Cushion for use after a breast operation

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a pillow for use for lying or sleeping in a prone position after breast surgery according to the preamble of claim 1. The pillow comprises a base body with a recess.

[0002] After breast surgery, the operated breast usually needs to be protected from force to prevent sutures from coming undone or the wound from healing poorly. Patients are therefore typically advised to lie and sleep on their back for eight to twelve weeks after the operation to avoid contact between the operated breast and any surface such as a mattress or other covering.

[0003] From EP 2 420 216 A2, a device for the therapeutic treatment and care of female breasts using a pillow is known. The pillow is designed for use in a prone position. The pillow consists of a triangular body in longitudinal section, with a rounded ridge and wedge-shaped sections sloping down on both sides. A recess for receiving the breast is formed in the area of ​​the ridge. The pillow can be made of several components made of different materials.

[0004] German patent application DE 101 57 305 A1 describes a support cushion, particularly for the chest or pelvic area when patients are positioned prone. The cushion has a core 10 to 35 cm high made of an elastic material and at least one layer of viscoelastic foam 3 to 7 cm thick. A front-facing, open-edged recess 3 to 7 cm deep is proposed for guiding an endotracheal tube in the patient's neck. German patent application DE 603 ​​11 012 T2 describes a cushion adapted to the female body shape, with a main cushion body featuring a central opening surrounding the breasts and an elongated secondary cushion body positioned transversely to the opening, between the breasts at the sternum. The cushion consists of a ring-shaped core surrounded by a padding filling enclosed in a cotton cover.German patent application DE 10 2006 010 298 A1 describes a cushion consisting of an isosceles part filled with foam, air, water, or gel, with a sufficiently large opening at its apex for the female breast. Further cushions with cutouts are described in patent applications US 2008 / 0 307 580 A1, DE 202 09 274 U1, and DE 10 2009 004 604 A1.

[0005] Pillows with essential features of the preamble of claim 1 are described in the following publications. WO 2012 / 048305 A2 describes a pillow intended for use with breathing masks, having lateral indentations and holes extending at least partially through the thickness. US 2010 / 122414 A1 describes a substantially flat pillow with various plastic layers for a pediatric operating table. US 6,345,401 B1 and CA 2,324,818 A1 describe an orthopedic support pillow with a wavy contoured top layer and various support layers connected by tongue and groove joints. EP 2,243,455 A1 describes a pillow for patients with reflux disease, which has a wavy contoured surface in the head area and a subsequent wedge-shaped section. The DE 20 2015 100 958 U1 describes a contoured sleeping pillow made of a composite synthetic material.US Patent 2,835,905 A describes a pillow designed to support the upper arms, shoulders, upper back, neck, and head of the person lying on it. For this purpose, it has a semicircular cutout at the front for the neck, followed by a thickened section and then a smaller indentation. US Patent 728,272 S shows an essentially H-shaped pressure-relieving pillow for the head and neck area. Publication WO 2005 / 027697 A1 describes a pillow with a central depression for the head and shoulder cutouts on opposite side edges.

[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide a pillow which can be used for lying or sleeping in a prone position after breast surgery and which also offers a high level of comfort and protection for the operated breast.

[0007] To solve this problem, a cushion with all the features of claim 1 is proposed. It comprises a base body with a recess, wherein the base body is two-layered and comprises a first harder layer made of foamed plastic and a second softer layer made of a viscoelastic material.

[0008] The base of the cushion serves to support the patient's body, and in particular her torso, with the patient's breasts being accommodated within the recess. Specifically, the base has a closed shape and completely encloses the recess. This gives the cushion exceptional stability.

[0009] The first, firmer layer of foam provides the pillow's basic rigidity. When weight is applied to the pillow while lying down, this first layer only yields slightly and compresses a little. The height of this first layer is designed to ensure that the pillow always maintains sufficient height, even under the weight of the patient's torso, guaranteeing that no excessive pressure is exerted on the operated breast. Ideally, the breast should not come into contact with the padding beneath the pillow. The so-called "block height," which defines the compression of this first layer under weight, is chosen to be at least high enough to ensure that the operated breast is held in the recess without contact with the padding. The foam used can be, in particular, an open-cell plastic.

[0010] For a comfortable sleeping experience, a pillow made purely of foamed plastic has proven to be comparatively hard and uncomfortable. To increase sleeping comfort, the pillow according to the invention therefore features a second, softer layer made of viscoelastic material. Under load, the viscoelastic material is more compressible than the first, harder layer of foamed plastic and, compared to the first, harder layer, is compressed further or more strongly relative to its original height under load. The layer of viscoelastic material has the property of returning to its original position and height after being subjected to weight. Thus, the pillow returns to its original shape after the load is removed. Viscoelastic material is known for the manufacture of mattresses.It is also called "memory foam" and is a shape memory polymer based on polyurethane, which is particularly known under the registered trademark Tempur.

[0011] The height of the first firmer layer and / or the height of the second softer layer can be individually adjusted depending on the patient's weight, in order to ensure, firstly, that the height is sufficient to support the body without the breast touching the surface, and secondly, to offer comfortable lying comfort.

[0012] In practice, the pillow is used such that the first, firmer layer is positioned towards the surface below, and the second, softer layer is in contact with the patient. The pillow according to the invention allows patients to lie and sleep comfortably in a prone position after breast surgery.

[0013] The first, harder layer and the second, softer layer are glued together. Alternatively or additionally, the first and second layers are sewn together.

[0014] The height of the base decreases continuously in a longitudinal direction towards one of the ventral ends. The height of the base can, for example, decrease linearly, meaning the base is wedge-shaped towards the ventral end. In practice, the height of the base can decrease from the edge of the recess facing the ventral end to the ventral end itself. The ventral end of the pillow is understood to be the part of the pillow that, when the pillow is used as intended, is positioned towards the patient's abdomen.

[0015] The length of the wedge-shaped course can vary depending on the patient and especially on the time that has passed since the breast surgery.

[0016] To further enhance patient comfort, in one practical embodiment of the cushion, the outer contour of the base can have a concave, arc-shaped shape at the abdominal end to create an indentation. This arc-shaped shape extends in such a way that the length of the cushion decreases from the lateral edges towards the center at the abdominal end, resulting in a recess. This arc-shaped shape creates two lateral wing sections at each of the outer edges, with the patient's abdomen being supported in the recess between these two wing sections. The patient is primarily supported laterally by these two wing sections, thus relieving pressure on the abdomen.The curved design of the pillow makes it particularly ergonomic and avoids unpleasant pressure on the patient's abdominal region.

[0017] In another practical embodiment, the outer contour of the base body can have a concave, arc-shaped profile at its head end to form a recess for a head pillow or a neck recess. The head end of the base body or pillow is defined as the end that, when the pillow is in use, faces the patient's head.

[0018] Due to the different transverse extension of the neck compared to the abdomen, it makes sense to make the indentation for forming the neck image smaller than the indentation for forming the abdominal image.

[0019] As an additional measure to prevent excessive pressure on the neck and / or abdomen, the height of the base, or at least the height of the first firmer layer, is reduced in the middle section, particularly at one end on the abdomen, compared to the lateral edges. In other words, the firmer layer of the base surrounding the recess is higher at the sides, at least at the abdominal end, than along the center of the base. This significantly relieves pressure on the solar plexus, allowing the patient's weight to rest primarily on the pillow via the lateral rib cage. Similarly, the height of the first firmer layer can be reduced at the neck end of the base, so that the patient's weight rests on the pillow via the shoulders rather than the neck. This minimizes or eliminates pressure on these sensitive areas. The pillow is designed with a particularly ergonomic approach.Reducing the height of only the firmer layer in the middle allows the pillow to be manufactured with a uniform height and easily fitted with a cover of the same height. Weight relief is achieved by having only soft, compressible material in the central area of ​​the core. In practice, as described below, the first firmer layer in the middle of the core can be completely omitted at the abdominal end, so that the core there consists only of the second, softer layer. Alternatively, the entire core can be thinner in the middle than at the sides, specifically at the abdominal end and / or at the head end.

