Post tumescent liposuction absorption pad garments

Garments that are an absorption pad holding system used during post tumescent liposuction drainage recovery. These garments with rows of inside pockets will secure retail maxi pads and/or medical pads in a, but not limited to, stretchable, breathable, leak proof and washable material. These user friendly garments after being filled with pads, can be easily wrapped around various parts of the body. The garment can be easily adjusted with the Velcro closure.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to . . . An absorption pad support garment and, more particularly, to . . . secure and keep in place retail disposable feminine maxi pads and/or medical pads for collection of drainage fluid.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Immediately after tumescent liposuction, the patient experiences a tremendous amount of blood tinged tumescent fluid drainage. In order to absorb the fluid, various types of absorption pads are used post-operatively, including medical pads and/or over the counter feminine maxi-pads. The problem arises when a patient tries to change these pads on the wound site when saturated with tumescent fluid drainage, and then apply a compression garment.

The amount of drainage requires the absorption pads to be changed by the patient frequently during the first few days after tumescent liposuction. The process of removing and re-applying new absorption pad is time consuming, cumbersome, painful, frustrating, and difficult task for the patient to do without assistance. Changing pads entails removing elastized material and the painful removal of tape, which secures flat absorption and/or individual maxi pads to the skin. Re-applying the new pads entails manually holding pads in place over the leaking tumescent wounds while securing pads with medical tape to the skin. Finally, the last step is wrapping or putting on elastized material to further secure absorption pads in place. This is an inefficient and daunting task for any recuperating patient.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,283,124, which was issued to Jeff Scheuning and Marc Sperberg discloses a Versatile Compression Garment including, in combination, a form-fitting garment portion and one or more compression pads. One or more compression pads are disposed in a receiving pouch or pouches located on the interior surface of the garment. The position of the compression pad or pads is such that they overlie the portion of a body which is desired to be compressed when the form-fitting garment is donned. When performing the surgical procedure of suction lipoplasty it is desirable to compress the surgical site postoperatively in order to minimize swelling. Following removal of the liposuction cannula the operative site is closed and covered with a surgical bandage. The garment is then fitted onto the body with the compression pad overlying the surgical area. In another embodiment an adhesive surface on the compression pad is adapted to releasably adhere to a portion of the inner body-facing surface of the garment. The ability to move and reposition of the compression pads on the interior surface of a form-fitting garment so as to overlie the surgical site provides a versatile compression garment.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,585,673 which was issued to Andrea Bass, discloses a Pressure binder and pack positioner which can also be used as a hot/cold pack positioner. More specifically, the present invention is primarily intended for bodily use by being positioned either over or under a garment to provide comfort support to various selected body parts and also to aid in the faster recovery of various injured body parts. An elasticized pressure binder and pack position comprises a pocket, a pair of elongated elasticized straps, and a pair of elongated extension straps. The pocket has three closed ends and one open end. The open end can be closed by means for closing. The pair of elongated elasticized straps is attached to and extending from one of the three closed ends. There are a pair of hook portions of a hook and loop type fastener structure on the side of the pocket. There is a loop portion of the hook and loop fastener structure at the end of each of the pair of elongated elasticized straps. One side of each of the pair of elongated extension straps is a loop portion of the hook and loop fastener structure. The other side of each of the pair of elongated extension straps is a hook portion of the hook and loop fastener structure.

Each of these prior arts, discloses a kind of Holder, Support and Compression garment, however, none of them accommodates the convenient use of over the counter Maxi pads and addresses the Tumescent Liposuction drainage.

Such a garment is lacking in the prior art.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved method of collecting post liposuction drainage fluid.

It is another object of the invention to allow the consumer an easy way to secure maxi pads and/or medical pads to the garment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided . . . garments that are an absorption pad holding system used during post tumescent liposuction drainage recovery. These garments with rows of inside pockets will secure retail maxi pads and/or medical pads in a, but not limited to, stretchable, breathable, leak proof and washable material. These user friendly garments after being filled with absorption pads can be easily wrapped around various parts of the body. The garment can be easily adjusted with the Velcro closure.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1is an outside perspective view of Waist Garment.

A garment to secure retail and/or medical absorption pads for, but not limited to, post tumescent liposuction. This fabric is the body of the garment. Constructed of, but not limited to, Darlexx 3 Ply Fabric 3645 or other stretchable fabric10. Velcro Loop11or loop type material assists in adjusting the size and securing the waist garment when closed.

FIG. 2is an inside perspective view of a Waist Garment.

The inside perspective view of the waist garment with pockets allows the patient a choice to use either individual Maxi Pads17/medical pads or a Large Flat Medical Pad19. The patient could also choose to use both Maxi Pads17and the Large Flat Medical Pad19at the same time, giving the patient even more absorption protection. This pocket system allows for ease of placement for these pads. The Velcro Hook12, which will attach to the Velcro Loop11, allows the patient ease of size adjustment and comfort. The Elongated Single Pocket15made from the same Darlexx 3 Ply Fabric 3645 or other stretchable fabric10will allow the patient to customize and place a long flat medical pad within the Elongated Single Pocket15. The Hook Velcro Strips13that are stitched on the underside of the Elongated Single Pocket15and spaced accordingly, will further secure the flat medical pad by allowing the hook to embed into the pad's surface. The patient can now easily wrap the garment, once loaded with the pad/s, around the fluid drainage area without concern of the pad/s falling out. The Inside View of the Waist Garment also contains Individual Pad Pockets14. These Individual Pad Pockets14allow for placement of Maxi Pads17or retail pads. Using Maxi or retail pads is both convenient and economical, allowing the person to replace only the saturated Maxi Pads17or retail pad with a new one when necessary.

