Dressing and Dressing Assembly for Preventing Pressure Ulcers
A dressing for guarding against the development of pressure ulcers has a recipient side and an environmental side. The dressing comprises a moisture barrier layer whose components include a sacral member, a left gluteal member and a right gluteal member. Each gluteal member has a base and an extension which extends longitudinally inferiorly further than the inferior edge of the sacral member by a dimension which is approximately no less than the longitudinal length of the sacral member. The dressing also includes a connective element on the recipient side of the dressing. The connective element is arranged to provide a zone of occlusion. In some embodiments the dressing includes electrodes and is a component of a dressing assembly which includes an exciter for stimulating gluteal muscles.
1 . A preventive dressing having a recipient side, an environmental side, and a perimeter, the dressing comprising:
A) a moisture barrier layer having:
a) a sacral member having a longitudinal length and an inferior edge;
b) a left gluteal member having a base which borders a left side of the sacral member, and a left extension which extends longitudinally inferiorly further than the inferior edge by a left gluteal extension dimension which is approximately no less than the longitudinal length of the sacral member;
c) a right gluteal member having a base which borders a right side of the sacral member, and a right extension which extends longitudinally inferiorly further than the inferior edge by a right gluteal extension dimension which is approximately no less than the longitudinal length of the sacral member so that the left gluteal member and the right gluteal member define an intermember space; and
B) a connective element on the recipient side of the dressing, the connective element being arranged to provide a zone of occlusion.
2 . The dressing of claim 1 wherein the connective element comprises an adhesive.
3 . The dressing of claim 2 wherein the adhesive is one-way liquid absorbant.
4 . The dressing of claim 2 wherein the adhesive is one-way liquid permeable.
5 . The dressing of claim 1 wherein the connective element is a continuous strip of adhesive extending along substantially the perimeter of the dressing.
6 . The dressing of claim 5 wherein the adhesive strip borders the occlusion zone and wherein an auxiliary layer resides in the occlusion zone, and the auxiliary layer comprises at least one of:
a liquid absorbant layer,
a liquid permeable layer,
a pressure equalizing layer.
7 . The dressing of claim 1 wherein the connective element comprises a sacral adhesive layer and a gluteal adhesive element and wherein:
the sacral adhesive layer is an adhesive which forms substantially all of:
a) the recipient side of the sacral member, and
b) the recipient sides of the left and right gluteal bases,
the gluteal extensions have a margin and the gluteal adhesive element is a continuous strip of adhesive extending along substantially the margin of the gluteal member extensions.
8 . The dressing of claim 7 including at least one auxiliary layer residing in the zone of occlusion.
9 . The dressing of claim 8 wherein the auxiliary layer comprises at least one of:
A) a liquid absorbant layer,
B) a liquid permeable layer, and
C) a pressure equalizing layer.
10 . The dressing of claim 1 wherein the connective element is an adhesive which forms substantially all of the recipient side of the dressing.
11 . The dressing of claim 10 including at least one auxiliary layer residing in the zone of occlusion.
12 . The dressing of claim 11 wherein the auxiliary layer comprises at least one of:
A) a liquid absorbant layer,
B) a liquid permeable layer, and
C) a pressure equalizing layer.
13 . The dressing of claim 10 wherein the connective element comprises a first adhesive composition forming substantially all of the recipient side of the sacral member and the gluteal bases, and a second adhesive composition forming substantially all of the recipient side of the gluteal extensions and wherein the first adhesive composition adheres relatively more strongly to human skin and the second adhesive composition adheres relatively more weakly to human skin.
14 . The dressing of claim 1 including a pressure equalizing layer spanning laterally across a longitudinally extending centerline of the dressing in the zone of occlusion to define a pressure equalizing zone, the pressure equalizing layer imparting a stiffness to the pressure equalizing zone which is greater than the stiffness of the dressing laterally to the left and right of the pressure equalizing zone.
15 . The dressing of claim 1 including a pressure equalizing zone spanning laterally across a longitudinally extending centerline of the dressing in the zone of occlusion, the pressure equalizing zone having a planform and a thickness which is greater than the thickness of the dressing outside the planform of the pressure equalizing zone.
16 . The dressing of claim 1 including a zone spanning laterally across a longitudinally extending centerline of the dressing in the zone of occlusion, the zone having a customizable thickness.
17 . The dressing of claim 16 wherein the customizable thickness of the zone of customizable thickness is attributable to peel-away sublayers.
18 . The dressing of claim 1 including a classified zone spanning laterally across a longitudinally extending centerline of the dressing in the zone of occlusion, the classified zone having a class specific thickness which is one of a set of two or more class specific thicknesses.
19 . The dressing of claim 14 wherein the pressure equalizing layer is confined to the sacral member.
20 . The dressing of claim 1 including a moisture management layer in the zone of occlusion.
21 . The dressing of claim 20 wherein the moisture management layer is a liquid absorbant layer.
22 . The dressing of claim 20 wherein the moisture management layer is a liquid permeable layer.
23 . The dressing of claim 1 including a moisture management layer and a pressure equalizing layer both of which are in the zone of occlusion and transversely between the moisture barrier layer and the connective element.
24 . The dressing of claim 23 wherein the pressure equalizing layer is confined to the sacral member.
25 . The dressing of claim 1 comprising a tab which extends inferiorly from the sacral member at a location between the gluteal members, the tab having a longitudinal dimension which is less than the longitudinal dimension of the extensions.
26 . The dressing of claim 1 wherein dimensions of the dressing are as set forth in the table below in which
W S, IT is a lateral dimension of the intermember space taken at a longitudinal position corresponding to the longitudinal position of the ITs of a target anatomy when the dressing is applied to the anatomy with its superior edge approximately longitudinally aligned with the sacral base of the anatomy and
L GM is the longitudinal dimension of the left and right gluteal members:
dimension
value
W S,IT
less than distance between left and right ischial
tuberosity of the target anatomy.
L GM
greater than or equal to a longitudinal distance
L L5S1-IT from the ischial tuberosity to the
L5/S1 interface of the target anatomy.
27 . The dressing of claim 26 wherein the target anatomy is that of a 50th percentile United States male.
28 . The dressing of claim 1 wherein the gluteal extensions are sized so that when the dressing is applied to a care recipient having a target anatomy comprising a skin, a left ischeal tuberosity and a right ischeal tuberosity so that its superior edge is approximately longitudinally aligned with the care recipient's sacral base:
the left gluteal extension covers a left threat-susceptible region of the target anatomy, the left target region being the intersection of the skin and a left notional cone when the target anatomy is in a seated posture, the left cone having a vertex at the left ischeal tuberosity and an opening angle of about 90 degrees, and
the right gluteal extension covers a right threat-susceptible region of the target anatomy, the right target region being the intersection of the skin and a right notional cone when the target anatomy is in a seated posture, the right cone having a vertex at the right ischeal tuberosity and an opening angle of about 90 degrees.
29 . The dressing of claim 1 comprising a tab which extends inferiorly from the sacral member at a location between the gluteal members, the tab being sized and shaped to conform to the intergluteal cleft of a care recipient thereby preserving occlusivity of the zone of occlusion.
30 . The dressing of claim 1 wherein at least part of the sacral member has a shape which approximates the shape of a triangle having a base and an apex, the base being superior of the apex.
31 . The dressing of claim 1 wherein the sacral member, the left gluteal member and the right gluteal member are individual members and wherein the left and right gluteal members are dimensioned such that the extensions thereof extend inferiorly of the inferior edge of the sacral member when the gluteal members are applied to a care recipient such that the gluteal members border the sacral member and the sacral member longitudinally aligned with the care recipient's sacrum.
32 . The dressing of claim 1 wherein the dressing is configured for a target adult care recipient having a sacrum, a sacral base, a left gluteus maximus having a superior edge, a right gluteus maximus having a superior edge, a left ischeal tuberosity, and a right ischeal tuberosity as set forth below:
Dimension:
Value:
gluteal member
sufficiently long to extend longitudinally from
longitudinal length
the sacral base to the ischeal tuberosity.
L GM
gluteal member
laterally narrow enough that when each gluteal
intermember
member is approximately laterally centered on a
distance W S,IT
corresponding gluteus maximus of the care
recipient, inner edges of the gluteal members
are, at a longitudinal position corresponding to
the longitudinal position of the ITs, at least as
laterally close to the saggital plane as the
corresponding ischeal tuberosities are.
33 . The dressing of claim 1 wherein the dressing is configured for a target adult care recipient having a sacrum, a sacral base, a left gluteus maximus, a right gluteus maximus, a left ischeal tuberosity, and a right ischeal tuberosity as set forth below:
Dimension:
Value:
gluteal extension
sufficiently long to extend longitudinally from
longitudinal length
the lateral middle of the superior edge of the
L EXT
gluteus maximus to the ischeal tuberosity.
gluteal member
laterally narrow enough that when each gluteal
intermember
member is approximately laterally centered on a
distance W S,IT
corresponding gluteus maximus of the care
recipient, inner edges of the gluteal members
are, at a longitudinal position corresponding to
the longitudinal position of the ITs, at least as
laterally close to the saggital plane as the
corresponding ischeal tuberosities are.
34 - 56 . (canceled)