Head compression cap

Abstract

To provide a head compression cap capable of reducing loss of hair by an adverse effect of an anti-cancer drug more by compressing the superficial temporal artery and the occipital artery of a user's head to suppress a blood flow and cooling the scalp of the user.SOLUTION: In the head compression cap, a temple pressing part compresses a user's superficial temporal artery moderately and an occipital pressing part compresses the occipital artery moderately. The arteries are thereby narrowed physically and the blood flow is reduced. In this state, a cooling part cools the scalp of the user. The blood vessel of the scalp is thereby contracted, and the blood flow to hair-mother cells is further reduced, and the metabolic activity of the hair-mother cells is suppressed. When administration of an anti-cancer drug is received in this state, an adverse effect of the anti-cancer drug on hair-mother cells and hair roots can be reduced. Loss of hair of the head, which is an adverse effect of the anti-cancer drug, can be thereby prevented or reduced further, and even when loss of hair occurs, hair growth can be accelerated more than ever before. When hair is growing, the original hair quality and quantity can be maintained.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention particularly relates to a head compression cap for preventing or reducing hair loss on the head due to the side effects of anticancer drug treatment.

Background Art

[0002] Cancer is the leading cause of death among Japanese people, and the most common treatments are surgery and chemotherapy by administering anticancer drugs. However, treatment with anticancer drugs has side effects, and hair loss is one of them. In particular, hair loss on the head affects the patient's appearance, causes mental damage, and also contributes to a decrease in the motivation for active treatment. In addition, depending on the degree of the side effect, the hair quality may not return to its original state or may become thin.

[0003] This hair loss is thought to be caused by the anticancer drug having an adverse effect on hair matrix cells with high metabolic activity, resulting in damage to the hair roots. Therefore, it is known that by cooling the scalp during and before and after the administration of the anticancer drug to constrict the blood vessels in the scalp, reduce the blood flow to the hair matrix cells, and suppress the metabolic activity, the adverse effect of the anticancer drug on the hair matrix cells can be reduced, thereby preventing and reducing hair loss caused by the anticancer drug. Regarding this, for example, the following [Patent Document 1] discloses an invention related to a head cooling cap that positions a cold insulating agent on the head during the administration of an anticancer drug to reduce hair loss due to side effects.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] As described above, cooling the scalp during administration of an anticancer agent has been found to be effective in reducing hair loss due to side effects. However, further improvement of the method is desired.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and by compressing the superficial temporal artery and the posterior cerebral artery of the user's head to suppress blood flow and simultaneously cooling the user's scalp, it aims to provide a head compression cap that further reduces hair loss due to side effects of anticancer agents.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The present invention provides (1) A head compression cap 80 having a crown portion 51 that covers the user's head, a temporal pressing portion 56 that compresses the blood vessels in the user's temporal region, a posterior head pressing portion 58 that compresses the blood vessels in the user's posterior head region, a tightening belt 52 provided on the crown portion 51 and having the temporal pressing portion 56 and the posterior head pressing portion 58, and a tightening portion 54 that adjusts the tightening degree of the tightening belt 52 on the head, thereby solving the above problems. (2) By providing the head compression cap 80 according to (1) above, wherein the temporal pressing portion 56 is installed so as to be slidable relative to the tightening belt 52, the above problems are solved. (3) By providing the head compression cap 80 according to (1) above, wherein the posterior head pressing portions 58 are provided one by one from the center position of the posterior head region to the left and right, and the interval between the left and right posterior head pressing portions 58 is 4 cm to 6 cm, the above problems are solved. (4) By positioning the user's posterior head between the left and right posterior head pressing portions 58 and tightening the tightening belt 52, the posterior head pressing portions 58 are positioned near the left and right posterior cerebral arteries to compress the posterior cerebral arteries, and the temporal pressing portion 56 compresses the superficial temporal artery of the user. By providing the head compression cap 80 according to (1) above, the above problems are solved. The head compression cap 80 according to any one of (1) to (4) above further includes a cooling unit including a cold insulator 5 for cooling the user's head and a housing unit 62 for positioning the cold insulator 5 on the user's head, thereby solving the above problems. The head compression cap 80 according to (5) above, wherein the cooling unit is constituted by a separate cooling cap 60, thereby solving the above problems. [[Effect of the Invention]]

