US20040117889A1 - Method of selecting or identifying a surgical gown - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of selecting a gown for a surgical procedure is provided. The method includes the step of displaying a listing of surgical procedures and a plurality of gown identification marks at a first location. Another step involves correlating the surgical procedures to the gown identification marks. Additionally, another step involves choosing a gown from a location that is remote to the first location. The gown chosen is suited for the surgical procedure based upon indicia at the remote location that corresponds the gown to at least one of the gown identification marks or the surgical procedures.

Description

BACKGROUND
• Surgeons and other healthcare providers often wear an over garment during operating procedures in order to enhance the sterile condition in the operating room and to protect the wearer. The over garment is typically a gown that has a main body portion to which respective sleeves are attached. In order to prevent the spread of infection to and from the patient, the surgical gown prevents bodily fluids and other liquids present during surgical procedures from flowing through the gown.[0001]
• Contamination could occur, for instance, if during surgery the surgical gown used is not sufficiently fluid repellant and becomes saturated with blood. This blood may be wicked through the surgical gown and may wet the under clothes and/or the skin of the healthcare provider. This penetration of fluid is sometimes referred to as “strike through”. Microorganisms present on the skin or under clothes may then be carried outward through capillary channels in the surgical gown to the surface of the gown, consequently contaminating the gown. Therefore, a liquid path through the surgical gown may be established along which viruses, bacteria, or other contaminants may travel to and/or from the patient.[0002]
• Surgical gowns were originally made of cotton or linen and were sterilized prior to use in the operating room. A disadvantage of the materials used in these types of gowns is that they tend to form lint, which is capable of becoming airborne or clinging to the clothes of the wearer, thereby providing another potential source of contamination. Additionally, since these gowns were costly, laundering and sterilization procedures were required before reuse.[0003]
• Disposable surgical gowns have largely replaced the linen surgical gown and many are now made in part or entirely from fluid repellent or impervious fabrics to prevent strike through. Various materials and designs have been used in the manufacture of surgical gowns to prevent contamination in different operating room conditions. As such, surgical gowns are available in a variety of different levels of protection and comfort.[0004]
• Gowns made from liquid repellent material are well known in the art. This type of material is available in a wide range of “imperviousness”. While such completely impervious material provides a high degree of protection, a surgical gown constructed of this material is typically very heavy due to the weight of the material, expensive, and usually hot to the wearer. In some of these surgical gowns, certain portions such as the shoulders and back panels may be of a lighter weight material in order to provide for better breathability and help reduce the overall weight of the surgical gown. However, the higher the breathability of the material, the lower the repellency of the material. This in turn limits the use of the gown or the effectiveness of the gown in these particular areas.[0005]
• Different types of surgical procedures expose the healthcare provider to various levels of blood and/or fluid exposure. As such, it is not feasible or economical to use the same type of surgical gown for every surgical procedure conducted by the healthcare provider. For instance, during surgeries that are shorter and/or have a low amount of fluid exposure, it may be desirable to use a surgical gown that is lighter in weight and is not completely fluid impervious. This selection allows for a less expensive gown to be used in addition to providing greater comfort and mobility to the healthcare provider. Also, this selection provides for a surgical gown that works for its intended purpose. On the other hand, surgical procedures that are longer and/or expose the healthcare provider to a large amount of fluid may call for the selection of a surgical gown that is completely fluid impervious. Additionally, other surgical procedures expose the healthcare provider to levels of fluid between these extremes, therefore calling for the selection of an appropriate surgical gown as the situation dictates.[0006]
• Under the current practice, surgical gowns are typically placed in a package that has a brand name located thereon. Before beginning a certain surgical procedure, the healthcare provider may select a surgical gown based on the brand name of the surgical gown printed on the package. Additionally, the healthcare provider may make his or her selection based on prior experiences in using a particular surgical gown in a particular surgical procedure. Also, it may be the case that the healthcare provider does not read the labeling of the surgical gown in detail in order to ascertain which types of surgical procedures the particular surgical gown may be employed. Variations in strike through prevention between different surgical gown manufacturers exist, further complicating the selection process based upon brand recognition.[0007]
• It is the case that current practices relating to the selection of a surgical gown to be used in a particular surgical procedure are not uniform across the healthcare industry due to the fact that healthcare providers select gowns based on brand names and their own personal experiences.[0008]
• There is therefore a need in the art for a method that the healthcare provider may use in order to more accurately and/or consistently select a surgical gown for use in a particular surgical procedure.[0009]
SUMMARY
• Various features and advantages of the invention are set forth in part in the following description, or may be obvious from the description, or may be learned from practice of the invention.[0010]
• The present invention provides for a method of selecting a gown to be worn during a surgical procedure. The method includes the step of listing information that pertains to a plurality of surgical procedures in a first location. A plurality of gown identification marks are depicted in the first location, and each gown identification mark corresponds to at least one of the surgical procedures. Additionally, a plurality of surgical gowns are provided, the gowns are subdivided into groups where each group corresponds to at least one of the gown identification marks. The individual gowns in each group are marked with indicia. The indicia corresponds the gown to the gown identification mark of the group from which the gown is selected. Also, the method includes the step of selecting the gown to be worn during the procedure based upon any of the listing of information, the gown identification mark, and the indicia.[0011]
