Medical vest

• US 5,708,978 A
• Filed: 08/17/1994
• Issued: 01/20/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Anna C. Johnsrud
• Original Assignee: Anna C. Johnsrud
• Inventors: Johnsrud, Anna C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vanatta, Amy B.
• Application Number:
  US08/291,772
• Time in Patent Office: 1,252 Days
• Field of Search: 2/94, 2/102, 2/51, 2/247, 2/92, 2/49.2, 2/114, D 2/829
• US Class Current: 2/102
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/1245 for the upper part of the body

Abstract

A medical vest for carrying a portable patient care module is disclosed. A sleeveless vest-like portion encircles the upper torso of the wearer and has a lower edge that terminates generally at the midriff of the wearer'"'"'s body. The vest portion has large neck and sleeve openings and wide straps that overlie the wearer'"'"'s shoulders. The vest portion is sized for snug but slidable motion relative to the body for maximizing comfort and minimizing irritation to the skin. A pocket sized to operatively hold a patient care module such as an infusion pump or monitor is secured along an upper edge thereof to the lower edge of the vest and hangs downwardly therefrom in a loose, comfortable and unrestricted manner that does not exert constant pressure to the wearer along the length of the pocket. The vest and pocket are fabricated from soft, washable cloth that minimizes irritation to the skin.

Claims

1. A medical vest for operatively carrying and positioning for comfort a patient care module on a human body having an upper torso defining a midriff area extending from an upper area adjacent a lower rib cage of the torso to a lower area adjacent a waist portion of the torso, comprising:

(a) a sleeveless primary portion sized to encircle the upper torso and having;

(i) continuous front and back panels cooperatcively defining an enlarged neck opening and sized and configured to terminate at a lower edge adjacent the upper area of said midriff, said front and back panels meeting and being joined at oppositely disposed sides below the arms of the body; and

(ii) widened straps connecting the front and rear panels and configured to overlie the shoulders of the body;

(b) a pocket connected to said primary portion at one of said aides go am to be positioned generally under an arm of said body, said pocket downwardly depending from said lower edge to a distal end and being, sized and configured to retainably operatively hold a patient care module in loose movable relation to the body and such that said distal end lies generally along said lower area of said midriff; and

(c) said vest being constructed of soft, washable material for minimizing irritation and chafing of the body skin and in a manner so as to minimize irritation of stitchings of said vest to the body, and being configured to be slidably movable relative to the body.

2. The medical vest as recited in claim 1, wherein the primary portion has a separation for enabling placement and removal of the vest on the body;

and wherein said primary portion includes fastener means for releasably fastening the separation.

3. The medical vest as recited in claim 1, wherein said material comprises finely woven cotton.

4. The medical vest as recited in claim 1, wherein said material comprises silk.

5. The medical vest as recited in claim 1, wherein said pocket is secured along an upper portion thereof to said lower edge of said primary portion.

6. The medical vest as recited in claim 1, wherein said pocket is sized to retainably hold an infusion pump injector module and excess tubing associated with said module.

12. The medical vest as recited in claim 1, wherein said front and back panels are seamless except for where they are joined at said sides, and except for peripheral edge stitching.

7. A carrier medical garment to be worn on a body for carrying a portable patient care module, comprising:

(a) a continuous wide upper body portion for circumferentially encircling the body torso and terminating at a lower edge adjacent an upper midriff area of the body and defining enlarged holes for arm and neck openings, said body portion being sized for snug but ready slidable motion relative to the body;

said upper midriff area extending downwardly from a lower rib cage area of the body; and

(b) an open pocket secured along an upper edge thereof to said lower edge of said upper body portion and downwardly depending therefrom along a side of said midriff area, said pocket being sized and configured to retainably operatively hold a patient care module in a loose slidable manner relative to said body and generally above a waist of the body.

8. A carrier garment as recited in claim 7, wherein said body portion and said pocket are constructed of the same material.

9. The carrier garment as recited in claim 8, wherein said material is a soft, washable material of a nature that minimizes irritation of skin of said body when said material is in direct contact with said skin.

10. The personal carrier as recited in claim 7, wherein said mounting means secures said pocket along an upper edge of said pocket in a manner such that said pocket is otherwise free to move about said upper edge.

11. The personal carrier as recited in claim 7, wherein said upper body portion is configured generally in the shape of a vest.