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US 11,766,081 B2Granted
Easy access apparel
AssigneeHackensack Meridian Health, Inc.
InventorCharles Augustus Thomas
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The described easy access apparel provides ever day wear that is effective to reduce the stigma of a chronic illness, improve the experience of receiving treatment for a chronic illness, and facilitates access to and utilization of a percutaneous access site.
Claims13
An easy access apparel for every day wear by a chronically ill subject who is undergoing chronic medical treatment, the easy access apparel comprising:
- a garment including an inner surface, an outer surface, a right side, a left side, an anterior portion, a posterior portion, a superior end, an inferior end, a lateral end, and a medial end, the garment comprising:
- (i) closeable openings each comprising at least one fastener, the closeable openings including a first opening formed in the right side of the garment, a second opening formed in left side of the garment, a third opening formed in the anterior portion of the garment, a fourth opening formed in the posterior portion of the garment, a fifth opening formed in a portion of the garment at or near the superior end of the garment, a sixth opening formed in a portion of the garment at or near the inferior end of the garment, a seventh opening formed in a portion of the garment at or near the lateral end of the garment, and an eighth opening formed in a portion of the garment at or near the medial end of the garment, wherein each of the closeable openings is continuously closeable along an entire length of the respective closeable openings;
- (ii) at least one facilitating object configured to hold a device in place for accessing a percutaneous access site on the body of a subject accessible through at least one of the closeable openings;
- (iii) a hook-and-loop fastening system including a plurality of first components and at least a second component, wherein each of the closeable openings has an associated first component of the plurality of first components attached to the inner surface of the garment at or near each of the closeable openings, the at least one second component located on the at least one facilitating object for attachment of the at least one facilitating object to the inner surface of the garment, wherein the at least one facilitating object is positioned on the inner surface of the right side, the left side, the anterior portion, the posterior portion, the superior end, the inferior end, the lateral end, and/or the medial end of the garment;
- and
- (iv) a facilitating area formed on the garment adjacent to at least one of the closeable openings to facilitate use of the percutaneous access site on the body of the subject;
- wherein the at least one facilitating object is adapted to facilitate utilization of the percutaneous access site on the body of a subject;
- wherein the apparel is adapted to increase the physical, environmental, and emotional comfort of the subject;
- wherein each of the closeable openings is formed on the outer surface of the garment through to the inner surface of the garment;
- and
- wherein:
- (a) at least one of the closeable openings is positioned over the percutaneous access site on the body of the subject when the easy access apparel is worn by the subject, a first garment edge and a second garment edge surrounding the at least one of the closeable openings;
- (b) a noncontiguous alignment of the first garment edge and the second garment edge is adapted to open the closeable openings and expose the percutaneous access site when the easy access apparel is worn by the subject, and the contiguous alignment of the first garment edge and the second garment edge is adapted to close the closeable openings and conceal the percutaneous access site;
- and (c) the at least one fastener is a fastening system comprising a first fastening component and second fastening component, wherein the first fastening component is located on the first garment edge and the second fastening component is located on the second garment edge of the garment, the first garment edge and the second garment edge surrounding the closeable openings, and engagement of the first fastening component and the second fastening component results in the closing of the closeable openings, and disengagement of the first and second fastening components results in opening of the closeable openings.
11 more elements
A method of improving the comfort of a subject during the utilization of a percutaneous access site, comprising:
- providing an easy access apparel, the easy access apparel comprising:
- a garment including an inner surface, an outer surface, a right side, a left side, an anterior portion, a posterior portion, a superior end, an inferior end, a lateral end, and a medial end, the garment comprising:
- (i) closeable openings each comprising at least one fastener, the closeable openings including a first opening formed in the right side of the garment, a second opening formed in left side of the garment, a third opening formed in the anterior portion of the garment, a fourth opening formed in the posterior portion of the garment, a fifth opening formed in a portion of the garment at or near the superior end of the garment, a sixth opening formed in a portion of the garment at or near the inferior end of the garment, a seventh opening formed in a portion of the garment at or near the lateral end of the garment, and an eighth opening formed in a portion of the garment at or near the medial end of the garment, wherein each of the closeable openings is continuously closeable along its an entire length of the respective closeable openings;
- (ii) at least one facilitating object configured to hold a device in place for accessing a percutaneous access site on the body of a subject accessible through at least one of the closeable openings;
- (iii) a hook-and-loop fastening system including a plurality of first components and at least a second component, wherein each of the closeable openings has an associated first component of the plurality of first components attached to the inner surface of the garment at or near each of the closeable openings, the at least one second component located on the at least one facilitating object for attachment of the at least one facilitating object to the inner surface of the garment, wherein the at least one facilitating object is positioned on the inner surface of the right side, the left side, the anterior portion, the posterior portion, the superior end, the inferior end, the lateral end, and/or the medial end of the garment;
- and
- (iv) a facilitating area formed on the garment adjacent to at least one of the closeable openings to facilitate use of the percutaneous access site on the body of the subject;
- wherein the at least one facilitating object is adapted to facilitate utilization of the percutaneous access site on the body of a subject;
- wherein the apparel is adapted to increase the physical, environmental, and emotional comfort of the subject;
- wherein each of the closeable openings is formed on the outer surface of the garment through to the inner surface of the garment;
- and
- wherein:
- (a) at least one of the closeable openings is positioned over the percutaneous access site on the body of the subject when the easy access apparel is worn by the subject, a first garment edge and a second garment edge surrounding the at least one of the closeable openings;
- (b) a noncontiguous alignment of first and second garment edges is adapted to open the closeable openings and expose the percutaneous access site when the easy access apparel is worn by the subject, and the contiguous alignment of the first garment edge and the second garment edge is adapted to close the closeable openings and conceal the percutaneous access site;
- and
- (c) the at least one fastener is a fastening system comprising a first fastening component and second fastening component, wherein the first fastening component is located on the first garment edge and the second fastening component is located on the second garment edge of the garment, the first and second garment edges surrounding the closeable openings, and engagement of the first fastening component and the second fastening component results in the closing of the closeable openings, and disengagement of the first and second fastening components results in opening of the closeable openings.
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.