Medical garment

An improved medical garment comprises a unique combination of garment panels and parts and releasable closures which function together to define an article of clothing as well as a versatile examination tool.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates generally to the field of medical and 
surgical equipment and more specifically to garments worn by patients for 
hospital, surgery and examination purposes. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
There is today no medical garment which appears satisfactory in structure 
and function to both patients and medical personnel. The industry appears 
to have ignored the fact that the users of medical garments have unique, 
serious needs that can be met by practical, well thought out medical 
garments. Like any other medical equipment, medical garments should be 
functionally attunded to the needs of the users. 
Presently, prior to the present invention, medical garments have been 
modeled after institutional garments used in hospitals. An example is a 
smock-type, one piece dress (usually pea green) having two sleeves and a 
tied (or snapped) opening down the back. Such garments have little 
practical value to the patient, to the doctor or to the clinical staff. 
Such garments are especially cumbersome and embarrassing to female 
patients. Prior art garments are difficult to remove from a patient with 
an "I.V." (intravenous tubes) in her arm. Removal or changing of clothes 
requires removal and reinsertion of the I.V. and can be dangerous as well 
as cumbersome. A female patient who is in for a shoulder examination must 
expose her entire upper torso for the examination. A patient in for a 
breast examination must drop her entire gown. It can be seen that other 
inconveniences and problems beyond those mentioned above are being 
fostered by prior medical garments. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Briefly described, the medical garment of the present invention comprises a 
unique combination of garment panels and parts and releasable closures 
which function together to define an article of clothing as well as 
versatile examination tool. The garment of the present invention includes 
a body part, front and back panels and a shoulder part. These parts and 
panels are joined by releasable fastening devices by which certain panels 
and parts are selectively separated for examination access while the 
garment is still being worn by the patient. In a preferred embodiment, the 
shoulder part of the present invention comprises front and back yoke 
portions which support the garment at the shoulders while a front panel is 
opened for access to the chest region. In other preferred embodiments, the 
shoulder part includes separable segments by which the garment is 
supported on the patient by one shoulder segment while the other shoulder 
segment is opened either alone or in conjunction with the front panel for 
access to the shoulder, breast, side and pelvic areas. In preferred 
embodiments, the shoulder part is separable from the front panel and the 
garment is removable from an I.V. patient without disturbing the I.V. 
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a medical 
garment which functions both as an article of clothing and as an 
examination tool. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide a medical garment 
which is easily and safely removed from a patient. 
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a versatile 
surgical and examination garment which allows for selective and separate 
access to isolated body parts of the user. 
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an examination 
gown which allows for a balance between the need for examination access 
and the need for personal modesty. 
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become 
apparent upon reading and understanding this specification, in conjunction 
with the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Refering now in greater detail to the drawings in which like numerals 
represent like components throughout the several views, FIG. 1 shows a 
front view of an improved medical garment 10 of the present invention. The 
medical garment 10 is seen as including a lower dress portion 12 and a 
shoulder structure 30. The lower dress section 12 is seen as comprising a 
front dress section 14 and back dress section 15. The front dress section 
14 and back dress section 15 are sewn together along their left sides 16 
and along their right sides 17. The two dress sections 14, 15 are sewn 
from the bottom toward the top, along only a portion of their length, as 
seen in the drawing. The upper portions of the dress section 14, 15 are 
not sewn together. For ease of description, the lower part of the dress 
portion where the front and back dress sections 14, 15 are sewn together, 
shall be generally termed the body structure 19; that part of the front 
dress section 14 which is not sewn to the back dress section 15 shall be 
termed the front panel 20; and that part of the back dress section 15 
which is not sewn to the front dress section 14 shall be termed the back 
panel 21. In FIG. 1, the front panel 20 is shown folded down upon the body 
structure 19 and the back panel 21 is seen. 
The shoulder structure 30 is seen as comprising a back yoke 31 and a front 
yoke 32. The front yoke 32 has two separable halves 33, 34. Protruding 
from each of the back yoke 31 and front yoke 32 are shoulder segments 35, 
36, 37, 38 by which the front yoke 32 is connected to the back yoke 31. 
The shoulder structure 30 is sewn to the lower dress portion 12 at a seam 
41 connecting the back yoke 31 to the back panel 21. In the preferred 
embodiment of FIG. 1, the shoulder segments 35-38 of the shoulder 
structure 30 are separable along closure lines 43, 44. In alternate 
embodiments, the shoulder segments 35-38 are not separable. 
The medical garment 10 comprises a plurality of fastening devices for 
connecting the various components one-to-another. In the preferred 
embodiment, the fastening devices comprise matching hook-and-loop 
fastening mechanisms, such as that mechanism sold under the trademark 
"VELCRO". The hook portions of the hook-and-loop mechanism are designated 
by the numeral 46; and the loop portion of the mechanisms are designated 
by the numeral 47. Thus, hook portions 46 are sewn along edges indicated 
as "A", "A'", "C", "E", "G", "I", "K". Loop-portions are sewn along edges 
"B", "D", "J", "L". 
