GARMENT FOR INSULIN PUMP USERS

Abstract

A garment adapted for use by insulin pump users, for example, infants, juveniles or geriatric users, that includes an upper body garment having an outer face, an inner face and front side and a back side for covering the front and back torso of the wearer. A pouch is preferably provided on the inner face of the back side of the garment and is positioned in the garment to reside along the spine of a wearer between about the T3 and T7 locations on the vertebral column out of sight and reach of the wearer. A top opening in the pouch is provided for receiving an appropriately-sized insulin pump, and complementary fastener elements are positioned on opposite sides of the top opening for closing the top of the pouch to retain the insulin pump. The fastener elements, when the pouch is closed, are positioned to leave a sufficient space in the top opening for a pump tubing system and a subcutaneous insertion set to extend outwardly from the pouch for being applied to the body of the wearer.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This application relates to a garment intended to be worn by insulin pump users. The principal disclosure of this application relates to garments for infant and juvenile insulin pump users, but the scope of the application relates to garments for use by any insulin pump user, including infant, juvenile, adolescent, adult and geriatric users.

An insulin pump is a medical device used for the administration of insulin in the treatment of diabetes mellitus, or Type 1 diabetes. The process is also known as continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion therapy. The insulin pump device includes the pump itself (including controls, processing module, and batteries); a disposable reservoir for insulin (inside the pump); a disposable infusion set, including a cannula for subcutaneous insertion and a tubing system to interface the insulin reservoir to the cannula or insertion set.

The insulin pump is an alternative to multiple daily injections of insulin by insulin syringe or an insulin pen and allows for intensive insulin therapy when used in conjunction with blood glucose monitoring.

The insulin pump delivers a single type of fast-acting insulin in two ways: a bolus dose that is pumped to cover food eaten or to correct a high blood glucose level or a basal dose that is pumped continuously at an adjustable basal rate to deliver insulin needed between meals and at night. Insulin pumps are generally about the same size and weight as most modern cell phones or PDA's.

Insulin pumps are particularly desirable in treating infant and juvenile diabetics because periodic sticks and hypodermic injections, which can be traumatic, are unnecessary. Instead, a disposable infusion set and tubing is used to inject the insulin. However, infants and juveniles are sometimes prone to disturb the placement of the infusion set, or to randomly play with the pump, which can cause alteration of the pump settings, which must be very carefully and precisely set to administer the correct dose at the correct intervals. These same problems, of course, are possible with other age groups, particularly geriatric users or users with dementia.

At present, pumps are placed in exterior garment pockets or in small cases that are worn with a belt or in some other similar fashion, and are often unsatisfactory solutions to the problem of infants and juveniles inadvertently tampering with the pump.

Therefore, there exists a need for a garment that efficiently and safely places an insulin pump out of sight and out of reach of the user, including but not limited to, infants and juveniles.

There also exists a need for garments that are inexpensive, unobtrusively utilitarian, and adaptable for use with or without the insulin pump.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide a garment that permits an insulin pump to be worn by a user, for example, an infant or juvenile in such a manner as to have it out of sight and out of reach.

These and other aspects of the invention are achieved by providing a garment adapted for use by insulin pump users that includes an upper body garment having an outer face, an inner face and front side and a back side for covering the front and back torso of the wearer. A pouch is provided on the inner face of the back side of the garment and is positioned in the garment to reside along the spine of a wearer between about the T3 and T7 locations on the vertebral column out of sight and reach of the wearer. A top opening in the pouch is provided for receiving an appropriately-sized insulin pump, and complementary fastener elements are positioned on opposite sides of the top opening for closing the top of the pouch to retain the insulin pump. The fastener elements, when the pouch is closed, are positioned to leave a sufficient space in the top opening for a pump tubing system and a subcutaneous insertion set to extend outwardly from the pouch for being applied to the body of the wearer.

According to another aspect of the invention, the fastener elements comprise touch fasteners.

According to another aspect of the invention, the pouch is formed by applying a patch to the inner face of the garment and attaching the patch to the garment on a bottom end and adjacent sides thereof.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, the garment comprises an undershirt.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, the pouch is formed by knitting the pouch into the inner face of the back side of the garment.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, the pouch is four inches (11 cm) wide and 5 inches (13 cm) long.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Some of the objects of the invention have been set forth above. Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the description of the invention proceeds when taken in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a tee shirt having an insulin pouch according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the collar area of the garment;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing the insulin pump in the pouch;

FIG. 4 is a rear view of the shirt shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an environmental view showing a shirt according to one embodiment of the invention being worn by an insulin pump user;

FIG. 6 is a front view of a tee shirt having an insulin pouch according to another embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the collar area of the garment shown in FIG. 6.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS AND BEST MODE

Referring now specifically to the drawings, by way of example only, a garment for an infant or juvenile insulin pump user according to one aspect of the present invention is shown generally in FIG. 1 at reference numeral 10. In this particular embodiment the garment 10 is a tee shirt, but other garments, such as outerwear shirts, dresses and other upper torso undergarments are also adaptable to the invention. The garment 10 includes a front side 11 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 3), a back side 12 (FIGS. 4 and 5), each having an outer face and an inner face. As shown, garment 10 includes a neck opening 13.

