US3307537A

US3307537A - Orthopedic cast

Info

Publication number: US3307537A
Application number: US354362A
Authority: US
Inventors: Gladys B Simon; Reese Monroe
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1964-03-24
Filing date: 1964-03-24
Publication date: 1967-03-07
Anticipated expiration: 1984-03-07

Description

March?, 1967 G. B. SIMON ET AL ORTHOPEDIG CAST 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Marchv24, 1964 INVENTORS GLADYS B. SIMON MONROE REESE M: 5( 55mg March 7, 1967 Q B SiMQN ET AL ORTHOPEDIC CAST 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 24, 1964 INVENTOR GLADYS a. 51h/15N BY MONROE REESE United States Patent O 3,307,537 ORTHOPEDIC CAST Gladys B. Simon, 431 NE. 175th St., North Miami Beach, Fla. 33162, and Monroe Reese, 875 NW. 170 Terrace, North Miami, Fla. 33169 Filed Mar. 24, 1964, Ser. No. 354,362 4 Claims. (Cl. 12S- 90) This invention relates in general to a cast means for immobilizing body members, both human and animal, and more particularly to a cast construction and process for applying same whereby the elements thereof are directly fitted to the member requiring immobilization with provision for comfort, ventilation, medication and painless removal.

Prior casts for this purpose are generally the well known combination of plaster of Paris and muslin or similar fabric formed directly on the member to be immobilized and inherently prevent air circulation around the member and have a relatively high undesirable weight factor and are difiicult to remove wit-hout a degree of injury hazard to the mobilized member.

Other casts, suchv as those made with a combination of fabric and air drying resin and those that are formed to approximate the cont-our of a given member are fraught with problems of ventilation, difficulty in application, and are unusually bulky and include excessive weight.

The above objections and disadvantages are substantially overcome by the present invention in both the combination of elements used and the process of application, and appear to solve the long sought problem of producing a low cost, lightweight, adequately ventilated immobilizing means including means for easy removal, the constructon of which is the principal object of the invention.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a laminated enclosure for a body member which includes an inner contact fabric, a barrier member and a fabric layer on whic-h saturation with an air drying rigidifying layer of synthetic resin layer is applied.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a laminated form fitted cast for a body member including a plurality of tubular means forming apertures therethrough for Ventilating the body member.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a laminated orthopedic cast having secured therein a linear wire filament for cutting the rigidifying portion of the cast for the removal of same.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a laminated orthopedic cast having a plurality of spaced hollow rivets secured therethrough for the purpose of Ventilating the immobilized member encased by the cast.

These and other objects and advantages in one embodiment of the invention are described and shown in the following specification and drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a laminated tube for forming a cast for a body member when rigidied.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken through section line 2 2, FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates the laminate shown in FIG. 1 applied to a human limb.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged cross section of a portion of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken through section line 5 5, FIG. 4, showing the slitting filament shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 illustrates the castshown in FIG. 3, slit on both sides thereof for removal.

FIG. 7 illustrates a cylindrical laminate like that shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 illustrates the application of the laminate shown in FIG. 7 around a human torso.

ice

FIG. 9 illustrates a laminated tube for application to body extremities.

FIG. l0 illustrates the tube shown in FIG. 9 applied to a human finger.

FIG. l1 illustrates a planar laminate for forming rigid body member casts by wrapping.

FIG. 1 illustrates a tubular laminate 1 which is sufficiently yieldable in diverse directions to be applied to a human limb in confirmation with the contours thereof.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 4, the laminate consists of an inner layer 2, such as stockinette or moleskin sheeting having self forming non-wrinkling characteristics for minimum discomfort and abrasion. It has also been found that polyurethane foamed sheet material will readily form to various contours and has the desired resilience and hygienic properties for the lamination in contact with the skin.

The central or barrier lamina 3 consists of a layer of elastic material, such as silastic rubber adhesive which is impervious to liquid resins and is self bonded to the inner lamina 2. This barrer layer may also be made of certain plastic material which is bonded with but does not permeate the inner lamina 2 and is impervious to a rigidifying resin to be hereinafter descrbed. The use of well known adhesive materials may also be used for bonding the inner and central laminates together.

In a preferred embodiment, the outer lamina consists of a layer of fiberglass fabric 4 which is stretchable in diverse directions and inherently adapted to conform to irregular contours and is self-bonded to the outside surface of the central lamina 3, or by the addition of an appropriate adhesive.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 3, and 5, a relatively fine filament or music wire 5 traverses the tube as shown, and is retained between

layers

2 and 3 for the purpose of splitting the cast for the removal thereof. An alternate removal means comprehends a fine toothed filament retained in the laminate which functions as a saw when reciprocated by the opposite ends thereof.

