Garment for electrocardiography

Abstract

To provide a garment for electrocardiography which is worn when performing standard 12-lead electrocardiography and enables a subject to receive the electrocardiography without exposing the entire upper half of the body with a relatively simple configuration.SOLUTION: The invention according to the present application adopts an electrocardiographic examination garment 1 including a chest-circumference covering portion 2, wherein the chest-circumference covering portion is provided with a slit 3 in a vertical direction having a length of 120mm to 140mm at a portion corresponding to a front center of a front chest when worn by an examinee, the slit opens in a diamond shape 4 when expanded to the left and right, and electrodes can be attached to positions of a fourth intercostal space of a right edge of a sternum and a fourth intercostal space of a left edge of the sternum of the examinee from the opened portion.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present application relates to electrocardiogram clothing. More specifically, it relates to electrocardiogram clothing worn during electrocardiogram testing using a standard 12-lead electrocardiogram (hereinafter also simply referred to as "standard 12-lead electrocardiogram testing"). [Background technology]

[0002] Electrocardiograms have traditionally been used to examine cardiac function during examinations for cardiovascular disease and health checkups. There are several types of electrocardiograms, but the most common is the standard 12-lead electrocardiogram (also simply referred to as a "12-lead electrocardiogram"), which allows the heart's activity to be observed from 12 directions. In an electrocardiogram, electrodes must be attached to the examinee's body in the correct positions when recording an electrocardiogram. For a standard 12-lead electrocardiogram, electrodes are attached to the examinee's wrists and ankles (I, II, III, aVL, aVF, and aVR) as limb leads, and to predetermined positions on the examinee's chest (V1 to V6) as chest leads, as shown in Figure 1.

[0003] When attaching and detaching electrodes to the chest of a patient, even if the patient is female, the patient must completely expose the upper half of her body. This is because the electrodes attached at positions V1 to V3 interfere with women's underwear (bras). However, this act of completely exposing the upper half of the body places a great psychological burden on the patient. Even if the patient and the examination staff (nurses) are of the same sex (e.g., both women), as shown in Non-Patent Document 1, there are a certain number of people who feel embarrassed about completely exposing their upper half. Furthermore, some people may be reluctant to completely expose their upper half for religious reasons.

[0004] Therefore, Patent Document 1 discloses "chest examination underwear which, with the objective of providing a new examination underwear technology that does not interfere with general examinations or electrocardiogram tests, has a highly adjustable function that can accurately accommodate the diverse body shapes of each wearer, and further increases the stability of the left and right point pad portions, thereby more effectively relieving the anxiety and stress of female students (wearers)," and which "has a right point cup formed by extending the side band portions from the point pad portions to a predetermined position under the armpits and forming through holes on the upper and lower edges from the point pad portions to the side band portions, and a left point cup which is shaped and positioned symmetrically to the right point cup, with two elastic cords appropriately inserted through the upper and lower through holes of each of the left and right point cups, and the ends of the elastic cords led out from the upper and lower outer ends of the side band portions connected by an elastic band for the back." [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0005] [Non-Patent Document 1] HAMA Y.,TAKE E.,SURVEY ON EMBARRASSMENT OF BREAST CANCER PATIENTS RECEIVING RADIATION THERAPY,WCRJ 2020;7:e1607 [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-184835 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, the chest examination underwear of Patent Document 1 has an elastic cord for connecting the right and left point cups at the front, and an alignment ribbon attached to the elastic cord, at a position that is the center of the front when the wearer (examinee) puts on the chest examination underwear. Therefore, when an examinee wears the chest examination underwear and undergoes a standard 12-lead electrocardiogram test, these get in the way when the testing staff attaches electrodes (particularly the electrodes attached at the V1 and V2 positions) to the examinee's chest, which may hinder the test from being carried out smoothly. In addition, the chest examination underwear of Patent Document 1 has a relatively complicated structure, which causes the problem of it being time-consuming to manufacture.

[0008] The invention of this application aims to provide clothing for electrocardiogram examinations that is worn when performing a standard 12-lead electrocardiogram examination, and that has a relatively simple structure and allows the examinee to undergo the electrocardiogram examination without exposing their entire upper body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The electrocardiogram clothing according to the present application is worn when a standard 12-lead electrocardiogram is performed, and is equipped with a chest covering part, which has a vertical slit measuring 120 mm to 140 mm in length in the center of the front of the anterior chest when worn by a patient, and which opens in a diamond shape when expanded to the left and right, allowing electrodes to be attached through the opening to the fourth intercostal space on the right edge of the sternum and the fourth intercostal space on the left edge of the sternum.

[0010] The chest covering portion of the electrocardiogram examination garment according to the present application is made up of fabrics that are sewn together near the upper end of the slit in an overlapping state with one of the left and right sides facing up, and also sewn together near the lower end of the slit in an overlapping state with the other of the left and right sides facing up. It is preferable.

[0011] The chest covering portion of the electrocardiogram garment according to the present application has a first end and a second end, and the first end and the second end are preferably provided with strings for tying at the back when the examinee wears the garment.

[0012] The chest-surrounding covering portion of the electrocardiogram examination garment according to the present application has a first end and a second end, and the first end and the second end are preferably provided with fasteners for connecting them to each other.

[0013] The fasteners provided on the chest covering portion of the electrocardiogram examination garment according to the present application are preferably any one of hook-and-loop fasteners, slide fasteners, snaps, and hooks.

[0014] The electrodes to be attached through the diamond-shaped opening formed when the slits provided in the chest covering portion of the electrocardiogram examination garment according to the present application are preferably single-use items.

[0015] The chest-covering portion of the electrocardiogram garment according to the present application is preferably gathered in the vertical direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the invention of the present application, it is possible to provide electrocardiogram clothing with a relatively simple configuration that allows the examinee to undergo a standard 12-lead electrocardiogram test without exposing the entire upper body. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the positions of electrodes for chest leads in an electrocardiogram test using a standard 12-lead electrocardiogram. [Figure 2] 1A and 1B are schematic diagrams of an electrocardiogram examination garment according to the present application worn by a patient. [Figure 3] This is a CT image taken to measure the width of the sternum near the fourth intercostal space of an adult female. [Figure 4]1 is a graph showing the frequency of sternal width in the vicinity of the fourth intercostal space in adult women. [Figure 5] 1 is a schematic diagram of the electrocardiogram examination garment according to the present application when the slits are widened. FIG. [Figure 6] 1A and 1B are schematic diagrams of electrocardiogram clothing according to the present application. [Figure 7] 1 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the upper and lower ends of a slit provided in an electrocardiogram garment according to the present application. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] (Structure when worn) The electrocardiogram garment according to the present application is worn when undergoing a standard 12-lead electrocardiogram test. FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of the electrocardiogram garment 1 when worn by an examinee. In FIG. 2, the electrocardiogram garment 1 (and the examinee's chest) are depicted as transparent to facilitate understanding of the invention. As shown in FIG. 2(A), the electrocardiogram garment 1 includes a chest covering portion 2, which has a vertical slit 3 of a predetermined length in a portion that will be the center of the front of the chest when worn by an examinee. As shown in FIG. 2(B), the slit 3 opens in a diamond shape when expanded laterally, forming an opening 4.

[0019] Here, in an electrocardiogram test using a standard 12-lead electrocardiogram, the electrode attachment positions for chest leads are V1 to V6. Of these, the electrode attachment positions for V4 to V6 are far from the examinee's bust top (the highest part of the chest). Therefore, when the examinee wears the electrocardiogram garment 1, even if the electrode attachment positions for V4 to V6 are not covered by the electrocardiogram garment 1, the examinee experiences relatively little psychological stress. Furthermore, the electrode attachment position for V3 is lower than the center of the examinee's anterior chest. Therefore, by adjusting the length from the upper edge to the lower edge of the chest covering part 2, the examination staff can relatively smoothly attach the electrode to the V3 position without significantly shifting the chest covering part 2 of the electrocardiogram garment 1 worn by the examinee.

[0020] On the other hand, the V1 and V2 electrodes are attached near the center of the examinee's anterior chest. Therefore, the present invention employs a structure that allows the V1 and V2 electrodes to be attached through the opening 4. Because this structure is relatively simple, it is possible to reduce the manufacturing cost of the electrocardiogram test garment 1. Furthermore, this structure can appropriately accommodate the variety of examinee body shapes.

