WO2022266715A1

WO2022266715A1 - Medical gown and method of manufacture

Info

Publication number: WO2022266715A1
Application number: PCT/AU2022/050638
Authority: WO
Inventors: Alanna Leighton; Bob SMIT; Abdu Moukahal; Amy Leedham; Caitlin Neil
Original assignee: Multigate Medical Products Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2021-06-23
Filing date: 2022-06-23
Publication date: 2022-12-29

Abstract

A method of manufacturing medical gowns (10) is provided. Each medical gown (10) has a body portion (12). The body portion (12) has a top edge, defining a neck portion (18) of the medical gown (10), an opposing bottom edge and two side edges extending between the top and bottom edges. A fabric blank is provided. A pair of body portion areas (12) are defined on the fabric blank. The pair of body portion areas (12) are arranged with the top edges of each of the pair of body portion areas (12) being arranged adjacent to each other and the respective side edges of each of the pair of body portion areas (12) being arranged offset from each other. This arrangement thereby minimises an amount of wasted fabric blank found between the top edges of the pair of body portion areas (12) when the body portion areas (12) are cut from the fabric blank.

Description

Medical gown and method of manufacture

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to medical gowns, such as surgical gowns and isolation gowns. In particular, the present invention relates to improvements in the mass manufacture and assembly of medical gowns.

Background of the Invention

[0002] The following references to and descriptions of prior proposals or products are not intended to be and are not to be construed as, statements or admissions of common general knowledge in the art. In particular, the following prior art discussion does not relate to what is commonly or well known by the person skilled in the art, but assists in the understanding of the inventive step of the present invention of which the identification of pertinent prior art proposals is but one part.

[0003] Medical gowns are worn by medical staff and healthcare professionals as an outer barrier garment for medical environments. The Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) standards are designed to help medical-device companies meet global standards for the safe use of medical devices. AAMI introduced the voluntary standard ANSI/AAMI PB70:2012, Liquid Barrier Performance and Classification of Protective Apparel and Drapes Intended for Use in Health Care Facilities, to determine key identification measures for the appropriate selection of protective apparel and drapes, such as medical gowns, for use in healthcare facilities. The relevant AAMI standard specifies four levels of gown barrier protection: Level 1 is minimal, Level 2 is low, Level 3 is moderate and Level 4 is high. Relevant factors which can dictate the AAMI level for a gown include the gown’s material and design and how these combine to provide different degrees of barrier protection for a wearer of the gown in critical zones against risk of exposure to fluids and blood-borne pathogens. The different AAMI level gowns are recommended for different environments depending upon risk of exposure. It should be noted that equivalent applicable standards are complied with in different jurisdictions. For example, the European standard is EN 13795.

[0004] Given their purpose, medical gowns, such as surgical gowns, are designed to be single use items and form a significant part of hospital waste stream for incineration or ending up in landfill. Typical gowns are made from spunbond meltblown spunbond (SMS) materials which are low-cost materials that can provide the necessary standard levels.

[0005] The present invention seeks to provide a medical gown and method of manufacturing the same which reduces environmental impact and which may ameliorate the foregoing shortcomings and disadvantages or which will at least provide a useful alternative.

Summary of the Invention

[0006] According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing medical gowns, each medical gown having a body portion, said body portion having a top edge, defining a neck portion of said medical gown, an opposing bottom edge and two side edges extending between the top and bottom edges, said method including: providing a fabric blank; and defining a pair of body portion areas on said fabric blank, said pair of body portion areas being arranged with the top edges of each of said pair of body portion areas being arranged adjacent to each other and the respective side edges of each of said pair of body portion areas being arranged offset from each other, thereby minimising an amount of wasted fabric blank found between the top edges of said pair of body portion areas when said body portion areas are cut from said fabric blank.

[0007] The present invention advantageously minimises the amount of wasted material during gown manufacture which in turn reduces the environmental impact of the mass manufacturing of the gowns. The reduction in material wastage can also provide cost savings in the manufacturing process. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008] The invention may be better understood from the following non-limiting description of a preferred embodiment, in which:

Figure 1 is an illustration of a gown according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 illustrates a pattern showing the fabric parts of a gown known from the prior art;

Figure 3 is an illustration of a gown pattern arrangement according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 4 shows a comparison of a fabric blank roll providing multiple gowns as per the gown of figure 1 and a fabric blank roll providing the same number of gowns as per the preferred embodiment of Figure 3;

Figures 5-7 show alternative arrangements of multiple gowns on a fabric blank roll;

Figure 8 shows a neckline of a gown according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Figures 9 to 12 shows a collar arrangement according to a preferred embodiment.

