WO2018211293A1

WO2018211293A1 - Medical sock

Info

Publication number: WO2018211293A1
Application number: PCT/GR2018/000021
Authority: WO
Inventors: Emmanouil ARVANITAKIS
Original assignee: Arvanitakis Emmanouil
Priority date: 2017-05-18
Filing date: 2018-05-08
Publication date: 2018-11-22
Also published as: GR1009378B

Abstract

The invention relates to a medical sock made of polyurethane, elastane, viscose and the polysaccharide chitosan. The sock covers the sole up to the ankle, retaining the foot and relieving it. At the large toe, it has a hole (4) for its decongestion and aeration. The direction of the elastane fibers at the abductor area of the large toe (1) and at the area of the outer part of the foot (2) contributes in the stabilization of the first radius and in the strengthening of the abductor of the small toe. The direction thereof at the lower part (3) contributes in the function control of the plantar denervation.

Description

DESCRIPTION

"MEDICAL SOCK"

The present invention is a divisional of the patent 1 008741 , filed at OVI at 16.1 2.2014 with app. no. 206101 00541 .

FI ELD OF THE I NVENTION

The invention relates to the field of garments and in particular to socks and more specifically to medical elastic socks for the treatment of foot diseases.

BACKGROUND OF THE I NVENTION

The med ical sock disclosed in the present invention, with its particular features, has not been disclosed in the prior art.

Foot diseases constitute a major problem for the daily life of athletes and other people. A common failure to prevents such d iseases in combination with the inevitable straining of the feet result to a temporal or permanent development of diseases that make daily life difficult. The complexity of the foot and the special features of the toes, ankle, sole and its joints further contribute in the slow healing or treatment in general of the problems emerged.

Until now, the problems arising on the large toe are usually treated either by using a night brace, or a silicone cover for the toe. On the other side however, the brace presents rigidness, it is difficult to apply and being relatively large is not suitable for permanent use. On the other side, the silicone cover does not repair the emerged problems, but operates suppressively to avoid friction by contact on the damaged area. Additionally, its use is limited to special types of feet, further reducing its usefulness. A solution proposed with the original filing related to a medical sock for foot diseases, which fixes the heel and covers the large toe and a part of the back surface of the foot. The problem presented with the specific medical sock is that it did not have anti-bacterial properties. Due to its relatively closed application, it did not allow a free air circulation around the sole and thus bad smell emerged. A further deficiency was observed as regards the decongestion of the large toe as well as the stabilization of the feet. The elastic properties of elastane were not fully exploited, since the weaving was not uniform and not in a specific direction, so as to contribute in a reduction of the strains and inflammations.

It is an object of the present invention to address advantageously the above-mentioned disadvantages and deficiencies of the prior art, by proposing a medical sock which retains the first radius of the foot and extends over all the upper surface of the foot to the ankle.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a medical sock which retains the large toe with its lower surface, covering the heel to the ankle.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a medical sock which has a small thickness and is made of polyurethane, elastane and natural fibers based on chitosan and viscose.

A further object of the invention is to provide a medical sock which aids the first radius to be stable, resulting to a reduction in its hyperactivity, and thus in the emergence of problems on the foot.

A further object of the invention is to enforce the abductor of the small toe, thus it aids in the fifth metatarsocuboid joint to operate properly. Respectively, it reduces malformations and inflammations.

Another object of the invention is to provide a medical sock, which reduces the possibility of sprains, since it provides a stabilization of the subankle joint during walking.

An object of the present invention is to provide a medical sock which improves blood circulation in the foot.

An object of the present invention is to provide a medical sock which reduces the formation of calluses, protects against sprains, reduces the pain on the Achille's tendon and in general aids in the stabilization of walking.

A further advantage of the invention is the fact that due to the improved perfusion in the foot, the wound healing rate on the foot is increased, while it additionally contributes in the treatment of bleeding.

These and further objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent in the following detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art with reference to the accompanying figures in which it is shown in an exemplary, non-limiting manner.

Figure 1 shows in a side, perspective outline the medical sock of the present invention.

Figure 2 shows ah exemplary outline in perspective imaging of the medical sock of the invention, as it is worn on a foot.

Figure 3 shows a plan view of the invention, as it is worn on a foot, depicting the direction of the elastic fibers.

Figure 4 shows in a perspective outline the medical sock as fully developed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the accompanying figures we will describe exemplary embodiments of the invention, so that the innovation of the object and the particular technical features thereof become apparent.

The medical sock, Fig. 1 , consists of a single construction which retains the first radius of the foot over all the upper surface of the foot to the ankle. Similarly, it retains the large toe of the foot and with the lower surface of the foot, embracing the heel.

The medical sock of the invention is made of a composition of three major materials. A basic material is polyurethane, at an exemplary proportion of 73%, while it also uses elastane at an exemplary proportion of 17% and finally the natural fibers consisting of a combination of chitosan and viscose are used at a proportion of 10%. The proportion of chitosan in the above combination may be from 1 % to 99%. The antibacterial polysaccharide chitosan is derived from chitin, a linear polysaccharide and is found mainly on crabs. Chitosan has multiple advantageous properties, since it is biodegradable and safe at contact with the human body. Its effect on the human body has been studied both under oral administration and by absorption through the skin and its safety has been proven. Also it is not allergic and due to the enzymes that it contains, lysozyme and chitinase, which decompose the cellular membrane of bacteria and other microorganisms, blocks their growth. Furthermore, chitosan has an haemostatic action, stopping the blood flow and essentially activating the natural repairing action of the organism, and achieves a quicker would healing. It also reduces bad smell that may emerge, since it blocks the development of bacteria from which the bad smell emerges. Thus, the addition of the specific polysaccharide, as a manufacturing material, of the medical sock, provides it with the specific features.

The medical sock, as shown in Fig. 4, consists of a single structure, which exemplarily has a thickness of 0.3-0.5 mm. The sock has a double suture both at the front, upper part of the sole, and at the rear part of the heel, so that it is passes on the foot of the user, while at the same time it does not cause skin irritations. The manufacturing materials include a base of cut polyurethane which is extremely elastic when mixed with other elements, resistant to deformations and friction, while in parallel is soft, light and glossy. It may be manufactured in various cross-sections, depending on the intended aesthetic and operational result, while its processing is particularly easy. During manufacturing of the elastic sock, the direction of the elastic fibers, which are of enhanced composition by the use of elastane at a proportion of 25%, along the abductor region of the large toe (1), is towards the ankle, so that it causes contractions, for the strengthening of the first radius of the foot. In this way, the abductor of the large toe is strengthened with the result that the first radius remains stable, reducing its hyperactivity, and thus reducing the problems on the foot. Similarly, the area at the outer part of the foot (2), which is associated to the fifth toe, has a direction of elastic fibers similarly towards the ankle, also with enhancement of the composition of the elastane by a proportion of 25%. This leads to a strengthening of the abductor of the small toe, thereby reducing the deformations of the fifth metatarsocuboid joint.

At the lower part (3) of the construction of the medical sock, Fig. 3, the elastic fibers have the direction of the plantar denervation thereby reducing strains and inflammations. The enhancement of the elastane at a proportion of 25% also contributes in the final example. The medical sock has a hole (4), Fig 2, in the area of the large toe of the foot for aeration reasons but also for descongestion and decompression thereof.

It should be noted that the description of the invention was made with reference to exemplary non-limiting embodiments. Thus, any variation or modification as regards the shape, dimensions, morphology, the materials employed, as long as not constituting a new inventive step and not contributing in the technical advance of the already known are considered as included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A medical sock, consisting of polyurethane at a proportion of 73%, elastane at a proportion of 17% and natural fibers of viscose and polysaccharide chitosan at a proportion of 10%, characterized in that it has along the abductor area of the large toe (1) and along the area at the outer part of the foot (2) a direction of elastane fibers towards the ankle and at the lower part (3) a direction of fibers along the plantar denervation.

2. A medical sock according to claim 1 characterised in that it has a hole (4) at the area of the large toe.

3. A medical sock according to claim 1 characterised in that it has an enhanced elastane composition at the abduction area of the large toe (1 ), at the area at the outer part of the foot (2) and at the lower part (3).