[0021] The V1 and V2 electrode attachment positions are the fourth intercostal space (V1) on the right edge of the examinee's sternum and the fourth intercostal space (V2) on the left edge of the sternum. Therefore, the width of opening 4 should be approximately the sum of the width of the examinee's sternum near the fourth intercostal space and the length of two widths of the electrode's contact portion (hereinafter also referred to as the "contact portion") that contacts the examinee's chest. When the width of opening 4 is approximately this value, the examinee can wear ECG clothing 1, and the examination staff can open slit 3 to the left and right to smoothly attach the electrodes at positions V1 and V2 through opening 4. Furthermore, there is no risk of the examinee's bust being exposed through opening 4.

[0022] Note that the sternal width of each examinee varies from person to person. Therefore, in the present invention, the sternal width near the fourth intercostal space of 140 adult women who consented to the examination was measured using CT images (transverse images) and the average value was calculated. Specifically, the chests of these 140 adult women were photographed using a commercially available CT scanner, the CT images were imported into a medical image management system (PACS), and the sternal width near the fourth intercostal space of each individual was measured using the CT images and the average value was calculated. As an example, Figure 3 shows the CT image used to measure the sternal width near the fourth intercostal space of these adult women. Figure 4 also shows a graph showing the frequency of sternal width near the fourth intercostal space of these 140 adult women. In conclusion, the minimum sternal width near the fourth intercostal space of these 140 adult women was 25.0 mm, the maximum was 49.3 mm, and the average was 37.3 mm ± 6.1 mm (mean ± standard deviation).

[0023] There are no particular limitations on the type of electrodes to be attached through the opening 4 of the electrocardiogram garment 1; for example, reusable suction cup-type electrodes (also referred to as "reusable products") or single-use seal-type electrodes (also referred to as "disposable products") can be used. However, it is preferable that the electrodes to be attached through the opening 4 be single-use. Because single-use electrodes are disposable, they are less costly than reusable electrodes, but are superior in functionality. Specifically, single-use electrodes are hygienic and not susceptible to bacterial or viral contamination. Furthermore, there is no risk of the electrodes falling off the examinee's chest during electrocardiogram testing. Furthermore, there is no risk of subcutaneous bleeding on the examinee's chest due to attachment, which reduces the physical burden on the examinee. Furthermore, single-use electrodes are typically thin, which makes it easier for the examination staff to attach the electrodes to positions V1 and V2 through the opening 4.

[0024] The portion of a typical reusable suction cup electrode that comes into contact with the patient's chest (such as a metal cup) is circular. Electrodes for adults and teenagers have a diameter (width) of approximately 30 mm. Meanwhile, single-use adhesive electrodes come in a variety of shapes, including those with tabs, snap buttons (the snap buttons are typically attached to the top surface of the electrode), and lead wires (the lead wires are typically attached to snap buttons on the top surface of the electrode). The portion that comes into contact with the patient's chest (typically coated with conductive gel, conductive adhesive, or other adhesive) also comes in a variety of shapes, including roughly square, roughly circular, roughly oval, and roughly teardrop-shaped. The tabs and snap buttons on these electrodes primarily function as terminals for connecting clips, such as alligator clips. Therefore, in the invention of the present application, when the tab portion of a tab-equipped electrode functions as a terminal (or a terminal for placing a snap button as a terminal) while floating and not in contact with the examinee's chest during use, the shape, width, etc. of the contact portion (the portion that contacts the examinee's chest) are described without including the tab portion. The width of the portion that contacts the examinee's chest in this seal-type disposable electrode is approximately 35 mm to 20 mm if the electrode is used for standard 12-lead electrocardiogram testing and is intended for adults and teenagers. Therefore, the width of the portion that contacts the examinee's chest (contact portion) in electrodes used for standard 12-lead electrocardiogram testing, such as suction cup-type reusable electrodes and seal-type disposable electrodes, is approximately 35 mm to 20 mm, and the value near the middle of this range is 27.5 mm. Some commercially available electrodes have a width of over 35 mm at the contact point, but these are not suitable for standard 12-lead electrocardiogram testing, where the electrodes for chest leads are attached relatively close together, and are relatively expensive, so they are not commonly used in medical facilities. Furthermore, electrodes with a width of less than 20 mm at the contact point are not recommended for standard 12-lead electrocardiogram testing of adults and teenagers, as they tend to produce inaccurate measurement results.

[0025] The "width of the portion of a seal-type disposable electrode that contacts the examinee's chest" here refers to the width of the portion of the electrode that contacts the examinee's chest when the electrode is attached with a tab or lead wire and the tab functions as a terminal (or a terminal for mounting a snap button). More specifically, for an electrode with a roughly rectangular tab, the width refers to the width of the portion that contacts the examinee's chest (the roughly rectangular portion that is usually coated with conductive gel) when the electrode is attached with the tab facing the examinee's sternum, as shown in Figure 5. The reason these electrodes are attached to the examinee's chest in this orientation is that this orientation makes it easier for the testing staff to attach and detach the electrode to the examinee's chest through the opening 4, facilitating a smooth electrocardiogram test. Furthermore, the lead wire attached to the clip connected to the tab (or the lead wire connected to the terminal, such as a snap button) can be smoothly pulled out through the opening 4. If the electrode has a snap button, the "width of the part that comes into contact with the examinee's chest in a seal-type disposable electrode" refers to the diameter if the conductive part is approximately circular, the length of its single axis if it is approximately elliptical, or the shorter side if it is approximately rectangular. The reason why approximately elliptical or rectangular electrodes are to be attached to the examinee's chest with their single axis or short side oriented horizontally is that in this orientation, the examination staff need not widen the slit 3 to the left or right when attaching and detaching the electrode, thereby reducing the risk of the examinee's bust being exposed through the opening 4.

[0026] FIG. 5 shows a schematic diagram of the ECG garment 1 when the slit 3 is widened. As mentioned above, the average width of the sternum near the fourth intercostal space for an adult female is approximately 37.3 mm. The width of the part of the electrodes used in standard 12-lead ECG testing that comes into contact with the examinee's chest is approximately 27.5 mm, which is the middle value of the preferred range. Therefore, the width of the opening 4 required for the examination staff to smoothly attach the electrodes to the V1 and V2 positions through the opening 4 when the examinee is wearing the ECG garment 1 is approximately 92.3 mm. Therefore, if the examination staff widens the slit 3 left and right to form a square (diamond) with all four interior angles at 90°, each side of the square opening 4 will be approximately 65.3 mm (92.3 mm ÷ 2 1 / 2 ), and the length doubled (i.e., the length of the slit 3) is approximately 130.5 mm.

[0027] In conclusion, the preferred length of the vertical slit 3 in the chest covering part 2 of the electrocardiogram garment 1 is 120 mm to 140 mm. Here, if the length of the slit 3 is less than 120 mm, even if the testing staff widens the slit 3 to form a diamond-shaped opening 4, the V1 and V2 electrode attachment positions will significantly interfere with the fabric constituting the chest covering part 2, making it difficult to smoothly attach the electrodes to the examinee's chest. On the other hand, if the length of the vertical slit 3 exceeds 140 mm, the opening 4 will be opened too wide when the testing staff widens the slit 3, potentially exposing the examinee's bust and surrounding area.

[0028] (Structure near the upper and lower ends of slit 3) 6 is a schematic diagram of the electrocardiogram garment 1 when not being worn. There are no particular limitations on the structure of the areas near the upper and lower ends of the slit 3. For example, a portion of the fabric constituting the chest covering part 2 at position P, which is the center of the front when worn by an examinee, may simply be cut vertically to provide a slit 3 of a predetermined length, and the fabric constituting the chest covering part 2 may continue as is from the upper and lower edge portions Q of the chest covering part 2 at position P to the upper and lower ends R of the slit 3.

[0029] 7 shows another embodiment of the structure near the upper and lower ends of the slit 3. It is also preferable that the chest-surrounding covering part 2 be structured such that the constituent fabric is sewn together with one of the left and right sides facing up near the upper end of the slit 3, and the other is sewn together with the other side facing up near the lower end R of the slit 3. With this structure of the chest-surrounding covering part 2, the fabric near the upper and lower ends R of the slit 3 intersect near the vertical middle of position P, which is the center of the front when worn by a patient. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the slit 3 from opening due to body movement or the like when worn by a patient, thereby preventing the patient's anterior chest from being inadvertently exposed.

[0030] When this structure is adopted, the width of the overlapping portions of the cloth constituting the chest-surrounding covering portion 2 near the upper and lower ends of the slit 3 is preferably 10 mm to 30 mm. Here, if the width of the overlapping portions of the cloth is less than 10 mm, the width is too short, which tends to be ineffective in preventing the slit 3 from opening due to the examinee's body movement, etc., and inadvertently exposing the examinee's anterior chest, and this is undesirable. On the other hand, if the width of the overlapping portions of the cloth is more than 30 mm, the width is too long, which tends to shorten the width of the diamond-shaped opening 4 created when the examination staff opens the slit 3 laterally during the examination, making it difficult to smoothly attach the electrodes to the examinee at positions V1 and V2.

[0031] Furthermore, the distance between the lower end R of the slit 3 in the ECG garment 1 and the lower edge Q of the chest covering part 2 at position P, which is the center of the front of the patient when wearing the garment, is preferably 5 mm to 20 mm. If this distance is less than 5 mm, the distance is too short, making the fabric constituting the chest covering part 2 weak and potentially damaging the fabric between the lower end R of the slit 3 and the lower edge Q of the chest covering part 2 when the patient wears the ECG garment 1. If this distance exceeds 20 mm, the fabric near the lower edge of the chest covering part 2 will significantly interfere with the electrode attachment positions V3 to V6 when the patient wears the ECG garment 1, making it difficult for the testing staff to smoothly attach the electrodes at positions V3 to V6.

[0032] There is no particular limitation on the distance between the upper end of the slit 3 in the ECG garment 1 and the upper edge of the chest covering part 2 at position P, which will be the center of the front of the garment when worn by a patient. However, it is preferable that the "distance between the upper end of the slit 3 in the ECG garment 1 and the upper edge of the chest covering part 2 at position P, which will be the center of the front of the garment when worn by a patient," be approximately the same as the "distance between the lower end R of the slit 3 and the lower edge Q of the chest covering part 2 at position P, which will be the center of the front of the garment when worn by a patient." This is because having these distances approximately the same simplifies the structure of the ECG garment 1 and reduces manufacturing costs. Therefore, it is also preferable that the distance between the upper end of the slit 3 in the ECG garment 1 and the upper edge of the chest covering part 2 at position P, which will be the center of the front of the garment when worn by a patient, be 5 mm to 20 mm.

[0033] If the distance between the upper end of the slit 3 in the electrocardiogram garment 1 and the upper edge of the chest covering part 2 at position P, which will be the center of the front when worn by a patient, is less than 5 mm, this distance is too short and the strength of the fabric constituting the chest covering part 2 is insufficient, which is undesirable as there is a risk of the fabric between the upper end of the slit 3 and the upper edge of the chest covering part 2 being damaged when the patient puts on the electrocardiogram garment 1. On the other hand, if the distance exceeds 20 mm, no new functionality is added to the electrocardiogram garment 1, the structure becomes more complicated, increasing manufacturing costs and making it more difficult for the patient to put on and take off, which is undesirable.

[0034] (Overall structure) There are no particular limitations on the material that can be used for the electrocardiogram examination garment 1; it is sufficient to use a fabric (woven or nonwoven) made of relatively soft fibers such as cotton, polypropylene, polyester, and rayon. Furthermore, the electrocardiogram examination garment 1 is preferably a relatively dark color such as navy blue, dark brown, charcoal gray, or black. This is because electrocardiogram examination garments 1 in such colors make it difficult for the examinee's skin to show through when worn. Furthermore, from a hygienic standpoint, the electrocardiogram examination garment 1 may be a disposable product that can be used only once.

[0035] It is preferable that the chest covering part 2 has vertical gathers. This is because, when the chest covering part 2 has such a structure, the outline of the examinee's anterior chest (body line) is relatively less noticeable when worn by the examinee. The vertical gathers can be formed during the manufacture of the electrocardiogram examination garment 1 by folding back the upper and lower peripheral edges of the fabric constituting the chest covering part 2, inserting elastic cords inside, and sewing them together to form the upper and lower peripheral edges Q of the chest covering part 2.

[0036] The chest covering part 2 has a first end 5 and a second end 6, and as shown in Fig. 6(A), the first end 5 and the second end 6 are preferably provided with strings 7, 7' for tying at the back when the examinee wears the garment. With the electrocardiogram examination garment 1 having such a structure, the examinee can easily adjust it to fit his or her physique for a comfortable fit.

[0037] In another embodiment of the electrocardiogram garment 1, as shown in Figure 6(B), the chest covering part 2 has a first end 5 and a second end 6, and the first end 5 and the second end 6 are preferably provided with fasteners 8, 8' for connecting them to each other. This type of structure of the electrocardiogram garment 1 makes it easy for the patient to put on and take off the garment.

[0038] There are no particular restrictions on the type of fasteners 8, 8' in this type of electrocardiogram examination garment 1, and any of the following may be used: hook-and-loop fasteners such as Velcro (registered trademark), slide fasteners (also called "zippers"), snaps (also called "snap buttons", "spring hooks", etc.), and hooks such as keyholes.

[0039] Furthermore, although not shown in the drawings, it is also preferable that the electrocardiogram examination garment 1 be a cylindrical tube top type. This is because the structure of the electrocardiogram examination garment 1 is simpler and manufacturing costs can be reduced.

[0040] Next, the invention of the present application will be specifically explained by showing examples, but the invention of the present application is not limited to these examples. [Example]

[0041] In Example 1, a navy blue polypropylene nonwoven fabric and a 5 mm wide elastic cord were first prepared. The nonwoven fabric was then cut into a horizontally elongated, approximately rectangular shape. The upper and lower peripheries were then folded back, with the elastic cords inserted inside and sewn together to form the upper and lower edges. This resulted in vertical gathering, forming a horizontally elongated, approximately rectangular chest covering part with a horizontal length (width) of 300 mm and a vertical length of 156 mm at the center of the front when worn by a patient. The nonwoven fabric was then separately cut into two ribbon-shaped pieces, each 40 mm wide and 400 mm long. One end of one ribbon-shaped nonwoven fabric was then sewn to the left end (first end) of the chest covering part. Then, one end of the other ribbon-shaped nonwoven fabric was sewn to the right end (second end) of the chest covering part, forming two string portions. The fabric constituting the chest covering part was then cut lengthwise by 126 mm to create a slit at a position that would be the center of the front when worn by a patient, to obtain electrocardiogram testing garments. The distance from the upper edge of the chest covering part to the top of the slit at a position that would be the center of the front when worn by a patient was 15 mm, and the distance from the lower edge of the chest covering part to the bottom of the slit at the same position was 15 mm. Furthermore, when a patient is wearing this electrocardiogram testing garment and the testing staff opens the slit to the left and right, the length of one side of the square (diamond) opening in the opening is 63 mm, and the width of the opening is 89.1 mm.

[0042] Next, we prepared a seal-type electrode with tabs (Nipload III, manufactured by Fukuda Denshi Co., Ltd., single-use product) with a roughly square contact area (the area that contacts the examinee's chest) measuring 22 mm on each side (width). An adult female examinee (patient) with consent wore the electrocardiogram garment obtained in Example 1, and the examinee lay flat on her back on the examination table. Next, the examination staff opened the vertical slits on the chest covering portion and attached the tabbed electrodes to positions V1 and V2, respectively, with the tabs facing the examinee's sternum. Similarly, the examination staff shifted the lower edge of the right side of the electrocardiogram garment (toward the examinee's left chest) upward by approximately 20 mm and attached the tabbed electrodes to positions V3 to V6, respectively. V1 to V6 are the chest electrode attachment positions in an electrocardiogram test using a standard 12-lead electrocardiogram (see Figure 1). Furthermore, the width of the examinee's sternum near the fourth intercostal space was measured using CT images taken with a commercially available CT device, and was found to be 29.1 mm. The examination staff was able to smoothly attach electrodes to the examinee at positions V1 to V6 for chest leads while the examinee was still wearing the ECG garment of Example 1. Furthermore, when the electrodes were attached, the examinee's bust (the highest part of the chest) was not exposed through the openings of the ECG garment. [Example]

[0043] In Example 2, a navy blue polypropylene nonwoven fabric and a 5 mm wide elastic cord were first prepared. The nonwoven fabric was then cut into a horizontally elongated, approximately rectangular shape. The upper and lower edges were then folded back, with the elastic cords inserted inside and sewn together to form the upper and lower edges. This resulted in vertical gathering, forming a horizontally elongated, approximately rectangular chest covering part with a horizontal length (width) of 300 mm and a vertical length of 156 mm at the center of the front when worn by a patient. The nonwoven fabric was then separately cut into two ribbon-shaped pieces, each 40 mm wide and 400 mm long. One end of one ribbon-shaped nonwoven fabric was then sewn to the left end (first end) of the chest covering part. Then, one end of the other ribbon-shaped nonwoven fabric was sewn to the right end (second end) of the chest covering part, forming two string portions. The fabric constituting the chest covering part was then cut lengthwise by 136 mm to create a slit at a position that would be the center of the front when worn by a patient. Furthermore, the fabric of the upper edge of the chest covering part at the position that would be the center of the front when worn by a patient was folded over 15 mm wide with the left side facing up, and sewn 15 mm from the upper edge at this position to form the upper end of the slit. Similarly, the fabric of the lower edge of the chest covering part at the position that would be the center of the front when worn by a patient was folded over 15 mm wide with the right side facing up, and sewn 15 mm from the lower edge at this position to form the lower end of the slit, thus obtaining an electrocardiogram examination garment. In this case, the length from the top to the bottom of the slit was 126 mm, and when the examination staff spread the slit left and right while the patient was wearing the electrocardiogram examination garment, the length of one side of the square (diamond) opening was approximately 63 mm, and the width of the opening was approximately 89.1 mm.

[0044] Next, a seal-type tab-equipped electrode (Nipload III, single-use product, manufactured by Fukuda Denshi Co., Ltd.) with a roughly square contact area (the area that contacts the patient's chest) measuring 22 mm on each side (width) was prepared. An adult female patient (patient) who consented to wearing the electrocardiogram garment obtained in Example 2 was placed on her back and horizontally on the examination table. Next, the examination staff opened the vertical slits on the chest covering portion and moved the opening approximately 7 mm to the left (toward the patient's right chest) to attach the tab-equipped electrode to the patient's sternum at position V1. Next, the examination staff moved the opening approximately 7 mm to the right (toward the patient's left chest) to attach the tab-equipped electrode to the patient's sternum at position V2. Similarly, the testing staff shifted the lower edge of the right side (the patient's left chest side) of the ECG garment upward by approximately 20 mm and attached the tabbed electrodes at positions V3 to V6. V1 to V6 are the chest electrode attachment positions for standard 12-lead ECG testing (see Figure 1). The width of the patient's sternum near the fourth intercostal space was measured using CT images taken with a commercially available CT scanner, and was found to be 49.3 mm. The testing staff was able to smoothly attach the electrodes at positions V1 to V6 for chest leads to the patient while the patient was still wearing the ECG garment of Example 2. Furthermore, when the electrodes were attached, the patient's bust (the highest part of the chest) was not exposed through the openings of the ECG garment. [Industrial Applicability]

[0045] The invention of this application can be used as electrocardiogram clothing to be worn when performing a standard 12-lead electrocardiogram test. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 1. Electrocardiogram clothing 2 Chest covering 3 slit 4 Openings 5 First end 6 Second end 7, 7' string section 8, 8' fastener P: The position that will be the center of the front when worn by the patient Q Lower edge of chest covering R Bottom edge of the slit

Claims

1. An electrocardiogram examination garment to be worn when performing a standard 12-lead electrocardiogram examination, a chest covering portion; the chest-surrounding covering part has a vertical slit having a length of 120 mm to 140 mm in a part that will be the front center of the anterior chest when worn by a patient; The slit opens in a diamond shape when expanded left and right, This electrocardiogram garment is characterized in that electrodes can be attached to the fourth intercostal space on the right edge of the sternum and the fourth intercostal space on the left edge of the sternum of the patient through the opening.

2. 2. The electrocardiogram examination garment according to claim 1, wherein the chest covering portion is made up of fabrics sewn together with one of the left and right sides facing up near the upper end of the slit, and with the other of the left and right sides facing up near the lower end of the slit.

3. the chest wrapping portion has a first end and a second end; 3. The electrocardiogram garment according to claim 1, wherein the first end and the second end are provided with strings for tying at the back when worn by an examinee.

4. the chest wrapping portion has a first end and a second end; 3. The electrocardiogram garment according to claim 1, wherein the first end and the second end are provided with fasteners for connecting them to each other.

5. 5. The electrocardiogram garment according to claim 4, wherein the fastener is any one of a hook-and-loop fastener, a slide fastener, a snap fastener, and a hook-and-eye fastener.

6. 2. The electrocardiogram garment according to claim 1, wherein the electrodes are single-use items.

7. 3. The electrocardiogram garment according to claim 1, wherein the chest covering portion is gathered in the vertical direction.

Images