[0008] In the head compression cap according to the present invention, the temporal pressing part moderately presses the superficial temporal artery of the user, and the occipital pressing part moderately presses the occipital artery. As a result, the superficial temporal artery and the occipital artery are physically narrowed and the blood flow through them is reduced. In this state, when the cooling unit cools the user's scalp and the user receives administration of an anticancer agent, the adverse effects of the anticancer agent on the hair matrix cells and hair roots can be reduced more than those of conventional cooling alone. Thereby, hair loss on the head, which is a side effect of the anticancer agent, can be further prevented or reduced. Further, even if hair loss occurs, damage to the hair matrix cells can be reduced more than that of conventional cooling alone, so that hair growth can be accelerated compared to the conventional case. In addition, deterioration of hair quality and thinning of hair can be prevented, and the original hair quality and hair volume can be maintained during hair growth. [[Brief Description of the Drawings]]

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

[0010] An embodiment of the head compression cap 80 according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First, the head compression cap 80 according to the present invention compresses the blood vessels in the user's head and is basically used together with a cooling unit that cools the user's head. Note that the cooling unit (cooling cap 60) described later is a preferred example suitable for the head compression cap 80 of the present invention, but the cooling unit is not limited thereto, and it is also possible to use it in combination with a conventional head cooling cap or the like.

[0011] Here, FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b) are perspective views showing the wearing state of the main body of the head compression cap 80 according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a top view of the main body of the head compression cap 80 of the present invention. First, the head compression cap 80 according to the present invention includes a crown portion 51 that covers the user's head, a temporal pressing portion 56 that presses the blood vessels in the user's temporal region, an occipital pressing portion 58 that presses the blood vessels in the user's occipital region, a tightening belt 52 provided on the crown portion 51 and having the temporal pressing portion 56 and the occipital pressing portion 58, and a tightening portion 54 that adjusts the tightening degree of the tightening belt 52 on the head. Note that it is preferable to use a thin fabric for the crown portion 51 so that the scalp can be efficiently cooled by the cooling unit, and it is particularly preferable to use a net of synthetic resin fibers.

[0012] Then, the tightening belt 52 is fixed by sewing or the like so that the occipital pressing portion 58 is located at the lower edge portion behind the crown portion 51. Also, the tightening portion 54 may be configured to have a length adjustment function in the tightening belt 52 itself, but it is preferable to provide an engaging member on the crown portion 51 and the tightening belt 52 and use this as the tightening portion 54. As the tightening portion 54 in this case, for example, well-known engaging members such as hooks, fasteners, buckles, adjusters, and hook-and-loop fasteners can be used. One engaging member 54a of the tightening portion 54 is provided at a portion located on the forehead of a person in front of the crown portion 51, and the other engaging member 54b is also provided at both end portions of the tightening belt 52. At this time, when the engaging members 54a and 54b are hooks or fasteners, the engaging position of the tightening belt 52 can be adjusted by providing a plurality of the one engaging member 54a (54b) in the length direction. Then, by selecting or adjusting the engaging position and the fixing position of the tightening portion 54, it becomes possible to adjust the tightening condition of the tightening belt 52 on the head. Incidentally, as the tightening portion 54, it is particularly preferable to use a hook-and-loop fastener that is easy to attach and detach and can adjust the fixing position relatively freely.

[0013] Also, the occipital pressing portion 58 provided on the tightening belt 52 presses the blood vessels in the occipital region of the user, particularly the occipital artery, and is provided so as to project inward (toward the scalp side) one by one from the center position of the occipital region to the left and right. Incidentally, the interval between the left and right occipital pressing portions 58 is preferably about 4 cm to 6 cm. With this interval, by positioning the occipital region of the user between the left and right occipital pressing portions 58, both occipital pressing portions 58 will be located near the left and right occipital arteries of the user. However, the interval of the occipital pressing portion 58 is not limited to this value, and in particular, for children, it is preferable to configure it with an appropriate value with a narrower interval.

[0014] In addition, the constituent members of the occipital pressing portion 58 are not particularly limited, and any material such as a rod or protrusion of synthetic resin such as rubber or plastic, a protrusion or pad of low-resilience urethane, a rod or protrusion of wood, ceramics, metal, etc. may be used. Among them, as shown in FIGS. 1(b) and 2, it is most convenient and preferable in terms of productivity and cost to pinch a tightening belt 52 having a certain thickness inside and sew the root together to use this as the occipital pressing portion 58. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, a plate-like member 58a made of synthetic resin, wood, ceramics, metal, etc. may be sandwiched between the left and right occipital pressing portions 58, and this may also be used as the occipital pressing portion 58 to press the blood vessels of the occipital region over a wide area on the surface.