In orderto provide desired ventilation to the body member encased in the cast, a plurality of spaced tubular metal eyelets 6 are secured through the wall of the laminate by well known clinching means, best shown in FIG. 4. It is to be noted that because of the yieldable property of the inner laminate 2, the inner heads of the eyelets 6 are depressed suiciently to avoid irritating contact to the surface of the skin.

Each eyelet is provide-d with a plug 7 preferably made from plastic material which is inserted and frictionally retained in the bore of each rivet for reasons to be hereinafter described. y

A typical application of the cast is shown in FIG. 3 in which a preformed tube of a selected size, as shown in FIG. l, is applied to a leg and conformed to the contours thereof because of the free stretchability of the three elements forming the cast. After the flexible cast is applied, as shown, all of the ventilation holes in the eyelets are temporarily closed by inserting plugs 7 therein.

The cast is rigidilied by spraying and saturating or otherwise applying onto the fiberglass layer 7 and filling the interstices therein, an air drying material, such aS polyester resin, an epoxy resin, or other well known suitable air drying plastic liquid. The barrier layer 3 prevents the resin from penetrating into the protective layer 2 and to the skin of the member encased.

Prior to the complete hardening of the resin the plugs 7 are removed and within a relatively short period of time the resin will air harden and completely rigidity the entire cast, thus immobilizing the limb and providing adequate ventilation thereto as well as providinginlets for the application of medicants, as may be required.

When it is desired to remove the cast from the limb 1 each end of lament 5 is clamped in a tool and one end pulled in an outward direction thus slitting the cast along its entire length, as illustrated in FIG. 6.

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate a large version of the tri-laminated cast, previously described for encasing the torso, and the linear closure thereof made with a conventional hookless fastener means for easy application and removal.

FIGS. 9 and l0 illustrate a small tube of the tri-laminate for rigidifying a human finger. FIG. ll illustrates a trilamina sheet which may be used for general utility immobilizing purposes.

It is understood that certain modifications in the above construction, utilizing the features described, are intended to come within the scope of `the appended claims.

Having described our invention, we claim:

1. A laminated orthopedic cast comprising an inner lamina of soft fabric woven and adapted for diverse stretching, a central barrier lamina of diverse stretchable material of substantially uniform thickness impervious to liquid resin with the inner surface thereof self-bonded to the outer surface of said inner lamina, an outer lamina of fiberglass fabric wove and adapted to stretching in diverse directions, said outer lamina permeated with air dried polyester resin for bonding the inner surface of the said outer lamina to the outer surface of said inner lamina and rigidizing said cast when the latter is conformed to a predetermined body member.

2. A laminated orthopedic cast comprising an inner lamina of resilient foam plastic material of substantially uniform thickness and adapted for diverse stretching, a central barrier lamina of diverse stretchable material of substantially uniform thickness impervious to liquid resin with the inner surface thereof self-bonded to the outer surface of said inner lamina, an outer lamina of fiberglass material constructed and adapted to stretch in diverse directions, the interstices in said outer lamina filled with air drying polyester resin for bonding the inner surface of said outer lamina to the outer surface of said inner lamina and rigidizing said cast when the latter is conformed to a predetermined body member.

3. A preformed orthopedic laminated cast comprising a substantially cylindrical tubular inner lamina of yieldable material adapted for diverse stretching, a central tubular barrier lamina of diverse stretchable material impervious to liquid resin with the inner surface thereof adjacent the outer surface of said inner lamina, an outer tubular lamina of fiberglass adapted to stretching in diverse directions, a high tensil cutting filament positioned between sai-d inner and said barrier lamina in longitudinal relation thereto and projecting from opposite ends thereof, the interstices in said outer lamina filled with air drying resin for rigidizing said cast when the latter is conformed to a predetermined body member whereby the cast will be split for removal when the filament is forced in a direction lateral to said cast and severing said barrier and fiberglass lamina.

4. A preformed orthopedic laminated cast comprising a substantially cylindrical tubular inner lamina of yieldable material adapted for diverse stretching, a central tubular barrier lamina of diverse stretchable material irnpervious to liquid resin with the inner surface thereof adjacent the outer surface of said inner lamina, an outer tubular lamina of fiberglass adapted to 4stretching in diverse directions, the interstices in said outer lamina filled with air drying resin for rigidizing said cast when the latter is conformed to a predetermined body member, said laminated cast having at least one linear parting longitudinal thereof with like adjacent edges, a hookless fastener means secured to each of said opposite edges forming a closure of said parting when operated whereby said cast may be expanded for removal and replacement.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,404,904 7/1946 Collins 161-93 2,477,403 7/1949 Brady 12S-156 2,578,188 12/ 1951 Ionides et al 154-128 2,642,370 6/1953 Parsons et al 154l28 2,704,067 3/1955 Moses 128-90 2,720,269 10/1955 Diacos 169-1 2,746,452 5/1956 Saylors 12S-91.1

ROBERT E. MORGAN, Acting Primary Examiner.

RICHARD A. GAUDET, I. W. HINEY,

Assistant Examiners.