FIG. 3is an outside perspective view of the Leg Garment.

ReferencingFIG. 1, made of the same Darlexx 3 Ply Fabric 3645 or other stretchable fabric10Velcro Loop11that will allow ease of adjustment and comfort.

FIG. 4is an inside perspective view of a Leg Garment with pocket to secure absorption pads, allowing ease of use. ReferencingFIG. 2as to Velcro Hook12, Elongated Single Pocket15, Individual Pad Pockets14and Hook Velcro Strips13. The shape of the garment will fit comfortably around the upper thigh area.

FIG. 5is an outside perspective view of an Arm Garment.

This garment will fit comfortably and will address the tumescent liposuction drainage sites of the upper arm.

ReferencingFIG. 1Darlexx 3 Ply Fabric 3645 or other stretchable fabric10and using Velcro Loop11fabric for ease and adjustment of closure.

FIG. 6is an inside perspective view of an Arm Garment with pockets to secure absorption pads.

FIG. 7is an inside perspective view of the waist garment loaded with Maxi Pads17. The view shows how easily the patient can remove and replace using the individual pad pockets14as a guide for placement.

FIG. 8is an inside perspective view of the waist garment loaded with a Large Flat Medical Pad19. Using the 2 Elongated Single Pocket15for placement and Hook Velcro Strips13for security.

FIG. 1illustrates the outside surface of a garment adapted to wrap around a person's waist. The loop portion11of a hook-and-loop fastener system is positioned on the fabric body10of the garment. One such hook-and-loop fastener system is known by the trademark Velcro, which is a two part fastener system. Velcro has one part that includes a multitude of resilient hooks attached to a fabric or other material. The hooks engage the other part, which includes a multitude of resilient loops attached to a fabric or other material. In the illustrated embodiment, the waist garment is rectangular with two short ends and two long sides, or long edges. The loop portion11is positioned adjacent to one end of the garment such that when the garment is wrapped around a waist of a person, the other end overlaps the loop portion11.

The fabric body10is a stretchable fabric, such as Darlexx 3645. Darlexx is a trademark for a fabric that is breathable, windproof, waterproof, and stretchable with recovery to its original shape. Darlexx fabric is an omni-directional warp knit fabric laminated to a monolithic film.

FIG. 2illustrates the reverse side of the waist garment illustrated inFIG. 1. The end of the garment opposite the end with the loop portion11includes the hook portion12of the hook-and-loop fastener system. In the illustrated embodiment, the hook portion12is rectangular and is adapted to mate with the loop portion11on the opposite surface of the garment when the garment is wrapped around a body portion of the person. The shape and configuration of the loop portion11is such that the hook portion12mates with the loop portion11at various positions, allowing the garment to fit various waist diameters.

Illustrated inFIG. 2are two strips215of fabric and each strip215is positioned along the long edges of the garment. The strips215are attached to the garment near the edges of the garment such that the strips215, in combination with the fabric body10, form a pair of elongated pockets15that extend substantially the length of the fabric body10along the two edges. Inside the pockets15at spaced intervals are strips of hook material13, such as the hook portion of a Velcro fastening system. The pair of elongated pockets15are adapted to receive a flat absorbent medical pad19, such as illustrated inFIG. 8.

Attached to each of the two first strips215is a second strip214of fabric. The second strip214is attached to the first strip215along the seams216that are at spaced intervals and parallel to the ends of the garment. The volume bounded by the first strip215and the second strip214and between two adjacent seams216define an individual pad pocket, or restraining member,14. Each pad pocket14has a corresponding pad pocket14at the opposite side of the garment such that the ends of an oblong absorbent pad17(illustrated inFIG. 7) fit into a pair of opposing pad pockets14, thereby being secured to the garment.

FIG. 3illustrates the outside surface of another embodiment of the garment, which is adapted to be wrapped around a person's leg.FIG. 4illustrates the inside surface of the garment. One skilled in the art will recognize that the loop portion11can be located at either end of the garment provided that the hook portion12is located on the opposite surface at the opposite end from the loop portion11without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Opposite one side of the garment is an edge that curves inward in the mid-section of the garment. The shape of the curved side is such that the garment is adapted to fit around a person's upper thigh.

FIGS. 5 and 6illustrate the outside and inside surfaces, respectively, of another embodiment of the garment, which is adapted to be wrapped around a person's arm. As shown inFIG. 3, the loop portion11illustrated inFIG. 5is shown positioned on one end of the garment. Opposite one edge of the garment is an edge that has a V-shape pointing inward to the mid-section of the garment. The shape of the V-shaped side is such that the garment is adapted to fit around a person's upper arm.

FIG. 7illustrates the garment with the ends of the absorbent pads17inserted into the pad pockets14. The absorbent pads17are feminine hygiene pads such as Maxi-Pads, which are trademarked pads sold under the trademark Kotex. Such pads are generally rectangular with rounded corners, or oblong, and are absorbent of bodily fluids and minimize leakage of the absorbed fluid.

FIG. 8illustrates the garment shown inFIG. 7with the oblong absorbent pads17removed, exposing the flat medical pad19. The opposite ends of the flat medical pad19are inserted in the pair of elongated pockets15and the hook portion13inside the elongated pockets15are attached to the pad19, thereby securing the pad19to the garment.