Garment For Accommodating External Medical Device

Abstract

An undergarment for accommodating an external medical device is provided. The undergarment includes a front portion, a rear portion; a crotch portion, a waist opening; at least two leg openings, and at least one pocket defined by at least one piece of fabric secured to the front portion upon an exterior of the undergarment. At least one opening is provided between the piece of fabric and the front portion, and at least one aperture is located in proximity to a corner formed near to upper border and an inner side border of one pocket. The at least one pocket is positioned at the front portion of the undergarment in a slanted fashion. A lower border of the pocket forms an angle of between about 15 and about 30 degrees with respect to a horizontal line extended across the undergarment and, preferably, an angle of about 22 degrees.

Description

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit under 35 USC 119(e) of provisional patent Application Ser. No. 62/033,293, filed Aug. 5, 2014, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to an undergarment, and particularly, to an undergarment provided with at least one pocket to accommodate external medical devices and the like.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

As medical technology advances, greater numbers of individuals are living longer with chronic health problems. For health conditions in which the body cannot perform essential functions external medical devices can be used to assist and facilitate those functions.

For example, it is common for individuals to wear an external medical device, such as a pump-driven medical device, like an insulin pump, at all times regardless of the individuals' activities. In the U.S., about 500,000 people of all ages wear insulin pumps to better manage blood glucose levels. While there are many medical-related advantages for wearing external medical devices at all times, wearing external medical devices during exercise and sleep activities can be quite cumbersome. External medical devices can feel bulky and heavy and generally uncomfortable. In addition the external medical devices may become dislodged and detached, creating serious medical complications.

In general, individuals utilizing these external medical devices wear conventional clothing appropriate for their individual conditions, i.e., a hospital gown, simple undergarments, pajamas, or street clothes. Although hospital gowns ma allow easy access to the external medical devices by the individual and his/her health care providers, the hospital gowns afford the individual little or no modesty, comfort or warmth. Rare is the patient who is not somewhat self-conscious visiting with guests while clothed only in a hospital gown. Conversely, street clothes afford the patient more privacy, but make access to the external medical device difficult or cumbersome. The difficulty is compounded for patients in nursing homes who lack mobility or whose size makes movement difficult even with assistance. Individuals who have resumed a fairly normal lifestyle and who mingle with the general public may prefer to remain discrete regarding 10 their medical condition. For many individuals, as well as their families and caregivers, it is important for the individual to appear “normal” and not attract attention due to the presence of external medical devices, especially those considered unsightly. Since it can greatly affect psychological well-being, a semblance of normalcy can be a significant factor in an individual's health. However, when these individuals dress according to societal norms, they often find their professional attire or conventional daywear uncomfortable or ill-suited for the external medical devices that must accompany them at all times. Whether hospital gown or personal clothing is worn, most undergarments do not provide support or security for the external medical devices, rather they offer some degree of concealment. There is a need for undergarments suitable for male and female patients of all ages that are adapted to accommodate external medical devices so as to provide modesty for the individual, security for the external medical devices, and access to the devices by medical personnel and the individual. As such, there is a need for an undergarment that can accommodate a variety of external medical devices. There is also a need for an undergarment adapted for external medical devices that can be easily donned by individuals of all ages. Because it is important to keep device sites clean and dry when an individual's undergarment becomes dirty, it should be changed periodically. Consequently, individuals need undergarments which can be put on or taken off with a minimum amount of effort. The easier the undergarment is to put on, the lower the risk that the external medical device will be dislodged or detached.

There is also a need for an undergarment that can accommodate external medical devices and provide easy access to the insertion sites as well as to the devices themselves. The device ports and sites can become infected if not properly maintained or kept clean and dry. There is a need for an undergarment which facilitates access to device ports and sites so that their status can be checked and proper care provided. The present invention addresses these needs.

Several undergarments in the prior art have attempted to consider these needs. U.S. Pat. No. 7,810,172 discloses a garment for accommodating medical devices comprising a garment panel detachably coupled to a garment body. The garment panel contains a concealed pocket suitable for accommodating one or more medical devices. The garment panel is detachable from the garment body at predetermined attachment zones which provide access to device sites and permit complete detachment of the garment panel. The panel may also be fixed to the garment body at anchor zones, while allowing decoupling at attachment zones. The pocket may contain an inner compartment for receiving a supplemental material such as an absorbing or deodorizing material. Apertures to the inner compartment allow the supplemental material to proximate device sites on the patient body or medical apparatus stored in the pocket. Stabilizers positioned on the interior of the garment may be used to secure medical monitor wires, tubing, or other devices.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,122 discloses a garment for shielding lines connected to a patient. The garment is intended for patients with an embedded catheter. The garment has a close-fitting body with a pocket on the inside surface of the garment at the site of the implanted catheter in which the catheter may be stored.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,142,702 discloses an upper body ostomy garment. The garment is loose-fitting at the waist and has an interior pocket for holding an ostomy appliance.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,477,710 discloses a garment for concealing patient medical devices.