With all of the fastening mechanisms 46, 47 properly connected in matching 
pairs, the medical garment 10 forms a gown as seen in FIG. 2 ("the gown 
mode"). Proper connection is as follows: Strip "I" to strip "J"; Strip "K" 
to strip "L"; Strip "C" to strip "D"; and Strip "B" to strips "A", "A'", 
"E" and "G". With the garment 10 assembled and being worn in the gown 
mode, a gap or side opening 50, 51 will be created along the left side and 
right side, respectively of the front panel 20 and back panel 21. In the 
preferred embodiment, view through these openings 50, 51 is modestly 
hindered by locating the fastening mechanism hook strips "E" and "G" on 
the outside of the back panel 21, as shown in FIG. 1. In this way, as 
strip "B" is connected to pads "E" and "G", the front and back panel 20, 
21 are caused to "curve around" and slightly overlap one another. In an 
alternate embodiment of the invention, the openings 50, 51 are releasably 
closed by extending the fastening mechanisms along both edges of the front 
and back panels 20, 21. Furthermore, in alternate embodiments, strip "B" 
is segmented, as seen in FIG. 3, such that separate segments "B'", "B"" of 
strip "B" connect with strips "E" and "G", respectively. 
Examination Modes. The gown mode of FIG. 2 is the mode by which the medical 
garment 10 is modestly worn in everyday use or by a patient in a hospital 
bed. FIGS. 3-7 show various "examination modes" in which this examination 
tool 10 (garment) functions. It can be seen from FIG. 3 that, with strip 
"B" unfastened from strips "A", "A'", "E" and "G", a doctor can examine a 
stomach and/or breast surgery patient without exposing any more of the 
body than needed. If only the breast area needs to be examined, the 
garment 10 is only unfastened along edges "A", "A'" and "B". The strip "B" 
is maintained connected under the arms at strips "E" and "G". This is 
depicted in FIG. 4. In both modes shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, it is seen that 
the shoulder structure 30 continues to support the garment 10 from the 
shoulders of the user. FIG. 5 depicts an examination mode permitting 
isolated examination of one side of the patient's torso, for example, 
right shoulder, right chest and breast area, and right side to the pelvic 
area. In the examination mode of FIG. 5, the garment 10 has been 
unfastened at strips "I" and "J" and also at strip "E" and strip "B" (the 
right underarm fastener). FIG. 6 shows an examination mode allowing 
isolated examination of the left shoulder area. The examination mode of 
FIG. 6 is created by unfastening the left half 33 of the front yoke 32 
from the front panel 20; that is releasing strip "A'" (left half only) 
from fastening strip "B" and strip "D" from strip "C". Strip "B" remains 
fastened at strips "E", "G" and "A" (right side). It is noted that during 
the examination mode of FIGS. 5 and 6, the medical garment 10 continues to 
be supported on the body of the patient from one shoulder. FIG. 7 depicts 
a removal mode by which the medical garment 10 can be removed from the 
patient. This particular mode of FIG. 7 shows release of the shoulder 
segments 35, 37 and 36, 38 from both sides (at strips I-J and K-L) so as 
to slide the garment 10 on and off the patient with relative ease. In the 
removal mode of FIG. 7, an intravenous patient is dressed without need for 
disturbing intravenous tubes. 
FIG. 8 shows an alternate embodiment of the medical garment 10. This 
garment includes sleeves, having a right sleeve member 54 and a left 
sleeve member 55. The back panel 21 is further formed with triangler 
shaped left sleeve extension 57 and right sleeve extension 58. The sleeve 
members 54, 55 are sewn to the sleeve extension 57, 58 of the back panel 
at seam 41'. The hook strips "A", "A"" extend from the front yoke 32 along 
the front edges 60, 61 respectively, of the sleeve members 54, 55. The 
front panel 20 is also formed with a triangular left sleeve extension 63 
and a triangular right sleeve extension 64. The garment 10 embodiment of 
FIG. 8 includes fastening mechanisms having hook strips "A", "A'" and "C" 
and loop strips "B" and "D". Thus, when worn by the patient the garment 10 
provides releasable closures along edges A-B and C-D. With the medical 
garment 10 fully connected and worn by the patient, as seen in FIG. 9, a 
left side opening 50' and right side opening 51" exist between the front 
panel 20 and the back panel 21. The sleeve members 54, 55 and sleeve 
extensions 57, 58, 63, 64 cooperate to shield these openings for modesty's 
sake. Various examination modes are possible with the embodiment of FIGS. 
8 and 9 as are hinted at by reviewing FIGS. 3-7, in light of the structure 
of this alternate embodiment. 
FIG. 10 shows yet another alternate embodiment of the medical garment 10. 
The embodiment of FIG. 10 is shown as being similar in structure to that 
of FIGS. 8 and 9. An additional, releasable enclosure is provided in this 
embodiment at the junction between the bottom edge 66 of the front panel 
20 and the top edge 67 of the body structure 19. This closure 66-67 is 
created by providing the two opposing edges 66, 67 with a fastening 
mechanisms similar to those described above; that is, preferably, 
hook-and-loop strips. Thus, in addition to the other examination modes 
described with respect to FIGS. 1-9, the embodiment FIG. 10 provides for 
isolated examination access to the abdominal area of the patient by simple 
release of the closure 66-67. It is understood that this same alternate 
closure 66-67, although shown as an alternate to the embodiment of FIGS. 
8-9, finds similar applications as an alternate to the embodiment of FIGS. 
1-7. 
Whereas the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, represent the 
most preferred, versatile embodiment of the present invention, it is 
understood that others embodiments are within the scope of the present 
invention which include combinations of one or more of the releasable 
closures and related fastening mechanisms expressed herein. Furthermore, 
whereas the fastening mechanisms have been described with respect to a 
particular, preferred embodiment, other, practical fastenings mechanisms 
may be employed to replace those described, and to perform a similar 
function. 
Whereas the present invention has been described in detail with particular 
reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood that 
variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope 
of the invention, as described before and as defined in the appended 
claims.