• The present invention also provides for a method of selecting a gown for a surgical procedure. This method includes the step of displaying a listing of surgical procedures and a plurality of gown identification marks at a first location. The procedures are correlated to the marks. Also, a gown from a location remote to the first location is chosen that is suited for the procedure based upon indicia at the remote location that corresponds the gown to at least one of the gown identification marks or surgical procedures.[0012]
• The present invention also provides for a method of identifying a gown. This method includes the step of providing information that corresponds a plurality of procedures to a plurality of gown identification marks. A surgical gown that is to be worn during a surgical procedure is provided. The gown is configured for being used with at least one of the procedures. Additionally, the gown is labeled in a manner that is substantially similar to at least one of the plurality of gown identification marks.[0013]
• The gown identification marks used in the present invention may be symbols that are at least partially pictorial. In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, three different gown identification marks are used. Here, the first gown identification mark is a symbol corresponding to procedures having a first expected fluid exposure. The second symbol corresponds to procedures having a higher expected fluid exposure than procedures corresponding to the first symbol. Additionally in this exemplary embodiment, a third symbol is present and corresponds to procedures having a higher expected fluid exposure than procedures corresponding to the second symbol.[0014]
• The present invention also provides for a method as described above where the listing of information is in the form of a chart. Further, gown identification marks in the listing of information may each be a combination of words and at least one image, in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present invention.[0015]
• The indicia in accordance with the present invention may be located on the gown. For instance, the indicia may be located on the inside surface of the gown. Alternatively or additionally, the gown identification marks may be located at a second location that is a storage area that holds the surgical gowns. Also, the gown identification marks may be located on a package that holds the surgical gown.[0016]
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of an exemplary embodiment of a listing of information used for selecting a gown to be worn during a surgical procedure in accordance with the present invention.[0017]
• FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of a gown identification mark in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The gown identification mark is used to identify gowns capable of being used with low levels of expected fluid exposure.[0018]
• FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of an exemplary embodiment of a gown identification mark in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The gown identification mark is used to identify gowns capable of being used with moderate levels of expected fluid exposure.[0019]
• FIG. 4 is a front elevation view of a gown identification mark in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. This third gown identification mark is used to identify gowns capable of being used with high levels of expected fluid exposure.[0020]
• FIG. 5 is a front elevation view of a tie card that has printed information that further explains the method of selecting a surgical gown in accordance with the present invention.[0021]
• FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a gown having indicia attached thereto in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present invention.[0022]
• FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a gown having indicia located on the inside surface of the gown proximate to the collar of the gown according to one exemplary embodiment of the present invention.[0023]
• FIG. 7A is a detailed view of the circle labeled FIG. 7A in FIG. 7. The gown is shown as having a gown identification mark, a brand name, a gown size, and a gown product code located thereon in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.[0024]
• FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a method of selecting a gown in accordance with the present invention. Here, a listing of information is located on a wall, and various stacks of gowns are located on a storage area and identified by a series of gown identification marks.[0025]
• FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a gown in a package in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Here, a gown identification mark is located on the package into which the gown is held.[0026]
• FIG. 10 is a front elevation view of a listing of information that is to be used with the method of selecting a gown in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.[0027]
• FIG. 11 is a front elevation view of a listing of information that is to be used in accordance with the method for selecting a gown in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Here, surgical procedures that correspond to various expected levels of fluid exposure are left blank and are to be filled in by the healthcare provider.[0028]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
• Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention, and not meant as a limitation of the invention. For example, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield still a third embodiment. It is intended that the present invention include these and other modifications and variations.[0029]
• The present invention provides for a way of selecting a surgical gown that is to be worn during a surgical procedure. In order to carry out the method, a listing of information is provided. An example of one such listing of[0030]information14 in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 1. Here, the listing ofinformation14 is in a printed chart format. The listing ofinformation14 includes a plurality ofsurgical procedures12 that are categorized as having a certain degree of expectedfluid exposure38. The different degrees of expectedfluid exposure38 may be categorized, for instance, by the amount of fluid transferred to the healthcare provider during an operation, in addition to or alternatively with the total time of fluid exposure imparted to the healthcare provider during the operation. For instance, blood, saline, lavage, and/or saliva could potentially be transferred to the healthcare provider during the operation. As can be seen in FIG. 1, the expectedfluid exposure38 is divided into categories based on both the amount and time of fluid exposure. In other exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the various degrees of expectedfluid exposure38 may be divided based on the amount of fluid exposure alone. For instance, less than 100 ml of fluid, between 100 and 300 ml of fluid, and greater than 300 ml of fluid may be used in order to categorize the various degrees of expectedfluid exposure38.
