Hospital patient gown

Abstract

Disclosed are hospital patient and medical gowns designed to facilitate not only convenient and unobstructed access to the patients body by medical personnel, but also provide an improved fit, ease of wearing, and an enhanced level of modesty and privacy when compared to conventional rear-access hospital gowns.

1 . A hospital gown comprising:
 (a) a rear body portion for substantially covering the posterior torso of the patient;   (b) a first and a second frontal panel, each of said panels being formed adjacent and operably linked to said rear body portion on the patient substantially by a first and second seam extending substantially vertically along the left and right lateral portions of said patient;   (c) a first fastening means attached to said first frontal panel for opening and closing said first frontal panel, and for operably attaching said first frontal panel to a first fastening means located substantially along said first seam formed between the opposing frontal panel and said rear body portion;   (d) a second fastening means attached to said second frontal panel for opening and closing said second frontal panel, and for operably attaching said second frontal panel to a second fastening means located substantially along said second seam formed between the opposing frontal panel and said rear body portion; and   (e) a first and a second operably openable sleeve, each of said sleeves formed of a first part attached to said rear body portion, and a second part attached to respective ones of said first and said second frontal panels, and having top edges.   
     
     
         2 . The patient gown of  claim 1 , wherein said first frontal panel is operably securable to fastening means located substantially in the left or right mid-axillary region of said patient. 
     
     
         3 . The patient gown of  claim 1 , wherein one of said fastening means is located substantially along an interior surface of said first seam. 
     
     
         4 . The patient gown of  claim 1 , wherein one of said fastening means is located substantially along an exterior surface of said second seam. 
     
     
         5 . The patient gown of  claim 1 , wherein said first frontal panel closure means comprises at least one axillary tie. 
     
     
         6 . The patient gown of  claim 1 , wherein said first and said second frontal panel closure means comprise a plurality of fabric ties substantially along said first and said second seams. 
     
     
         7 . The patient gown of  claim 1 , wherein at least one sleeve of said patient gown comprises at least a first shoulder opening substantially along the top seam of said sleeve. 
     
     
         8 . The patient gown of  claim 7 , wherein said at least a first shoulder opening is operably closable by at least one snap, tie, clip, button, clasp, or a hook-and-loop-type fastener. 
     
     
         9 . The patient gown of  claim 8 , wherein said at least a first shoulder opening is operably closed by a plurality of snaps, ties, clips, buttons, clasps, or hook-and-loop-type fasteners. 
     
     
         10 . The patient gown of  claim 9 , wherein said at least a first shoulder opening is operably closed by a plurality of snaps. 
     
     
         11 . The patient gown of  claim 9 , wherein said plurality of snaps is manufactured from a material that is suitable for wearing by a patient while in a medical imaging or radiographic device. 
     
     
         12 . The patient gown of  claim 11 , wherein said medical imaging or radiographic device is a CT scanner, a PET scanner, an MRI device, an EBCT scanner, a fluoroscope, or an X-ray device. 
     
     
         13 . The patient gown of  claim 9 , wherein said material is plastic, nylon, or polyester. 
     
     
         14 . The patient gown of  claim 1 , wherein said front portion has a crew- or V-neck style collar. 
     
     
         15 . The patient gown of  claim 1 , wherein said sleeves extend approximately to the middle of the upper arms of the wearer. 
     
     
         16 . The patient gown of  claim 1 , wherein said sleeves extend approximately to the mid-forearms of the wearer. 
     
     
         17 . The patient gown of  claim 1 , wherein the hemline of said gown extends approximately to the mid-thighs or the knees of the wearer. 
     
     
         18 . The patient gown of  claim 1 , wherein the hemline of said gown extends approximately to the mid-calf of the wearer. 
     
     
         19 . The patient gown of  claim 1 , wherein said gown is manufactured substantially from a single sheet of material. 
     
     
         20 . The patient gown of  claim 1 , wherein said gown is manufactured substantially from three separate sheets of material. 
     
     
         21 . The patient gown of  claim 20 , wherein one of said sheets of material forms substantially the entire back panel of the gown, and each of the remaining two sheets forms substantially the right and left front panels of said gown. 
     
     
         22 . The patient gown of  claim 21 , wherein said back panel and said right and said left front panels are coupled substantially along left and right side seams. 
     
     
         23 . The patient gown of  claim 1 , wherein said gown is manufactured substantially from a material that comprises cotton, polyester, plastic, cotton polyblend, nylon, paper or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         24 . The patient gown of  claim 1 , wherein said gown is manufactured substantially from a flame-retardant material, or a material that has been treated with a flame-retardant substance. 
     
     
         25 . The patient gown of  claim 1 , further comprising at least a first device storage pocket attached to at least a first surface of said gown. 
     
     
         26 . The patient gown of  claim 1 , further comprising at least a first document storage pocket attached to at least a first surface of said gown. 
     
