Abstract:
A patient gown may be configured to improve a patient&#39;s comfort and modesty while still providing ease of use, including the don/doff process. A gown may be configured to fully cover the back side of a patient, thereby increasing their comfort and modesty, while still permitting a caregiver to quickly and easily gain access to the patient inside the gown when the need arises.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/704,915 filed Sep. 24, 2012 entitled PATIENT GOWN, which application is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    This invention relates to a patient gown, specifically a gown that can provide comfort, coverage, and ease of use. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Hospital gowns have often been made from a unitary piece of material that is fastened in the back with ties and other fastening approaches. Such gowns are opened to allow for various medical procedures, monitoring or observation. Patients are usually asked to wear little or no garments under the gown often leaving the patient&#39;s backside exposed at times, which is embarrassing and stressful for many patients. 
         [0004]    Some gowns are closed with ties, which can at times be difficult to utilize. This can waste valuable time either when the patient wants to open or take off the gown or when a doctor, nurse or other medical professional wants to open the gown to carry out a procedure, monitor or observe an aspect of the patient&#39;s body. 
         [0005]    Many gowns are so simple that they are not very helpful to the patient when not undergoing a procedure or being monitored or observed. These gowns have either no pockets or have pockets that are not helpful for the patient to carry typical personal items such that the person can remain organized and at times even productive, which helps the patient have a positive state of mind. 
         [0006]    It would be desirable to develop a patient gown that addresses these shortcomings. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0007]    The present invention pertains to a patient gown that addresses these shortcomings. A variety of patient gown design features are described herein. In some embodiments, a patient gown may include one, two, or several of these inventive features. As will be described subsequently with respect to the drawings, one of the inventive features pertains to ease of use. 
         [0008]    For example, in some embodiments, a patient gown may be configured to facilitate the don/doff (putting on and taking off) process. In some embodiments, a patient gown may tie along the patient&#39;s side, rather than behind them. In some instances, the gown may include a back portion such as a triangle-shaped back portion that extends behind the patient to tie at their side. This design feature provides a significant improvement in modesty while limiting incremental use of materials and still providing physicians and other healthcare professionals to easily access the back body area of the patient. 
         [0009]    In some embodiments, another inventive design feature relates to the back portion of the gown. In some instances, the shoulder of the gown may include a quick release pull-tab that utilizes a snap connection. The snap connection helps to hold the gown closed in order to provide patient modesty, but still permits the physician or other healthcare professional to gain access. In some instances, the gown may include a loop that can be pulled to separate the snap connection. 
         [0010]    In some embodiments, another inventive feature provides simple restroom access for the patient and their caregivers. In some instances, the gown may include loops that are attached to the front of the gown. The patient can put their thumbs into one or both loops, and lift the gown up such that the gown clears the back body so that the patient can easily use the restroom without requiring removal of the gown. In some embodiments, a caregiver may use the same loops to assist if necessary. 
         [0011]    In some embodiments, another inventive feature is a combination of front pockets and vents. A main front kangaroo pocket is for comfort. A secondary pocket on top is for personal items. In some embodiments, there is an internal vent underneath the pocket, which will be used for abdominal body, tubes, and implement access. 
         [0012]    In some embodiments, another inventive feature relates to gown sleeves that can be adjusted to provide the patient with improved comfort while also providing quick release should a caregiver want to gain access to the shoulder or chest area of the patient. In some embodiments, the gown sleeves may be relatively longer to provide more warmth and modesty. In some embodiments, the sleeves may include two or more rows of snaps that can be used to adjust the girth of the arm space as desired. 
         [0013]    In some embodiments, another inventive feature pertains to a resized and moved telemetry pocket to the left side. This pocket is cut in a way that provides more modesty, and been moved to left side for easy access for heartbeat testing. The pocket still provides access for tubes, wires and the like. 
         [0014]    In some embodiments, another inventive feature pertains to providing a gown with a deeper v-neck in order to provide improved comfort. In some embodiments, the base of the v-neck may include snaps that can be used to provide rapid access if necessary. 
         [0015]    Accordingly, in some embodiments, a patient gown includes a front portion, a first side portion extending from the front portion and a second side portion extending from the front portion. A first tie extends from the first side portion and a second tie extends from the second side portion. In some embodiments, the first tie and the second tie are located on the gown such that the first tie and the second tie, when tied together to hold the gown closed, are located on a side of the patient. 