• The listing of[0031]information14 correlates the various degrees of the expectedfluid exposure38 to varioussurgical procedures12. This correspondence may be made by taking the recommendations of different healthcare providers in determining the amount of expectedfluid exposure38 that is expected for a particularsurgical procedure12. For instance, in one exemplary embodiment of the present invention nurse consultants or other healthcare providers may be used in order to make the correspondence between thesurgical procedure12 and the expectedfluid exposure38.
• It is not necessary to correlate the levels of expected[0032]fluid exposure38 to thesurgical procedures12 based solely on the amount of expected fluid. For instance, in one exemplary embodiment of the present invention the expectedfluid exposure38 is correlated to thesurgical procedure12 based on various factors with the total expected fluid in thesurgical procedure12 being used only as a guide. In other instances, the amount of expected fluid is not even a factor. Various factors may be used such as the total fluid level, the duration, the operative site, the position of the patient, and the type of surgery whether minimal or traditional may all be factored in determining the amount of expectedfluid exposure38 for a particularsurgical procedure12.
• The[0033]surgical procedures12 may be listed as a particularsurgical procedure12, such as a C-section, or may be listed as a more general type of surgical procedure, such as eye and ear procedures. An example of particular and more generalsurgical procedures12 are shown in FIG. 1 in which these varioussurgical procedures12 are categorized as having low, moderate, or high expected levels offluid exposure38 based on both the amount and duration of fluid exposure.
• From this information, gown identification marks[0034]16 are assigned to each degree of expectedfluid exposure38. FIGS. 2 through 4 show one exemplary embodiment in accordance with the present invention of the gown identification marks16 for particular levels of expectedfluid exposure38. FIG. 2 shows a firstgown identification mark18 that corresponds to low levels of expectedfluid exposure38 in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 shows a secondgown identification mark20 that corresponds to moderate levels of expectedfluid exposure38 in FIG. 1. Finally, FIG. 4 shows a thirdgown identification mark22 that corresponds to high levels of expectedfluid exposure38 in FIG. 1. The first, second, and third gown identification marks18,20, and22 differ from one another in that they have one, two, or three droplets, such as blood droplets, identifying a particulargown identification mark16. Increasing the number of blood droplets, or other symbolic volumetric indication, allows a healthcare provider to more easily associate a particulargown identification mark16 with a particular level of expectedfluid exposure38.
• In accordance with other exemplary embodiments of the present invention, other designs for the gown identification marks[0035]16 are possible, for instance, in one such exemplary embodiment higher numbers of blood droplets may be used for lower levels of expectedfluid exposure38 while fewer blood droplets are used for higher expected levels offluid exposure38. However, other objects besides blood droplets may be used. Also, the same type of object does not have to be used in all of the gown identification marks16. Additionally, in other exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the gown identification marks16 may be completely pictorial and have no text written thereon. Alternatively, the gown identification marks16 may be completely written text, for instance the gown identification marks16 may be “LOW”, “MODERATE”, and “HIGH” in other exemplary embodiments of the present invention. It is therefore the case that any design, word, color, or combination thereof may be used in place of the gown identification marks16 shown in FIG. 1 as long as they differentiate the different levels of expectedfluid exposure38.
• The listing of[0036]information14 may also have a row listing a recommended gown example24 for each of the different levels of the expectedfluid exposure38. The recommended gown examples24 may be brand names ofgowns10 on the market that are capable of resisting fluid as described with respect to the amount of expectedfluid exposure38 under which the recommended gown example24 is listed. The recommended gown example24 therefore allows for a secondary way of identifying anappropriate gown10 to be used with thesurgical procedure12.
• The present invention also includes the step of identifying a[0037]gown10, as seen in FIG. 6, with indicia. This indicia may be at least one of the gown identification marks16. Although it is preferable to place the gown identification marks16 on thegown10, in other exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to identify thegown10 without placing thegown identification mark16 on thegown10. It is only necessary under the scope of the present invention that thegown10 be identified by one of the gown identification marks16. It is not necessary that the indicia that identifies thegown10 be exactly the same as thegown identification mark16 on the listing ofinformation14. For instance, referring to FIG. 1, the gown identification marks16 are shown as being one, two, or three blood droplets having a company name located proximate to the blood droplets, and being surrounded by a pair of circles. It may be the case that the indicia that identifies thegowns10 only have the blood droplets and do not have the company name or circles as do the ones shown in the listing ofinformation14. It should be appreciated that any manner of indicia may correlate thegown10 to thegown identification mark16.
