Gown with sterile back closure

A back opening gown is disclosed in which the wearer can achieve a sterile back without assistance. The gown comprises a body portion having a front and a back with the back having a first and second panel and wherein the first panel has a flap running lengthwise of the gown. Prior to closure, the flap is folded back over the first panel and preferably releasably secured thereto. After any initial securing of the gown has been completed, e.g., snapped at the neck, an assistant secures the free end of a first belt tie attached to the flap to the rearward end of a belt disposed in a protective belt cover or housing. The wearer then pulls on the forward end of said belt, thereby releasing the flap and covering the non-sterile portions of the back of the gown and pulling the first belt tie and the rearward end of the belt under the belt cover or housing. The forward end of the belt is then secured to a second belt tie on the front portion of the gown. In the manner described, a sterile back is achieved.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates generally to gowns where sterility is 
required and, more particularly, to gowns adapted for use in hospitals, 
specifically surgical gowns used by members of operating teams. It is 
highly desirable that the back of the gown as well as, obviously, the 
front, be sterile. This, in the past, has in general required two people, 
the wearer and an assistant. The subject invention allows the achievement 
of a sterile back on the gown by the wearer alone after the initial step 
of securing any inner closure means has been completed. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The invention is directed to a back opening gown in which the wearer can 
achieve a sterile back without assistance. The gown comprises a body 
portion having a front and a back. The back has a first and second panel. 
One of the panels has a flap running lengthwise of the gown. Prior to 
closure, the flap is folded back upon the panel to which it is attached 
and preferably releasably secured thereto. After any initial securing of 
the gown has been completed, e.g., snapped at the neck, an assistant 
secures the free end of a first belt tie attached to the flap to the 
rearward end of a belt disposed in a protective belt cover or housing. The 
wearer then pulls on the forward end of said belt, thereby releasing the 
flap and covering the non-sterile portions of the back of the gown. The 
first belt tie and the rearward end of the belt are pulled under the belt 
cover or housing at the same time. The forward end of the belt is then 
secured to a second belt tie on the front portion of the gown, completing 
closure of the gown. In this manner, a sterile back is obtained.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
While the invention will be described in connection with a preferred 
embodiment, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the 
invention to that embodiment. On the contrary, it is intended to cover all 
alternatives, modifications and equivalents as may be included within the 
spirit and scope of the invention. 
Turning now to the drawings and referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, the gown 
has two sleeves 1 and 2 and a body portion 3 having a closed front section 
(see FIG. 6) and an open back section having two panels, a right panel 4 
and a left panel 5 (when viewed from the rear). Thus the gown is of the 
back closing type with the two back panels 4 and 5 being divided from each 
other along the length of the gown. 
For purposes of closing the gown at the neck, a snap 6 may be used as 
illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 5. Alternatively, other closures, such as 
Velcro or tie strings may be provided on the opposed surfaces at the top 
edges of the two back panels. (For a more complete description of the type 
of fastener identified as Velcro, see U.S. Pat. No. 3,824,625 at column 2, 
lines 38-48.) A second closure means, such as the two ties indicated at 7 
and 7A in FIG. 1, is preferably used to secure the two back panels 
together, preferably at about waist level. Both closure means 6 and ties 7 
and 7A may be secured by a non-sterile member of the operating team prior 
to completion of the closure and the formation of a sterile back. 
As can be seen in FIG. 2, a flap 8 forms a portion of the right panel 4. 
(In FIG. 1 this flap has been pulled back to show ties 7 and 7A.) In FIG. 
2, flap 8 is shown in its normal folded position after completion of the 
initial closure of the back, i.e., with neck snap 6 and ties 7 and 7A. 
Flap 8 is retained in its folded position by releasable means 9, 
preferably a scored or grooved tape which will separate along a groove 
upon the application of a pulling force. FIG. 2 also discloses belt tie 10 
secured at one end to what will become the internal surface of the flap 
upon closure. In the folded position of flap 8 illustrated in FIG. 2, belt 
tie 10 is attached to the exposed surface of flap 8 near the free edge of 
the flap. The free end of belt tie 10 preferably contains a fastening 
means 11, preferably a snap. Alternatively, belt tie 10 can be secured to 
belt 12 by tying the two together by use of Velcro fasteners or by other 
suitable means. For the reasons hereinafter discussed, the knot formed in 
this first alternative technique must be small enough to fit in belt cover 
or housing 14. Also visible in FIG. 2 is the rearward end of belt 12 to 
which is attached closure means 13, also preferably a snap, adapted for 
use with closure means 11 on belt tie 10. 
