Self-adhering friction reducing liner and method of use

Abstract

A patch of low friction materials, such as a film of polytetrafluoroethylene is sized to provide an area of low friction support for a portion of a human body relative to an object such as a shoe or prosthetic socket. The patch can be lined with foam, or preferably, a stretch fabric so that it will fit around irregular contours of the shoe, or socket, or the skin itself. The patches reduce shear trauma in critical load areas. After identifying regions of high loads, the method comprises applying the patches as needed to avoid sores, calluses, blisters and abrasions.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A patch for reducing friction between portions of the skin of a person and an object supporting that portion of the skin comprising a patch having a layer of film with an exterior surface having a coefficient of friction substantially equal to that of polytetrafluoroethylene, and a securing member for securing the film into position on one of the object and skin.  
     
     
         2 . The patch of  claim 1 , wherein the securing member comprises a layer of pressure sensitive adhesive on one side of the patch.  
     
     
         3 . The patch of  claim 1  including a bonded stretch fabric on one side of the film opposite from the exterior surface, said exterior surface providing an interface surface between the portion of the skin and the object.  
     
     
         4 . The patch of  claim 1  including a layer of a foam material on a side of said film opposite from the exterior surface.  
     
     
         5 . The patch of  claim 2  and a release paper on the exterior of the adhesive layer.  
     
     
         6 . The patch of  claim 1  including a plurality of backing layers for the film including a stretch fabric bonded to the film on one surface thereof, a foam layer in a selected region of the patch secured to the fabric, and a pressure sensitive adhesive on at least portions of the patch opposite from the exterior surface for forming the securing member.  
     
     
         7 . The patch of  claim 6 , wherein said patch has an exposed portion of pressure sensitive adhesive surrounding a center portion, the foam layer being exposed in the center portion for application to one of the object and the skin.  
     
     
         8 . The patch of  claim 1  including a layer of low friction material on a surface of the patch opposite from the exterior surface.  
     
     
         9 . The patch of  claim 1  including a foam layer between the layer of film and the one of the object and skin.  
     
     
         10 . The patch of  claim 2 , wherein the patch has a plurality of perforations therethrough.  
     
     
         11 . The patch of  claim 1 , wherein the patch is formed with a periphery that is oval.  
     
     
         12 . The patch of  claim 1 , wherein the patch is formed with a rectilinear periphery.  
     
     
         13 . A friction management method for a support object supporting a portion of a human body having support bones, tissue around the support bones and skin on an outer side of the tissue, including selecting pressure regions of high loads when load is carried between the object and the human body supported, applying selected patches of material having low friction surfaces interfaced between the object and the skin in the selected regions.  
     
     
         14 . The friction management method of  claim 13 , wherein the object comprises a shoe, and the selected regions include the metatarsal-phalangeal joint region.  
     
     
         15 . The friction management method of  claim 14 , wherein the calcaneus region comprises the region supported on low friction surface patches.  
     
     
         16 . The friction management method of  claim 13 , wherein the object comprises a prosthetic device having a socket for receiving a portion of a limb to be supported, and providing patches at specific high load locations between an interior surface of the socket and a supported limb.  
     
     
         17 . A method of reducing trauma to tissue supported on an object including steps of selecting a plurality of support regions of high load where shear load on tissue is likely to cause damage, and providing a low friction surface patch between each of the plurality of the regions of high load and an object supporting the tissue.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , including a step of selecting the low friction material to have a coefficient of friction substantially equal to that of polytetrafluoroethylene.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the selecting step includes identifying support regions where low friction surface patches are omitted.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17  including the step of providing a patch having a low coefficient of friction material exposed on oppositely facing support surfaces of the patch.