The garment has one or more hidden pockets on the inside surface of the front of the garment for holding a medical appliance. When an appliance is deployed it is withdrawn from the pocket and pulled out through an opening to the exterior of the garment.

While adequate for their intended purposes, the cited prior art leaves several of the previously expressed needs unanswered. Furthermore, the prior art garments do not answer the need for an undergarment that is not only easily donned and removed, but is also appropriate for individuals of all ages. Further, the aforementioned prior art garments do not answer the need for an undergarment that provides easy access to medical device sites on individuals. None of the aforementioned garments provides easy access to the medical device and device sites for quick inspection and care. Thus, none of the cited garments sufficiently addresses the need for an undergarment which can accommodate and conceal at least one external medical device of various types.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An undergarment for accommodating an external medical device including a front portion, a rear portion, a crotch portion, a waist opening and at least two leg openings, the undergarment including (a) at least one pocket defined by at least one piece of fabric attached to said front portion of an exterior of the undergarment, said opening provided between an outer edge of said piece of fabric and said front portion; (b) at least one aperture located at a corner of said at least one pocket and passing through said interior of the undergarment; and (c) the least one pocket positioned at the front portion of the undergarment in a slanted fashion, and wherein a lower border of the pocket structure forms an angle between about 15 and about 30 degrees with respect to a horizontal line extended across the undergarment with about 22 degrees being preferable.

The garment is accommodates a programmable pump-driven medical device for delivering insulin, or the like, while providing comfort and security to the wearer. The disclosed positioning of the pockets within the garment contours to an individual's natural physique, allowing the external medical device to move naturally against the wearer's body, thereby providing ease of motion and comfort.

In one embodiment, the disclosed garment comprises a front portion, a rear portion, a crotch portion, a waist opening, a pair of leg openings, and two pocket structures. Each pocket accommodates one external medical device, such as a pump-driven insulin delivery system.

In another embodiment, the pocket is defined by a piece of fabric that is folded and then attached to the front portion located on the exterior of the garment about the fabric's perimeter by sewing the “pocket” securely to exterior of the garment. The piece of fabric is attached to the front portion upon the exterior of the garment such that at least one opening is provided between the piece of fabric and the front portion, in which an external medical device can be removably insertable into the pocket structure.

In yet another embodiment, the pocket is positioned at the front portion of the garment in a slanted fashion in which a lower border of the pocket structure forms an angle in a range of about 15 to about 30 degrees with respect to a horizontal line extended across the garment. In a preferred embodiment, said angle is about 22 degrees.

In a further embodiment, at least one aperture is located in proximity to a corner formed by an upper border and a first side border of the at least one pocket, allowing a feed-through of a tubing, a wire, or the like that is attached to an external medical device within a pocket of the garment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is described in greater detail in the following Detailed Description, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front plan view of the undergarment showing the pockets secured thereto and illustrating an external medical device inserted into the pocket.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a pattern for a pocket.

FIG. 2A shows a front view of a pocket of the undergarment, illustrating an external medical device inserted into the pocket structure.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the VELCRO strips when secured to each other to form a pocket and showing the relative location of the pockets.

FIG. 4 is a more detailed view of FIG. 3 relative to the undergarment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of an under garment 10 for accommodating at least one external medical device at a time. The garment can accommodate a pump-driven device 8, such as an insulin-pump, while providing comfort and security to the wearer. The garment is shaped to contour against a wearer's natural physique, allowing the device 8 to be held in place and protected by the body's own shape, providing ease of motion and comfort. The garment provides the advantage of potentially accommodating a variety of such medical devices that can be easily donned by individuals of all ages, while preventing the devices from being dislodged or detached.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, undergarment 10 comprises a front portion 12, a rear portion, a crotch portion 14, a waist opening 16, a pair of leg openings 18, two pockets 20 and 21 and button holes 23. The structure of each pocket can accommodate the external medical device such as insulin pump. See FIG. 2A.

In one embodiment, pocket 20 is defined by a piece of fabric 29 attached to the portion 12 of the exterior of undergarment 10 at the fabric's upper border 32 by way of sewing. Lower border 32A of the fabric is not sewn but top border 32 is sewn. Thereby, fabric 29 can be securely attached to the front portion of the garment when VELCRO strips 28/30 are pressed together. See FIG. 2A. The fabric is thereby attached to the front portion 12 of the exterior of the garment such that no openings are provided between the fabric and the front portion. Thereby the external medical device 8 can be removably inserted into the pocket using the VELCRO strips 28/30 for opening and closure. The fabric 19 is preferably constructed of a stretchable material. See FIG. 4.

