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  Patient gown facilitating frontal accessUSPTO Application #: 20070289046Title: Patient gown facilitating frontal access Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides a patient gown, comprising a robe having a main opening at a back of the robe. At least one side of a front upper portion of the robe is releasably attachable to a corresponding side of a back upper portion of the robe to provide frontal access through a chest portion of the robe. Further, at least one fastener may be located near a shoulder portion of the robe for attaching and detaching the front upper portion to the corresponding back upper portion. (end of abstract) Agent: Lerner, David, Littenberg, Krumholz & Mentlik - Westfield, NJ, US Inventor: Frank Sauchelli USPTO Applicaton #: 20070289046 - Class: 002114000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Apparel, Body Garments, Vests, Bed Garments The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070289046. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Patent Appln. No. 60/803,426, filed May 30, 2006, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Typically, hospital patients are provided with a gown to wear as opposed to their ordinary clothing. Conventional gowns are made from several pieces of material stitched together to form a single draping with armholes and a large opening in the rear. Accordingly, patients would don the gown by extending their arms through the arm holes, letting the gown wrap around the front of their bodies. The large opening in the back is typically kept closed by folding back panels of the gown over one another or by holding the gown in one hand. Some gowns may include strings to be tied at the back of the patient's neck in order to hold the gown in position. [0003] Conventional patient gowns have proven to be cumbersome and frustrating to maneuver, especially when the patient is under anesthesia and therefore unable to assist. For example, a patient wearing a back-open gown and lying on his back may prevent the gown from being easily repositioned by a physician. Thus, in order to gain access to the front of the patient's body, for example, to check the patient's vital signs, the physician would have to lift the patient while tugging the gown from underneath him, and pull the gown down away from the patient's chest. This requires strenuous and time consuming efforts by the physician. In an emergency situation, where immediate frontal access to a patient is necessary, the moments lost in manipulating the patient gown could be critical. Accordingly, a patient gown providing for frontal access is desired. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0004] An embodiment of the present invention provides a patient gown, comprising a robe having a main opening at a back of the robe. At least one side of a front upper portion of the robe is releasably attachable to a corresponding side of a back upper portion of the robe to provide frontal access through a chest portion of the robe. Further, at least one fastener may be located near a shoulder portion of the robe for attaching and detaching the front upper portion to the corresponding back upper portion. [0005] A further embodiment of the present invention provides a method for accessing a front of a patient's body, wherein the patient is laying down and wearing a back-open gown, at least one side of a front upper portion of the gown being releasably attachable to a corresponding side of a back upper portion of the gown to provide frontal access through a chest portion of the gown, and the gown having at least one fastener located near a shoulder portion for attaching and detaching the front upper portion to the corresponding back upper portion. The method comprises manipulating the gown by detaching at least one side of a front upper portion of the gown from a back upper portion; and folding down the detached front portion of the gown. [0006] An even further embodiment of the present invention provides a patient gown, comprising a removable cover means having a front portion, a back portion, armholes at either sides, and a main opening extending along a length of the back portion. A frontal access means may include a secondary opening near a top portion of the cover means, and frontal fastening means may be positioned relative to the secondary opening. The frontal fastening means may provide for detachment and reattachment of a front upper portion of the cover means to a corresponding back upper portion of the cover means. [0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, a patient gown comprises a removable covering having a front panel and a back panel, wherein the front panel and back panel may be releasably attached to form sleeves at either sides. The front panel may be stitched to the back panel along a seam running lengthwise below the sleeves, and a main opening extends along a length of the back panel. A frontal opening may extend across a top portion of the covering relative to a shoulder line, the frontal opening enabling an upper portion of the front panel to be temporarily detached from the back panel down to a lowest point of each sleeve. At least one rear fastener is preferably positioned relative to the main opening to provide for multiple positions for attachment and enable expansion or reduction of a fit size of the covering. At least one shoulder fastener is preferably positioned relative to the frontal opening to provide for multiple positions for attachment of the front panel of the covering to the back panel and thus to enable expansion or reduction of a fit size. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0008] FIG. 1 is a front view of a patient gown in a completely open position. [0009] FIG. 2 is a front view of a patient gown in a closed position. [0010] FIG. 3 is another front view of a patient gown which has been manipulated to show releasable attachment of portions of the gown. [0011] FIG. 4 is a still further front view of a patient gown which has been manipulated to show a top-open position. [0012] FIG. 5 is a front view of a patient gown being worn by a patient and manipulated to provide access to the patient's chest area. [0013] FIG. 6 is a rear view of a patient gown in a back-open position. [0014] FIG. 7 is a rear view of a patient gown in a closed position. [0015] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of another patient gown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION [0016] FIGS. 1 and 2 show front views of a patient gown 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the gown 10 is laid out in a completely open position, as it may be prior to assembly. As shown, a drape of material forms a front panel 12 including a length of material sufficient to preserve a patient's privacy. Two rear flaps 56, 58 may be stitched to sides of the front panel 12. Specifically, bottom edges of the rear flaps 56, 58 may align with a bottom edge of the front panel 12, and abutting side edges may be stitched together from the bottom alignment up to a lowest point of an armhole, thereby forming seams 17. Although in FIG. 1 the rear flaps 56, 58 are stitched to the front panel 12 at seams 17, one or both of the flaps 56, 58 and the front panel 12 may alternatively be formed from a single piece of material. [0017] Each of the rear flaps 56, 58 may be folded behind the front panel 12 and thereby form a rear panel of the gown 10. As shown in FIG. 6, for example, the back panel includes the two flaps 56, 58, which may be manipulated to create an opening 54. The flaps 56, 58 may also be closed as shown in FIG. 7. The rear flaps 56, 58 may then be secured to one another by engaging fasteners 50 and 52, as described in further detail below. Furthermore, upper extensions of the rear flaps 56, 58 may fold back over a top of the front panel 12 so that fasteners 20 and 22 may engage. When fasteners 50 and 52 are engaged, and fasteners 20 and 22 are also engaged, the gown 10 is in a closed position, as shown in FIG. 2. A patient may prefer to wear the gown 10 in this closed position to retain privacy when access to the patient's body is not needed. [0018] Optionally, the front panel 12 of the gown 10 may further include a recessed neck line 13. The neck line 13 allows the gown 10 to fit comfortably on the patient without restraint. [0019] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the gown 10 may be assembled to include armholes 14, 14'. For example, extensions of the front panel 12 and back panel flaps 56, 58 may be contoured to form sleeves. Specifically, a lower sleeve 16 may extend from the front panel 12, whereas an upper sleeve 18 may extend from the rear panel. The lower sleeve 16 and the upper sleeve 18 may optionally be sewn together at one end proximal to the patient's underarm and left free at another end proximal to the patient's shoulder. In this regard, the upper sleeve 18 may wrap around the patient's shoulder and be releasably attached to the lower sleeve 16. Continue reading... Full patent description for Patient gown facilitating frontal access Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Patient gown facilitating frontal access patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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