Detailed Description of the Drawings

[0009] An example of a medical gown 10 according to a preferred embodiment is illustrated in fig. 1. The gown shown includes a body portion 12, sleeves 14, cuffs, 16, a neckline 18 and a tie 20. When worn, overlapping portions of the gown are fastened at the rear of the gown. Ideally the gown is fastened using a hook-and-loop fastener. Flowever, other forms of suitable fastening means can be used. Gowns can be provided in a number of sizes, for example, medium, large and extra-large.

[0010] A prior art gown pattern is illustrated in fig. 2. The gown is assembled from a number of portions: a body portion 12a having a top neck line 18a and arm holes 22a; sleeve portions 14a and a tie strip 20a. Two body portions 22a are shown with their respective top portions adjacent each other. This paired arrangement of body portions represents how these portions are defined and cut from a fabric blank. Fabric areas between the body portions are effectively wasted fabric.

[0011] In Fig. 3, a gown pattern according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. Again, the gown is assembled from a number of portions: a body portion 12b; sleeve portions 14b, tie strip 20a and collar 24b. The two body portions are shown with their respective top portions adjacent each other. Flowever, the respective side edges of each of said pair of body portion areas are arranged offset from each other. As shown, the arm holes 22a maybe optionally replaced by slits 22b cut in the fabric. Flowever, in other preferred embodiments, arm holes 22a are retained, see Figs. 5-7. This arrangement consequently reduces the effective wasted fabric between the body portions. The fabric portion defined by the offset beside each body portion, being a symmetric strip, is able to be used for other parts of the gown, for example, the sleeves, tie strips and collars, and therefore is not wasted fabric.

[0012] Fig. 4 shows a comparison of two standard 1 6m fabric blank rolls showing partial lengths providing the patterns of eighteen gowns of the gowns of Figs 2 and 3. It will be appreciated that an actual fabric blank roll is much longer in overall length. In each case there are multiple pairs of body portions and sections defining sleeve portions on the same roll. The offset is approximately 8cm. Although in alternative embodiments the offset can vary up to approximately 12cm. As noted, the preferred embodiment uses approximately 60 cm less roll length for the same number of gowns.

[0013] Figs. 5 to 7 shows alternative arrangements of the preferred embodiment on a standard fabric blank roll. Each arrangement commonly employs the offset arrangement discussed above.

[0014] Tests of mass manufactured gowns according to the prior art version of Fig. 2 compared with the preferred arrangements of figs. 3 and 5-7 have found between 7-15% waste savings can be achieved. The larger savings tend to come from gowns of larger sizes.

[0015] It will be appreciated that the gowns formed by the method are designed to be homogeneous, that is, all parts are made out of the same type of material and grading (or at least will pair well enough) to be able to be recycled altogether. This feature enables this gown to be more easily recycled and the materials re-used for other manufacturing processes rather than going to incineration as contaminated waste.

[0016] The neck closure in traditional gowns uses two hook-and-loop (e.g., Velcro™) strips which are made of nylon. Alternative hook-and-loop fasteners formed from recyclable PP materials and sewn onto the gown using PP thread can now be sourced and have found to be ideal for preferred embodiments of the present invention. Alternatively, a high bond double sided tape strip can be used as a fastener which can be easily removed before recycling.

[0017] In prior art gowns, the cuff-sleeve interface is a problem area in that traditional cuff fabrics require the joining to be stitched, meaning it will leak on two counts - fabric type (poly/cotton or similar) and stitched holes. This requires a glove to go all the way up and over the cuff, to ensure a leak free outcome. Current knitted cuffs cannot be recycled and are composed of several materials that prevent reprocessing.

[0018] To enable gowns to be largely homogeneous there are preferred embodiments of the cuff 16 that provide good solutions to this issue.

[0019] In one embodiment, a homogeneous gown is manufactured by utilising the gown material itself to make the cuff 16. In this embodiment there is a minimal amount of elastic, deemed to have no effect on recycling, sewn into a small hem to create a flexible cuff 16.

[0020] In an alternative embodiment the cuff 16 material is based on a heat joinable material such as a PP-based stretch fabric (such as is used on some face mask ear loops). Alternative materials include water-resistant, stretchable non-woven fabrics. The sleeve material is SMS Polypropylene laminate and together with the cuff 16, provides a thin, smooth and potentially leak-free transition. This also addresses any recycling barriers due to fabric type mixtures. The great benefit production-wise is that it can be welded directly to the gown material, while producing the roll, using existing manufacturing processes. It will be appreciated that the cuff 16 may be bonded to the sleeve 14 using other applicable processes, such as heat welding, ultrasonic welding, gluing or sewing.

