Friction reducing bandage

Abstract

A self-adhesive bandage for prevention and treatment of skin breakdown by relief of friction and shear forces. The bandage includes a pair of thin film membranes, one of which is a portion of a dome and is free to move a limited distance with respect to the other. The dome is located on a skin contact layer that can be adhered to one's skin. A method of making such a bandage includes forming a dome in a flexible film and adhesively attaching a skirt surrounding the dome to a skin contact layer.

1 . A protective bandage, comprising: 
 (a) a skin contact layer of flexible film having opposite first and second sides;    (b) a hollow dome of flexible film attached to and extending over a portion of said first side of said skin contact layer, said hollow dome having a height and a top portion, the top portion being freely movable along said first side of said skin contact layer through a distance related to said height; and    (c) said second side being adhesively attachable to a surface intended to be protected.    
   
   
       2 . The bandage of  claim 1 , further including a layer of an adhesive material carried on at least a portion of said second side of said skin contact layer.  
   
   
       3 . The bandage of  claim 2 , wherein said layer of an adhesive material is coextensive with said second side of said skin contact layer.  
   
   
       4 . The bandage of  claim 2 , wherein said layer of an adhesive material is absent from an area of said second side of said skin contact layer opposite and aligned with said dome.  
   
   
       5 . The bandage of  claim 1  including an array of perforations extending through said skin contact layer outside said portion thereof over which said dome extends.  
   
   
       6 . The bandage of  claim 6  wherein said perforations have a largest dimension in the range of 0.25 mm to 1.27 mm.  
   
   
       7 . The bandage of  claim 6  wherein said perforations are spaced apart from one another within said array by a distance in the range of 0.03 in to 0.09 in.  
   
   
       8 . The bandage of  claim 1  wherein said hollow dome includes a dome top layer of said flexible film, said dome top layer including a skirt portion surrounding and extending away from said dome and adhesively attached to said skin contact layer.  
   
   
       9 . The bandage of  claim 8  including a layer of an adhesive material conforming to said skirt portion and fastening said skirt portion to said skin contact layer.  
   
   
       10 . The bandage of  claim 8  wherein said dome top layer includes a side wall portion extending from said skirt portion to said top portion.  
   
   
       11 . The bandage of  claim 10  wherein said top portion of said dome is flat and extends parallel with said skirt portion of said dome layer.  
   
   
       12 . The bandage of  claim 11 , including an arcuate transition portion interconnecting said side wall with said top portion of said dome.  
   
   
       13 . The bandage of  claim 8  wherein said skin contact layer is larger than said dome top layer.  
   
   
       14 . The bandage of  claim 13  wherein said skin contact layer is elongate and extends beyond said dome top layer in both of a pair of opposite directions.  
   
   
       15 . The bandage of  claim 8 , wherein said skirt portion has a margin including a straight portion, said skin contact layer extends away from said dome top layer beyond said straight portion, and said bandage includes an array of perforations that extend through said skin contact layer, but wherein said bandage is free of perforations throughout an area extending a predetermined distance from said straight portion of said margin.  
   
   
       16 . The bandage of  claim 15  wherein some of said perforations extend through said skirt portion.  
   
   
       17 . The bandage of  claim 1  wherein said height of said dome is at least 4 mm.  
   
   
       18 . The bandage of  claim 1  wherein said bandage has a thickness not greater than 0.153 mm.  
   
   
       19 . The bandage of  claim 1  wherein said dome top layer is thinner than said skin contact layer.  
   
   
       20 . The bandage of  claim 1  wherein said skin contact layer is of a material which is more elastic than said dome top layer.  
   
   
       21 . The bandage of  claim 1  wherein said flexible film of said dome top layer is sufficiently pervious to gas that said dome is substantially collapsed when said bandage is in use.  
   
   
       22 . The bandage of  claim 1  wherein said dome is circular.  
   
   
       23 . The bandage of  claim 22  wherein said skin contact layer is oval.  
   
   
       24 . The bandage of  claim 1  including a lubricant between said dome top layer and said dome base layer.  
   
   
       25 . The bandage of  claim 1  including a layer of a hydrocolloid material covering a portion of said second side of said skin contact layer.  
   
   
       26 . A method of making a bandage, comprising: 
 (a) forming a flexible dome including a side wall in a flexible film, leaving said dome surrounded by a generally planar skirt extending radially outward from said dome; and    (b) thereafter attaching said skirt adhesively to a skin contact layer of a flexible film.    
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 26  wherein said step of attaching said skirt to said skin contact layer includes forming an opening corresponding to said dome in a layer of transfer adhesive, and thereafter attaching said transfer adhesive layer to said skirt and to said skin contact layer.  
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 26  including the further step of adhesively attaching a dome base layer of flexible film to said skin contact layer prior to said step of attaching said skirt to said skin contact layer, and wherein said step of attaching said skirt to said skin contact layer includes attaching a portion of said skirt adhesively to said dome base layer.  
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 28  wherein said step of attaching said dome base layer adhesively to said skin contact layer includes attaching a layer of transfer adhesive to said dome base layer and to a first side of said skin contact layer.  
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 26  including the further step of forming an array of small, closely spaced perforations through said bandage.