As is shown in FIG. 1, a pouch 20 resides below the neck opening 13 of the garment 10 and in the preferred embodiment comprises a patch of fabric that is stitched on a bottom and two sides to the inner face of the back side 12 of the garment 10. The remaining top side 22 forms an opening through which an insulin pump “P” is inserted into the pouch 20, as shown in FIG. 1, and removed when needed. To retain the pump “P” in the pouch 20, fasteners, preferably in the form of complementary touch fastener elements 24A, 24B are placed on the garment 10 near the top of the pouch 20. The fastener elements 24A, 24B are sized to leave room to at least one side so that tubing from the pump “P” to an insertion set can freely exit the pouch 20 for attachment to the back of the user. A suitable size for the pouch is four inches (11 cm) wide and 5 inches (13 cm) long.

Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7, as an alternative to forming a pouch by stitching a patch of fabric to a garment, a garment 30 is supplied with a preformed pouch 40 having front and rear walls 42, 44 that is then sewn into or otherwise applied to an inner face of the back side 32 of the garment 30.

To retain the pump “P” in the pouch 40, fasteners, preferably in the form of complementary touch fastener elements 46A, 46B are placed on the pouch 40 near the top of the pouch 40. The fastener elements 46A, 46B are sized to leave room to at least one side so that tubing from the pump “P” to an insertion set can freely exit the pouch 40 for attachment to the back of the user. A suitable size for the pouch is four inches (11 cm) wide and 5 inches (13 cm) long.

As an alternative to stitching, any other suitable attachment means may be used, including fusing with a thermosoluble interfacing material, or adhesives. In addition, the pouch may be removably attached to the garment by applying touch fasteners to the inner face of the back side of the garment and complementary touch fasteners to the back side of the pouch. The pouch is then attached to the garment by orienting the pouch correctly in relation to the touch fasteners on the garment and pressing it into place. When removal of the pouch is required, it is simply pulled away from the garment 10. It can be laundered and then replaced when desired.

As noted above, the placement of the pouch 20 and pouch 40 is designed to prevent or reduce the risk attendant to a user, for example, an infant or juvenile user, reaching for the pump “P” to remove it or inadvertently change a setting. The pouch 20 and pouch 40 are therefore preferably positioned in the garments 10, 30 respectively, to reside along the spine of a wearer between about the T3 and T7 locations on the vertebral column out of sight and reach of the wearer. “T3” and “T7” are universally-accepted and recognized references to the 3^rd and 7^th thoracic vertebrae. This generally places the pouch 20 and pouch 40 about 3 inches (8 cm) below a typical shirt collar. See FIGS. 5 and 7.

As a further alternative, a pouch may be integrally formed in a knitted garment by knitting the pouch onto the inner face of the back side of the knitted garment using conventional double layer knitting techniques.

In all of the variations described above, the garment can be worn when the pump is not in the pouch.

An improved garment adapted for use by insulin pump users is described above. Various details of the invention may be changed without departing from the scope of the invention. Furthermore, the foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the invention and best mode for practicing the invention are provided for the purpose of illustration only and not for the purpose of limitation, the invention being defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A garment adapted for use by insulin pump users, comprising:

(a) An upper body garment having an outer face, an inner face and front side and a back side for covering the front and back torso of the wearer;

(b) a pouch on the inner face of the back side of the garment and positioned in the garment to reside along the spine of a wearer between about the T3 and T7 locations on the vertebral column out of sight and reach of the wearer;

(c) a top opening in the pouch for receiving an appropriately-sized insulin pump; and

(d) complementary fastener elements positioned on opposite sides of the top opening for closing the top of the pouch to retain the insulin pump, the fastener elements, when the pouch is closed, being positioned to leave a sufficient space in the top opening for a pump tubing system and a subcutaneous insertion set to extend outwardly from the pouch for being applied to the body of the wearer.

2. A garment according to claim 1, wherein the fastener elements comprise touch fasteners.

3. A garment according to claim 1, wherein the pouch is formed by applying a patch to the inner face of the garment and attaching the patch to the garment on a bottom end and adjacent sides thereof.

4. A garment according to claim 1, wherein the garment comprises an infant or juvenile undershirt.

5. A garment according to claim 1, wherein the pouch is formed by knitting the pouch into the inner face of the back side of the garment.

6. A garment according to claim 1, wherein the pouch is four inches (11 cm) wide and 5 inches (13 cm) long.

7. A garment adapted for use by insulin pump users, comprising:

(a) A shirt having an outer face, an inner face and front side and a back side for covering the front and back torso of the wearer;

(b) a pouch on the inner face of the back side of the shirt below a shirt collar and positioned to reside along the spine of a wearer between about the T3 and T7 locations on the vertebral column out of sight and reach of the wearer, the pouch comprising a patch to the inner face of the garment and attached to the garment on a bottom end and adjacent sides thereof;

(c) a top opening in the pouch for receiving an appropriately-sized insulin pump; and

(d) complementary fastener elements positioned on opposite sides of the top opening for closing the top of the pouch to retain the insulin pump, the fastener elements, when the pouch is closed, being positioned to leave a sufficient space in the top opening for a pump tubing system and a subcutaneous insertion set to extend outwardly from the pouch for being applied to the body of the wearer.

8. A garment according to claim 7, wherein the pouch is about four inches (11 cm) wide and about 5 inches (13 cm) long.

9. A garment according to claim 7, wherein the pouch is integrally formed with the garment on the inner face of the back side thereof.

10. A garment according to claim 7, wherein the garment comprises an infant or juvenile undershirt.