Brief with pockets for thermal inserts

Abstract

A disposable brief is provided with exterior front and rear pockets to receive and hold in position thermal packs, either hot or cold, at locations such as the lower abdomen, the crotch, the anal area or the lower back. The preferred brief is inexpensive and universal in that it may be worn by both males and females and is readily adjustable in size to fit various sizes of waists, hips or legs to reduce the inventory needed by an institution. The preferred disposable brief is in the form of a diaper that has a rear portion or panel that may be slid under a prone patient's back, a crotch portion that may be pulled between the patient's legs, a front portion or panel that may be positioned over the lower abdomen and securable hip or waist portions such as adjustable straps to secure the brief to the patient and retain the thermal packs in position for a patient in bed or for a patient when ambulatory. The pockets are easily opened and the cold or hot packs may be easily inserted or removed from difficult locations such as behind a patient's back. The preferred brief is reversible so that what would be the rear portion can be positioned as a front portion on the patient, usually for the purpose of locating the pocket on the rear portion at a particular location on the abdomen to apply heat or cold to this location. The illustrated brief may have two or three pockets which are located at the crotch, a rear portion and / or a front portion of the brief. In other embodiments, an absorbent pad such as a sanitary pad is provided for use with the disposable brief. A hot or cold pad may be inserted into a pocket of the disposable brief having the sanitary pad to alleviate cramping if it occurs during the menstrual period. In a still further embodiment, an inexpensive brief or panty has an integral sanitary pad with the used brief and pad being discarded after a single usage thereof.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] This invention relates to a disposable brief for use with males or females and may provide hot or cold packs to alleviate pain or to assist in healing. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] In hospitals or other places where there are patients who need thermal applications of cold or heat in or about the crotch, buttocks, lower back or lower abdomen, particularly for alleviating pain, to reduce swelling, or to increase circulation of blood at a heated area, the application of heat or cold to a particular area is often time consuming and relatively difficult. For example, in some applications, it is necessary to apply a cold pack, six to ten times daily and with some difficulty particularly if the cold or hot pack is being applied behind a patient who is lying on his / her back for most of the day. The patient may turn while sleeping or be required to walk two or three times daily; and it is desirable to hold in position a thermal insert while the patient is ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0006] In accordance with an illustrated embodiment, there is provided an inexpensive, disposable brief having pockets for receiving a thermal insert for the application of either cold or hot to the patient at a particular location. Preferably this is achieved at a low cost manner by a disposable brief which is made of low cost air permeable material having one or more pockets located on the exterior of the brief for receiving a thermal insert which are typically either a cold pack or hot pack. In some instances, the cold or hot pack will be a pocket of a chemical material that is manipulated to cause it to generate cold and thereby heat extraction or to generate heat for transfer to the patient.

[0008] The preferred briefs provide an easy slipping in and slipping out by one person of a thermal pad into the insert pocket of the brief. In the preferred embodiment the outer panel of the pocket has a two level opening into the pocket. That is, the pocket is formed with an outer, lower panel edge which to allows the fingers of a person's hand palming an ice pack or the hot pack to slide down along the inner panel for the pocket and to push the outer pocket panel away from an inner panel of the brief and continue to slide the ice pack into the pocket. The thermal insert may be removed by shifting the outer pocket and edge with the fingers to secure it from the inner pocket panel and slipping a hand into the pocket to grasp the thermal insert and pull it out of the pocket. This is particularly important where there is a frequent change, for example, insertion at 30 to 45 minute intervals of a cold pack or a hot pack for 6 to 10 times per day. The ability for one person to do it fairly easily with the thermal pack being positioned relatively, precisely and held in position even when the patient gets up or when the patient moves about is a decided advantage to the patient, the care giver and the institution, if the patient is disposed in an institution.

[0011] In accordance with another embodiment, the disposable, thermal insert brief may be provided with three pockets, viz. a front upper pocket, a crotch pocket and a rear pocket. In a still further embodiment, the disposable, thermal insert brief may be provided with an absorbent pad which may be placed at the inner side of the crotch position and secured in position, preferably by some fastening devices such as, for example, stretchable straps on the interior side of the panty. Of course, the pad may be adhered in position by adhesives or made integral with the thermal insert brief. Thus, the brief with an absorbent pad may be used by women to absorb fluids and to receive a hot pack to apply heat to try to reduce accompanying cramping pain. The entire brief and pad are inexpensive and may be discarded after use, which will be preferred by many women to avoid having to handle and wash a soiled panty.

Problems solved by technology

As stated above, it is difficult and time consuming for medical personnel to lift the legs and thread them through the respective leg openings in the brief.

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