[0020] The base of the cushion can have rounded corners when viewed from above. The width of the cushion in the transverse direction can be at least equal to the width of the patient's shoulders, and the length of the cushion can extend approximately from the lower rib cage to the patient's neck, ensuring that the patient is supported with the largest possible contact area of ​​her upper body on the cushion. The rounded shape of the cushion prevents uncomfortable sharp edges that could cause pressure sores on the arms when the patient grips the cushion.

[0021] In practice, the recess can be elongated with rounded sides or oval when viewed from above. An elongated recess with approximately semicircular ends or an oval recess, each with a long axis running transversely, is particularly well adapted to a patient's anatomy and surrounds the patient's breasts as closely as possible. This ensures optimal pressure relief for the breasts and maximizes the cushion's support surface, distributing the pressure evenly.

[0022] To flexibly adjust the pillow to the patient's size, a tensioning device can be provided to vary and fix the length of the base from the head end to the abdominal end. Such a tensioning device could, for example, be a strap attached to the base, extending between the head and abdominal ends, and whose length can be varied. The strap forms an adjustable loop and can have a hook-and-loop fastener or other suitable device for adjusting and fixing the loop's length. Alternatively, a strap can be attached to each side of the recess, connecting to the strap on the opposite side. A hook-and-loop fastener can again be used for this connection, with the two complementary parts of the fasteners positioned at the free ends of the straps.

[0023] In practice, the pillow can have a cover to which the traction element is attached. This makes the traction element accessible from the outside, allowing the pillow's length to be easily adjusted to the patient's needs without removing the cover. The external traction element can be washed along with the cover.

[0024] The ratio of the heights of the first and second layers influences the compression of the pillow under weight and the resulting height. Sufficient height is particularly important to prevent the operated breast from coming into contact with the support surface. The second, softer layer improves sleeping comfort. Tests have shown that optimal comfort and sufficient pillow height under load are achieved when the height of the first, firmer layer is at least twice that of the second, softer layer.

[0025] The invention also relates to the use of a pillow as described above as a support for the chest and shoulders of a patient resting in a prone position. For the advantages, reference is made to the preceding description.

[0026] In practice, a pillow can be placed at the head end, on which the patient's head rests. The pillow according to the invention can therefore be used as a supplement to a conventional pillow.

[0027] Further practical embodiments and advantages of the invention are described below in connection with the drawings. They show: Fig. 1 a cushion according to the invention in a top view, Fig. 2 the cushion made of Fig. 1 in a perspective view from a slightly oblique angle above, Fig. 3 the cushion made of Figs. 1 and 2 in a side view, Fig. 4 the cushion made of the Figs. 1 to 3 in a sectional view according to the section line IV-IV from Fig. 1 , Fig. 5 a second embodiment of a cushion in a sectional view analogous to Fig. 4 , Fig. 6 one of the Fig. 4A corresponding cross-sectional view of a variant of the pillow in which the harder layer of the base is interrupted in the area of ​​the solar plexus, and Fig. 7 one of the Fig. 6 Corresponding sectional view of the variant with an additional cushion, which increases the overall height of the cushion.

[0028] Fig. 1 Figure 1 shows a cushion 10 in a top view. The cushion 10 has a base body 12 with a recess 14 enclosed by the base body 12. The recess 14 is essentially oval. However, it can also be designed as an elongated hole with rounded side edges. The base body 12 has rounded corners in the top view to avoid sharp edges that could cause pressure points.