Belt 12, of which the rearward end is visible in FIG. 2, is enclosed in a 
belt cover or housing 14, preferably located at about waist level. 
In FIG. 3, the securing of belt tie 10 to the rearward end of belt 12 via 
snaps 11 and 13 is illustrated. In FIG. 3, flap 8 is still in the folded 
position secured to right panel 4 by notched tape 9. 
In FIG. 4, a front view of the gown, a forward exposed end of belt 12 is 
shown protruding from belt cover or housing 14. The free end of the 
forward part of belt 12 is located in pouch 15, which acts as a convenient 
storage place for the free ends of both belt 12 and belt tie 16. The other 
end of belt tie 16 is secured to the front portion of the gown as shown at 
17. 
FIG. 5 shows flap 8 released from its folded position and covering left 
panel 5 to form the desired sterile back. A side view of belt cover or 
housing 14 is also shown. 
The closure and formation of the sterile back as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is 
accomplished by the wearer of the gown pulling on the forward exposed end 
of belt 12 to separate scored tape 9 along a score or groove thereof, 
thereby bringing flap 8 over across and covering left panel 5. The forward 
free end of belt 12 is then secured by the wearer of the gown to belt tie 
16, thereby securing flap 8 in the closed position and achieving the 
desired sterile back. Simultaneously with the pulling on the forward end 
of belt 12 which results in flap 8 covering left panel 5 to form the 
sterile back, the non-sterile portions of belt tie 10 and the rearward end 
of belt 12 (see FIGS. 3 and 5) are pulled under the protective belt cover 
or housing 14, thereby assuring the sterility of the gown. It should be 
noted that a portion of belt tie 10 may not be under belt cover or housing 
14 but is under flap 8 as illustrated by dotted lines in FIG. 5. In this 
manner, a sterile back is obtained. 
The present invention is particularly useful with disposable or limited use 
gowns, albeit it is also useful with reusable gowns. Material useful in 
making gowns of the subject invention include, by way of example, cotton, 
reinforced nonwoven fabrics or any woven or nonwoven fabric recognized in 
the art as appropriate for the manufacture of surgical or operating room 
gowns. 
An important feature of this invention is that the lengths of belt tie 10 
and belt 12, particularly the length of the exposed portion of the 
rearward end of belt 12, are such that, in combination with the length and 
positioning of belt tie 16, all potentially contaminated rearward portions 
of belt 12 and belt tie 10, are covered by either the belt cover or 
housing 14 or flap 8. A desirable way of insuring this at the time the 
wearer secures the sterile back is to have the rearward portion of the 
belt 12 (which is exposed and potentially handled by the non-sterile 
assistant when securing it to belt tie 10) and optionally, belt tie 10, of 
a different color than the belt material which is not exposed to the 
non-sterile assistant. Alternatively, belt 12 can be notched or other 
indicia, e.g., a line, marked thereon at the point where it is exposed at 
the rearward end of belt cover 14 prior to closure of the gown. 
As discussed above, belt 12 and belt tie 10 can be tied together. However, 
since the belt and belt tie are at least in part covered by belt cover or 
housing 14 when the gown is secured in a closed position, the knot formed 
must be small enough to fit within the belt cover or housing 14. 
In addition, flap 8 need not be located on right panel 4, but can be 
located on left panel 5. The location of the operative parts of the 
closure system, e.g., belt 12, belt tie 16 and belt tie 10, as well as the 
belt cover or housing 14 and releasable means 9 will, of course, also be 
reversed. As noted above, flap 8 is preferably releasably secured to panel 
4 prior to closure by a notch tape 9 or other means. This is not required 
if the folding of flap 8 back over onto panel 4 results in the flap lying 
flat and being maintained in that position during the preliminary stages 
of donning the gown. 
Belt tie 10 is preferably secured at one end to the surface of flap 8 near 
the free edge of the flap, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. It is not essential 
that belt tie 10 be secured near the free edge as long as the placement is 
such that pulling on belt 12 (after the fastening of belt tie 10) will 
result in flap 8 covering left panel 5 and the non-sterile portions of 
belt tie 10 and belt 12 are covered by flap 8 or belt cover or housing 14. 
Preferably the belt, belt ties, the pouch and the belt cover or housing are 
all made of the same material as the body of the gown. This facilitates 
manufacture and subsequent sterilization of the gown. It should be noted, 
however, that other materials may be used for any or all of these items, 
if desired. 
As can be seen from the foregoing detailed description, the present 
invention provides an improved method of donning a sterile gown and 
obtaining a sterile back without the assistance of a second person.