Folded Protective Garment Aseptic Donning Method
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for folding personal protection garments for sterile donning often compromise sterility, leading to delays and the need for repeated gown changes during surgical procedures, as they do not effectively maintain the garment's sterility or facilitate easy donning without exposing the outer surface.
Innovation Solution
A method of folding the garment that involves turning it inside-out, tucking lower sleeve portions within upper portions, forming S-shaped folds, and folding the sleeves over the body to expose the sleeve openings, ensuring the outer surface remains sterile and preventing fabric from falling during donning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the gown is folded in conventional methods, then the folding process is simple, but the sterility of the gown is compromised during donning
Solution Approach 1:
The gown is turned inside-out before folding, so that the sterile outer surface is protected inside the folded structure. This inversion allows the gown to be folded in a way that maintains sterility, as the outer surface that must remain sterile is enclosed within the folded layers rather than exposed during the folding and donning process.
Solution Approach 2:
The gown is prepared in advance by turning it inside-out and folding it into a specific configuration before the donning process begins. This preliminary folding action ensures that when the user picks up the gown, the outer surface is already protected and the sleeve openings are positioned for easy access, eliminating the need for additional manipulation that could compromise sterility during donning.
2Ease of operation
If the sleeves are folded in conventional methods, then the folding is straightforward, but the sleeve openings are difficult to locate during donning
Solution Approach 1:
During the preliminary folding process, the gown is turned inside-out and folded in a specific sequence that automatically positions the sleeve openings at the top of the folded structure. This preliminary arrangement makes the sleeve openings easily locatable when the user picks up the gown, eliminating the need to search for or manipulate the sleeves during the donning process.
Solution Approach 2:
The folding method segments the gown into distinct sections with the sleeve openings positioned separately at the top of the folded structure. This segmentation allows the sleeve openings to be easily identified and accessed without disturbing the rest of the folded gown, simplifying the donning process.
3Reliability
If the gown is folded to maintain sterility, then sterility is preserved, but the donning process may be delayed
Solution Approach 1:
The gown is folded in advance into a configuration that maintains sterility while also positioning all necessary components (sleeve openings, body, hood) for immediate donning. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for additional manipulation or repositioning during the donning process, allowing the user to simply unfold and put on the gown without delays.
Solution Approach 2:
By turning the gown inside-out before folding, the method maintains sterility of the outer surface while positioning the inner surface (which contacts the wearer) inside the folded structure. This inversion allows for quick unfolding and donning without compromising sterility, as the sterile outer surface remains protected until the moment of use.
4Reliability
If the entire gown is exposed during folding, then the folding process is simple, but the gown may fall on the floor and compromise sterility
Solution Approach 1:
The gown is turned inside-out before folding, which inverts the orientation so that the outer surface (which must remain sterile) is positioned inside the folded structure rather than on the outside. This inversion prevents the outer surface from contacting the floor or contaminated surfaces during folding and handling, while still allowing for a straightforward folding process.
Solution Approach 2:
The gown is prepared by turning it inside-out as a preliminary step before folding. This preliminary action ensures that the outer surface is protected from contamination throughout the folding process and subsequent handling, eliminating the risk of the gown falling on the floor and compromising sterility while maintaining operational simplicity.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2~3
Figure 4A~4B
AI summary
A folded article formed from a protective garment (101), and a method of folding a protective garment to prepare the garment for donning, expose sleeve (104, 105) openings of the garment for ease of donning. The protective garment is folded into a folded article that is configured to be grasped by an inner surface of the garment and prevent touching the outer surface of the garment during donning. Thus, the sterility of the protective garment can be maintained during donning. The protective garment may further include a hood (178) and visor (180), and the folded article formed from the protective garment may have the same size and shape as the visor.