[0015] Also, the temporal pressing portion 56 of the tightening belt 52 compresses the blood vessels in the temporal region of the user, particularly the superficial temporal artery. Since there are individual differences in the position of the superficial temporal artery, it is preferable to install the temporal pressing portion 56 so that it can slide relative to the tightening belt 52. If this condition is satisfied, there is no particular limitation on the configuration of the temporal pressing portion 56 either. For example, a plate-like member made of synthetic resin such as rubber or low-resilience urethane having protrusions or thickness on the inner side (scalp side), wood, ceramics, metal, etc. may be formed into a shape that can slide relative to the tightening belt 52, or it may be configured by adhering to a slidable member. Among them, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, it is particularly preferable in terms of productivity and cost to pass belt members such as belt feed, feed can, figure-eight plate feed can through the tightening belt 52 so that it bulges on the inner side (scalp side) and use this as the temporal pressing portion 56.

[0016] Next, the cooling portion of the head compression cap 80 according to the present invention will be described. The cooling portion may be configured by directly providing a housing portion 62 in the crown portion 51 of the head compression cap 80 to integrally form the head compression cap 80 and the cooling portion, but it is more appropriate to configure them separately for easy wearing. Therefore, it is preferable that the cooling portion is configured as a separate cooling cap 60 from the main body portion of the head compression cap 80. Here, an example in which the cooling portion is configured separately as the cooling cap 60 will be described.

[0017] Here, FIGS. 4(a) and (b) are perspective views showing the worn state of the cooling cap 60 suitable for the present invention. Incidentally, between the cooling cap 60 and the user's head, the main body of the head compression cap 80 appropriately installed is located. And the cooling cap 60 cools the scalp, particularly of the user's head, using the cold insulating agent 5, and includes a housing portion 62 for positioning and holding the cold insulating agent 5 at least on the temporal regions, the occipital region, and the vertex region. Incidentally, the cold insulating agent 5 may also be positioned on the frontal region in addition to the above positions. Also, the cold insulating agent 5 used at this time is not particularly limited, and well-known cold insulating agents, cold storage materials, etc. capable of cooling the object can be used regardless of whether they are for household use, medical use, or industrial use.

[0018] Incidentally, as the housing portion 62 of the cooling cap 60, it is preferable to use a pocket that allows easy insertion, removal, and replacement of the cold insulating agent 5. Also, the housing portion 62 may be provided individually for each of the left and right temporal regions, the occipital region, and the vertex region (frontal region) that require cooling. For example, using a cold insulating agent 5 having a relatively long and narrow shape, the cold insulating agents 5 for the occipital region and the vertex region may be combined into one and stored in one housing portion 62. Also, the cold insulating agents 5 for the left and right temporal regions and the occipital region may be combined into one and stored in one housing portion 62. Further, it is preferable to provide closing means such as a lid or a fastener at the opening of the housing portion 62 to suppress leakage of the cold air from the cold insulating agent 5.

[0019] Also, the inside of the cooling cap 60 is preferably made of a thin material with high thermal conductivity and water absorption so that the scalp can be efficiently cooled by the cold insulating agent 5. Also, the outside of the cooling cap 60, that is, the outer member of the housing portion 62, is made of a material with appropriate thickness and excellent heat insulation properties to maintain the temperature of the cold insulating agent 5. At this time, a metal sheet such as aluminum may be interposed in a composite manner.

[0020] Furthermore, it is preferable to provide an ear part 64 in the cooling cap 60 so that the cold insulation agent 5 is not located in the vicinity of a person's ear. This ear part 64 can be formed, for example, by partially sewing the accommodating part 62 of the temporal region. And according to this configuration, the cold insulation agent 5 does not directly hit the user's ear, and it is possible to prevent the cooling of an unintended part and prevent the pain of the user due to the cooling of the ear. Also, it is preferable to provide a jaw strap 66 whose length can be adjusted on the cooling cap 60 so that the close state between the inside of the cooling cap 60 and the user's head can be maintained even when the user is lying down.

[0021] Next, a method of using the head compression cap 80 according to the present invention will be described. Here, an example in which the cooling cap 60 is used as the cooling part will be described. First, cover the main body part of the head compression cap 80 on the user's head. At this time, the occipital pressing part 58 is positioned near the occipital artery. Next, the user slides the temporal pressing part 56 to position the temporal pressing part 56 near his or her superficial temporal artery. Next, as shown in Fig. 1(a), the user engages the end part of the tightening belt 52 and the tightening part 54 of the frontal part. At this time, the engaging position is adjusted so that the temporal pressing part 56 moderately compresses the superficial temporal artery and the occipital pressing part 58 moderately compresses the occipital artery. Further, at this time, if necessary, a plate-like member 58a may be sandwiched between the left and right occipital pressing parts 58. And due to the compression of the head by the temporal pressing part 56 and the occipital pressing part 58, the superficial temporal artery and the occipital artery are physically narrowed and the blood flow through them decreases.