     
         27 . The patient gown of  claim 1 , further comprising at least a first radio frequency identification (RFID) device operably attached to at least a first portion of said gown. 
     
     
         28 . The patient gown of  claim 1 , further comprising at least a first identification marking on at least a first inner or outer surface of said gown. 
     
     
         29 . The patient gown of  claim 1 , size-appropriate to an infant. 
     
     
         30 . The patient gown of  claim 1 , size-appropriate to a toddler. 
     
     
         31 . The patient gown of  claim 1 , size-appropriate to an adolescent. 
     
     
         32 . The patient gown of  claim 1 , size-appropriate to a teenager. 
     
     
         33 . The patient gown of  claim 1 , wherein the fabric of the front portion of the garment is composed of at least two layers of fabric adapted to provide additional patient warmth, comfort, or modesty. 
     
     
         34 . The patient gown of  claim 1 , personalized with the name of a patient by whom the gown is worn. 
     
     
         35 . The patient gown of  claim 1 , personalized with the name or logo of a medical facility in which the gown is sold, issued or worn. 
     
     
         36 . The patient gown of  claim 34 , wherein said gown is personalized by monogramming, stitching, ink transfer, screen printing, embroidery, dye sublimation, inking, stenciling, or contact printing. 
     
     
         37 . A hospital gown formed substantially from three separate sheets of material, the first of said sheets forming substantially the entire rear portion of the gown, the second of said sheets forming substantially a first frontal panel of said gown, and said third of said sheets forming substantially a second frontal panel of said gown; wherein said first frontal panel is operably attached to a first vertical edge of said rear portion substantially by a first seam extending substantially vertically along the left lateral portion of said gown, said first seam connecting said first frontal panel to said first vertical edge of said rear portion, and wherein said second frontal panel is operably attached to a second vertical edge of said rear portion substantially by a second seam extending substantially vertically along the right lateral portion of said gown; said second seam connecting said second frontal panel to said second vertical edge of said rear portion; said gown comprising:
 (a) a first and a second sleeve, each of said sleeves formed of a first sleeve part attached to said rear body portion, and a second sleeve part attached to respective ones of said first and said second frontal panels, wherein each pair of said sleeve parts is fixably closed along their lower edges, and operably closable along their upper edges, wherein said upper edges of said sleeve comprise at least a first closure means for closing said sleeve parts along the shoulder region of said sleeve;   (b) a first fastening means attached to the outer edge of said first frontal panel for securing said first frontal panel to a second fastening means located substantially at a position along said first seam corresponding to the mid-axillary region of a patient wearing said gown; and   (c) a third fastening means attached to the outer edge of said second frontal panel for securing said second frontal panel to a fourth fastening means located substantially at a position along said second seam corresponding to the mid-axillary region of a patient wearing said gown.   
     
     
         38 . The hospital gown of  claim 37 , wherein one or more of said fastening means is located substantially along an interior surface of gown. 
     
     
         39 . The hospital gown of  claim 37 , wherein one or more of said fastening means is located substantially along an exterior surface of said gown. 
     
     
         40 . The hospital gown of  claim 37 , wherein at least one of said fastening means comprises a first tie, snap, hook, eyelet, button, or hook and loop fastener. 
     
     
         41 . The hospital gown of  claim 37 , wherein said gown comprises a plurality of fastening means. 
     
     
         42 . The hospital gown of  claim 41 , wherein said plurality of fastening means comprises a plurality of fabric ties, snaps, hooks, eyelets, buttons, or hook-and-loop fasteners. 
     
     
         43 . The hospital gown of  claim 37 , wherein said at least a first closure means is operably closable by at least one snap, tie, clip, button, clasp, or a hook-and-loop-type fastener. 
     
     
         44 . The hospital gown of  claim 37 , wherein at least one of said sleeves comprise a plurality of closure means for closing said sleeve parts along the shoulder region of said sleeve. 
     
     
         45 . The hospital gown of  claim 37 , wherein both of said sleeves comprise a plurality of closure means for closing said sleeve parts along the respective shoulder regions of said sleeves. 
     
     
         46 . The hospital gown of  claim 37 , further comprising at least a first pocket attached to at least a first surface of said gown. 
     
     
         47 . A medical gown comprising:
 (a) a first body portion for covering substantially an anterior or posterior surface of the torso of a human patient;   (b) first and second panels, each of said panels being operably linked to said first body portion substantially by first and second seams extending substantially vertically along the left and right lateral edges of said first body portion;   (c) a first fastening means attached to said first panel for operably securing said first panel to a first fastening means located substantially along said first seam formed between the opposing panel and said first body portion;   (d) a second fastening means attached to said second panel for operably securing said second panel to a second fastening means located substantially along said second seam formed between the opposing panel and said first body portion; and   (e) first and second operably openable sleeves, each of said sleeves formed of a first part attached to said first body portion, and a second part attached to respective ones of said first and said second panels, wherein at least one of said sleeves is operably openable along its upper shoulder seam.