Abstract:
Upper and lower garments (shirts and pants) having recloseable openings located apart from any structural seam in the garment provide improved comfort and privacy for dialysis patients receiving treatment. These garments may help reduce treatment cost and/or cross-contamination risk compared to the use of blankets or similar items.

Description:
CONTINUITY AND CLAIM OF PRIORITY 
       [0001]    This is an original U.S. patent application. 
       FIELD 
       [0002]    This application relates to garments and other devices to be worn by mankind to adorn, cover or protect the body or person. More specifically, this application relates to garments having reversible closures located in one or more particular positions to facilitate the safe, sanitary and comfortable delivery of medical care. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Millions of individuals suffer from medical conditions that can be managed with regular dialysis treatment. In dialysis, the patient&#39;s blood flow is redirected temporarily through a machine which performs the cleaning and fluid-balancing functions that the patient&#39;s own organs (chiefly liver and kidneys) can no longer manage on their own. Patients must receive such treatments regularly (perhaps a few times a week), and so are often fitted with “ports” that ease the difficulty and trauma associated with connection to the dialysis machines. These ports may be located on the patient&#39;s arms, legs, chest and/or abdomen, as determined by their doctor and depending on the patient&#39;s physiology and needs. 
         [0004]    In general, a patient&#39;s ports are not all accessible through openings in clothing or by simply moving a garment out of the way; often, it is necessary to partially or completely remove a garment to receive treatment. Furthermore, the environmental conditions (especially temperature) that are suitable for operation of a dialysis machine may be uncomfortable for an unclothed patient. Thus, patients often require blankets or similar items for comfort during their regular, time-consuming treatments. 
         [0005]    Unfortunately, blankets shared among patients often become vectors for carrying infectious diseases between the patients (who are often somewhat immunocompromised in any event). Thus, some dialysis centers incur (and pass on to patients) the additional expense of providing single-use blankets or of sterilizing the blankets between uses, while other centers prohibit the use of blankets altogether (resulting in reduced patient comfort). 
         [0006]    New articles of manufacture that improve patient comfort while reducing or eliminating the risk of cross-contamination may be of significant value in this field. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0007]    Embodiments of the invention are loose-fitting, comfortable and warm garments (both shirts and pants) that are provided with at least one closeable opening located away from (or across) a structural seam of the garment. The at least one closeable opening is positioned to afford access to a dialysis port of the wearer without displacing or removing the garment. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1A  shows an upper garment according to an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0009]      FIG. 1B  shows a lower garment according to an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2A  shows a prior-art upper garment with front structural seams indicated. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2B  shows a prior-art upper garment with side and rear structural seams indicated. 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  shows a pattern piece for a front portion of an upper garment according to an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  shows a pattern piece for a front portion of an upper garment having an alternate sleeve style. 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  shows a pattern piece for a front portion of a lower garment according to an embodiment of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0015]    Embodiments of the invention provide recloseable openings in garments (both upper-body garments—shirts; and lower-body garments—pants) that are sized and positioned to allow easy access to dialysis ports installed on the wearer&#39;s arms, chest, abdomen or legs. Dialysis port positions are usually not aligned with a seam or other significant structural feature of a standard garment, so it is not possible to simply insert a zipper into such a seam, or to comfortably pull back a sleeve or pant leg far enough to expose the port. Instead, embodiments comprise additional garment openings placed incompatibly with standard seams. In this disclosure, “incompatible” placing is specifically defined to mean “placement of an opening that is not aligned with a fabric-joining (structural&#39;) seam.” Openings according to an embodiment may be placed away from any seam, in the middle of an expanse of fabric; across a seam (not along it); or touching a seam, but directed into bulk area of the fabric that is joined at the seam. 
         [0016]      FIG. 1A  shows a front view of an upper garment according to an embodiment of the invention. The garment may be made of a soft natural or synthetic material such as cotton jersey, wool, or polyester fleece. Any of woven, non-woven, or knitted fabrics may be used. Three recloseable openings are shown in this Figure: one on the upper right chest ( 110 ), one on the abdomen ( 120 ), and one on the left forearm ( 130 ). The positioning of these openings is discussed further below. 
         [0017]      FIG. 1B  shows a front view of a lower garment according to an embodiment of the invention. This garment may be made of the same material as the upper garment, or of a heavier, sturdier material. The embodiment shown in this Figure has a single recloseable opening according to the invention: a zipper  140  situated on the front of the left leg, running from about mid-thigh to mid-shin. This Figure illustrates that, according to a preferred embodiment, zipper  140  is provided with two (2) sliders. These may be positioned so that opening  150  extends over less than the full length of the zipper, and so that the precise location of the opening along the zipper may be adjusted. 
         [0018]      FIGS. 2A and 2B  show a prior-art upper garment not provided with openings according to an embodiment. These Figures show important details of such garments, namely, that they are constructed of several pieces of fabric that are joined at appropriate locations by sewn or bonded seams. For example, in  FIG. 2A , the seam joining the right sleeve to the body of the garment is at  210 , and a seam joining the upper front shoulder to the upper back shoulder is at  220 . Other seams may also be present, such as a seam at hem  230 . Prior art garments may also be provided with openings such as the neckline separation  240 , which extends fully to and severs the collar line (see  250 ). Similar openings may be provided at the cuffs as well. 
         [0019]      FIG. 2B  shows some fabric-joining, structural seams that are visible from the left rear of the garment: the back portion of the sleeve-to-body seam  260  and a side seam  270 . Not visible in these views, but present on many prior-art garments, is an underarm seam that joins two edges of sleeve fabric into a tube shape. 
         [0020]    Embodiments of the invention place recloseable openings at garment locations that are not coincident with fabric-joining seams (i.e., according to the inventor&#39;s specific definition, the openings are at locations incompatible with standard seams). Such placement is important to the correct function of a garment implementing an embodiment of the invention, but it increases the cost and complexity of manufacturing compared to placing zippers at locations where seams must already be made. It is appreciated that adjusting the shape of garment pieces so that structural seams do align with dialysis-port locations is infeasible because the garment is unlikely to fit comfortably—structural seams (e.g., at shoulders, underarms, crotch and pant-leg sides) are where they are as a result of long experience with well-fitting garments that can be constructed with relatively efficient use of fabric. Embodiments of the invention trade increased cost and complexity of manufacture for increased functionality. 
         [0021]      FIG. 3  shows a sample fabric piece  310  that forms the front of an upper garment according to an embodiment of the invention. Short dashed lines  320  indicate where structural seams will be formed, joining parts of the edges of this piece to back and sleeve pieces (not shown). According to an embodiment, recloseable openings will be placed within the bulk expanse of fabric, for example at locations  330  (for upper right chest) and  340  (abdomen). These openings do not cross or follow any structural seam. 
         [0022]      FIG. 4  shows an alternate front pattern piece  410  for an upper garment with a raglan-style sleeve. In a raglan sleeve, the sleeve fabric extends over the top of the shoulder and all the way to the collar; there is thus a structural seam located from approximately the underarm to the collar near the wearer&#39;s clavicle. In such a garment, the upper-right-chest opening of an embodiment  430  may extend to or cross the structural seam, as shown at  460 . This positioning also meets the inventor&#39;s definition of “incompatible” location, and is specifically contemplated as an alternative implementation. 
         [0023]    Finally,  FIG. 5  shows a front left pattern piece  510  for a lower garment according to an embodiment of the invention. In like manner to the upper-garment pieces discussed above, locations of structural seams are indicated at  520  (fly),  530  (crotch),  540  (inseam),  550  (outer seam) and  560  (waistband). According to an embodiment, the leg dialysis port opening at  570  is placed within the bulk expanse of the fabric, located incompatibly with any structural seam. 
         [0024]    As mentioned previously, in preferred embodiments the recloseable openings are secured by zippers with at least two sliders, placed so that the exact size and location of the opening can be adjusted within the boundaries set by the full length of the zipper. For example, an upper garment may have a six-inch (15 cm) opening, but only a two-inch portion of the full opening may be needed to access the dialysis port. In a preferred embodiment, then, one zipper slider may be positioned slightly to one side of the port, and the other zipper slider may be positioned slightly to the other side of the port, leaving a narrow opening to access the port. Since the rest of the opening is closed, less of the patient&#39;s skin is exposed and greater comfort and privacy are obtained. 
         [0025]    Other methods of closing the inventive openings may be used. For example, buttons, snaps or hook-and-loop fabric closures may perform acceptably. However, in most cases, considering the inconvenient locations of some port access openings and some patients&#39; impaired dexterity, zippers are believed to be the most-favored solution. 
         [0026]    The principles of the present invention have been described largely by reference to specific examples and in terms of particular embodiments. However, those of skill in the art will recognize that comfortable, hygienic dialysis clothing can also be constructed in other forms without departing from the principles set forth above. Such variations and alternate implementations are understood to be captured according to the following claims.