US3029813A - Surgical pad - Google Patents

Description

April 17, 1962 c. A. HANINGTON 3,029,813

' SURGICAL PAD Filed May 25, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 c/mr/cs/i Ha Iii/ 072 is M27575.

April 17, 1962 c. A. HANINGTON 3,029,313

SURGICAL PAD Filed May 25, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fnZ EnZ QP v I C/mr/cs A. Hanin Ton United States This invention relates to improvements in a surgical pad, and more particularly to a surgical pad carrying an adhesive surface by means of which it is attached to the body of a user adjacent a wound or an affliction, the invention being highly desirable for use in treating and alleviating corns, calluses, and the like including hammer toe corns, although the invention will have other uses and purposes as will be apparent to one skilled in the art.

In the past, many and various types of surgical pads have been developed, and in some instances designed for special purposes, but these formerly known pads were made up in finished form, of various sizes, but if one size did not fit, another pad would have to be acquired, and possibly still others in order to acquire the desired beneficial results for a particular afiliction. Frequently such pads were. either too thick or too thin to provide the desired amount of relief from pressure from wearing apparel, such as shoes and the like. It was dill-lcult to find a 'pad capable of giving the desired relief and in the desired location with many types of afilictions because of the size and thickness of the pads.

With that in mind, it is an important object of the instant invention to provide a surgical pad or bandage that may be adjusted by the user to provide the desired thickness in the desired location for a particular affliction.

Another object of the instant invention is the provision of a surgical pad, bandage, or the like having an extended portion which may be folded or rolled under to a desired extent to provide a pressure relieving pad portion of the required thickness for a particular use.

Also a feature of this invention is the provision of a surgical pad or the like which may be provided in a fiat form for adjustment by the consumer, or provided with a portion of the pad rolled or folded under to increase the thickness of that portion and without necessitating ultimate adjustment by the consumer.

A further object of the instant invention resides in the provision of a surgical pad or the likehaving a portion for disposition immediately adjacent an afiliction, and another portion extending therefrom, the second extended portion being foldable underneath to provide a desirable number of thicknesses of the material in order to establish a pressure relieving bulge of desired thickness and location.

Also a feature of the invention is the provision of a surgical pad or bandage, a portion of which may be folded or rolled under to a desired extent to obtain the necessary pressure relieving thickness of structure, and which portion is marked in a suitable manner to define increments or segments to be successively folded under.

It is still a further feature of this invention to provide a surgical pad highly desirable for treatment and alleviation of hammer toes and hammer toe corns, although the device is quite efficacious in connection with corns and calluses in other locations on the foot.

While some of the more salient features, characteristics and advantages of the instant invention have been above pointed out, others will become apparent from the following disclosures, taken in conjunction with the accompanying. drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the aren't 3,029,813 Patented Apr. 17, 1962 human foot, showing the same provided with a surgical pad embodying principles of the instant invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of a pair of surgical pads or bandages embodying principles of the instant invention, showing the same mounted upon a temporary pro tective cover, in the manner they would be packaged for sale;

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through one of the pads of FIG. 2;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of one of the pads of FIG. 2 with the terminal section thereof turned under;

FIGURE 5 is a central vertical sectional view through the structure of FIG. 4;

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of the same pad but with another terminal section turned under;

FIGURE 7 is a central vertical sectional view through the structure of FIG. 6;

IGURE 8 is a bottom plan view of the pad with still another, section or increment turned under;

FIGURE 9 is a central vertical sectional view through the structure of FIG. 8;

FIGURE 10 is a view similar in character to FIG. 2, but illustrating surgical pads embodying principles of the instant invention disposed on a temporary protective backing in somewhat different form than in FIG; 2;

FIGURE 11 is a bottom perspective view of one of i the pads of FIG. 10; and

FIGURE 12 is aview illustrating superposed usage of two of the pads.

As shown on the drawings:

As an illustration of one desirable use for the instant invention, in FIG. 1 of the drawings I have diagrammatically indicated a human foot 1 afilicted with a hammer toe corn 2 on the second toe thereof. A pad embodying principles of the instant invention is shown disposed in operative position on the toe to alleviate the corn 2. The pad in general includes a head portion 3 adhesively secured to the toe around the corn, and a shank portion 4 rolled under to provide a portion of suitable thickness to eifectively relieve pressure from the corn. The thicker portion 4 of the pad is disposed to the rear, and the vamp of a shoe, indicated by the dotted line 5, will press against the rolled or underturned shank portion 4 of the pad just in back of the middle joint of the toe, thereby tending to partially straighten the hammer toe, and bring the corn below the inside surface of the shoe vamp to a position where there is no pressure upon it.

The surgical pad or bandage itself preferably comprises a flat strip or sheet of any suitable cushioning material such as relatively thick moleskin, felt, pile fabric, a natural or chemical foam material, or any other suitable cushioning substance. The material may be of any desired thickness, and usually a thickness of to 6" will be satisfactory. The sheet may be die cut or stamped from a stock sheet, and is preferably shaped to define the aforesaid head portion 3 and the elongated shank portion or" lesser width extending therefrom, generally designated by numeral 4. In the illustrated instance the head portion is shown in generally circular shape, a convenient shape in most cases. The head portion is also preferably provided with an affliction receiving opening or aperture 6. The entire strip carries on its underface a pressure sensitive adhesive spread 7 by means of which the pad is attached to the body of a user. i

In the first embodiment of the instant invention, the shank 4 of the strip is preferably provided with suitable indicia to define successive segments or increments of the strip. In the illustrated instance the indicia are in the form of spaced notches 8 which may be provided in one or both side edges of the shank. Any desired number of increments or segments of the shank may be thus defined or indicated, and in the showing by way of example there are three such segments 9, 1t) and 11. It will be noted that these segments 9, 1t) and 11 progressively increase in length inwardly from the free end of the shank. A satisfactory increment of increase, which is given by way of example only and not by way of limitation, is substantially the thickness of the pad in its fiat form. That is, the section may be longer than the section 11 by an amount equivalent to the thickness of the pad. Such variation is of course not essential, but the change in length of the sections 9, 1t) and 11 may be whatever is desired.

