Sock for treatment of foot and leg wounds, methods of use and manufacture

• US 9,220,636 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2013
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vive Wear LLC
• Original Assignee: Vive Wear LLC
• Inventors: Duda, Marcus
• Primary Examiner(s): Nia, Alireza
• Assistant Examiner(s): JACKSON, BRANDON LEE
• Application Number:
  US13/737,424
• Publication Number:
  US 20130178779A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,084 Days
• Field of Search: 602 41- 44, 602/48, 602/53, 602 60- 62, 602 65- 66, 602/75, 2 2/2, 2 6/1, 2239-242, 2 1/6, 424/402, 424/443, 424/445, 424/618, 424/649, 661/70, 661/71, 661/77, 66183-187, 977/773, 977/774, 977/810, 977/904
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A41B 11/00 Hosiery; Panti-hose elastic stockings for curative purposes A61F13/08
• CPC Class Codes: A41B 11/02 Reinforcements
• CPC Class Codes: A41B 11/12 Means at the upper end to keep the stockings up A41B11/04 takes precedence; stocking suspenders A41F11/00
• CPC Class Codes: A41B 11/121 Elastic or flexible yarns knitted into the upper end
• CPC Class Codes: A41B 11/14 Panti-hose; Body-stockings
• CPC Class Codes: A41B 2400/34 antimicrobial or antibacterial
• CPC Class Codes: A41B 2400/60 Moisture handling or wicking function
• CPC Class Codes: A41B 2500/10 Knitted
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/00 Professional, industrial or sporting protective garments, e.g. surgeons' gowns or garments protecting against blows or punches helmets A42B3/00; clothing affording protection against chemical agents or for use at high altitudes A62B17/00; life-saving garments for use at sea, diving suits B63C; bulletproof or armoured clothing F41H; clothing affording protection against radiation G21F3/02
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/05 protecting only a particular body part ear protectors A61F11/06
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/06 Knee or foot protectors for the legs of players or sportsmen A63B71/1225
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/00 Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 17/00 Insoles for insertion, e.g. footbeds or inlays, for attachment to the shoe after the upper has been joined
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 17/14 made of sponge, rubber, or plastic materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/01012 being made of natural material, e.g. cellulose-, protein-, collagen-based
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/01042 Absorbency
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/06 specially adapted for feet or legs; Corn-pads; Corn-rings
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/08 Elastic stockings; for contracting aneurisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 17/02 for treating wounds, ulcers, burns, scars, keloids, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 31/04 Antibacterial agents
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/04 : characterised by thread material
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/265 : Surgical stockings of unspecified knit construction and reinforced A41B11/02; of unspecified knit construction and elastic A61F13/08
• CPC Class Codes: D06B 1/00 : Applying liquids, gases or vapours onto textile materials to effect treatment, e.g. washing, dyeing, bleaching, sizing or impregnating mercerising D06B7/00; solvent-treatment D06B9/00; treatment of selected parts of textile materials D06B11/00; with aid of vibration D06B13/00
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 11/83 : with metals; with metal-generating compounds, e.g. metal carbonyls; Reduction of metal compounds on textiles
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 16/00 : Biochemical treatment of fibres, threads, yarns, fabrics, or fibrous goods made from such materials, e.g. enzymatic
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 2101/12 : Keratin fibres or silk
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 23/08 : Processes in which the treating agent is applied in powder or granular form adhesives for multi-layer textile fabrics D06M17/00
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2211/02 : Wool

Abstract

The Improved Sock is made of yarns knitted into a foot and calf, with graduated compression on an individual'"'"'s foot from the foot to the calf. The yarns can include wool and alpaca fibers. A substantial proportion of wool and/or alpaca are on the inside of the sock so as to be in direct contact with the skin and wound. The Improved Sock provides absorption and wicking of inflammatory mediators, bacteria and biofilm and necrotic exudate from the foot and leg. The Improved Sock has AgNP shapes electrostatically bonded to the yarn. At least 30% of the mass of the AgNP shapes attached to the fibers have a shape selected from the group consisting of truncated triangular plates (a triangle with the corners rounded off), triangular prisms, discs and combinations of two or more of them. The Improved Sock functions as a unique wound dressing with the sock in direct contact with the wound.

Claims

1. A method of making a sock for treating a patient with a chronic or acute wound on the patient'"'"'s foot, ankle or calf comprising:

knitting a yarn including an elastic component and natural wicking fibers selected from the group consisting of wool, merino wool, alpaca fibers and combinations thereof into a graduated compression sock with graduated compression from the foot to at least as high as the calf, with the natural wicking fibers located to contact the skin of a patient'"'"'s lower extremity inside the sock, and applying AgNP shapes to the natural wicking fibers, wherein at least 30% by mass of the AgNP shapes have a shape with three principal axes, where the length of two of the principal axes are more than three times greater than the length of the third principal axis and where the length of the third principal axis is less than 50 nm.

2. A method of making a sock as claimed in claim 1 wherein applying the AgNP shapes to the natural wicking fibers comprises exposing the knitted sock to an acidic silver solution, whereby the AgNP shapes electrostatically bond to the natural wicking fibers.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein knitting includes knitting with a yarn having the elastic at the core of the yarn.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3 wherein the elastic yarn is a double covered elastic yarn.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the yarns are knitted to provide a sock extending to just below a wearer'"'"'s knee and to have graduated compression of 18-24 mm Hg with compression gradually decreasing from the foot to the calf.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the yarns are knitted into a terry pattern over at least one of the wearer'"'"'s tibial crest, the heel and forefoot.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the yarns are knitted into a terry pattern positioned to cradle the medial and lateral malleoli.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the yarns are knitted into a sterile wound dressing.

9. A sock for a patient with a chronic or acute wound on the patient'"'"'s foot, ankle or calf comprising:

a yarn knitted into a graduated compression sock, the yarn including an elastic component and natural wicking fibers selected from the group consisting of wool, merino wool, alpaca fibers and combinations thereof with graduated compression from the foot to at least as high as the calf, with the natural wicking fibers located to contact the skin of a patient'"'"'s lower extremity inside the sock, and

AgNP shapes adhered to the natural wicking fibers, wherein at least 30% by mass of the AgNP shapes are truncated triangular plates with three principal axes, where the length of two of the principal axes are more than three times greater than the length of the third principal axis and where the length of the third principal axis is less than 50 nm.

10. A sock as claimed in claim 9 wherein the AgNP shapes are electrostatically bonded to the natural wicking fibers.

11. A sock as claimed in claim 9 wherein the yarn has the elastic component at the core of the yarn.

12. A sock as claimed in claim 9 wherein the elastic component is a double covered elastic yarn.

13. A sock as claimed in claim 9 wherein the yarns have been knitted to provide a sock extending to just below a wearer'"'"'s knee and to have graduated compression of 18-24 mm Hg with compression gradually decreasing from the foot to the calf.

14. A sock as claimed in claim 9 wherein the yarns have been knitted into a terry pattern over at least one of the wearer'"'"'s tibial crest, the heel and forefoot.

15. A sock as claimed in claim 9 wherein the yarns have been knitted into a terry pattern positioned to cradle the medial and lateral malleoli.

16. A sock as claimed in claim 9 wherein the yarns have been knitted into a sterile wound dressing.

17. A method of treating a patient with a chronic or acute wound on the patient'"'"'s foot, ankle or leg comprising:

applying a sock knitted into at least a foot and calf, with graduated compression from the foot to the calf, to a patient'"'"'s lower extremity,

yarns of the sock including an elastic component and natural wicking fibers selected from the group consisting of wool, merino wool, alpaca fibers and combinations thereof,

such natural wicking fibers being positioned to be in contact with the patient'"'"'s skin and provide absorption and wicking of moisture from a wound, and containing AgNP shapes attached to the natural wicking fibers, wherein at least 30% by mass of the AgNP shapes are truncated triangular plates with three principal axes, where the length of two of the principal axes are more than three times greater than the length of the third principal axis and where the length of the third principal axis is less than 50 nm.

18. A method as claimed in claim 17 where the AgNP shapes contribute less than 0.1% of the weight of the sock.

19. A method as claimed in claim 17 including at least one of improving angiogenesis, killing infectious agents, decreasing wound biofilm, and decreasing MMP-9 chronic inflammatory mediators by, at least in part, exposing the wound to the AgNP shapes.