Abstract:
A temperature compression treatment underpant for providing therapy to the ano-genital region for relief of pain and discomfort, comprising a gel-pack with connecting straps at each end and an underpant with loops or other attachment means on the front and back external surfaces of the underpant. The gel-pack, cooled or heated to a desired temperature, is placed in the genital, perineal, and/or anal areas outside the underpant. One connecting strap is attached to the back external surface, the other connecting strap is pulled forward with as much tension as desired and attached to the front external surface, thereby providing temperature and compression treatment.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to a combination underpant and thermal treatment device for the application of cold or heat therapy and compression to the perineal, genital, and anal areas. More particularly, the present invention relates to an adjustable gel-pack which can apply both compression and thermal treatment to the perineal, genital, and/or anal areas. 
     2. Background of the Invention 
     The application of cold can offer an analgesic effect in the relief of pain and discomfort associated with surgery or other trauma to the perineal, genital, and/or anal areas. Gel-packs are known in the art and are used to provide cold therapy to the ano-genital region. These devices are usually placed directly on the traumatized area inside an underpant and do not provide compression. Compression of a gel-pack adjacent to the affected area can help reduce swelling and enhance the therapeutic effect of the cold therapy. The ability to apply the gel-pack therapy outside the underpant may be more comfortable and convenient for the user and/or the care giver. The present invention provides for the application of cold therapy and compression simultaneously outside the underpants as well as inside the underpant, as desired. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention comprises an underpant and a gel-pack thermal device for providing compression and cold or heat therapy to the ano-genital region for the relief of pain and discomfort 
     The present invention comprises an underpant and a gel-pack thermal device for providing compression and cold or heat therapy to the ano-genital region for the relief of pain and discomfort resulting from surgery, such as, for example, episiotomy, hemorrhoidectomy, prostate surgery, vasectomy, scrotal surgery, vulval surgery, or from child birth, or from any other trauma to the ano-genital region. The uniderpant has a waistband or belt that secures the underpant in place above the hips. There is a loop on the front and on the back of the underpant. The gel-pack has connecting straps, at least one extending from each end of the gel-pack. The gel-pack is placed as desired in the ano-genital region outside the underpant. The front connecting strap is passed through the loop on the front of the underpant and folded over to reversibly attach to itself. The back connecting strap is passed through the loop on the back of the underpant and folded over to reversibly attach to itself. The degree of compression applied by the gel-pack can be adjusted as desired by applying tension to the connecting straps prior to reversibly attaching teach connecting strap to itself. 
     An advantage of the present invention is that compression and heat or cold therapy can be applied simultaneously to the ano-genital region. 
     Another advantage of the present invention is that compression and heat or cold therapy can be applied outside the underpant. 
     Another advantage of the present invention is that the underpant is reversible and compression and heat or cold therapy can be applied inside the underpant. 
     Another advantage of the present invention is that it will relieve pain and discomfort of the ano-genital region resulting from surgery, child birth, or any other trauma. 
     Another advantage of the present invention is that it can be used to treat the genital, perineal. or anal regions selectively. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 shows a gel-pack with connecting straps on each end of the gel-pack, the connecting straps having hook and pile arrangements. 
     FIG. 2 a  shows a front view of an underpant with a gel-pack in place, and a connecting strap inserted through a loop on the front of the underpant. 
     FIG. 2 b  shows a back view of an underpant with a gel-pack in place, and a connecting strap inserted through a loop on the back of the underpant. 
     FIG. 3 a  shows a side view of an underpant with a gel-pack in place, and the connecting straps inserted through the loops on the front and back of the underpant. 
     FIG. 3 b  is similar to FIG. 3 a  but shows the connecting strap folded over and reversibly attached to itself. 
     FIG. 4 a  and FIG. 4 b  show how the length of the gel-pack and/or its connecting straps can be varied so that the gel-pack can be positioned towards the front, middle, or back of the underpant as desired. 
     FIG. 5 a  shows an alternate embodiment of the gel-pack wherein the connecting straps have snaps. 
     FIG. 5 b  shows an alternate embodiment of the underpant having snaps for reversible attachment to the connecting straps of the gel-pack. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     While the following description details the preferred embodiments of the present invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced in various ways. 
     FIG. 1 shows a gel-pack  10  of the present invention having a connecting strap  11  on each end of the gel-pack. Connecting straps  11  have hook  12  and pile  13  arrangements so that connecting strap  1  can fold over and reversibly attach to itself. 
     FIGS. 2 a  and  2   b  show an underpant  20  of the present invention having a waist band  21  at the top of underpant  10 , loops  22 , a front external  23 , a back external surface  24 , and inside surface  26 . FIGS. 2 a  and  2   b  show gel-pack  10  in place on the external bottom surface  25  of underpant  20  with connecting straps  11  inserted through loop  22  on front external  23  of underpant  20  (FIG. 2 a ) and through loop  22  on back side  24  (FIG. 2 b ). 
     FIGS. 3 a  and  3   b  show a side view of underpant  20  with gel-pack  10  in place on the bottom external  25  of underpant  20  with connecting straps  11  inserted through loops  22  on front external  23  and back external surface  24  (FIG. 4 a ), and with each connecting strap  11  folded over loop  22  and reversibly attached to itself by hook  12  and pile  13  arrangements. 
     FIGS. 4 a  and  4   b  show how the length of the gel-pack  10  and/or its connecting straps  11  can be varied in length so that the gel-pack can be positioned, as desired, towards the front, bottom  25 , or back  24  of the underpant  20 . By placing the gel-pack  10  towards the front (FIG. 4 a ), middle, or back (FIG. 4 b ) of underpant  20 , a user can apply thermal treatment and compression selectively to the genital  40 , perineal  41 , or anal areas  42 , respectively. In addition, FIGS. 4 a  and  4   b  show that loops  22  can also be placed on waistband  21  on the front  23  or back  24  of underpant  20 . 
     FIGS. 5 a  and  5   b  show an alternate embodiment of the present invention. Instead of loops  22 , underpant  20  has snaps  30  on front external surface  23  (FIG. 5 b ) and back external surface  24 . Likewise connecting straps  11  on gel-pack  10  have reciprocating snaps  31  (FIG. 5 a ) so that connecting straps  11  are reversibly attached to front external surface  23  and back external surface  24  of underpant  20  by snaps  30 . 
     The method of use of the temperature and compression treatment underpant of the present invention is described as follows. A user wears underpant  20  similar to conventional under pants. The gel-pack  10  is positioned in the crotch area as desired outside of underpant  10 . Gel-pack  10  can cover the genital  40 , perineal  41 , or anal areas  42  individually or all of them simultaneously. On the other hand, gel-pack  10  can cover the genital  40  and perineal  41  areas only, or the perineal  41  and anal  42  areas only. This is accomplished by using a gel-pack of appropriate length and/or by moving the gel-pack  10  toward genital area  40  or toward anal area  42 . Sustained compression is produced by reversibly attaching a connecting strap  11  to either front external surface  23  or back external surface  24  of underpant  10 . The remaining strap  11  is then pulled toward the remaining unattached external surface of underpant  10  to create desired compression, and then reversibly attached to that remaining external surface to maintain that compression. For example, if a connecting strap is reversibly attached to the back external surface of the underpant, then the other connecting strap is pulled towards the front external surface under desired tension and then attached to the front external surface, and vice-versa. Waistband  21  secures underpant  20  above the hips and around the waist in an annular fashion sufficiently to bear the tension produced by gel-pack  10  and connection straps  11 . 
     Any thermal device that is adapted to fit over the genital, perineal, or anal regions can be used in the present invention. The preferred thermal unit is a gel-pack well-known in the art for applying heat of cold to the body surface. Gel or reusable fluid materials employable in the gel-packs (pouches) of the present invention for heat exchange are well known in the art. For example, one reusable, heatable/chillable gel employable in the pouches could be composed of approximately 40% glycerine, 52% distilled water, and 8% starch. It is further well known in the art to provide plastic film pouches, packages, and containers and heating or refrigerating package constructions of plastic film material. Typical materials making up such films include polyethylene, cellophane, polypropylene, polyester, etc., and laminations thereof. The preferred gel-pack is reusable, can be heated in any suitable oven or heating device, including, preferably, a microwave oven, and can be placed in a freezer to cool the gel-pack to 0 B  C. or lower without causing the gel to solidify. 
     The gel-pack of the present invention can be constructed in any suitable shape to cover the entire genital-perineal-anal region or just the individual genital, perineal, or anal regions. The length of the connecting straps may be made as desired so that the gel-pack may be moved forward towards the genital area or back towards the anal area (FIGS. 4 a  and  4   b ) and the connecting straps will be able to reversibly attach to the front and back external surfaces of the underpant. 
     The foregoing description has been limited to specific embodiments of this invention. It will be apparent, however, that variations and modifications may be made by those skilled in the art to the disclosed embodiments of the invention, with the attainment of some or all of its advantages and without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, the gel-pack may have two or more connecting straps at each end. There may be two or more loops on the front and back external surfaces of the underpant. The loops on the external surfaces may have connecting means, such as, for example, hook or pile arrangements or snaps so that the connecting straps are folded over the loop and reversibly attached to the loops. There may be one or more hook or pile arrangements on the front and back external surfaces of the underpant so that connecting traps reversibly attach directly to the front and back external surfaces. The waistband may further comprise an adjustable belt or tie arrangements so that the top of the underpant may be secured above the hips and around the waist in an annular fashion, with as much tension as desired, to further support the compression produced by the gel-pack and connecting straps. The underpant may be worn and used inside-out so that the gel-pack is inserted and reversibly attached on the interior of underpant so worn. 
     It will be understood that various changes in the details, materials, and arrangements of the parts which have been described and illustrated above in order to explain the nature of this invention may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the principle and scope of the invention as recited in the following claims.