Abstract:
According to one aspect of the present invention a dressing comprises: an alcohol containing layer; a second layer including an alcohol impervious material covering said absorbent layer soaked in alcohol; and a third layer including insulating material, the third layer covering said alcohol impervious material, wherein at least two of said layers are attached to one another within said dressing.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application relates to the application entitled “Method for treatment of Cellulitis” by Leonard Grossman, which is incorporated by reference herein and is filed concurrently herewith.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The present invention relates generally to a device for treatment of cellulitis, and other skin related bacterial infections.  
         [0004]     2. Technical Background  
         [0005]     Cellulitis and other skin related bacterial infections can result in severe trauma and suffering to the patient in the form of physical pain, inability to move the involved extremity, swelling, generalized spread of infection leading to limb loss and sometimes loss of a life. Other then in healthy individuals, these conditions are more frequently encountered in people with one or another form of diabetes, peripheral vascular disorders and some form of immunological deficiency.  
         [0006]     Generally, early stage of cellulitis is treated with oral antibiotics and extremity rest. In a more serious situation, such as widespread cellulitis in a person with one or more of the medical problems mentioned above, the patient is usually admitted to the hospital for administration of intravenous antibiotics, many days of medical observation by the doctors and nursing staff, extremity rest and elevation and combination of moist heat. All of this results in a high cost of the medical facility, doctors and nursing fees, high cost of the intravenous antibiotics and time lost from work by the patient.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     According to one aspect of the present invention a dressing comprises: an alcohol containing layer; a second layer including an alcohol impervious material covering said absorbent layer soaked in alcohol; and a third layer including insulating material, the third layer covering said alcohol impervious material, wherein at least two of said layers are attached to one another within said dressing.  
         [0008]     According to some embodiments of the present invention, the dressing further includes an outer cover that includes an adhesive layer capable of attaching to skin, such that said absorbent material will be adjacent to skin.  
         [0009]     According to one aspect of the present invention a dressing comprises: an layer of absorbent material capable of absorbing alcohol; a second layer including an alcohol impervious material covering said absorbent layer soaked in alcohol; and a third layer including insulating material covering said alcohol impervious material, wherein at least two of said layers are attached to one another within said dressing.  
         [0010]     According to some embodiments this dressing further includes an outer cover that includes an adhesive layer capable of attaching to skin, such that the absorbent material will be adjacent to skin.  
         [0011]     Some of the advantages of the present invention are the dressing is inexpensive, and when applied locally to an area of cellulitis the dressing will treat, control and cure the infection in a matter of hours.  
         [0012]     Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which follows, and in part will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from that description or recognized by practicing the invention as described herein, including the detailed description which follows, the claims, as well as the appended drawings.  
         [0013]     It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description present embodiments of the invention, and are intended to provide an overview or framework for understanding the nature and character of the invention as it is claimed. The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention, and are incorporated into and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate various embodiments of the invention, and together with the description serve to explain the principles and operations of the invention. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]      FIG. 1  is a flowchart depicting one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0015]      FIG. 2  is a flowchart depicting another embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0016]      FIG. 3  is a schematic drawing of a patient with a dressing according to an embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0017]      FIG. 4  is a schematic side view of a dressing according one embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0018]     Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Whenever possible, the same reference numerals will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.  
         [0019]     As shown in  FIG. 1 , a method of treating a patient afflicted with skin infection includes the steps of: (i) covering the area of afflicted with infection with an absorbent layer soaked in alcohol, such that the alcohol is in contact with the area afflicted with infection; (ii) keeping the absorbent layer soaked in alcohol in contact with the area afflicted with infection for at least 1 hour; and (iii) removing the alcohol soaked layer from the patient. Examples of infections treatable by this method are cellulites, folliculitis, furunculitis, or other infectious conditions related to skin.  
         [0020]     According to some embodiments of the present invention, alcohol is kept in contact with the area afflicted with infection for at least for and preferably for at least 4 hours.  
         [0021]     As shown in  FIG. 2 , according to one embodiment of the present invention a method of treating a patient having skin afflicted with infection comprises: covering the area afflicted with infection with a dressing that includes (i) an absorbent layer soaked in alcohol such that the alcohol is in direct contact with the area of skin afflicted with infection; (ii) an impervious material, such as cellophane, covering the absorbent layer soaked in alcohol; (iii) an insulating material (either natural or man-made) covering the alcohol impervious material, in order to prevent the loss of body heat. The dressing or bandage is worn by the person such that the absorbent layer soaked in alcohol is in contact with the area afflicted with infection for at least 1 hour, preferably at least 2 hours, and most preferably at least 4 hours. The dressing may be kept in contact with the skin for 3-7 hours or even longer (for example 6-10 hours), depending on the needs of the individual. The layers are preferably permanently affixed to one another and form a single dressing unit.  
         [0022]     I believe that this method works because alcohol permeates through the porous skin layers to the infected site, where it kills the infection causing bacteria directly. Although the continuous exposure to alcohol for several hours will dry the skin, and may form patches of dry skin, the dried skin cells will flake off within a few days or weeks. Because the alcohol is in contact with the infected area for a relatively long period of time and because it penetrates through the skin, it is preferable to use ethanol (drinking alcohol) if the infected area is relatively large (for example, more than 2 cm 2 ). Typical application duration is 3 to 7 hours, which may be repeated after 10 to 12 hours. Of course, one longer application is equivalent to several shorter applications. For example, a fresh dressing may be applied for one hour three times within a 12 hour period, which, due to larger initial alcohol absorption, will produce a result similar to that produced by a dressing that is applied for about 2.5 hours.  
         [0023]     According to one embodiment of the present invention a simple, inexpensive dressing  10  containing a layer  12  of absorbent material presoaked in alcohol  13  is applied to the skin area afflicted with infection for several hours, taken off, and a new dressing  10  is applied again in 10-12 hours, if needed.  FIG. 3  illustrates schematically a person with such dressing  10 . One embodiment of the dressing according to the present invention is shown in  FIG. 4 , and is designated generally throughout by the reference numeral  10 .  
         [0024]     According to one embodiment of the present invention the dressing  10  comprises at least three layers:  
         [0025]     1. A layer  12  of alcohol (for example, ethanol or isopropyl alcohol) soaked absorbent material, for example a layer of cotton. The material may be either natural or synthetic. This layer  12  may be in direct contact with the area of skin afflicted with infection, as determined by visual inspection. Alternatively, alcohol may be kept in contact with the skin by any other means.  
         [0026]     2. An occlusive layer  14  (alcohol impervious layer) to prevent or to slow down evaporation of alcohol. For example, a thin layer cellophane, polyethylene plastic or polyethylene, such as clingwrap® available from Glad Products Company of Oakland, Calif. is a suitable alcohol impervious material. This layer  14  will limit evaporation of alcohol and prolong the effect of alcohol absorption.  
         [0027]     3. Another layer  16  of an insulating material, for example, cotton or wool. The material for the insulating layer may also be a synthetic material. This layer  16  will isolate and prevent the loss of body heat from the area being treated.  
         [0028]     The dressing  10  may include at least one additional wrapping layer  17 , this layer may be porous and may at least partially surround layers  12 ,  14  and  16 , keeping them in close proximity with one another. The portion of layer  17  surrounding layer  12 , is porous and/or permeable to alcohol, so that alcohol is held in contact with the skin.  
         [0029]     The dressing  10  should not interfere with circulation, either venous or arterial and should not compress an extremity in a circumferential manner. The dressing may be optionally kept in place in a tube of an elastic mesh, for example BandNet™ available from Western Medical Limited of Tenafly, N.J. The dressing may also kept in place by a sticky section(s)  18   a  of the outside wrap  18 , similar to that of small bandages, as long as the infected area is fully covered. The dressing  10  may come in various shape and sizes.  
         [0030]     The dressing is preferably a unitary dressing, i.e., at least one layer may be attached to one or more layers, and/or several layers are preferably enclosed by one or more outer layers. Such a dressing may be taken out of its storage container and have the alcohol applied to it prior to usage, or may come already containing alcohol.  
         [0031]     The treatment results in acute improvement of the condition, which can be seen visually, for example, in as little as 8 hours, in some cases with complete resolution of the symptoms in the same amount of time. The treatment can be performed at home as instructed by the medical personal, or the patient, who is aware of the condition, especially in the early stages of infection.  
         [0032]     The application of dressing can be repeated every 12 hours, but the application itself should can be, for example, about six to eight hours long.  
         [0033]     This dressing could be applied just like a Band-Aid®, may come in different sizes and shapes (for example, rectangular, circular, or oval) and may be pretreated with alcohol and ready to use out of a pack. Alternatively it may be provided without the alcohol, and the end user may apply the alcohol to the layer  12 , prior to using the dressing. The dressing pack may include individually wrapped dressings, dressings of various sizes, and may further include a container with alcohol. The alcohol may be used to soak layer  12 , prior to the application of the dressing. Alternatively, the dressing may already include alcohol containing layer  12  and an additional, removable, alcohol impermeable layer  17   a  that covers layer  12 , thereby preventing alcohol evaporation. For example, the layer  17   a  can be peeled off the dressing, prior to the application of the bandage by the end user.  
         [0034]     The dressing is intended for the treatment of relatively superficial infections (for example, cellulitis), even though some abscesses respond to this treatment very well also.  
         [0035]     In accordance with the one embodiment of the present invention, the method of treating a patient having skin afflicted with infection includes the step of covering the area of skin afflicted with infection with a dressing comprising a layer containing alcohol, such that alcohol is in contact with skin, and the dressing is worn for at least one (1) hour. The term “skin afflicted by infection” is defined herein as the skin area having cellulitis, redness, red streaks, or other indication(s) of infection or abscess.  
         [0036]     It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.