[0022] Next, the cold storage agent 5 that has been sufficiently cooled (frozen) in a refrigerator or the like is inserted into the storage portion 62 of the cooling cap 60. If there are closing means such as a lid or a fastener in the storage portion 62, this closing means is closed. Next, the user covers the cooling cap 60 over the main body portion of the head compression cap 80 from above. Next, the user puts on the chin strap 66 and adjusts the length so that the inner surface of the cooling cap 60 is in close contact with the user's head via the crown portion 51 as much as possible. Then, this state is maintained for about 30 minutes. As a result, the cold storage agent 5 cools the user's scalp, causing the blood vessels in the scalp to contract, reducing the blood flow to the hair matrix cells, and suppressing the metabolic activity of the hair matrix cells.

[0023] Next, the user receives administration of an anticancer agent. At this time, in addition to the superficial temporal artery and the posterior auricular artery being compressed by the temporal compression portion 56 and the posterior auricular compression portion 58 to suppress blood flow, the blood vessels in the scalp connected to this are contracted by the cooling of the cooling cap 60 to suppress blood flow, and the metabolic activity of the hair matrix cells themselves is also suppressed to a low state. Therefore, the influence of the anticancer agent on the hair matrix cells and hair roots is reduced compared to the conventional case. If the administration of the anticancer agent lasts for a long time and the cooling ability of the cold storage agent 5 decreases, the cold storage agent 5 is appropriately replaced with a new one to maintain the cooling state. After the administration of the anticancer agent is completed, after maintaining this state for about 1 hour, the user removes the main body portions of the cooling cap 60 and the head compression cap 80 and ends the use of the head compression cap 80.

[0024] As described above, in the head compression cap 80 according to the present invention, the temporal pressing portion 56 moderately compresses the superficial temporal artery of the user's head, and the occipital pressing portion 58 moderately compresses the occipital artery. As a result, the superficial temporal artery and the occipital artery are physically narrowed and the blood flow through them decreases. In this state, the cooling portion cools the user's scalp. Thereby, the blood vessels of the scalp contract, the blood flow to the hair matrix cells further decreases, and the metabolic activity of the hair matrix cells is suppressed. Then, when the user receives the administration of the anticancer agent in this state, the adverse effects of the anticancer agent on the hair matrix cells and hair roots can be reduced more than those of the conventional head cooling cap that only cools. Thereby, hair loss on the head, which is a side effect of the anticancer agent, can be further prevented or reduced. Further, even if hair loss occurs, since the damage to the hair matrix cells is small, hair growth can be accelerated more than before. In addition, deterioration and thinning of the hair quality can be prevented, and the original hair quality and hair volume can be maintained during hair growth.

[0025] Note that the configurations, mechanisms, shapes, designs, etc. of each part of the head compression cap 80 and the cooling cap 60 shown above are merely examples, and thus the present invention is not limited to the above examples, and the present invention can be implemented with modifications without departing from the gist of the present invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0026] 5 Cold insulation agent 51 Crown portion 52 Tightening belt 54 Tightening portion 56 Temporal pressing portion 58 Occipital pressing portion 60 Cooling cap 62 Accommodating portion 80 Head compression cap

Claims

1. a crown part covering the user's head, a temporal pressing part pressing the blood vessels in the user's temporal region, an occipital pressing part pressing the blood vessels in the user's occipital region, a tightening belt installed on the crown part and having the temporal pressing part and the occipital pressing part, a tightening part for adjusting the tightening degree of the tightening belt on the head, and a head compression cap characterized by comprising the same.

2. The head compression cap according to claim 1, characterized in that the temporal pressing part is installed so as to be slidable relative to the tightening belt.

3. The head compression cap according to claim 1, characterized in that the occipital pressing parts are provided one by one from the center position of the occipital region to the left and right, and the interval between the left and right occipital pressing parts is 4 cm to 6 cm.

4. By positioning the user's occipital region between the left and right occipital pressing parts and tightening the tightening belt, the occipital pressing part is positioned near the left and right occipital arteries to compress the occipital arteries, and the temporal pressing part compresses the superficial temporal artery of the user. The head compression cap according to claim 1, characterized by the above.

5. The head compression cap according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a cooling part including a cold storage agent for cooling the user's head and a storage part for positioning the cold storage agent on the user's head.

6. The head compression cap according to claim 5, characterized in that the cooling part is constituted by a separate cooling cap.

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