         [0016]    While multiple embodiments are disclosed, still other embodiments of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which shows and describes illustrative embodiments of the invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0017]      FIG. 1  is a right perspective view of a patient gown in accordance with embodiments of the invention, the gown shown on a simulated patient. 
           [0018]      FIG. 2  is a left side view of the patient gown of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0019]      FIG. 3  is a back view of the patient gown of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0020]      FIG. 4  is a partial back view of the patient gown of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0021]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a sleeve of the patient gown of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0022]      FIG. 6  is a plan view of an outer surface of the patient gown of  FIG. 1 , shown in a flat configuration. 
           [0023]      FIG. 7  is a plan view of an inner surface of the patient gown of  FIG. 1 , shown in a flat configuration. 
           [0024]      FIG. 8  is a front view of a patient gown in accordance with embodiments of the invention, the gown shown on a simulated patient. 
           [0025]      FIG. 9  is another front view of the patient gown of  FIG. 8 , with the model initially engaging the gown lifting loops. 
           [0026]      FIG. 10  is another front view of the patient gown of  FIG. 8 , showing the model lifting the gown with the gown lifting loops. 
           [0027]      FIG. 11  is a rear view of the patient gown of  FIG. 8 , showing the gown in a lifted position as achieved in  FIG. 10 . 
           [0028]      FIG. 12  is a plan view of an inner surface of the patient gown of  FIG. 8 , shown in a flat configuration. 
           [0029]      FIG. 13  is a plan view of an outer surface of the patient gown of  FIG. 8 , shown in a flat configuration. 
           [0030]      FIG. 14  is a front view of a patient gown in accordance with embodiments of the invention. 
           [0031]      FIG. 15  is a rear view of the patient gown of  FIG. 14 . 
           [0032]      FIG. 16  is a front view of a patient gown in accordance with embodiments of the invention. 
           [0033]      FIG. 17  is a rear view of the patient gown of  FIG. 16 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0034]    In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. 
         [0035]      FIGS. 1 through 5  provide various views of a patient gown  10  shown on a simulated patient, while  FIGS. 6 and 7  provide flat, laid out views of the outside and the inside, respectively, of the patient gown  10 . As illustrated, the patient gown  10  includes a front portion  12 , a first side portion  14  and a second side portion  16 . The patient gown  10  includes a first sleeve  18  and a second sleeve  20 . It will be appreciated that the front portion  12  of the patient gown  10  may be configured to fit over the front of a patient&#39;s torso, with the patient inserting their arms into the first sleeve  18  and the second sleeve  20 . In some embodiments, the first side portion  14  may be wrapped behind the patient and secured to the front portion  12  as will be discussed. In some embodiments, the second side portion  16  may then be wrapped behind the patient and secured to the first side portion  14  via a first tie  22  secured to the first portion  14  and a second tie  24  secured to the second portion  16 . 
         [0036]    In some embodiments, as illustrated, the patient gown  10  is configured to permit tying the first tie  22  to the second tie  24  on the patient&#39;s side. Several advantages result from this configuration. In some embodiments, having a first side portion  14  that wraps around the back of the patient in a first direction and a second side portion  16  that wraps around the back of the patient in a second, opposing, direction means that the patient&#39;s back side is covered. This is a distinct advantage over previous gowns that tie in the back. Having the patient gown  10  tie on the side also means that it is easier for the patient to secure the gown without assistance, as they do not have to reach behind themselves and blindly tie the gown. 
         [0037]    In some embodiments, the first portion  14  includes a connector such as a snap connector  26  that can be releasably secured to a complementary snap connector  28  that is located on the front portion  12  near the top thereof. As illustrated, the patient gown  10  may be considered as including a first shoulder portion  32  and a second shoulder portion  34 , and the complementary snap connector  28  may be secured near the second shoulder portion  34 . Accordingly, a patient or caregiver can wrap the first portion  14  around the patient&#39;s back, and then secure the snap connector  26  to the complementary snap connector  28 . In some embodiments, one of the snap connector  26  and the complementary snap connector  28  may include one, two or more male connectors and the other of the snap connector  26  and the complementary snap connector  28  may include one, two or more female connectors that releasably accommodate the one, two or more male connectors. While snap connectors are illustrated, in some embodiments other releasable fasteners such as hook-and-loop fasteners may be used. 
