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  Compression garment with integral donning aidUSPTO Application #: 20060085894Title: Compression garment with integral donning aid Abstract: It has been found that the foregoing objects may be accomplished in accordance with this invention by providing compression garments of this invention having a low friction zone made with the addition of low friction material on the inside surface of a garment in discrete locations to decrease friction between skin and fabric, thus providing easier donning of a compression garments. (end of abstract) Agent: Alston & Bird LLP Bank Of America Plaza - Charlotte, NC, US Inventors: Simon Myron Yakopson, John David Loveless, Stefan Bodenschatz, Juergen Friederich Heinz Greve USPTO Applicaton #: 20060085894 - Class: 002239000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Apparel, Head Coverings, Stockings The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060085894. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] This invention relates to a medical compression garment having an integral donning aid. More particularly, this invention relates to compression stockings having a low friction zone made with the addition of or completely from low friction yarns or by coating/laminating of the inside surface of a garment with the low friction materials. DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART [0002] Therapeutic medical compression garments have been used on a relatively wide scale to assist in the prevention of venous diseases and/or embolism in a patient. The purpose of such garments is to overcome the elevated internal pressures within a human extremity caused by gravity or disease processes. The pressure gradient garments, such as stockings and their uses are well documented in the literature. [0003] The custom pressure gradient stocking was developed by Conrad Jobst, a sufferer of venous disease. Mr. Jobst found relief from his problem while standing in a swimming pool. Mr. Jobst reasoned that the water pressure in the pool, which increases with depth, cancelled out the internal pressure in the veins of his leg. Jobst and others have identified a need to apply a relatively large compressive force in proximity to the ankle. See, J. Homer, et al., Br Med J, pp. zz: 820-821 (1980) wherein it is stated "the greater the compression gradient between the ankle and calf produced by the stocking, the lower the ambulatory pressures." Cited in U.S. Pat. No. 5,823,195. [0004] Therapeutic medical graduated compression stockings are designed to provide sufficient external circumferential counter pressure to maintain the normal venous and lymphatic pressures at a given level in the extremity, thus assisting the movement of venous blood and lymph from the extremity. Another important effect of compression is the reduction of the venous volume. Reduction of venous volume leads to an increase of the venous flow velocity. H. J. L. van Gerwen, Pressure gradient tolerance in compression hosiery. Katholike Universiteit Nijmegen, pp. 103-105 (1994). [0005] For compression garments to be most effective, higher pressures are required in the ankle area. The most difficult part of putting compression garments (stockings) on is to pull the narrowest part of the garment over the wider end of a limb (foot-instep-heel for stockings or hand for arm-sleeves). There are special donning devices made from slick fabric that a patient should put on a leg before donning compression stocking. Use of these devices makes putting stocking on more complicated, sometimes requires help from another person and, also, requires purchase of such additional devices. [0006] A variety of therapeutic medical graduated compression stockings are on the market today. Stockings of various descriptions have been proposed. Unfortunately, therapeutic stockings, in order to provide the necessary compression, are often thick and rather unsightly or have other drawbacks. An example of a therapeutic stocking is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,975,929 which describes a thigh length anti-embolism stocking made with alternating courses of covered spandex yarn on a circular hosiery knitting machine. Another example of a therapeutic stocking is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,069,515 to Swallow, et al., which discloses a non-slip therapeutic stocking having a covered elastomeric yarn (spandex core-nylon covering) inlaid into every other course of the jersey knit stitches made of stretch nylon. In particular, the Swallow patent describes the foot portion as having alternating courses of jersey knit stitches of non-elastomeric yarn. [0007] Because higher compressive forces are used in compression stocking U.S. Pat. No. 6,613,007 to Reid, Jr. discloses a multi-layer compression stocking. One of the problems of a multi-layer stocking is that it is difficult to coordinate the compressive pressures applied by each layer to achieve a desired pressure. Reid proposed to solve this problem by including in the layers alignment markings to assist a wearer in positioning the layers on the leg. There is disclosed a stocking comprising a plurality of layers including an under-layer and at least one over-layer, each of which have predetermined amounts of compressive stress at discrete locations. The under-layer may include yarns with high strength and low coefficient of friction properties incorporated into the fabric. Areas of