Abstract:
A surgical compression bra for patient support with a mastectomy kit. The surgical bra includes a body portion with a releasable front closure, shoulder straps with releasable closures, an internal pocket, adjustable poly filled pad prostheses, and a detachable mastectomy pouch.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This invention claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/615478, filed Mar. 26, 2012, which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This invention relates to surgical bras and more particularly a surgical compression bra that is adapted for use after breast surgery, including mastectomy surgery, other surgery, or other procedures to provide support to the patient. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    After breast surgery, other surgeries, or other procedures, patients often wear surgical compression bras in order to provide support and thereby assist in the healing process and to accommodate the drainage of fluid through drainage tubes inserted in the patient&#39;s chest. A surgical bra employed after a mastectomy must accommodate the effects of surgery including the installation of drainage tubes, the presence of port/chest catheter sites, limited movement of the patient&#39;s arms, and the accompanying post-operative pain. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    Consequently, there is a need for a surgical bra that is easy to don and doff that is comfortable without irritating seams, that fits snugly, that includes cushioning where incisions have been made, that protects port/chest catheter sites, and that accommodates drainage bags. 
         [0005]    The surgical bra of the present invention addresses those needs. The surgical bra of the present invention may also be used for support or comfort for users, who have not undergone surgical procedures such as for support during exercise. 
         [0006]    Further objects, features and advantages will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of the invention when taken in conjunction with the drawings and the appended claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  is a front elevation view of a surgical bra with a mastectomy kit in accordance with the present invention. 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a back elevation view of the surgical bra with a mastectomy kit in accordance with the present invention. 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is an inside elevation view of the surgical bra with a mastectomy kit in accordance with the present invention. 
           [0010]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  are front and back plan views respectively of a mastectomy pouch for use in connection with the surgical bra with a mastectomy kit in accordance with the present invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  is a front perspective view of a surgical bra with mastectomy pouches attached thereto in accordance with the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0012]    Turning to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a surgical bra  10 , in accordance with the present invention, has a body portion  12  constructed of a single piece of material that wraps around the torso of a patient. The body portion  12  includes a left front panel  14 , a right front panel  16 , a back panel  18 , a back strap section  42  with a left back strap  44  and a right back strap  46 , and a front strap section  52  with a left front strap  54  and a right front strap  56 . As used herein, the terms “left,” “right,” “front,” and “back” referred to the orientation of the panels with respect to the body of a patient wearing the surgical bra  10 . For example, the left front panel  14  is the panel of the body portion  12  of the surgical bra  10  adjacent the patient&#39;s left side (heart). 
         [0013]    The material of the body portion  12  is a cotton/Lycra blend (approximately 93%-7%) so that the body portion is stretchable. The surgical bra  10  has no latex. The body portion  12  is die cut from the cotton/Lycra blend material, and the die cut edges of the body portion  12  are stitched with a  301  chain stitch in order to create soft edges around the periphery of the body portion  12 . The body portion  12  has a lower edge  20  that is elasticized. 
         [0014]    The left front panel  14  has a left front panel center edge  22 , and the right front panel  16  has a right front panel center edge  24 . A hook and loop closure  26  consists of a hook and loop closure strip  28  attached to the left front panel center edge  22  and a hook and loop closure strip  30  attached to the right front center panel edge  24 . The hook and loop closure  26  is therefore located adjacent the center of the patient&#39;s chest so that the patient can easily open and close the body portion  12  with the hook and loop closure  26  in front. 
         [0015]    With continuing reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the back strap section  42  of the surgical bra  10  extends from the back panel  18  toward the neck of the patient. The back strap section  42  covers a portion of the patient&#39;s back between the patient&#39;s shoulder blades. The left back strap  44  and the right back strap  46  extend upwardly from the back strap section  42 . Consequently, the back strap section  42  provides dimensionally established location points for the back straps  44  and  46 . The left back strap  44  has a left hook and loop closure pad  45 , and the right back strap  46  has a right hook and loop closure pad  47 . 
         [0016]    The left front strap  54  extends upwardly from the left front panel  14 , and the right front strap  56  extends upwardly from the right front panel  16 . The left front strap  54  has a left hook and loop closure pad  55 , and the right front strap  56  has a right hook and loop closure pad  47 . The left hook and loop closure pad  45  on the left back strap  44  engages the left hook and loop closure pad  55  on the left front strap  54  to form a left strap hook and loop closure  48  and thereby complete a left shoulder strap  49 . The right hook and loop closure pad  47  on the right back strap  46  engages the right hook and loop closure pad  57  on the right front strap  56  to form a right strap hook and loop closure  58  and thereby complete a right shoulder strap  59 . The dimensions of the hook and loop closure pads  45 ,  55 ,  47 , and  57  allow for adjustment in the length of the shoulder straps  49  and  59  to accommodate the individual needs of the individual patient, such as the need for the surgical bra  10  to be positioned lower on one patient and higher on another patient. 