[0029] The cushion 10 has an abdominal end 16 which, when the cushion 10 is used, points towards the abdomen of a patient. The outer contour of the abdominal end 16 is concavely curved, creating a recess 18 in the middle of the abdominal end, which forms an abdominal recess 20. Extending from the lateral edges 22a, 22b, this creates two wing sections 24a, 24b on which the patient's rib cage is supported.

[0030] On the side of the pillow 10 opposite the abdominal end 16, the pillow 10 has a head end 26. The outer contour of the head end 26 also has a concave, arc-shaped profile, so that, starting from the lateral edges 22a, 22b towards the center, a recess 28 is formed in plan view. The recess 28 forms a recess 30 for a conventional pillow on which the head rests.

[0031] How good in Fig. 2 As can be seen, the rim of the recess 14 is also lower in the center than at the lateral edges 22a, 22b, so that a trough-like depression 32 for the neck and a trough-like depression 34 for the solar plexus are formed in the center of the pillow 10. This relieves the neck and solar plexus of uncomfortably high pressure. It is also possible to relieve only the solar plexus by means of a trough-like depression 34 at the ventral end of the pillow 10. With this pressure relief, the patient's weight is supported on the pillow via the lateral rib cage and / or the shoulders. As an alternative to a depression of the entire base 12, a depression can also be provided only in the firmer layer in the center, as described below.

[0032] The transition from the head end 26 to the side edges 22a, 22b is rounded and thus offers the possibility for a patient to put her arms around the pillow 10 without having to fear pressure sores from sharp corners or edges.

[0033] In Figs. 2 to 4 The two-part design of the base body 12 becomes apparent. The base body 12 comprises a first harder layer 36 made of a foamed plastic and a second softer layer 38 made of a viscoelastic material. In this embodiment, the height h1 of the first layer 36 is approximately three times the height h2 of the second layer 38 (see figure). Fig. 3 This makes the cushion 10 particularly stable in this embodiment.

[0034] As also shown in the side view in Fig. 3 and in longitudinal section in Fig. 4As can be clearly seen, the height of the base 12 decreases linearly or wedge-shaped from the recess 14 towards the ventral end 16. This creates a continuous and smooth transition from the edge of the recess 14 to the ventral end 16 of the pillow 10. The pillow 10 has a height at the head end 26 that must be compensated for by a pillow on which the patient's head rests.

[0035] In Fig. 5 A second embodiment of a cushion 10 is shown, wherein the cushion 10 is essentially identical to the first embodiment shown in the Figs. 1 to 4 is shown. The second embodiment in Fig. 5This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that a tensile element 40a, 40b is provided on the base body 12. The tensile element 40a, 40b is formed by a band approximately 10 mm wide and is in two parts. The first part 40a is attached to the underside of the head end 26 in the area of ​​the cushion receptacle 30, for example by gluing or sewing. It extends towards the belly end 16 into the recess 14. The second part 40b of the tensile element is attached to the underside of the belly end 16 and extends towards the head end 26 into the recess 14. The parts 40a, 40b of the tensile element thus run below the cushion 10 and overlap in the area of ​​the recess 14.The parts of the traction element 40a, 40b have the loop and hook parts of a hook-and-loop fastener on their facing surfaces, so that the traction element 40a, 40b is length-adjustable to change the longitudinal extension of the cushion 10. The traction element can also be provided with other means for length adjustment, e.g., with a buckle through which the strap is threaded. Alternatively, the two parts of the traction element can be formed from soft fabric straps that are knotted together or connected by a loop.