The pocket of undergarment is also defined by said upper border 32, a lower border 34, a first side edge 36, and a second side edge 38. The pocket is positioned at the front 12 of the undergarment in a slanted fashion at an angle 39 of between about 15 and about 30 degrees to a horizontal line 27 extended across the undergarment to provide a physiologically advantageous orientation of the pocket such that the medical device 8 is held securely within the pocket when inserted, while providing optimal comfort to a wearer. In a particular embodiment, the angle 39 formed between lower border 34 and horizontal line 27 optimally measures about 22 degrees. See FIG. 4. Such exemplary range of angles enable the device to stay within pocket 20 when inserted, while providing optimal comfort to a wearer with respect to the wearer's leg, waist, hip and abdominal muscles.

In another embodiment of undergarment 10, it comprises a first pocket 20 and a second pocket 21. The first pocket and a second pocket are mirror images of each other wherein one edge 38 of the first pocket is located towards the outside leg portion of the garment, one edge 38′ of second pocket 21 is located towards the other outside leg portion of garment. A distance 50 between a corner 42 formed between upper border 32 and side edge 36′ of the first pocket and a corner 44 formed between the upper edge 30′ and side edge 36′ border of second pocket 21 is less than the distance between a corner 46 formed by the lower border 34 and side edge 36 of first pocket 20 and a corner 48 formed by the lower border 34′ and side edge 36′ of the second pocket 21. See FIG. 4. It is to be appreciated that on a larger sized garment, the first and second pockets would be positioned further apart than upon a smaller sized garment.

The distance of dimension 50 is typically one inch and that of distance 52 is typically a half inch.

As shown in FIG. 4, at least one aperture 54 is provided on the front portion 12 of the undergarment. In one example, the at least one aperture is located beneath the pocket, meaning in fabric panel 22 but below fabric panel 22A, thereby hidden from plain view. That is, fabric panel 22A of the pocket covers aperture 54 after the fabric is folded along line 34. See FIGS. 2 and 4. The one aperture may be utilized to allow feed-through of a flexible tube or the like that is attached to the external device while in a pocket of the undergarment. The aperture is preferably located in proximity to the corner 42 formed by upper border 32 and inner side edge 36 of the first pocket 20 or corner 44 of the second pocket. It is to be appreciated that the aperture may also be positioned in proximity to other corners of the pocket. In operation, the insulin pump 8 is inserted into the first pocket or second pocket by way of opening the pocket, such as opening or closing the fastening mechanism such as VELCRO 28/30 to secure the medical device 8 in place within the pocket. The medical device's attached tubing may then be fed through aperture of the pocket and garment to the torso of the user.

An advantage provided by the invention herein is that the first pocket and second pocket of the garment allows a user to exchange sites for an infusion period by moving a so-called infusion set from one side of the body to the other, typically every three days. The infusion set is generally placed around the abdomen area, the upper thigh area, or the buttocks area, and the placement of distance 50 between the first and second pockets is located in the middle of the possible infusion set locations.

A particular advantage provided by the invention is that the undergarment may be easily donned and removed, allowing accommodation and concealment of at least one external medical device, while providing easy access to medical device sites on individuals for quick inspection and care.

It is to be appreciated that the principles set forth above may be employed to form pockets in which the VELCRO strips or the like are secured at the outer or thigh side of each pocket such that fabric panel 22A folds outwardly over panel 22, as opposed to upwardly as set forth above.

While there has been shown and described above the preferred embodiment of the instant invention it is to be appreciated that the invention may be embodied otherwise than is herein specifically shown and described and that, within said embodiment, certain changes may be made in the form and arrangement of the parts without departing from the underlying ideas or principles of this invention as set forth in the Claims appended herewith.

Claims

1. An undergarment for accommodating an external medical device, the undergarment including a front portion, a rear portion, a crotch portion, a waist opening and at least two leg openings, the undergarment comprising:

(a) at least one pocket defined by at least one piece of fabric attached to said front portion of an exterior of the undergarment, the least one pocket positioned at the front portion of the undergarment in a slanted fashion, and a lower border of the pocket forming an angle of between about 15 and about 30 degrees with respect to a horizontal line extended across the undergarment; and

(b) at least one aperture located within a corner of said at least one pocket and passing through an interior of the undergarment to a body of the user.

2. The undergarment as recited in claim 1, in which said angle defines about 22 degrees.

3. The undergarment as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

means for selectably securing a lowermost part of the pocket to an uppermost part of the pocket.

4. The undergarment as recited in claim 3 having all edges other than the bottom of the pocket sewn to said front portion.

5. The undergarment as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

means for selectably securing opposing outermost edges of upper and lower fabric panels comprising said pocket to each other.

6. The undergarment as recited in claim 5, having all edges other than the innermost crotch portion directed edge of the pocket sewn to the front portion.