Garments, Such As Gowns, Face Masks, Gloves And Headwear For Personnel Involved In Surgical Operations And The Use Of An Adhesive In Such Garments

Abstract

A garment, such as gowns, face masks, gloves and headwear for personnel involved in surgical operations. In accordance with the invention, the garment includes a skin friendly element for the sealed attachment of parts of the garment to the skin of a wearer of the garment.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD[0001]The present invention relates to a garment of a disposable kind, such as gowns, face masks, gloves and headwear for health care personnel. The garment may be sterile or non-sterile.BACKGROUND ART[0002]The personnel involved in surgical operations wear sterile garments. The garment has two functions; on the one hand, it must prevent microorganisms from the surgical personnel from reaching the operation wound and, on the other hand, it must prevent the surgical personnel from becoming contaminated and possibly infected by the patient.[0003]The risk of complications is present in every operation. The majority of post-operative infections in surgical wounds occur during that period of the operation when it is possible for microorganisms to reach the open wound. The source of microorganisms is either exogenous, that is to say from surgical personnel and instruments, or endogenous from the patient on whom the operation is being performed.[0004]In a clean operation, th...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0021]The invention also relates to the use of a skin friendly adhesive for the removable and re-attachable attachment of a face mask to a wearer. In the case of such use, the risk of air-borne bacteria being able to exit from or enter the area inside the face mask is radically reduced. Furthermore, the elastic bands that are used to attach the face mask around the ears of a wearer are superfluous in conjunction with the use of such an adhesive, which increases the convenience for the wearer. The formable elements of the face mask, which are used to fit the face mask to the shape of the nose of a wearer, can also be replaced by a skin friendly adhesive, which further increases the convenience for the wearer.

[0022]The invention also relates to the use of a skin friendly adhesive for the attachment of an item of surgical headwear to a wearer in a manner that is sealed to the skin and re-attachable, the use of a skin friendly adhesive for the attachment of the neckline and / or the ends of the sleeves of a surgical gown to the skin of a wearer in a manner that is tightly sealing and re-closable, and the use of a skin friendly adhesive for the attachment of a part of a surgical glove, which extends around the forearm of a wearer, to the skin of the wearer in a manner that is tightly sealing and re-closable.

Problems solved by technology

The risk of complications is present in every operation.

Parts of surgical garments are difficult to seal, however, for example around necklines and around the edge of surgical headwear.

These areas are often in contact with and chafe against the skin, with the associated increased risk of skin particles becoming detached and then contaminating the patient's operation wound.

The skin beneath the surgical gown, the face mask and the surgical headwear is heated up, and this makes it easier for air-borne particles to find their way up from the non-sterile area under through the gap between the garment and the skin and to constitute a potential risk of contamination of the operation wound.

When they are removed, traditional adhesives are accompanied by large areas of the stratum corneum, that is to say the top layer of the skin, which gives rise to redness and, in certain cases, irritation of the skin.

When the surgical garment is a garment that is replaced between every operation and is worn daily by hospital personnel, this imposes extra high demands on the adhesive.

If the level of adhesion of the adhesive is significantly lower in the event of reapplication, there is a considerable risk of the barrier function being impaired.

Problems are very often encountered with surgical gloves slipping down during the operation.

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