[0036] The Fig. 7Figure 1 shows a variant of the cushion 10 in which the first hard layer 36 of the base body 12 is interrupted towards the ventral end 16 of the cushion 10. In other words, the cushion 10 lacks a first hard layer 36 of the base body 12 in the middle between the two lateral edges 22a, 22b over a distance of approximately 30 to 60 mm and consists only of the second, softer layer 38. This simplifies the production of the first hard layer 36 of the base body 12. Furthermore, the interruption of the first hard layer 36 of the base body 12 at the ventral end 16 of the cushion 10 makes it easier to create bevels within the recess 14 of the first hard layer 36 of the base body 12 using a knife or saw. This also significantly increases the pressure relief of the solar plexus. Some patients find the pressure from the harder material of the base body 12 in the area of ​​the solar plexus unpleasant.The absence of the harder layer 36 in the middle of the pillow avoids unpleasant pressure.

[0037] The height of the pillow from the Figures 4 to 6 The height is preferably in the range of 130 to 150 mm. This height has proven to be optimal for relieving pressure on the breast during healing, both for pressure relief and for a comfortable sleeping position.

[0038] In the first 10 days after breast surgery, the patient wears a compression bra and is particularly sensitive to pressure. During this time, the pressure relief provided by the 130 to 150 mm high pad is usually insufficient, and the pad should be approximately 80 mm higher. Fig. 7 shows such a pillow, which is made from pillow 10 of the Fig. 6with an 80 mm high elevation 41. The elevation 41 consists of a base elevation 42, made of the harder material 46 of the firmer layer 36, and an abdominal elevation, made of the softer material 48 of the softer layer 38. This high pillow provides significant relief during the first few days after the operation, but results in a less comfortable sleeping position. Reference symbol list

[0039] 10 Pillow 12 Base body 14 Recess 16 Abdominal end 18 Indentation 20 Abdominal recess 22a, 22b Lateral edge 24a, 24b Wing section 26 Head end 28 Indentation 30 Receptacle for head pillow 32 Recess (neck area) 34 Recess (abdominal area) 36 First firmer layer 38 Second softer layer 40a First part of the tensioning element 40b Second part of the tensioning element 41 Raise 42 Base body rise 46 Harder material 48 Softer material h1 Height of first layer h2 Height of second layer

Claims

1. A cushion (10) for use when lying in a prone position after breast surgery, the cushion (10) comprising a base body (12) with a recess (14), wherein the base body (12) is formed of two-layers and comprises a first harder layer (36) of foamed plastic and a second softer layer (38) of a viscoelastic material and wherein the base body (12) has an abdominal end (16) and a head end (26), wherein the base body (12) has a closed shape and encloses the recess over its entire circumference, wherein the height of the base body (12) decreases continuously in the longitudinal direction towards an abdominal end (16) and wherein at least in the region of the abdominal end (16) the height of at least the first harder layer (36) of the base body (12) is lower in a central region than at the lateral edges (22a, 22b).

2. The cushion (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the outer contour of the base body (12) has a concave, arcuate shape in plan view at its abdominal end (16) to form an accommodation for the abdomen (20).

3. The cushion (10) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the outer contour of the base body (12) has a concave, arcuate shape in plan view at its head end (26).

4. The cushion (10) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first harder layer (36) of the base body (12) is interrupted at its abdominal end (16) in the center between the two lateral edges (22a, 22b) of the cushion (10).

5. The cushion (10) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the height of the entire base body (12) is lower in a central region than at the lateral edges (22a, 22b).

6. The cushion (10) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the base body (12) has rounded edges in plan view.

7. The cushion (10) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the recess (14) is oblong in plan view with rounded lateral sections or oval.

8. The cushion (10) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that a pull means (40a, 40b) is provided by means of which the length of the base body (12) from the head end (26) to the abdominal end (16) can be varied and fixed.

9. The cushion (10) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the height of the first harder layer (36) is at least twice the height of the second softer layer (38).

10. The cushion (10) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has an elevation portion (41), which increases its overall height for a particularly high pressure relief.

11. Use of a cushion (10) according to any of the preceding claims as a support for the chest and shoulders of a patient resting in a prone position.

12. The use according to claim 11, characterized in that a pillow on which a patient's head rests is arranged at the head end (26).

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