Abstract:
A disposable adhesive acupressure band for nausea relief in humans, dogs &amp; cats, including a raised contact button on an adhesive lamination positioned over an acupressure point after peel off of a top liner centered about a cutout on the band through which the contact button extends from a bottom substrate.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    NONE. 
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Research and development of this invention and Application have not been federally sponsored, and no rights are given under any Federal program. 
       REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX 
       [0003]    NOT APPLICABLE 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0005]    This invention relates to acupressure sensory relief bands, in general, and to a disposable acupressure band for use with people, dogs and cats, in particular. 
         [0006]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0007]    As is understood in the medical and surgical community, approximately 50 percent of all surgical procedures are impacted by postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). The usual procedure to deal with this is for an anesthesiologist to provide an anti-sickness drug before an anesthesia is administered—and then, to provide a further drug when the patient comes out of the surgery (i.e., “Drug Rescue Therapy”). Unfortunately, even this does not always work. As is also understood, similar administrations of drugs are made to prevent chemo induced nausea and vomiting (CINV), but with comparable less-than-optimum results. 
         [0008]    Recent research in the field report a degree of success in the use of acupressure to alleviate postoperative nausea and vomiting, especially in ambulatory surgery. Likewise, research has indicated a degree of success of acupressure in preventing nausea and vomiting in chemotherapy treatments, beyond the use of antiemetic drugs. In each instance the use of acupressure reduced the incidence of nausea and vomiting. 
         [0009]    Although acupressure wrist bands have been utilized in the past for the casual prevention of nausea (as for travel motion sickness and early pregnancy nausea prevention), they typically sell for about $10.00-$12.00 per pair, one for each hand. As will become clear from the following description, however, the acupressure relief band of the present invention obviates the hassle accompanying a medical patient&#39;s attempted use of such bands, along with a concomitant reduction in cost when tailored for use by a medical and surgical staff. As will also become clear, the acupressure relief band of the invention is at the same time disposable, hypoallergenic, skin contact friendly—and dimensionable for use both by people, and also by dogs and cats who frequently exhibit the same symptoms of motion sickness and of nausea and vomiting after surgery. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    Intended for positioning at the pericardium 6 (P6 meridian point on the wrist) or at the Pe6 meridian point on the foreleg of the dog or cat, the disposable acupressure relief band of the invention includes a band of prescribed length and width having a top liner over a bottom substrate. An adhesive lamination is provided on a top surface of the substrate, and a cutout is provided through the top liner to the substrate across the width of the band. To apply the acupressure, a raised contact button is included on the lamination, extending up through the cutout. In a preferred construction, the raised contact button is of a circular configuration, and the top liner is peelable away from the substrate at opposite sides of the cutout. 
         [0011]    As will be appreciated by those knowledgeable in the art, a pair of such bands are utilized together—one on each wrist of a human, for example, or one on each foreleg above the carpal or wrist bone of the dog or cat. An acupressure relief band package including two of these bands can thus be provided within a pouch, according to the invention, with instructions for use printed directly on the pouch. One advantage of this will be seen to be that several such pouches could be removed from a box in which they come, to be taken to different operating rooms from a single supply center—without having to worry about the instructions for use only being printed on the box; this way, each member of the professional staff who emplaces or removes the band on or from a patient has his/her own set of instructions available to them. 
         [0012]    As will become clear from the following description, a single embodiment of the invention is described for use on a human, or for use on a dog or cat. As will be seen, the difference lies in the application of the acupressure relief band, but having the same location of the cutout through which the contact button extends. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    These and other features of the present invention will be more clearly understood from a consideration of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0014]      FIGS. 1 and 2  are helpful in an understanding of the use of the disposable acupressure relief band of the invention; 
           [0015]      FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b  are top and side views of the top liner and bottom substrate of the relief band; and 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is an illustration of the raised contact button which extends through the cutout according to the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0017]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 ,  3   a ,  3   b  and  4 , the positioning of the acupressure relief band of the invention for use on both wrists of a human follows the placing of the first three fingers on the wrist crease on its inside, where the P6 pressure point is situated between the two flex tendons  55  under the index finger. The top liner  10  of the relief band is then peeled off on one side  12   a  of the cutout  14 , then off the other side  12   b . The contact button  16  of the band is then placed face down on the P6 pressure point on each wrist. The adhesive lamination  18  on a top surface of the bottom substrate  20  is then applied across the forearm area to maintain comfortable pressure on the P6 point throughout. The cutout  14  may be centrally placed along the band and from top-to-bottom, but offset from side-to-side. 
         [0018]    In use by the professional medical staff in putting on and then taking off the band after use, a compress pressure is impacted to the contact button  16  on each wrist before the emetic stimulus or chemo medication is initiated. Investigation has shown that the P6 point is typically activated within 5 minutes from the time the pressure is compressed on both contact buttons. After the procedure is completed, the relief band  59  is simply peeled away from the wrist and removed—heightened by the adhesive lamination being selected as hypoallergenic and skin contact friendly. 
         [0019]    As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, in dimensioning the relief band of the invention, it is not necessary for the band to wrap completely around the user&#39;s wrist even one time. What is necessary is that the band be of sufficient width and the contact button of sufficient diameter (where the cutout  14  is circular) to overlap in providing sufficient pressure at the P6 pericardium point. In one construction of the disposable acupressure relief band for use by a human, the following dimensions were found useful: 
         [0020]    Length  100  . . . 5.0 inches 
         [0021]    Length  101  . . . 4.0 inches 
         [0022]    Length  102  . . . 1.0 inches 
         [0023]    Width  103  . . . 1.0 inches 
         [0024]    Cutout Diameter  104  . . . 0.5 inches 
         [0025]    A hypoallergenic pressure sensitive adhesive identified as product number 1527L from the 3M Company has worked quite well, along with a hemispherical contact button from Action Fabricators Inc. of product number 3002 designation. Such contact button, measuring 0.44 inches in diameter and 0.20 inches in height worked quite well with the 3M adhesive strip. 
         [0026]    Testing has shown that an acupressure nausea protector of this configuration provided very satisfactory results for more than 24 hours, and with or without the use of antisickness drugs. As will be apparent, besides being used to prevent postoperative nausea and vomiting, and chemo induced nausea and vomiting in a medical procedure environment, the acupressure relief band of the invention could also be used as a preventer of travel motion sickness and of early pregnancy nausea as well. 
         [0027]    When packaged with two such bands in a heat sealed pouch, the pouch can be imprinted with the following directions: 
         [0028]    Nausea Relief Instructions for Adult Men and Women
       Intended Use: For Men and Women for the relief of nausea symptoms Related to Surgery, travel, chemotherapy and morning sickness.   1. Locate pressure point on each wrist, using the three middle fingers of your other hand and placing them centrally on the inside of the wrist, starting with the first crease between the two central tendons. The point is located under the index finger.   2. Once located, massage or press down on the point area for 30 seconds to activate the relief.   3. Place band with the contact button face down over point.   4. Remove liners from adhesive and apply around the wrist.   5. Repeat with other wrist.       
 
         [0035]    With a pouch packaging two such bands of the invention for use with dogs and cats, the instructions printed on the back of the pouch may be as follows: 
         [0036]    Nausea Relief Instructions for Dogs &amp; Cats
       Intended Use: Relief of nausea symptoms related to surgery and travel.   1. Locate pressure point on each foreleg, using your index finger and place it centrally on the deepest part of the back of the foreleg area, above the carpal or wrist bone, between the two central tendons.   2. Once located, massage the point area for 30 seconds to activate relief.   3. Place band with the contact button face down over point.   4. Remove liners from adhesive and wrap comfortably around leg area.   5. Repeat with other foreleg.       
 
       FIG. 2 shows the forelegs  81  of the dog or cat, the wrist bone  83 , and the contact button  16  and band  85  in place. 
       [0043]    The same dimensions used for the disposable acupressure relief band for humans could be used for the relief band for these pets as well. The configuration of the band can then suit both applications. 
         [0044]    The instructions for human use and for dog and cat use as set out above could be printed on an instruction card for the heat sealed pouch packaging the two disposable acupressure relief bands employed for the acupressure nausea protection of the invention. 
         [0045]    While there have been described what are considered to be preferred embodiments of the present invention, it will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the teachings herein of a hypoallergenic, skin contact friendly disposable band which produces continuous acupressure stimulation for nausea protection. For at least such reason, therefore, resort should be had to the claims appended hereto for a true understanding of the scope of the invention.