         [0038]    In some embodiments, as illustrated, the front portion  12  of the patient gown  10  may include a release loop  30 . The release loop  30  can be sewn or otherwise secured to the front portion  12  of the patient gown  10  near a shoulder portion thereof. If a physician or other healthcare professional wants immediate access to the back of the patient, they can pull the release loop  30  to disengage the snap connector  26  from the complementary snap connector  28 . 
         [0039]    In some embodiments, the patient gown  10  includes a V-neck opening  36  that is centered between the first shoulder portion  32  and the second shoulder portion  34 . In some instances, having a relatively deeper V-shaped neck opening improves comfort for the patient, as the gown is less likely to rub on their neck as they move. In some embodiments, the V-neck opening  36  may include snap connectors or similar releasable connectors for permitting a physician or other healthcare professional to enlarge the V-neck opening  36  if desired for medical treatment. 
         [0040]    In some embodiments, the first sleeve  18  and the second sleeve  20  may be sized to extend down to a patient&#39;s elbows, rather than a shorter sleeve that stops more in the middle of the bicep. Longer sleeves may provide the patient with greater warmth and comfort. In some instances, particularly if the patient lifts their arms, the longer sleeve length may also improve modesty. In the Figures, it can be seen that the first and second sleeves  18 ,  20  reach to about the simulated patient&#39;s elbows. 
         [0041]    In some instances, as illustrated, the first sleeve  18  and/or the second sleeve  20  may be configured to permit a healthcare provider to adjust the diameter or girth of the sleeves in order to accommodate various size patients. For example, a patient with relatively smaller arms may prefer a smaller diameter sleeve for warmth and modesty while a patient with relatively larger arms may prefer a larger diameter sleeve for comfort. 
         [0042]    In some embodiments, as illustrated, the first sleeve  18  and the second sleeve  20  may each include a row of snap connectors  40  and two, three or more rows (two rows are illustrated) of complementary snap connectors  42 . Accordingly, the diameter or girth of the first sleeve  18  and the second sleeve  20  may be adjusted by snapping the row of snap connectors  40  into an appropriate row of complementary snap connectors  42 . While snap connectors are illustrated, in some embodiments other releasable fasteners such as hook-and-loop fasteners may be used. 
         [0043]    In some embodiments, the patient gown  10  may include several pockets and vents. In the illustrated embodiment, the patient gown  10  includes a telemetry pocket  50  that is sized to accommodate a heart monitor or other device. The telemetry pocket  50  may be open across the top to accept the heart monitor or other device. In some embodiments, the telemetry pocket  50  may include a vent  52  that permits electrical leads extending from electrical contacts on the patient&#39;s skin to be plugged into the aforementioned heart monitor, for example. In some instances, positioning the telemetry pocket  50  off to the side, rather than centered on the patient&#39;s chest, provides additional comfort for the patient while still accommodating the patient&#39;s monitoring needs. 
         [0044]    In some embodiments, the patient gown  10  may include a kangaroo pocket  54  and a secondary pocket  56 . The kangaroo pocket  54  may be open on either side, and may permit the patient to insert their hands for warmth. In some embodiments, the secondary pocket  56  may be open across its top, and may be used by the patient for personal items such as a cell phone. The patient gown  10  may include a second vent  58  that permits access to an interior of the patient gown  10  for wires, tubes, and the like. 
         [0045]    With particular reference to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , it can be seen that the first tie  22  is secured to the first portion  14  of the patient gown  10  at a location  60 . The second tie  24  is secured to the second portion  16  of the patient gown  10  at a location  62 . In some instances, as illustrated, the second tie  24  continues along the second portion  16  as a border or trim piece  24   a.    
         [0046]    As illustrated in  FIG. 7 , the patient gown  10  may include stitching lines  64  and  66 . In some embodiments, the stitching lines  64  and  66  may be considered as dividing the patient gown  10  into the front portion  12 , the first side portion  14  and the second side portion  16 . The front portion  12  and the first and second side portions  14 ,  16  may be formed from a unitary piece of fabric. In some embodiments, the first and second side portions  14 ,  16  may be formed of separate pieces of fabric, and then joined to the front portion  12  along the stitching lines  64  and  66 . 
         [0047]      FIGS. 8 through 11  provide various views of a patient gown  110  shown on a simulated patient, while  FIGS. 12 and 13  provide flat, laid out views of the outside and the inside, respectively, of the patient gown  110 . Many of the features of the patient gown  110  are the same as those described with respect to the patient gown  10 , and thus are identified with the same reference numbers and are not separately described above. The patient gown  110  includes a front portion  112 , a first side portion  114  and a second side portion  116  that, other than as described below, are identical to the corresponding portions of the patient gown  10  described above. 
         [0048]    In some embodiments, the patient gown  10  and/or the patient gown  110  may include one or more lifting loops  70 . In the illustrated embodiment, a pair of lifting loops  70  is secured to the front portion  12  of the patient gown  110 . As will be described and shown with respect to  FIGS. 9 ,  10  and  11 , a patient (or a caregiver) may utilize the lifting loops  70  to easily lift the back portion of the patient gown  110  out of the way so that they can, for example, use the restroom without having to remove the patient gown  110 . 
         [0049]    As seen in  FIG. 9 , the simulated patient wearing the patient gown  110  has initially inserted their thumbs into the lifting loops  70  but has not yet lifted the lifting loops  70 . In  FIG. 10 , the simulated patient wearing the patient gown  110  has lifted the patient gown  110  using the lifting loops  70 . As shown in  FIG. 11 , which is a back view corresponding to the lifting position shown in  FIG. 10 , the patient&#39;s backside  72  has been exposed. Accordingly, the patient or a caregiver can easily move the patient gown  110  out of the way so that the patient can use the restroom without having to remove the patient gown  110 . 
         [0050]    With particular respect to  FIGS. 12 and 13 , it can be seen that the lifting loops  70  are secured to the patient gown  110  via stitching  74 . In the illustrated embodiment, the second portion  116  includes a triangular shaped portion  16   a.  The second tie  24  is attached to and extends from the triangular shaped portion  16   a.  It will be appreciated, particularly in comparison to  FIG. 7 , that the patient gown  110  including the triangular shaped portion  116   a  has a second side portion  116  that is narrower than the second side portion  16  of the patient gown  10 . In some embodiments, this feature correctly positions the first and second ties  22 ,  24  so that the patient gown  110  can be tied along the patient&#39;s side while reducing the amount of fabric that has to be lifted out of the way so that the patient can use the restroom without removing the patient gown  110 . 
         [0051]      FIGS. 14 and 15  provide front and rear views, respectively, of a patient gown  210 . As illustrated, the patient gown  210  includes a front portion  212 , a first side portion  214  and a second side portion  216 . The patient gown  210  includes a first sleeve  218  and a second sleeve  220 . It will be appreciated that the front portion  212  of the patient gown  210  may be configured to fit over the front of a patient&#39;s torso, with the patient inserting their arms into the first sleeve  218  and the second sleeve  220 . In some embodiments, the first side portion  214  may be wrapped behind the patient and secured to the front portion  212  as will be discussed. In some embodiments, the second side portion  216  may then be wrapped behind the patient and secured to the first side portion  214  via a first tie  222  secured to the first portion  214  and a second tie  224  secured to the second portion  216 . 
         [0052]    In some embodiments, as illustrated, the patient gown  210  is configured to permit tying the first tie  222  to the second tie  224  on the patient&#39;s side. Several advantages result from this configuration. In some embodiments, having a first side portion  214  that wraps around the back of the patient in a first direction and a second side portion  216  that wraps around the back of the patient in a second, opposing, direction means that the patient&#39;s back side is covered. This is a distinct advantage over previous gowns that tie in the back. Having the patient gown  210  tie on the side also means that it is easier for the patient to secure the gown without assistance, as they do not have to reach behind themselves and blindly tie the gown. 
         [0053]    In some embodiments, the first portion  214  includes a connector such as a snap connector (not illustrated) that can be releasably secured to a complementary snap connector (not illustrated) that is located on the front portion  212  near the top thereof. As illustrated, the patient gown  210  may be considered as including a first shoulder portion  232  and a second shoulder portion  234 , and the complementary snap connector may be secured near the second shoulder portion  34 . 
         [0054]    Accordingly, a patient or caregiver can wrap the first portion  214  around the patient&#39;s back, and then secure the snap connector to the complementary snap connector. In some embodiments, one of the snap connector and the complementary snap connector may include one, two or more male connectors and the other of the snap connector and the complementary snap connector may include one, two or more female connectors that releasably accommodate the one, two or more male connectors. While snap connectors are described, in some embodiments other releasable fasteners such as hook-and-loop fasteners may be used. 
