Pillow for the delivery of blood clotting materials to a wound site
A pillow for supporting a wounded victim at a wound site incorporates a molecular sieve material which is at least partially exposed so that blood flowing from a wounded area supported by the pillow contacts the molecular sieve material to facilitate the clotting of blood flowing from the wound. A removable flexible casing for a pillow incorporates a molecular sieve material capable of providing a clotting function to the blood. An overlay comprising a molecular sieve material can be placed on top of a conventional pillow, on a gurney, or on any other surface. A method of treating a bleeding wound includes providing a pillow having molecular sieve material in particle form retained therein and using the pillow to support a bleeding wound such that blood flowing from the wound comes into contact with the molecular sieve material, thereby causing the blood to coagulate.
1 . An apparatus for promoting the clotting of blood, comprising:
a pillow;
a permeable layer for retaining molecular sieve material in particulate form therein attached to a surface of said pillow, at least a portion of said permeable layer being defined by a mesh having openings therein;
wherein when treating a bleeding wound, contacting said bleeding wound with said permeable layer causes at least a portion of said molecular sieve material to come into contact with blood through said openings.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said molecular sieve material is a zeolite.
3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein said zeolite comprises particles having diameters of about 0.2 mm to about 10 mm.
4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said mesh is flexible.
6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said mesh is conformable to a shape of a wound and can retain said shape of said wound.
7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one particle of said particulate molecular sieve material protrudes through one of said openings.
8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said permeable layer is defined by strands that are interconnected by being woven, intertwined, integrally-formed, or a combination thereof.
9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said pillow comprises a resilient core defined by a foam material.
10 . A pillow for supporting the head of a person having a head wound, said pillow comprising:
a resilient core; and
a permeable layer for retaining molecular sieve material in particulate form therein attached to at least one surface of said resilient core, at least a portion of said permeable layer being defined by a mesh having openings therein;
wherein when contacting the head wound with said permeable layer, at least a portion of said molecular sieve material comes into contact with blood emanating from the head wound through said openings.
11 . The pillow of claim 10 , wherein said molecular sieve material is a zeolite.
12 . The pillow of claim 10 , wherein said resilient core is conformable to a shape of the head of the person having the head wound.
13 . The pillow of claim 10 , wherein said mesh is conformable to a shape of the head wound and can retain said shape of the head wound.
14 . A pillowcase for controlling bleeding of a head wound, comprising:
a flexible casing fittable over a pillow; and
a permeable layer for retaining molecular sieve material in particulate form therein attached to at least one surface of said flexible casing, at least a portion of said permeable layer being defined by a mesh having openings therein;
wherein when contacting the head wound with said permeable layer, at least a portion of said molecular sieve material comes into contact with blood emanating from the head wound through said openings.
15 . The pillowcase of claim 14 , wherein said molecular sieve material is a zeolite.
16 . The pillowcase of claim 14 , wherein said flexible casing is closable using a device from the group consisting of zippers, hook-and-loop material, snaps, and combinations of the foregoing.
17 . A device for controlling bleeding, said device comprising:
a pouch having a first surface and an opposing second surface; and
a permeable layer for retaining molecular sieve material in particulate form therein attached to at least one of said first surface and said second surface, at least a portion of said permeable layer being defined by a mesh having openings therein;
wherein when treating a bleeding wound, at least a portion of said molecular sieve material comes into contact with blood emanating from said bleeding wound through said openings.
18 . The device of claim 17 , wherein said molecular sieve material is a zeolite.
19 . The device of claim 17 , wherein said device is attachable to a pillow.
20 . The device of claim 17 , wherein said device is an overlay that can be used to support a person at said bleeding wound.
21 . A method of treating a bleeding wound, said method comprising the steps of:
providing a pillow having molecular sieve material in particle form retained therein; and
supporting said bleeding wound such that blood flowing from said bleeding wound comes into contact with the molecular sieve material, thereby causing the blood to coagulate.