the stocking including the toe, top of the instep and heel may be reinforced in such a manner to reduce the chance of skin breakdown and to reinforce the stocking fabric with yarns of high strength and low coefficient of friction properties. Several individual stockings are necessary to produce the multi-layered system which increases production costs and price to the customer. Also it is difficult to provide an exact match of the different zones especially for dark colored fabrics, avoid wrinkling and shifting of the underlying stocking, while pulling the upper stocking over it. [0008] U.S. Pat. No. 6,415,449 to Duplock discloses a survival garment made of high stretch elastomer designed to protect the wearer from the effects of immersion in cold water. The garment has "skin tight" fittings at the cuffs and sleeves that may be made from an elastic material that comprises a high stretch elastomer coated with a material of low friction, such as neoprene, for allowing easy donning and doffing of the garment. [0009] A patch of low friction coefficient material placed either on the skin or on the surface that will be next to the skin in locations where sheer trauma is likely to occur is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,362,387 to Carlson et al. Therein is disclosed a patch of low friction material such as a film of polytetrafluoroethylene sized to provide an area of low friction support for a portion of a human body relative to an object such as a shoe or prosthetic sock. The layer of low friction material is adhered to the surface of the object that bears on the skin and faces the skin such as a sock fabric. In a preferred embodiment PTFE is bonded to a fabric layer of Lycra. [0010] U.S. Pat. No. 5,829,057 to Gunn discloses an article such as clothing, footwear and the like which incorporate fabrics or chemicals having low coefficient of friction. The patent notes that some material fibers inherently have a low coefficient of friction, such as TEFLON.RTM., KYNA.RTM. and GORTEX.RTM.. In addition, the use of chemicals to treat material fibers or finished materials that do not inherently have a low coefficient of friction is taught. The articles incorporating fabrics with chemicals with a low coefficient of friction are intended to minimize the development of irritations, blisters and calluses including gloves, shoes and sportswear. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0011] It is an object of the present invention to provide a medical compression garment having an integral donning aid. [0012] Another object of the present invention is to provide a compression garments having a low friction zone made with the addition of or completely from low friction yams or by coating/laminating of the inside surface of a garment with the low friction materials. [0013] Yet another object of the present invention is the provision of an easy donning aid embedded in a stocking at discrete locations that provides more comfort for the patient and increases compliance and use of medical compression garments. [0014] It has been found that the foregoing objects may be accomplished in accordance with this invention by providing compression garments of this invention having a low friction zone made with the addition of low friction material on the inside surface of a garment in discrete locations to decrease friction between skin and fabric, thus providing easier donning of compression garments. [0015] Low friction yarns may be positioned in a specific pattern or plated together with other yarns, or used in combination with other yarns, preferably with highly stretchable spandex yarns to compensate for low elongation of PTFE yarns. Depending on the manufacturing methods, circular or flat-bed knitted, the low friction area should be positioned at the inside of the garment. To provide better contact with the patient's skin it is advantageous to use covered spandex with low friction yarns, "so called" inlay yarn in circular knitted products. [0016] In a first embodiment, the medical compression garments (stocking, arm sleeve, gauntlet, glove, or other) of this invention have an integral donning aid that is knitted into the main portion of the garment that contains elastic yarns and exerts pressure on the corresponding body part. There is at least one integral donning area deferring a low friction zone strategically located on the internal surface of the garment (e.g. at the narrowest and critical for donning process parts of the garment) to facilitate donning of the garment and improve patients' compliance. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF-THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) [0017] Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein: [0018] FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of an embodiment of a garment of the present invention showing courses of low friction yarn encircling the foot between the heel and the calf in a discrete area of the instep; [0019] FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of another embodiment of a garment of the present invention showing courses of low friction yarn encircling the foot between the heel and the calf; [0020] FIG. 3 illustrates a side view of an embodiment of a garment of the present invention showing courses of inlaid yarn covered with PTFE yard encircling the area from just above the ankle to the lower calf; Continue reading... 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