         [0055]    In some embodiments, as illustrated, the front portion  212  of the patient gown  210  may include a release loop  230 . The release loop  230  can be sewn or otherwise secured to the front portion  212  of the patient gown  210  near a shoulder portion thereof. If a physician or other healthcare professional wants immediate access to the back of the patient, they can pull the release loop  230  to disengage the snap connector from the complementary snap connector. 
         [0056]    In some embodiments, the patient gown  210  includes a V-neck opening  236  that is centered between the first shoulder portion  232  and the second shoulder portion  234 . In some instances, having a relatively deeper V-shaped neck opening improves comfort for the patient, as the gown is less likely to rub on their neck as they move. In some embodiments, the V-neck opening  236  may include snap connectors or similar releasable connectors for permitting a physician or other healthcare professional to enlarge the V-neck opening  236  if desired for medical treatment. 
         [0057]    In some embodiments, the first sleeve  218  and the second sleeve  220  may be sized to extend down to a patient&#39;s elbows, rather than a shorter sleeve that stops more in the middle of the bicep. Longer sleeves may provide the patient with greater warmth and comfort. In some instances, particularly if the patient lifts their arms, the longer sleeve length may also improve modesty. 
         [0058]    In some instances, as illustrated, the first sleeve  218  and/or the second sleeve  220  may be configured to permit a healthcare provider to adjust the diameter or girth of the sleeves in order to accommodate various size patients. For example, a patient with relatively smaller arms may prefer a smaller diameter sleeve for warmth and modesty while a patient with relatively larger arms may prefer a larger diameter sleeve for comfort. 
         [0059]    In some embodiments, for example, the first sleeve  218  and the second sleeve  220  may each include a row of snap connectors (not illustrated) and two, three or more rows (not illustrated) of complementary snap connectors. Accordingly, the diameter or girth of the first sleeve  218  and the second sleeve  220  may be adjusted by snapping the row of snap connectors into an appropriate row of complementary snap connectors. While snap connectors are described, in some embodiments other releasable fasteners such as hook-and-loop fasteners may be used. In some embodiments, the first sleeve  218  and the second sleeve  220  are not adjustable in girth. 
         [0060]    In some embodiments, the patient gown  210  may include several pockets and vents. In some embodiments, the patient gown  210  may include one or more telemetry pockets. A telemetry pocket may be open across the top to accept a heart monitor or other device. In some embodiments, a telemetry pocket may include a vent that permits electrical leads extending from electrical contacts on the patient&#39;s skin to be plugged into the aforementioned heart monitor, for example. In some instances, positioning a telemetry pocket off to the side, rather than centered on the patient&#39;s chest, provides additional comfort for the patient while still accommodating the patient&#39;s monitoring needs. In some embodiments, as illustrated, the patient gown  210  may include a kangaroo pocket  254 . The kangaroo pocket  254  may be open on either side, and may permit the patient to insert their hands for warmth. 
         [0061]    In some embodiments, the patient gown  210  includes one or more lifting loops  270 . In the illustrated embodiment, a pair of lifting loops  270  is secured to the front portion  212  of the patient gown  210 . A patient (or a caregiver) may utilize the lifting loops  270  to easily lift the back portion of the patient gown  210  out of the way so that they can, for example, use the restroom without having to remove the patient gown  210 . 
         [0062]      FIGS. 16 and 17  provide front and rear views, respectively, of a patient gown  310 . As illustrated, the patient gown  310  includes a front portion  312 , a first side portion  314  and a second side portion  316 . The patient gown  310  includes a first sleeve  318  and a second sleeve  320 . It will be appreciated that the front portion  312  of the patient gown  310  may be configured to fit over the front of a patient&#39;s torso, with the patient inserting their arms into the first sleeve  318  and the second sleeve  320 . In some embodiments, the first side portion  314  may be wrapped behind the patient and secured to the front portion  312 . In some embodiments, the second side portion  316  may then be wrapped behind the patient and secured to the first side portion  314  via a first tie  322  secured to the first portion  314  and a second tie  324  secured to the second portion  316 . 
         [0063]    In some embodiments, as illustrated, the patient gown  310  is configured to permit tying the first tie  322  to the second tie  324  on the patient&#39;s side. Several advantages result from this configuration. In some embodiments, having a first side portion  314  that wraps around the back of the patient in a first direction and a second side portion  316  that wraps around the back of the patient in a second, opposing, direction means that the patient&#39;s back side is covered. This is a distinct advantage over previous gowns that tie in the back. Having the patient gown  310  tie on the side also means that it is easier for the patient to secure the gown without assistance, as they do not have to reach behind themselves and blindly tie the gown. 