From the above description, it will be noted that the pad is provided with a medium of adjustment to acquire a thicker portion of desired size for any particular aillicticn. For example, a pad having a double thickness in one portion may be provided by turning under the defined section 11 as seen in FIGURES 4 and 5. If a thicker portion of the pad is desired, the section 10 might also be turned under as seen in FIGURES 6 and 7. In order to acquire a pad of the character illustrated in FIGURE 1 of the drawings, all three sections are folded under whereby a quadruple thickness portion is obtained, as seen clearly in FIGURES 8 and 9.

In the manner just described, the pad may be adjusted by the user to acquire a thicker portion of any suitable size and in a desired location. If it is desired to have only a double thickness portion immediately adjacent the head 3 of the pad or bandage, the sections 10 and 11 may be severed from the shank, and only the section 9 folded under. In similar manner, substantially any character of adjustment might be made.

It should also be especially noted that the surgical pad or bandage above described may be packaged for distribution to the ultimate consumer in the flat condition seen in FIG. 2, or in any of the partially or completely folded conditions seen in FIGURES 5, 7 and 9.

It is not necessary that the pad or bandage be provided with the indicia indicating sections or increments thereof to be folded under, but on the other hand the shank of the pad may be rolled under as seen in FIGURES 10 and 11. As noted in FIG. 10, this form of pad comprises the same type of strip as that previously described, carrying the adhesive spread '7 on its underface, and shaped to define a head 3a, having an afiliction receiving opening 6a therein. The shank 4a of the pad is shown in rolled condition to its full extent. The pad may be provided in this manner for sale to the ultimate consumer or, as stated above, it may be sold in the flat to be rolled by the consumer. The form of packing may be seen in FIG. 10, wherein two or more of the pads may be placed upon a suitable temporary backing sheet indicated at 12, and which may be of any desirable or suitable material capable of protecting the adhesive surface on the pad until time for use. If the pad or bandage is made of material non-injurious to the adhesive surface, the rolled or folded pads may be unrolled or unfolded to a desired extent by the user. To that end, the cushioning material of the pad might be covered with a coating of a suitable plastic to which the adhesive would only temporarily adhere and which would not injure or detract from the adhesive characteristics or qualities of the particular spread upon removal from the surface.

in FIG. 12 I have illustrated a still different form of using surgical pads of the character herein set forth, whereby adequate thickness may be acquired in an exact location. To this end, two or more of the pads may be superposed one upon the other, the adhesive undersurface of the upper pad joining it to the lower. The shanks 4 may be rolled or folded under to a desired extent so as 4- to provide a required ultimate thickness. This arrangement is highly satisfactory where it is deemed advisable to have a greater thickness of cushioning material in the flat portion of the pads, and a still greater thickness in the folded portion of the pads. An example of such use would be for the treatment of bunions, or bunions accompanied by hallux valgus where a greater thickness of the pressure relieving portion of the pad may be needed adjacent the afiiiction especially along the side of a shoe. The pads need not be superposed uniformly, if treatment of the particular afiliction warrants otherwise.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that I have rovided a simple form of pad or bandage which may readily be adjusted by the user in order to acquire an adequate thickness of material in a particular location, consistent with proper treatment of a particular aflllction. Thus, the uniformity in size of pads heretofore utilized for similar aid to a patient is dispensed with, and each afiliction may be given the individual treatment required, since in rare instances afilictions of the same general character would be of exact size. Furthermore, the instant invention is simple in construction, durable, and extremely economical to manufacture and use.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A surgical pad comprising a layer of material carrying an adhesive spread on its undersurface, said layer being shaped to define a head portion and a shank of lesser width extending from said head portion, and said shank having spaced pairs of aligned notches opening to opposite sides thereof, the spacing of said pairs of notches progressively decreasing in length toward the end of said shank by increments slightly in excess of the thickness of said shank in its flat form, whereby a selected thickness of cushioning pad of greater thickness than said head portion may be attained by folding back said shank at said notches onto the adhesive surface thereof a selected number of times, the ends of which are defined by aligned notches of the layers of said cushioning pad.

2. A surgical pad comprising a flat piece of cushioning material carrying an adhesive spread on its undersurface over the entire area thereof, said piece of cushioning material being shaped to define a relatively large head portion having an afiiiction receiving opening therein and having a single narrower shank extending laterally from one side of said head portion and bent back from the end of said shank immediately upon itself toward said head portion, whereby the immediately adjacent baclc wardly bent portions are held together by the adherence of the adhesive to the adhesive, thereby creating an end portion of greater thickness than said head portion, said end portion having non-adhesive top and bottom portions and said shank being structurally modified to provide weakened resistance to bending along spaced transverse lines, th spacing between said lines progressively decreasing toward the end of said shank by increments slightly in excess of the thickness of said shank in its flat form.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 730,035 Mahler June 2, 1903 895,145 Bauer Aug. 4, 1908 1,212,861 Wetzel Ian. 16, 1917 1,476,682 Beckman Dec. 11, 1923 1,736,515 Anderson Nov. 19, 1929 2,068,703 Powdermaker Jan. 26, 1937 2,387,642 Calhoun Oct. 23, 1945 2,448,366 Gledhill Aug. 31, 1948 2,508,855 Brown May 23, 1950

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