Medical garment

Abstract

A medical garment adapted to be worn by a patient, including: a body portion adapted to be worn on at least the upper torso of a patient, wherein the body portion includes at least one front panel having an outward-facing surface and an inward-facing, skin-contacting surface; an access opening extending across at least a portion of the body portion of the garment, wherein the access opening provides communicates between the outward- and inward-facing surfaces of the front panel; a pocket-forming outer panel affixed to the body portion of the garment such that a selectively-closeable pocket is provided between at least a portion of the front panel and the pocket-forming panel; and a medical device anchor secured within the pocket, wherein the anchor is adapted for releasable securement of a portion of a medical device (e.g., catheter tubing) within the pocket.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A medical garment adapted to be worn by a patient, comprising:
 (a) a body portion adapted to be worn on at least the upper torso of a patient, said body portion comprising at least one front panel having an outward-facing surface and an inward-facing, skin-contacting surface;   (b) an access opening extending across at least a portion of the body portion of the garment, wherein the access opening provides communicates between the outward- and inward-facing surfaces of the front panel;   (c) a pocket-forming outer panel affixed to the body portion of the garment such that a selectively-closeable pocket is provided between at least a portion of the front panel and the pocket-forming panel, the pocket extending downwardly from said access opening; and   (d) a medical device anchor secured within said pocket, said anchor adapted for releasable securement of a portion of a medical device within said pocket.   
     
     
         2 . The medical garment of  claim 1 , wherein said anchor is removably secured within said pocket. 
     
     
         3 . The medical garment of  claim 2 , wherein said anchor comprises a clamshell assembly adapted for clamping securement of a conduit of a medical device between adjacent portions of the clamshell assembly. 
     
     
         4 . The medical garment of  claim 3 , further comprising at least one retention member adapted for releasably retaining a portion of a medical device at a predetermined location on an outer surface of the garment. 
     
     
         5 . The medical garment of  claim 4 , wherein said at least one retention member comprises a retention strap secured to a shoulder portion of rear surface of the garment. 
     
     
         6 . The medical garment of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one front panel comprises an upper front panel having a lower edge and a lower front panel having an upper edge adjacent the lower edge of the upper front panel, each of said upper and lower front panels having an outward-facing surface and an inward-facing skin-contacting surface, wherein said access opening is located between the upper and lower front panels. 
     
     
         7 . The medical garment of  claim 6 , wherein said access opening is provided between the lower edge of the upper front panel and the upper edge of the lower front panel. 
     
     
         8 . The medical garment of  claim 6 , wherein said anchor is removably secured to the outward-facing surface one of said upper and lower front panels, within said pocket. 
     
     
         9 . The medical garment of  claim 8 , wherein said access opening extends horizontally across the entire width of said pocket. 
     
     
         10 . The medical garment of  claim 9 , wherein said outer panel comprises upper and lower ends and first and second sides extending along either side of the outer panel, said outer panel affixed to the body portion of the garment along at least a first side and the lower end of the outer panel, and releasably attached along its upper end and at least a portion of its second side such that said pocket is selectively closeable. 
     
     
         11 . The medical garment of  claim 10 , wherein said outer panel is releasably attached along its upper end to said upper front panel, and is releasably attached along a portion of its second side to said upper front panel and said lower front panel. 
     
     
         12 . The medical garment of  claim 8 , wherein said anchor is removably secured within said pocket by an anchor retaining sleeve adapted to receive a portion of said anchor. 
     
     
         13 . A medical garment adapted to be worn by a patient, comprising:
 (a) a body portion adapted to be worn on at least the upper torso of a patient, said body portion comprising at least one front panel having an outward-facing surface and an inward-facing, skin-contacting surface;   (b) an access opening extending horizontally across at least a portion of the body portion of the garment, wherein the access opening provides communicates between the outward- and inward-facing surfaces of the front panel;   (c) a pocket-forming outer panel affixed to the body portion of the garment such that a selectively-closeable pocket is provided between at least a portion of the front panel and the outer panel, the pocket extending downwardly from said access opening; and   (d) at least one medical device anchor adapted for removable securement to the outward-facing surface of said at least one front panel such that the anchor is concealed behind said outer panel when the pocket is closed, said anchor adapted for releasable securement of a conduit of a medical device within said pocket.   
     
     
         14 . The medical garment of  claim 13 , wherein said front panel and said anchor are configured such that the anchor is removably securable to the outward-facing surface of said front panel at a plurality of predetermined locations. 
     
     
         15 . The medical garment of  claim 13 , further comprising a second access opening communicating between the interior and exterior of the garment. 
     
     
         16 . The medical garment of  claim 13 , wherein said anchor comprises a clamshell assembly having a base portion and a clamping portion, the anchor adapted for clampingly securing a conduit of a medical device between said base portion and said clamping portion. 
     
     
         17 . The medical garment of  claim 13 , wherein said at least one front panel comprises an upper front panel having a lower edge and a lower front panel having an upper edge adjacent, but not affixed to the lower edge of the upper front panel, wherein said access opening is located between the upper and lower front panels. 
     
     
         18 . The medical garment of  claim 17 , wherein said upper and lower front panels are selectively and separately openable along one side thereof such that the opening of one of said front panels also opens said access opening, thereby allowing the garment to be removed from a patient without disconnecting a conduit of a medical device which extends from the patient through said access opening. 
     
     
         19 . The medical garment of  claim 18 , wherein said outer panel comprises upper and lower ends and first and second sides extending along either side of the outer panel, said outer panel affixed to the body portion of the garment along at least a portion of a first side and the lower end of the outer panel, and releasably attached along at least a portion of its upper end and at least a portion of its second side such that said pocket is selectively closeable, wherein said outer panel is releasably attached along its upper end to said upper front panel, and is releasably attached along a portion of its second side to said upper front panel and said lower front panel. 
     
     
         20 . The medical garment of  claim 19 , wherein the entirety of said garment is non-metallic.