ZIP STRIP DRAPING SYSTEM AND METHODS OF MANUFACTURING SAME

• US 20100031966A1
• Filed: 08/08/2008
• Published: 02/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2008
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Medline Industries Incorporated (Medline Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Medline Industries Incorporated (Medline Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Allen, Fred L.
• Granted Patent: US 10,271,916 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/851
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00526 Methods of manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 46/00 Surgical drapes

Abstract

A medical drape has a tool-less removal feature and includes a drape material, a drape cut, an adhesive tape strip, and a scoreline. The drape material has a top side, a back side, and at least one exterior edge. The drape cut has a starting point at the exterior edge and extends completely through the thickness of the drape material. The adhesive tape strip is positioned along the length of the drape cut to overlap at least a portion of the drape material on both sides of the drape cut to initially secure the two adjoining cut edges to each other. The scoreline extends along the length of the adhesive tape strip and only partially through the thickness of the adhesive tape strip to permit easy tearing of the adhesive tape strip for separation of the two adjoining cut edges.

Claims

1. A medical drape having a tool-less removal feature, the medical drape comprising:

a drape material having a top side and a back side, the back side being positioned in contact with a patient when the medical drape is in use, the drape material having at least one exterior edge;

a drape cut having a starting point at the exterior edge, the drape cut extending completely through the thickness of the drape material such that two adjoining cut edges are completely severed from one another to permit easy separation of the two adjoining cut edges;

an adhesive tape strip positioned along the length of the drape cut, the adhesive tape strip overlapping at least a portion of the drape material on both sides of the drape cut to initially secure the two adjoining cut edges to each other; and

a scoreline extending along the length of the adhesive tape strip, the scoreline extending only partially through the thickness of the adhesive tape strip to permit easy tearing of the adhesive tape strip for separation of the two adjoining cut edges.

2. The medical drape of claim 1, wherein the scoreline extends from about 35% to about 60% through the thickness of the adhesive tape strip.

3. The medical drape of claim 1, wherein the adhesive tape strip is a film having a thickness of about 0.2 inches and a width from about 1.5 inches to about 3 inches

4. The medical drape of claim 1, wherein the adhesive tape strip is positioned on one of the top side of the drape material and the back side of the drape material.

5. The medical drape of claim 1, wherein the scoreline is generally centrally positioned along a width of the adhesive tape strip

6. The medical drape of claim 1, further comprising at least one indicator for indicating the starting point of the drape cut.

7. The medical drape of claim 1, further comprising at least one fenestration located on the drape material, the fenestration extending completely through a thickness of the drape material to expose a patient area when the medical drape is in use, the drape cut having an ending point at the fenestration.

8. The medical drape of claim 1, wherein the drape cut has an ending point at another exterior edge, the drape cut extending along its length from the starting point to the ending point.

9. The medical drape of claim 1, wherein the drape material includes one or more of a water repellent material, a water-impermeable material, a coating of water-repellent material, a coating of water-impermeable material, a woven material, a non-woven material, a hydroentangled material, an Airlaid material, a spunlace material, a polyester material, a polyethylene material, a polypropylene material, a urethane material, a spunbond meltblown spunbond material, a spunbond meltblown meltblown spunbond material, a spunbond meltblown meltblown meltblown spunbond material, and combinations thereof.

10. The medical drape of claim 1, further comprising at least one additional layer of material, the additional layer being attached to one of the top side and the back side of the drape material, the drape cut extending completely through the thickness of the additional layer.

11. A method for manufacturing an easily tearable medical drape, comprising:

providing a drape material having a top surface and a back surface, the back surface being positioned in contact with a patient when the medical drape is in use, the drape material having at least one exterior edge;

completely severing the drape material to form a drape cut extending from the exterior edge of the drape material to at least an inner area of the drape material, the drape cut being defined by two adjacent cut edges;

securing the two adjacent cut edges to each other by positioning an adhesive strip overlappingly with the drape cut, the adhesive strip extending over a portion of each of the two adjacent cut edges; and

partially severing the adhesive strip through its thickness to form a strip scoreline extending along a length of the adhesive strip, the strip scoreline overlapping the drape cut to permit easy tearing of the adhesive strip for separation of the two adjoining cut edges.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising positioning the adhesive strip on the top surface of the drape material.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising providing at least one fenestration in the drape material to expose a patient area when the medical drape is in use.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising at least one indicator for indicating a starting point of the drape cut.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the strip scoreline extends from about 35% to about 60% through the thickness of the adhesive strip.

16. A method for manufacturing a medical drape, comprising:

providing a sheet having at least one layer of drape material;

severing the sheet completely through its thickness from an outer edge of the sheet to at least an inner area of the sheet to form a sheet cut, the sheet cut separating a first sheet area from an adjacent second sheet area;

providing a strip for securing the first sheet area to the second sheet area;

severing the strip partially through its thickness to form a strip scoreline, the strip scoreline separating a first strip area and an adjacent second strip area; and

fixing a portion of the first strip area to a portion of the first sheet area and a portion of the second strip area to a portion of the second sheet area such that the strip scoreline is in an overlapping position with respect to the sheet cut.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the fixing step includes applying an adhesive to the portion of the first strip area and the portion of the second strip area.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising extending the severing of the sheet from the inner area of the sheet to another outer edge of the sheet such that the sheet cut extends from the outer edge to the another outer edge.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the strip scoreline extends about from about 35% to about 60% through the thickness of the strip, the strip being a film having thickness of about 0.2 inches and a width of about 1.5 inches to about 3 inches.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

severing the sheet completely through its thickness from another outer edge of the sheet to another area of the sheet to form another sheet cut, the another sheet cut separating a third sheet area from an adjacent fourth sheet area;

providing another strip for securing the third sheet area to the fourth sheet area; and

severing the another strip partially through its thickness to form another strip scoreline,

the another strip scoreline generally overlapping the another sheet cut.