Ventilating ApparatusThis invention relates to ventilating apparatus and particularly but not exclusively apparatus for ventilating medical dressings and especially rigid dressings; and a method of ventilating medical dressings.
Problems are often encountered by patients who have to wear medical dressings and especially rigid dressings such as plaster of paris or fibreglass casts.
These problems may include prickly heat and dead skin.
Both of these occur as a result of the lack of air flow beneath the dressings.
According to the present invention there is provided ventilating apparatus comprising means for blowing air into a medical dressing between the dressing and the skin of a patient wearing the dressing.
The apparatus preferably comprises an outlet member locatable within a medical dressing adjacent the skin of the patient.
The outlet member is preferably elongate and may have a plurality of outlets along its length.
The apparatus preferably comprises a pump which may be connected to the outlet member by a flexible tube. The pump is preferably electrically operable and may be battery operated and wearable upon a patient's body. The apparatus desirably includes two or more outlet members locatable within the dressing spaced from each other. The or each outlet member preferably comprises a length of perforated tube.
The invention also provides a method of ventilating a dressing, the method comprising locating part of a ventilating apparatus within a dressing and blowing air through the apparatus between the dressing and the skin of the patient wearing the dressing.
Said part of the apparatus is preferably located between the dressing and the patient's skin.
The ventilating apparatus is preferably according to any of the preceding paragraphs.
An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:rig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of ventilating apparatus according to the invention; andrig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the apparatus of fig. 1 in use.
The drawings show ventilating apparatus 10 comprising a pump 12 connected by piping 14 to a pair of outlet members 16. The pump 12 may be of any suitable type and may be mains operated for use for example in a hospital. Alternatively, the pump 12 may be battery operated and may be sufficiently light and compact to be wearable by a patient. The pump 12 is connected to blow air through the tubing 14. The tubing 14 may be of any suitable kind and in most instances will require to be flexible.
The members 16 comprise lengths of high impact polystyrene tube 18 with end closure caps 20. A plurality of openings 22 are provided along the length of the tubes 18. The members 16 may be sterlised as and when necessary for example when used in a dressing covering exposed bone.
In use, the apparatus 10 is connected as shown in fig. 1 and the members 16 are slid into a dressing such as a forearm cast 24, substantially diametrically opposite each other. The pump 12 is switched on to blow air through the piping 14 into the members 16 and out through the openings 22 thereby providing fresh air within the dressing 24. Air entering the dressing 24 via the openings 22 will expel stale air from the dressing 24 for example through the end of the dressing 24 adjacent the patient's knuckles and thumb.
There is thus described apparatus for and a method for ventilating a dressing. The apparatus is of relatively simple construction and can thus be inexpensively and robustly manufactured. The outlet members are relatively compact and thus fit comfortably within the dressing. Use of this apparatus will tend to alleviate the problems outlined above often encountered by patients wearing dressings and particularly casts worn for a number of weeks over fractured limbs.
Various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of this invention. The outlet members may be made of different materials. These members could be located within the structure of the dressing particularly where non rigid dressings are used. However, outlet members could be incorporated on the inner face of a rigid dressing during fabrication.
A different number and/or shape of outlet members could be used. A wide variety of types of pump can be used.
Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance it should be understood that the Applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to and/or shown in the drawings whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon.