Doll for demonstrating a medical procedure

An anatomical rag-type doll is provided with a hollow abdomen accessible by means of hook-and-loop type material, such as VELCRO™. The doll also has a pair of stuffed, simulated breasts. One of the breasts, representing a diseased breast, is hollow and has a removable nipple attached to the breast with hook-and-loop type material. Stuffing in the hollow diseased breast is removable, representing the removal of diseased fat and tissue during a mastectomy. The hollow abdomen is stuffed with simulated abdominal muscle and fat, as well as other simulated human organs. The simulated abdominal muscle and fat can be repositioned in the doll, as well as placed in the diseased breast to demonstrate the pedicle tram and free tram flap medical procedures.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to a Provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/187,144 filed in the U.S.P.T.O. on Mar. 6, 2000 in the name of Wendy Lou Winslow for an invention titled the same as above.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to dolls for demonstrating a medical procedure and, in particular, to methods and apparatus for demonstrating a mastectomy to a patient.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Before surgery, it is common for a patient to experience anxiety. In order to relieve this anxiety, it is known in the prior art to use dolls to explain the nature and the condition of the patient and the corrective surgery. Examples of these prior art dolls include U.S. Pat. No. 5,411,437 to Weber, U.S. Pat. No. 5,104,328 to Lounsbury, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,288,222 to Kling. While these prior art dolls may be suitable for the specific medical conditions that they address, they are not as suitable for the demonstration of a mastectomy, namely the pedicle tram and the free tram flap medical procedures. Also, the prior art dolls are typically constructed from plastic, or other synthetic materials that can appear cold and unfriendly to the patient.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is, therefore, to provide a method and apparatus for demonstrating a mastectomy to a patient.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a method and apparatus designed specifically to demonstrate the pre-surgical anatomy, the medical procedures, and the post-operative anatomy involved in the mastectomy.

A further object of the present invention is to provide such a method and apparatus designed specifically to demonstrate the pedicle tram and the free tram flap medical procedures.

Still another object is to provide such a method and apparatus with a soft and friendly “rag doll” appearance to further comfort the patient.

Further objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1depicts a frontal view of the doll10, dressed in clothing. This doll10is designed to demonstrate both the pedicle tram and the free tram flap medical procedures. The doll10can be used to demonstrate the pre-surgical anatomy, the medical procedures, and the post-operative anatomy involved in these two operations.

As shown inFIG. 1, the doll10consists of an abdomen20, two arms30, a head40, and a pair of legs50. The doll's abdomen20is generally constructed from two layers of cotton fabric that is sewn together around polyfill stuffing material. On the outside is the skin layer25, which represents human skin, while the abdominal muscle layer160is on the inside. The arms30, head40, and legs50are generally constructed of a single layer of fabric. Various fabrics and stuffing materials that are well known in the art can be substituted for the polyfill and cotton.

The doll10is shown partially undressed inFIG. 2, revealing a healthy breast60sewn onto the abdomen20and stuffed with polyfill. The healthy breast60has a nipple70sewn on its top. The doll10also has a diseased breast80sewn to the abdomen20. The diseased breast80is filled with removable stuffing85(shown inFIG. 3) and has a detachable nipple piece90at its top. The detachable nipple piece90attaches to the diseased breast80using hook and loop type fastening material (VELCRO™), and covers a hole55therein (seeFIG. 5). Other fastening materials, known in the art, such as snaps or tape can be substituted for VELCRO™ throughout the invention. An opening75in the underside of the diseased breast80protrudes through the doll's skin layer25. The removable stuffing85(shown inFIG. 3) consists of polyfill material with colored pieces of string or cord tangled therein. The removable stuffing85represents human fat that is removed from the breast, containing human ducts, veins, arteries, lymph nodes, and milk ducts.

Also shown inFIG. 2is removable abdominal skin100, which covers an opening110(shown inFIG. 3) in the abdomen20. The removable abdominal skin100attaches to the opening110with hook and loop type fastening material (VELCRO™), however other types of conventional fasteners could be substituted. The removable abdominal skin100has a removable bellybutton piece120attached to its center using VELCRO™. The belly button piece120is permanently attached to the inside of the abdomen20with a piece of fabric125(FIG. 4) which represents the human umbilicus. Located above the removable belly button piece120is skin flap130. Skin flap130is removably attached to the abdomen20using VELCRO™ and covers the belly button transplant hole150(shown inFIG. 4), which is located in the abdomen20. Finally, three pieces of plastic tubing140protrude through the doll's abdomen20and represent Jackson-Pratt™ tubing which is implanted in the patient for drainage.

FIG. 3shows the doll10with the abdominal skin100removed, and the opening110exposed. Visible through the opening110is the abdominal muscle layer160. A flap of material170is attached to the abdominal muscle layer160underneath the skin layer25with VELCRO™ and represents abdominal muscle that has been cut and pulled away from the abdominal muscle layer160. The flap of material160also has VELCRO™ mounted on its free end195. Also shown inFIG. 3is a section of fat185, which attaches to excess fat180with VELCRO™. Fat185and excess fat180fit together inside the doll's abdomen20, below the opening110, and between the skin layer25and the abdominal muscle layer160. Finally,FIG. 3depicts replacement skin190which is formed from fabric and has VELCRO™ as a backing.

FIG. 5shows a close up of the doll10. The detachable nipple piece90is removed from the diseased breast80, and the removable stuffing85(FIG. 3) has been removed. The diseased breast80is empty, exposing a piece of cord200sewn to its inside, to represent human glands.

To demonstrate the free tram flap procedure, the detachable nipple piece90is first removed from the diseased breast80. The removable stuffing85is then removed from the diseased breast80, representing the removal of the diseased human fat and the ducts, veins, arteries, lymph nodes, and ducts contained therein. Next, the removable abdominal skin100is removed from the doll10, and the belly button piece120is detached from the removable abdominal skin100. Skin flap130is then removed from the doll10, and the belly button piece120is placed through the belly button transplant hole150and attached thereto. This represents the relocation of the belly button after removing the patient's excess skin.

Next, the fat185and excess fat180, which are attached to one another with VELCRO™, are removed from the opening110in the doll's abdomen20. The flap of material170is pulled away from the abdominal muscle layer160, and is pulled through the opening110. This represents the step of cutting a layer of abdominal muscle down both sides vertically (from below the breast to the fatty tissue) and pulling it away from the abdomen. The excess fat180is then separated from the fat185via its VELCRO™ connection, and the excess fat180is attached to the free end195of the flap of material170.

With the excess fat180attached to the free end195of the flap170, they are both slid toward the doll's head40, between the skin layer25and the abdominal muscle layer160, and through the opening75in the diseased breast80. This represents the reconstruction of the diseased breast80. Finally, the replacement skin190is attached to the diseased breast80, and the opening110in the doll's abdomen20is closed using snaps or hooks. This represents closing up the patient. The plastic tubing140represents the Jackson-Pratt™ tubing which is implanted in the patient for drainage.

The same basic procedure as above is also used to demonstrate the pedicle tram operation, however the procedure is divided into two stages. The first stage involves creating the opening110, removing the flap of material170completely from the doll, and closing the opening110with hooks or snaps. This represents the removal of abdominal muscle and tissue from the patient. The demonstration continues by again opening the opening110and following the procedure as outlined above for the free tram flap operation.