         [0017]    The shoulder straps  49  and  59  are also dimensioned and located so that the shoulder straps  49  and  59  completely cover the standard port/chest catheter sites. In that regard, the shoulder straps  49  and  50  are of sufficient width to extend across the width of the port/chest catheter sites, and the shoulder straps  49  and  50  are located toward the center of the wearer&#39;s chest so that the shoulder straps  49  and  50  extend over the port/chest catheter sites. The shoulder straps  49  and  59  may include additional padding at the sites of a catheter ports. Further, the adjustable straps allow a dialysis patient to secure the ends of a dialysis catheter to the patient&#39;s chest thereby assuring that the ends of the dialysis catheter are not accidentally pulled from the patient. 
         [0018]    The surgical bra  10 , of the present invention, also has additional features, which recommend the surgical bra  10  for use in connection with mastectomy surgery or other breast surgeries. In that regard, and as shown in  FIG. 3 , a left internal pocket  32  is formed inside of the left front panel  14 , and a right internal pocket  34  is formed inside the right front panel  16 . The left internal pocket  32  and the right internal pocket  34  are constructed by attaching, typically by sewing, a separate piece of material for each internal pocket  32  or  34  to the body portion  12  along the matching edges of the internal pockets  32  and  34  and the matching edges of the body portion  12 . A left pocket opening  33  is created by leaving the edge of the left internal pocket  32  unattached to the body portion  12 . A right pocket opening  35  is created by leaving the edge of the right internal pocket  34  unattached to the body portion  12 . Adjustable poly filled pads  36  may be inserted into the internal pockets  32  and  34  to provide cushioning and act as prostheses for the patient. The poly filled pads  36  are constructed of two circular pieces of material, such as the cotton/Lycra blend material or other suitable material. The two circular pieces of material are stitched together around their periphery to create a pocket with a soft seam. The pocket is filled with a soft 100% polyester batt. The pads  36  are adjustable to the extent that the amount of fill material can be adjusted to meet the individual needs of the individual patient. Other fill material may be used as would be obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art. The two pieces of material may be joined at their peripheries by other means such as gluing or heat bonding. 
         [0019]    In addition, the surgical bra  10  has mastectomy pouches  74  and  76  ( FIG. 5 ). The mastectomy pouches  74  and  76  are used to hold bags (bulbs) that are connected to drainage tubes inserted into the chest cavity of the patient. The drainage tubes drain fluid from the patient&#39;s chest cavity, and the bags collect the fluid. In order to accommodate the mastectomy pouches  74  and  76 , the surgical bra  10  has hook and loop fasteners  78  and  79  attached on the outside of the left panel  14  and on the outside of the right panel  16  and adjacent the lower edge  20 .  FIGS. 4A and 4B  show the back and front of the mastectomy pouch  74 . The mastectomy pouch  74  comprises two layers of material (the cotton/Lycra blend material may be used) that are stitched together around their peripheries with opening  86  at the top. The opening  86  may be closed in use by means of a hook and loop fastener  88  inside the mastectomy pouch  74 . In addition, the mastectomy pouch  74  has an outside hook and loop fastener  82  that is adapted to engage hook and loop fastener  78  on the surgical bra  10 .  FIG. 5  shows the mastectomy pouches  74  and  76  connected to the surgical bra  10  by means of the hook and loop fasteners  79  and  78 . Once the drainage tubes are removed, the mastectomy pouches  74  and  76  can be filled with a soft poly fiber blend and used as prostheses in addition to poly filled pads  36 . 
         [0020]    In use after breast surgery, including mastectomy surgery, after other surgeries or other procedures, or in connection with exercise, the patient is able to don the surgical bra  10  by first opening the center closure  26  and opening the strap closures  48  and  58 . The surgical bra  10  then can be wrapped around the chest of the patient and secured in place by means of the center closure  26 . The stretch characteristics of the material of the body portion  12  and the stretch characteristics of the elastic near the lower edge  20  assure a snug but comfortable fit. The shoulder straps  49  and  59  then can be closed by means of the left strap hook and loop closure  48  and the right strap hook and loop closure  58 . Because the hook and loop strap closures  48  and  58  have adjustability, the surgical bra  10  can be properly positioned vertically by adjusting the shoulder straps  49  and  59 . Similarly, the surgical bra  10  can be doffed easily by opening the hook and loop strap closures  48  and  58  and the center hook and loop closure  26 . 
         [0021]    While this invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that variations and modifications can be affected within the spirit and scope of the invention as described herein and as described in the appended claims.