Infant sleeping blanket/garment for use with medical devices

• US 6,450,168 B1
• Filed: 04/17/2001
• Issued: 09/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kellie I. Nguyen
• Original Assignee: Kellie I. Nguyen
• Inventors: Nguyen, Kellie I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Michael A.
• Application Number:
  US09/835,394
• Time in Patent Office: 518 Days
• Field of Search: 128/869, 128/872, 128/873, 128/874, 128/875, 128/877, 2 6/9, 210/2, 211/4
• US Class Current: 128/869
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/1272 specially adapted for babies
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6805 Vests

Abstract

An infant'"'"'s sleep blanket/garment for use with medical monitoring devices, which is offered as either a sleep sack or a sleep shirt, depending on the age of the infant, with the sleep sack further presented with no arm holes and having snugging straps for newborns or with arm holes and sleeves for older infants. An openable monitor cable sheath located inside of the sleeper allows for bundling medical monitoring device cables and IV tubes and enclosing them within the sheath to prevent irritation to the infant and reduce the possibility of the infant becoming entangled in the cables and tubes. Additionally, the upper shoulder and sleeve seams are openable to allow for the installation, maintenance and removal of IV tubes without removing the garment from the infant. Thermometers incorporated into the body of the garment and an optional sleep cap aid in monitoring the infant'"'"'s temperature as he sleeps.

Claims

1. An infant sleeping blanket/garment for use with medical devices comprising:

a garment, adapted to enclose at least the upper torso of an infant, said garment having

a top, said top having;

an opening adapted to surround the neck of the infant, and

a shoulder region on each of the two sides of said neck opening, said shoulder region adapted to surround the shoulders of the infant enclosed within said garment,

a bottom,

a back, and

a front, said front comprising;

partable right and left panels, said right left panels being releasably joinable by

securing means for securing said right and left panels in a joined position,

means for providing access to the infant'"'"'s upper torso region for installing, maintaining and removing medical devices without having to remove said garment, and

means for directing and constraining tubes and cords of medical devices within the length, top to bottom, of said garment and from said garment; and

wherein said means for directing and constraining tubes and cords of medical devices within the length of said garment and from said garment comprises;

an openable monitor cable sheath affixed within at least one of said right and left front panels of said garment, said monitor cable sheath further comprising;

a monitor cable sheath flap affixed by a first edge inside said at least one of said right and left front panels of said garment, substantially parallel to and spaced from said securing means for releasably joining said right and left front panels of said garment,

a first fastening device element affixed along a second edge of said monitor cable sheath flap, said second edge being substantially parallel said first edge, and

a second fastening device element adapted to mate with said first fastener device element affixed inside said at least one of said right and left front panels of said garment proximate said securing means,

the area between said front panel of said garment, said monitor cable sheath flap, said line of affixing of said monitor cable sheath flap to said front panel of said garment, and said first and said second fastener device elements forming a linear sheath for directing and constraining the tubes and cords of medical devices within the confines of said sheath and from said bottom of said garment.

2. An infant sleeping blanket/garment for use with medical devices, as defined in claim 1, wherein said securing means for said right and left front panels of said garment in a joined position comprises one of the group:

a two way zipper having two pull tabs and being openable from the upper end and the lower end, a one way zipper having a single pull tab, snaps, buttons and hook and loop fastener.

3. An infant sleeping blanket/garment for use with medical devices, as defined in claim 2, wherein

said garment is one from the group:

a sleep sack, being closed at its said bottom, thereby completely enclosing the infant'"'"'s torso and legs within said sleep sack, and

a sleep shirt, being open at its said bottom, thereby allowing the infant'"'"'s legs to protrude from its said bottom.

4. An infant sleeping blanket/garment for use with medical devices, as defined in claim 3, wherein

said sleep sack configured in one of the styles from the group:

having no arm openings, whereby the infant'"'"'s arms are constrained within said sack, and

having arm openings and sleeves proximate said shoulder regions, whereby the infant'"'"'s arms are free to be moved about outside of said sleep sack.

5. An infant sleeping blanket/garment for use with medical devices, as defined in claim 4, wherein said sleep sack having no arm openings further comprises:

a snugging strap affixed exterior of said sleep sack proximate each of said shoulder regions and continuing downwardly a distance from said shoulder regions, said snugging straps facilitating the securing of said sleep sack more snugly around the infant.

6. An infant sleeping blanket/garment for use with medical devices, as defined in claim 1, wherein said means for providing access to the infant'"'"'s upper torso region within said arm and shoulder region of said garment comprises:

a partable seam along the top of at least one of said shoulder regions and the upper edge of said sleeve corresponding to each of said at least one shoulder region, said partable seam running fully from said neck opening to the free end of said sleeve and being securable by a closure device within said partable seam, said closure device comprising one of the group;

zipper, snaps, buttons and Velcro®

.

7. An infant sleeping blanket/garment for use with medical devices, as defined in claim 1, further comprising at least one thermometer, said at least one thermometer adapted to display the temperature of the infant as the infant sleeps.

8. An infant sleeping blanket/garment for use with medical devices, as defined in claim 1, further comprising a sleep cap adapted to keep the head of the infant warm as the infant sleeps.

9. An infant sleeping blanket/garment for use with medical devices, as defined in claim 8, further comprising a thermometer, said thermometer adapted to display the temperature of the infant as the infant sleeps.

10. An infant sleep blanket/garment for use with medical devices comprising:

a garment, adapted to enclose at least the upper torso of an infant, said garment having

a top, said top having;

an opening adapted to surround the neck of the infant, and

a shoulder region on each of the two sides of said neck opening, said shoulder region adapted to surround the shoulders of the infant enclosed within said garment,

a front, said front comprising;

partable right and left panels, said right and left panels being releasably joined by

securing means, said securing means comprising one of the group;

a two way zipper having two pull tabs and being openable from the upper end and the lower end, a one way zipper having a single pull tab, snaps, buttons and Velcro®

, and

a bottom, said bottom joining said back and said front such that said bottom is closed, thereby completely enclosing the infant'"'"'s torso, arms and legs within said sleep sack, and

snugging straps affixed exterior of said sleep sack proximate each of the two shoulder regions and continuing downwardly a distance from said shoulder regions, said snugging straps facilitating the securing of said sleep sack snugly around the infant;

means for directing and constraining tubes and cords of medical devices within the length of said garment and from the bottom of said garment, said means for directing and constraining comprising;

an openable monitor cable sheath affixed within at least one of said right and left front panels of said garment, said monitor cable sheath further comprising;

a monitor cable sheath flap affixed by a first edge inside said at least one of said right and left front panels of said garment, substantially parallel to and spaced from said securing means for releasably joining said right and left front panels of said garment,

a first fastening device element affixed along a second edge of said monitor cable sheath flap, said second edge being substantially parallel said first edge, and

a second fastening device element adapted to mate with said first fastener device element affixed inside said at least one of said right and left front panels of said garment proximate said securing means,

the area between said front panel of said garment, said monitor cable sheath flap, said line of affixing said monitor cable sheath flap to said front panel of said garment, and said first and said second fastener device elements forming a linear sheath for directing and constraining the tubes and cords of medical devices within the confines of said sheath, and

an opening in the seam joining said bottom and said front and aligned with the bottom of said monitor cable sheath, said opening facilitating passing the tubes and cords of medical devices from within the garment to the exterior of the garment.

11. An infant sleep blanket/garment for use with medical devices, as defined in claim 10, further comprising at least one thermometer, the at least one thermometer adapted to display the temperature of the infant as the infant sleeps.

12. An infant sleep blanket/garment for use with medical devices, as defined in claim 10, further comprising:

a sleep cap adapted to keep the infant'"'"'s head warm as the infant sleeps.

13. An infant sleep blanket/garment for use with medical devices, as defined in claim 12, the sleep cap further comprising:

a thermometer, the thermometer adapted to display the temperature of the infant as the infant sleeps.

14. An infant sleep blanket/garment for use with medical devices comprising:

a garment, adapted to enclose at least the upper torso of an infant, the garment having

a top, the top having;

an opening adapted to surround the neck of the infant, and

a shoulder region on each of the two sides of the neck opening, the shoulder region adapted to surround the shoulders of the infant enclosed within the garment and having an arm opening and sleeve, whereby the infant'"'"'s arms are free to be moved about outside of the sleep sack,

a front, the front comprising;

partable right and left panels, the right and left panels being releasably joined by

securing means, the securing means comprising one of the group;

a two way zipper having two pull tabs and being openable from the upper end and the lower end, a one way zipper having a single pull tab, snaps, buttons and Velcro®

, and

a bottom,

means for directing and constraining tubes and cords of medical devices within the length of the garment and from the bottom of the garment, the means for directing and constraining comprising;

an openable monitor cable sheath affixed within at least one of the right and left front panels of the garment, the monitor cable sheath further comprising;

 

a monitor cable sheath flap affixed by a first edge inside the at least one of the right and left front panels of the garment, substantially parallel to and spaced from the securing means for releasably joining the right and left front panels of the garment,

 

a first fastening device element affixed along a second edge of the monitor cable sheath flap, the second edge being substantially parallel the first edge, and

 

a second fastening device element adapted to mate with the first fastener device affixed inside the at least one of the right and left front panels of the garment proximate the securing means,

 

the area between the front panel of the garment, the monitor cable sheath flap, the line of affixing the monitor cable sheath flap to the front panel of the garment, and the first and the second fastener device elements forming a linear sheath for directing and constraining the tubes and cords of medical devices within the confines of the sheath.

15. An infant sleep blanket/garment for use with medical devices, as defined in claim 14, wherein the bottom comprises one of the group:

a bottom panel affixed to the bottom edge of the back and the bottom edges of the right and left front panels, whereby the infant'"'"'s torso and legs are enclosed within the garment, the bottom having

an opening in the seam aligned with the bottom of the monitor cable sheath, the opening facilitating passing the tubes and cords of medical devices from within the garment to the exterior of the garment, and

a void between the bottom edge of the back and the bottom edges of the right and left front panels, thereby allowing the infant'"'"'s legs to protrude through the bottom.

16. An infant sleep blanket/garment for use with medical devices, as defined in claim 14, further comprising:

at least one thermometer, the at least one thermometer adapted to display the temperature of the infant as the infant sleeps.

17. An infant sleep blanket/garment for use with medical devices, as defined in claim 14, further comprising:

a sleep cap adapted to keep the infant'"'"'s head warm as the infant sleeps.

18. An infant sleep blanket/garment for use with medical devices, as defined in claim 17, the sleep cap further comprising:

a thermometer, the said thermometer adapted to display the temperature of the infant as the infant sleeps.