring firstly to Figures 1 and 2, in a first embodiment of the invention a medical gown 100 suitable for use by a surgeon comprises a collar 1 defining a neck opening 2, sleeves 3 defining arm openings 4 and a body 5. The body 5 defines a closed front 6 whereas a central opening 7 extends along the entire length of the back of the gown 100 dividing the back of the gown 100 into two sides 8 and 9 whose respective edges 10 and 11 face each other across the central opening 7. The gown 100 has a bottom edge 12 that extends orthogonally with respect to the opposed edges 10 and 11 of the sides 8 and 9.

A gown to be worn by a surgeon would typically have long sleeves with elasticated cuffs to cover the whole arm. However, for ease of representation, the sleeves 3 have been cropped in the drawings. In some embodiments, the gown of the invention can also be used by patients; in that case, the sleeves would usually be short and loose- fitting.

The edges 10 and 11 of the sides 8 and 9 of the gown 100 are generally straight and parallel apart from overlap formations defined by respective flaps 13 and 14, one on each side of the gown 100. Specifically, an oblong flap 14 extends laterally from the edge 11 of side 9, at a lower position between the level of the waist and the bottom edge 12 of the gown 100. A triangular flap 13 extends laterally in the opposite direction from the edge 10 of side 8, at an upper position between the waist level and the collar 1.

The oblong flap 14 defines a lateral free edge 15 that lies substantially parallel to the edge 11 of the side 9. An upper edge 16 of the oblong flap 14 extends orthogonally between the lateral free edge 15 and the edge 11. This defines an outermost upper corner 17 where a tie 18 is attached to the oblong flap 14.

The triangular flap 13 has a relatively short upper edge 19 that extends downwardly and (when closed) inwardly from the collar 1 to an apex 20, and a relatively long lower edge 21 that extends downwardly and (when closed) outwardly from the apex 20 to join the edge 10 at or near the waist level. A tie 22 is attached to the apex 20 of the triangular flap 13.

As best shown in Figure 2 and in more detail in Figures 3 a and 3b, tags 23, 24 are each attached by respective knots 25 to the free ends of the ties 18 and 22 respectively. Figure 3b shows that each tag 23, 24 has an adhesive tab 27 on one side near its free end, the adhesive tab 27 being covered by a peel-off protective layer 28.

Before use as shown in Figure 2, the ties 18 and 22 of the oblong and triangular flaps 14, 13 respectively are releasably attached to the front of the gown 100 in the sterile zone above the waist by respective stitches 29. It is possible for stitches 29 to attach the flaps 14 and 13 directly to the front of the gown 100 if the flaps are long enough to reach that far around the wearer's body. Other releasable attachments such as glue or a hook-and-loop fastener are possible; it is also possible that the tags 23 and 24 could be adhesively attached to the gown 100 either instead of other fastenings or in addition to other fastenings.

In use, the gown 100 is donned without assistance in the following sterile manner. Once the surgeon has scrubbed up following the standard aseptic protocol he removes the gown 100 from a sterile gown pack (not shown). Holding the gown 100 from the inside, the surgeon opens up the gown 100 and then places his hands through both sleeves 3 of the gown 100 simultaneously so that the closed front 6 of the gown 100 is against the front of his body.

As shown in Figure 4, the surgeon then detaches the oblong flap 14 from the front 6 of the gown 100 by pulling on the part of the oblong flap 14 or the associated tie 18 that is attached to the front 6 of the gown 100 by the stitch 29, removes the protective layer 28 from the adhesive tab 27 on the tag 23 and applies the adhesive tab 27 to a surface 31 to attach the tag 23 to the surface 31. The surface 31 need not be sterile: neither the surgeon's hands nor the tie 18 attached to the tag 23 touch that surface. While maintaining tension in the tie 18 to prevent the tie touching the surface 31 , the surgeon then turns 360° counter-clockwise (when viewed from above) so that the oblong flap 14 is pulled across the back of the gown 100 to close the lower part of the gown. The oblong flap 14 then extends at least partially around the surgeon's side, terminating to the side or front 6 of the gown 100 where the surgeon can again grasp the tie 18 without his hands leaving the sterile zone.

The tag 23 is removed from the surface 31 and then detached from the tie 18 and discarded. It is also possible for the tie 18 to be pulled from the tag 23 while the tag 23 remains attached to the surface 31. The tie 18 is then attached to a button 32 on the front 6 of the gown 100 to hold the oblong flap 14 in position, as shown in Figure 5. Other attachment means such as a loop or a hook-and-loop fastener could be used instead of a button.

Moving on to Figure 6, the surgeon then repeats the procedure with the triangular flap 13. The surgeon detaches the triangular flap 13 by pulling on the tie 22 associated with the triangular flap 13 where the tie 22 is attached to the front 6 of the gown 100 by the stitch 30, removes the protective layer 28 from the adhesive tab 27 on the tag 24 and applies the adhesive tab 27 to a surface 33 to attach the tag 24 to the surface 33. The surgeon then turns 360° clockwise (when viewed from above) so that the triangular flap 13 is pulled across the back of the gown 100 to close the upper part of the gown 100. The tie 22 associated with the triangular flap 13 then extends around the side of the surgeon, comfortably under his arm and to the front 6 of the gown 100 where the surgeon can again grasp the tie 22 without his hands leaving the sterile zone.

The tag 24 is removed from the surface 33 and then detached from the tie 22 and discarded. Again, it is possible for the tie 22 to be pulled from the tag 24 instead while the tag 24 remains attached to the surface 31. The tie 22 is then attached to the tie 18 at the front 6 of the gown 100 and/or tied to the button 32 as shown in Figure 7. When the gown 100 is fully closed and fastened there are no significant gaps left at the back of the gown 100 as shown in Figure 8. This provides improved barrier protection at the back of the gown 100.

In a second embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 9, a medical gown 101 suitable to be worn by a patient (hence having short sleeves 2) is otherwise similar to the gown 100 of the first embodiment, comprising a collar 1, sleeves 3, a body 5 and a central opening 7 extending along the back of the gown dividing the back of the gown into two sides 8 and 9. An oblong flap 14 extends from the edge 11 of side 9 between the level of the waist and the bottom edge 12 of the gown 101, with a tie 18 being attached to the outermost upper corner 17 of the flap 14. A triangular flap 13 extends from the edge 10 of side 8 above the level of the waist, with a tie 22 being attached to the apex 20 of the flap 13.

In this instance, the gown 101 is donned in the following manner. The wearer opens up the gown 101 and places his arms through the sleeves 3 of the gown 101 so that the closed front 6 of the gown 101 is against the front of his body. The wearer reaches behind his back, grasps tie 18 and pulls it in a clockwise direction (viewed from above) across the back and around to the front of the body. This pulls the oblong flap 14 across the back of the gown 101 in order to close the lower part of the gown 101. The oblong flap 14 extends around the wearer's side to the front of the gown 101 where it is secured by attaching tie 18 to a button 32 or other suitable attachment means on the front of the gown 101. The wearer then reaches behind his back to grasp tie 22 and pulls it across the back and around to the front of the body in a counterclockwise direction (viewed from above) so that the triangular flap 13 is pulled across the back of the gown 101 in order to close the upper part of the gown 101. The tie 22 is then attached to the tie 18 at the front of the gown 101 or tied to the button 32 or other attachment means in a manner similar to that shown in Figure 7.

In the third embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 10, a loop 34 may be attached to the uppermost outer corner 17 of the oblong flap 14 of a gown 102 instead of a tie. In use, the loop 34 may be attached to a button 32 or other attachment means on the front of the gown 102 as shown in Figure 11, or tied directly to the tie 22 as shown in the variant 103 of Figure 12.

It should be appreciated that the order of fastening the flaps in the above embodiments is immaterial: the wearer may decide to close the upper part of the back of the gown with the triangular flap 13 first and then to close the lower part of the back of the gown with the oblong flap 14. This user- friendliness eases donning of the gown. It should also be appreciated that flaps 13 and 14 may be on opposite sides of the gown to the arrangements shown, in a mirror arrangement, i.e. the triangular flap 13 may extend from side 11 and the oblong flap 14 may extend from side 10.

As an alternative or as a supplement to the various attachment means mentioned above, it would be possible for a gown of the invention to have a hole for receiving a tie. For example, a flap could be provided with a hole for receiving a tie extending from another flap whereby the tie can be threaded through the hole and pulled to draw the flaps together.

Although not shown in the drawings, it would be possible for a gown of the invention to have supplementary ties of traditional design, such as ties at the neck opening whose sole purpose is to close the collar. However the invention does not require such supplementary ties and may obviate such ties entirely. It is also possible for the gown of the invention to be supplied as a universal size although this does not preclude the supply of differently-sized gowns to cater for wearers whose height or girth departs significantly from the norm. The gown of the invention has fewer ties than traditional gowns and so it is intrinsically easier for the unfamiliar wearer to understand how to don and fasten the gown. For example, the illustrated embodiments have a single pair of ties, or a loop and tie, that fasten on a single level and are easy to see in use. There is only one way to don and fasten the gown and that way is self-evident. However it may be helpful to provide further visual references such as brightly coloured ties, optionally colour- coded in different colours so that users can easily distinguish between the ties. Another possible aid is a diagram, which (in a closed-front arrangement) is suitably printed or affixed on the inner surface of the front of the gown.

Claims

1. A medical gown, comprising:

a central portion for covering the front or back of a wearer's body; and

first and second opposed side portions on respective sides of the central portion for passing around the wearer's body in opposite directions when the gown is being donned and then being brought together to define an overlapping region such that, when worn, the gown encircles the wearer's body with the overlapping region opposed to the central portion about the wearer's body;

2. The gown of Claim 1, wherein each side portion has a flap extending laterally to define a respective section of the overlapping region.

3. The gown of Claim 2, wherein the flap of each side portion is arranged to overlie a part of the opposed side portion.

4. The gown of Claim 2 or Claim 3, wherein the flap of at least one side portion extends around the wearer's body to the central portion when worn in use.

5. The gown of any of Claims 2 to 4, wherein a tie extends from at least one of the flaps for fastening the gown in use.

6. The gown of Claim 5, wherein the tie extends around the wearer's body to the central portion when worn in use.

7. The gown of Claim 5 or Claim 6, wherein at least one tie comprises a loop.

8. The gown of any of Claims 5 to 7, wherein the central portion has attachment means for attachment of a tie to the central portion.

9. The gown of any of Claims 5 to 8, wherein each flap has a respective tie, the ties being attached to each other to fasten the gown in use.

10. The gown of any of Claims 5 to 9, wherein the or each tie at least partially defines a belt for the gown when fastened in use.

11. The gown of any of Claims 5 to 10, wherein the tie is removably attached to a tag that is attachable to a surface whereby, when the tag is attached to the surface, a wearer can turn to impart tension in the tie to draw the flap at least partially around the wearer's body.

12. The gown of Claim 11, wherein the tag is adhesively attachable to the surface.

13. The gown of Claim 12, wherein the tag includes an adhesive tab.

14. The gown of any of Claims 11 to 13, wherein the tag is elongate.

15. The gown of Claim 14, wherein the adhesive tab is disposed at or near one end of the tag and the tie is attached to the tag at or near an opposed end.

16. The gown of Claim 14 or Claim 15, wherein the adhesive tab is covered by a protective layer that is removable before use.

17. The gown of any of Claims 11 to 16, wherein the tie is knotted to the tag.

18. The gown of Claim 17, wherein the knot is releasable.

19. The gown of any of Claims 11 to 18, wherein the tag is removable from the tie by being torn.

20. The gown of any of Claims 2 to 19, wherein the flap defines an upper edge and the tie is attached to the flap at or close to the upper edge to maintain tension in the upper edge when the tie is fastened in use.

21. The gown of Claim 20, wherein the lower section of the overlapping region is defined by a flap whose upper edge is generally horizontal in use.

22. The gown of Claim 20 or Claim 21, wherein the upper section of the overlapping region is defined by a flap whose upper edge is inclined with respect to the horizontal in use.

23. The gown of Claim 22, wherein the upper edge of the flap defining the upper section is inclined downwardly toward its free end.