         [0064]    In some embodiments, the gown  310  includes a first tie  380  that can be releasably secured to a corresponding second tie  382 . As illustrated, the patient gown  310  may be considered as including a first shoulder portion  332  and a second shoulder portion  334 , and the ties  380  and  382  may be secured near the second shoulder portion  334 . Accordingly, a patient or caregiver can wrap the first portion  314  around the patient&#39;s back, and then secure the first tie  380  to the second tie  382 . 
         [0065]    In some embodiments, the patient gown  310  includes a V-neck opening  336  that is centered between the first shoulder portion  332  and the second shoulder portion  334 . In some instances, having a relatively deeper V-shaped neck opening improves comfort for the patient, as the gown is less likely to rub on their neck as they move. In some embodiments, the V-neck opening  336  may include snap connectors or similar releasable connectors for permitting a physician or other healthcare professional to enlarge the V-neck opening  336  if desired for medical treatment. 
         [0066]    In some embodiments, the first sleeve  318  and the second sleeve  320  may be sized to extend down to a patient&#39;s elbows, rather than a shorter sleeve that stops more in the middle of the bicep. Longer sleeves may provide the patient with greater warmth and comfort. In some instances, particularly if the patient lifts their arms, the longer sleeve length may also improve modesty. 
         [0067]    In some instances, as illustrated, the first sleeve  318  and/or the second sleeve  320  may be configured to permit a healthcare provider to adjust the diameter or girth of the sleeves in order to accommodate various size patients. For example, a patient with relatively smaller arms may prefer a smaller diameter sleeve for warmth and modesty while a patient with relatively larger arms may prefer a larger diameter sleeve for comfort. 
         [0068]    In some embodiments, for example, the first sleeve  318  and the second sleeve  320  may each include a row of snap connectors (not illustrated) and two, three or more rows (not illustrated) of complementary snap connectors. Accordingly, the diameter or girth of the first sleeve  318  and the second sleeve  320  may be adjusted by snapping the row of snap connectors into an appropriate row of complementary snap connectors. While snap connectors are described, in some embodiments other releasable fasteners such as hook-and-loop fasteners may be used. In some embodiments, the first sleeve  318  and the second sleeve  320  are not adjustable in girth. 
         [0069]    In some embodiments, the patient gown  310  may include several pockets and vents. In some embodiments, as illustrated the patient gown  310  includes a telemetry pocket  350 . The telemetry pocket  350  may be open across the top to accept a heart monitor or other device. In some embodiments, the telemetry pocket  350  includes a vent  352  that permits electrical leads extending from electrical contacts on the patient&#39;s skin to be plugged into the aforementioned heart monitor, for example. In some instances, positioning the telemetry pocket  350  off to the side, rather than centered on the patient&#39;s chest, provides additional comfort for the patient while still accommodating the patient&#39;s monitoring needs. In some embodiments, as illustrated, the patient gown  310  may include a kangaroo pocket  354 . The kangaroo pocket  354  may be open on either side, and may permit the patient to insert their hands for warmth. 
         [0070]    In some embodiments, the patient gown  310  includes one or more lifting loops  370 . In the illustrated embodiment, a pair of lifting loops  370  is secured to the front portion  312  of the patient gown  310 . A patient (or a caregiver) may utilize the lifting loops  370  to easily lift the back portion of the patient gown  310  out of the way so that they can, for example, use the restroom without having to remove the patient gown  310 . 
         [0071]    The patient gowns  10 ,  110 ,  210  and  310  may be formed of any suitable fabric. In some embodiments, the patient gowns  10 ,  110 ,  210  and  310  are made of a fabric that can withstand repeated laundering at the elevated temperatures required to clean hospital linens. The patient gowns  10 ,  110 ,  210  and  310  may, for example, be made from a cotton fabric. The patient gowns  10 ,  110 ,  210  and  310  may be made in a variety of different sizes, in order to accommodate a wide range of patients ranging from small children to large adults. 
         [0072]    While multiple embodiments with multiple elements are disclosed, still other embodiments and elements of the present invention including different combinations of two or more of such elements will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which shows and describes illustrative embodiments of the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive.