Adjustable thoracic garments useable by patients having different thoracic dimensions for locating EM transducer(s) in proximity to predefined thoracic anatomic features

• US 9,339,228 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2013
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sensible Medical Innovations Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Sensible Medical Innovations Ltd.
• Inventors: Saroka, Amir, Voshin, Leonid, Karp, Ofer, Bergida, Shlomi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hindenburg, Max
• Assistant Examiner(s): Foreman, Jonathan M
• Application Number:
  US14/379,308
• Publication Number:
  US 20150031978A1
• Time in Patent Office: 881 Days
• Field of Search: 600/546, 600/87, 600/595
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0053 by applying pressure, e.g. compression, indentation, palpation, grasping, gauging
• 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 5/05 Detecting, measuring or recording for diagnosis by means of electric currents or magnetic fields; Measuring using microwaves or radio waves impedance plethysmography A61B5/0295; measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof A61B5/11; detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof A61B5/24
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/053 Measuring electrical impedance or conductance of a portion of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/08 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for evaluating the respiratory organs A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6805 Vests

Abstract

A thoracic garment for bringing an EM transducer to contact with a thoracic surface area of a wearer. The thoracic garment comprises a front thoracic garment piece and a back thoracic garment piece the front and/or back thoracic garment pieces having EM transducer(s), the front thoracic garment piece having an arrangement of passages formed therein or thereon, a handhold mechanically connected to the front thoracic garment piece, a positioning marker, and a plurality of straps each threaded in the arrangement of passages. The thoracic garment is configured to be adapted by the wearer which uses a first hand to hold the handhold for mounting the front thoracic garment piece against or close to the chest such that the positioning marker is positioned at the predefined position while using a second hand for pulling the straps.

Claims

1. A thoracic garment for bringing an EM transducer to contact with a thoracic surface area of a wearer, comprising:

a front thoracic garment piece and a back thoracic garment piece at least one of said front and back thoracic garment pieces having at least one EM transducer or at least one mechanical connector for connecting said at least one EM transducer, said front thoracic garment piece having an arrangement of passages formed therein or thereon;

a handhold mechanically connected to said front thoracic garment piece;

a positioning marker located on or in said front thoracic garment piece such that when said thoracic garment is worn by a human wearer and said front thoracic garment piece is placed against or close to the chest of said human wearer, said positioning marker located in a predefined position in relation to one or more anatomical features of the wearer;

a plurality of straps each threaded in said arrangement of passages;

wherein said thoracic garment is configured to be adapted by said wearer using a first hand to hold said handhold for holding said front thoracic garment piece against or close to said chest such that said positioning marker is positioned at said predefined position while using a second hand for pulling said plurality of straps.

2. The thoracic garment of claim 1, further comprising at least one brake unit to lock the movement of each of said plurality of straps.

3. The thoracic garment of claim 1, further comprising at least one pulling element associated with each of said plurality of straps and adapted to be pulled by said second hand for pulling said plurality of straps said plurality of.

4. The thoracic garment of claim 3, wherein said arrangement of passages is symmetrically arranged in or on said front thoracic garment piece so that said at least one pulling element is configured to pull symmetrically said plurality of straps along the left and right sides of said human wearer.

5. The thoracic garment of claim 1, wherein said positioning marker is integrated with said handhold.

6. The thoracic garment of claim 1, wherein when the garment is configured to be adapted by said wearer said handhold is located in a midway between armpits and below the bottom tip of the anatomical feature.

7. The thoracic garment of claim 1, wherein said anatomical feature is the jugular notch of said human wearer.

8. The thoracic garment of claim 1, wherein said front thoracic garment piece comprises a non-stretchable breast plate.

9. The thoracic garment of claim 8, wherein said breast plate has said at least one EM transducer mounted thereon or therein.

10. The thoracic garment of claim 1, wherein said back thoracic garment piece comprises a non-stretchable back plate mechanically connected to at least some of said plurality of straps.

11. The thoracic garment of claim 1, wherein at least one of said front and back thoracic garment pieces has at least one mechanical connector for at least one EM transducer configured to detachably connect to said at least one EM transducer.

12. The thoracic garment of claim 11, wherein each of the back thoracic garment piece and the front thoracic garment piece has an EM transducer or a mechanical connector for an EM transducer formed thereon.

13. The thoracic garment of claim 1, wherein the back thoracic piece is mechanically connected to at least some of said plurality of straps, and wherein each of said plurality of straps passes in a mechanical communication with a pawl which allows continuous motion of a respective said strap in one direction while preventing motion in at least the opposite direction.

14. The thoracic garment of claim 13, wherein said plurality of straps comprises shoulder straps which mechanically connect between said back thoracic garment piece and said front thoracic garment piece and mounted such that when said thoracic garment is worn by said human wearer and said front thoracic garment piece is placed against or close to the chest of said human wearer, said shoulder straps are laid over the left and right shoulders of said human wearer.

15. The thoracic garment of claim 1, wherein said plurality of straps are adapted to be pulled to bring said thoracic garment back piece to a predetermined distance from the cervical vertebra C7 (vertebra prominens) of the wearer.

16. The thoracic garment of claim 15, wherein said plurality of straps are adapted to be pulled to bring said thoracic garment back piece to a neckline position when a movement stopping structure is positioned in contact with the cervical vertebra C7 (vertebra prominens) of the wearer.

17. The thoracic garment of claim 16, wherein the movement stopping structure prevents a movement of one of said plurality of straps when the EM transducer or mechanical connector for an EM transducer is positioned at a predetermined location with respect to a body part or organ of the wearer.

18. The thoracic garment of claim 1, further comprising left and right lateral straps each mechanically connected to said back thoracic garment piece and connected to said front thoracic garment piece such that when said thoracic garment is worn by said human wearer and said front thoracic garment piece is placed against or close to the chest of said human wearer, said left and right lateral straps are adapted to be laid over the underarm region of said human wearer.

19. The thoracic garment of claim 1, wherein said arrangement of passages comprises an arrangement of channels.

20. The thoracic garment of claim 1, comprising a pressure applying element associated with said thoracic garment for applying a pressure at least on the EM transducer when said thoracic garment is worn by said human wearer so that said EM transducer applies a respective pressure on a thoracic skin surface area of said wearer.