[0021] Referring to Fig. 8, according to a preferred embodiment the neckline 18 has been designed to maximise comfort for the wearer. In the design the lower curve of the neckline 18 follows the circumference of a circle 30. The circle 30 is selected having a diameter extending between the lowest part of the neckline and the highest part of the neckline. The selection of such a circle is consistent and scaled for gowns of different sizes.

[0022] In preferred embodiments the gown is provided with a collar 24 affixed to the neckline 18, see Figs. 9-12. The collar 24 may be affixed by a single stitched seam. The collar 24 has a “wave form” (i.e. with wide ends 42 and a thin middle portion 40) that offers improved neck clearance at the front for comfort while reducing exposed skin and undergarments at either side minimising the risk of airborne bacteria transfer.

[0023] The collar 24 is created by hemming fabric from a one-piece folded pattern (fold line 32) without the need for additional materials or parts, see Fig. 9.

[0024] As shown particularly in Figs. 10-12, when the gown is worn, the wide ends 42 of the collar are separated at the rear of the gown. In between the wide ends, overlapping portions of the gown are fastened together, ideally by way of a recyclable hook-and-loop fastener as discussed above. This arrangement avoids the collar being an obstacle to the fastening of the gown.

[0025] In certain embodiments the collar 24 is formed from the same fabric as the rest of the gown. [0026] The collar 24 may formed from a different fabric with a separate soft touch material called Spunbond. Spunbond non-woven fabrics made from polypropylene are premium quality, hypoallergenic, resistant to stretching and tearing, exhibit strength and wear resistance, and offer new Breathability and vapor permeability; prevent accumulation of static electricity and can be sterilised. This new non-linting collar will is more comfortable during long surgical procedures. Such fabrics can be recyclable and such fabrics are preferred to retain the homogeneous advantages of the single fabric gown embodiments.

[0027] The term “comprise” and variants of that term such as “comprises” or “comprising” are used herein to denote the inclusion of a stated integer or integers but not to exclude any other integer or integers, unless in the context or usage an exclusive interpretation of the term is required.

[0028] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention described herein is susceptible to variations and modifications other than those specifically described. All such variations and modifications are to be considered within the scope and spirit of the present invention the nature of which is to be determined from the foregoing description.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing medical gowns, each medical gown having a body portion, said body portion having a top edge, defining a neck portion of said medical gown, an opposing bottom edge and two side edges extending between the top and bottom edges, said method including: providing a fabric blank; and defining a pair of body portion areas on said fabric blank, said pair of body portion areas being arranged with the top edges of each of said pair of body portion areas being arranged adjacent to each other and the respective side edges of each of said pair of body portion areas being arranged offset from each other, thereby minimising an amount of wasted fabric blank found between the top edges of said pair of body portion areas when said body portion areas are cut from said fabric blank.

2. The method of claim 1 further including defining sleeve portion areas on said fabric blank to be cut from said fabric blank to provide sleeves to be attached to said body portion during assembly of said medical gown.

3. The method of claim 2, further including providing openings on said body portion, wherein said openings define where said sleeves are to be attached to said body portion during assembly of said medical gown.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said openings are in the form of slits.

5. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4 wherein, during assembly of said medical gown, cuffs are joined to said sleeves.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein said cuffs are joined to said sleeves by heat bonding, gluing, ultrasonic welding or sewing.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, wherein said cuffs are formed of a different material to said fabric blank material.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein each of said cuffs is formed of a water-resistant, stretchable non-woven fabric.

9. The method according to claim 7 or 8 wherein said fabric blank material and said different material are able to be recycled together.

10. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 9, wherein each of said cuffs has a tactile surface to engage with a worn glove and resist slippage between the glove and the cuff.

11.The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein portions of said fabric blank, beside each body portion area and defined by said offset, are used to form further parts of said medical gown.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein said further parts include collars and/or tie straps.

13. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said neck portion defines a neckline.

14. The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein said fabric blank is formed of recyclable material.

15. A medical gown manufactured according to the method of any one of the preceding claims.

16. A medical gown including a collar portion, wherein said collar portion is formed with wide ends and a thin middle portion.

17. The surgical gown of claim 16, wherein said collar portion is formed of a single folded piece of fabric.

18. The surgical gown of claim 16 or 17, wherein said collar portion is attached to a neckline of said gown by way of a stitched seam.

19. The medical gown of any one of claims 16-18, wherein, when the gown is worn, the wide ends are separated.

20. The medical gown of claim 19, wherein a fastener is provided on the gown in between the separated ends.

21.The medical gown of claim 20, wherein the fastener is in the form of a hook-and-loop fastener.

22. The medical gown of any one of claims 16 to 21 , wherein the entire gown is capable of being recycled.