24. The gown of Claim 23, wherein the upper edge of the flap defining the upper section extends with increasing inclination into a neck opening of the gown.

25. The gown of Claim 23 or Claim 24, wherein the flap defining the upper section has a lower edge that converges with the upper edge toward its free end.

26. The gown of Claim 25, wherein the upper edge is shorter than the lower edge.

27. The gown of any of Claims 2 to 26, wherein the flap associated with the lower section of the overlapping region is generally oblong.

28. The gown of any of Claims 2 to 27, wherein the flap associated with the upper section of the overlapping region is generally triangular.

29. The gown of any of Claims 1 to 28, wherein the upper and lower sections of the overlapping region are of different depths.

30. The gown of Claim 29, wherein the upper section is shallower than the lower section.

31. The gown of any of Claims 1 to 30, wherein the upper and lower sections of the overlapping region meet at waist level.

32. The gown of any of Claims 1 to 31, wherein the lower section of the overlapping region partially defines a bottom edge of the gown.

33. The gown of any of Claims 1 to 32, wherein the central portion has an upper edge that at least partially defines a neck opening in use.

34. The gown of any of Claims 1 to 33, wherein arm openings are spaced laterally below the upper edge of the central portion.

35. A method of donning a medical gown, comprising:

wherein the overlapping portion is defined by:

laying the first side portion over the second side portion in an upper section of the overlapping portion; and

36. The method of Claim 35, further comprising tensioning each side portion while laying it over the other side portion.

37. The method of Claim 35 or Claim 36, wherein the side portions are tensioned by pulling respective ties.

38. The method of Claim 37, wherein the ties are tied to each other when the overlapping portion has been defined.

39. The method of any of Claims 35 to 38, further comprising fastening the side portions while under tension when the overlapping portion has been defined.

40. The method of any of Claims 35 to 39, wherein the side portions are fastened in a sterile zone at or above the wearer's waist when the overlapping portion has been defined.

41. A medical gown having a tie removably attached to a tag that is attachable to a surface whereby, when the tag is attached to the surface, a wearer can turn to impart tension in the tie to draw a portion of the gown at least partially around the wearer's body.

42. The gown of Claim 41, wherein the tag is adhesively attachable to the surface.

43. The gown of Claim 42, wherein the tag includes an adhesive tab.

44. The gown of Claim 43, wherein the adhesive tab is covered by a protective layer that is removable before use.

45. The gown of any of Claims 42 to 44, wherein the tag is elongate.

46. The gown of Claim 45, wherein the adhesive tab is disposed at or near one end of the tag and the tie is attached to the tag at or near an opposed end.

47. The gown of any of Claims 41 to 46, wherein the tie is knotted to the tag.

48. The gown of Claim 47, wherein the knot is releasable.

49. The gown of any of Claims 41 to 48, wherein the tag is removable from the tie by being torn.

50. A method of donning a medical gown, comprising:

extending a tie from a flap of the gown, the tie having a tag attached thereto;

attaching the tag to an anchor surface separate from the gown to anchor the tag;

the wearer turning to pull the flap into a closed position by tensioning the tie attached to the anchored tag;

removing the tie from the tag or from an anchor portion of the tag; and

securing the tie to hold the flap in the closed position.

51. The method of Claim 50, wherein the tie is removed from the tag after the tag is removed from the surface.

52. The method of Claim 51, wherein the tag is removed from the surface without the wearer touching the surface or any part of the tag that touched the surface.

53. The method of Claim 50, wherein the tag includes a tie portion to which the tie is attached, and the tie portion is removed from the anchor portion of the tag.

54. The method of Claim 53, wherein the tie portion of the tag is removed from the anchor portion after the anchor portion has been removed from the surface.

55. The method of Claim 53, wherein the tie portion of the tag is removed from the anchor portion while the anchor portion remains attached to the surface.

56. The method of any of Claims 50 to 55, comprising fastening the tie in a sterile zone at or above the wearer's waist.

57. The method of any of Claims 50 to 56, comprising:

removing the first tie from the first tag or from an anchor portion of the first tag;

extending a second tie from a second flap of the gown, the second tie having a second tag attached thereto;