Covering sheet which can be made form-retaining

• US 4,848,364 A
• Filed: 10/23/1987
• Issued: 07/18/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: C Bosman
• Original Assignee: Patentico Limited
• Inventors: Bosman, Cornelis R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafer, Robert A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROONEY, KEVIN
• Application Number:
  US07/112,726
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 128/82, 128/83, 128/87 R, 128/89 R, 128/DIG. 20, 128/132 R, 128/132 D, 128/155, 128/156, 128/849, 128/850, 446/369, 297/DIG. 1, 5/456
• US Class Current: 128/849
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/00 Instruments, implements or accessories specially adapted for surgery or diagnosis and not covered by any of the groups A61B1/00 - A61B50/00, e.g. for luxation treatment or for protecting wound edges protective face masks A41D13/11; surgeon's or patient's gowns or dresses A41D13/12; devices for carrying-off, for treatment of, or for carrying-over, body liquids A61M1/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0063 Implantable repair or support meshes, e.g. hernia meshes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/05833 Splints rigidified by vacuum evacuation

Abstract

Covering sheet, which can be made form-retaining particularly for surgical use, with an airtight cover to be placed under vacuum, flexible opposite outer walls enclosing two layers of flexible fiber material enclosing granular particles fixed in place.

Claims

1. A covering sheet which can be shaped to conform to the shape of an object to be covered, comprising:

a flexible casing comprising first and second walls connected at their perimeters and defining a chamber which is sealed except for an opening;

exhaust outlet means coupled to said opening and adapted to allow the covering sheet to be placed under a vacuum to retain the shape of the covered object;

first and second layers of flexible fiber material attached respectively to the inner sides of said first and second walls and having a space formed therebetween;

a plurality of particles filling said space between said first and second layers of flexible fiber material, at least some of said particles being attached to at least one of said layers of flexible fiber material.

2. The covering sheet according to claim 1, wherein said particles are expanding foam granules, and further comprising a thin layer of adhesive covering said at least one of said layers of flexible fiber material, said at least some of said granules being adhered to said at least one of said layers of flexible fiber material by said thin layer of adhesive.

3. The covering sheet according to claim 1, wherein said particles are balls, further comprising means for interconnecting said balls into first and second arrays, said first array overlying said second array, said interconnecting means comprising a plurality of flexible bars, each flexible bar interconnecting two balls and each ball being interconnected to at least two other balls.