• The[0038]gown10 is known to have a particular amount of resistance to fluid. The gown is then identified using thegown identification mark16 that corresponds the amount of fluid resistance in thegown10 to the appropriate level of expectedfluid exposure38 as shown in FIG. 1. A plurality ofgowns10, made by different manufactures and having different degrees of fluid resistance, may then be labeled with the appropriate indicia.
• The healthcare provider may view the listing of[0039]information14 and find the particularsurgical procedure12 in which he or she is to be involved. From there, the particularsurgical procedure12 is correlated to a particulargown identification mark16. The healthcare provider may then move to the location where thegowns10 are stored and select theproper gown10 as identified by the matchinggown identification mark16 being the indicia on thegown10. In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the listing ofinformation14 is on a poster that is placed in clear view, for instance, near a scrub sink or other highly visible location. The surgeon and operating room staff may enter the scrub area and begin the hand scrubbing process, which last approximately three to five minutes. In this time the surgeon or operating room staff member will be able to view the listing ofinformation14 and understand the correspondence between thesurgical procedure12 he or she is about to participate in and the matchinggown identification mark16. As the surgeon or operating room staff member enters the operating room, a towel is taken and his or her hands are dried. At this point the surgical gown is selected or given to the surgeon or operating room staff member. Theproper gown10 may be selected based upon thegown identification mark16 viewed in the listing ofinformation14.
• The indicia which may be for instance the[0040]gown identification mark16 may be placed on both the outside and inside32 of thegown10 as shown in FIG. 6. Alternatively, thegown identification mark16 may only be located on one portion of thegown10. The present invention includes exemplary embodiments where thegown identification mark16 is placed in any number or at any location on thegown10. FIG. 7 shows an exemplary embodiment where thegown identification mark16 is placed on the inside32 of thegown10 at a location proximate to acollar50 of thegown10. As can be seen in greater detail in FIG. 7A, the indicia being thegown identification mark16 is substantially the same as the thirdgown identification mark22 as shown in FIG. 4. However, additional text is printed below thegown identification mark16 as can be seen in FIG. 7A. This additional text may include thebrand name26 of thegown10. Additionally, thegown size28 and thegown product code30 may be placed proximate to thegown identification mark16. The gown identification marks16 along with thebrand name26,gown size28, andgown product code30 may be stamped onto thegown10 or may be on a label that is applied to thegown10 through adhesion. This additional information helps to ensure that theproper gown10 is selected by the healthcare provider. Additionally, other information may be printed next to thegown identification mark16 in accordance with other exemplary embodiments of the present invention.
• Although described as being printed on a poster as shown in FIG. 1, the listing of[0041]information14 may be provided to the healthcare provider in other ways in accordance with other exemplary embodiments of the present invention. For instance, the listing ofinformation14 may be located on a computer, on a calendar, on a printed hand out, in a manual, or on an object such as a mouse pad. Additionally, more than one such listing ofinformation14 may be provided. For instance, several posters displaying the listing ofinformation14 may be positioned around the scrub area. Additionally, the present invention is not limited to having the listing ofinformation14 be located at a particular location such as near the scrub sink. The listing ofinformation14 may be located near the operating room or may be located away from the operating room or even outside of the hospital in other exemplary embodiments of the present invention.
• The[0042]surgical gown10 shown in FIG. 6 may be stored and/or presented to the healthcare provider in a number of ways. For instance,surgical gowns10 are often located on a back table and are packaged and presented to the healthcare provider in a “book-fold” arrangement. In this type of arrangement, the inside32 of thegown10 is presented to the healthcare provider while the outside48 of thegown10 is largely contained inside of the foldedgown10. Hand pockets are located on each side of the foldedgown10 for receipt of the healthcare provider's hands. As the hands are lifted up and out, thegown10 will unfold and fall into place on the healthcare provider's body. The “book-fold” arrangement therefore helps to ensure that the outside48 of the gown is not contaminated prior to use in the surgical procedure. Such an example of a “book-fold” arrangement is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,862,525 to Tankersley et al. which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety for all purposes. The indicia being thegown identification mark16 may be placed on the inside32 of thegown10 near thecollar50 as shown in FIG. 7. This allows for proper identification of thegown10 with thesurgical procedure12 without having to unfold or touch thegown10 in order to locate thegown identification mark16. This in turn provides for a moresterile gown10 than would otherwise be the case. By placing several of the gown identification marks16 on both the outside48 and inside32 of thegown10, it is possible to reduce the probability of contamination brought about by excessive handling of thegown10. Additionally, the healthcare provider will be more quickly ready for thesurgical procedure12 by providing a clearly visiblegown identification mark16.
• FIG. 9 shows the[0043]gown10 being contained within apackage36. Thegown identification mark16 is located on the surface of thepackage36, and not on thegown10. This configuration is in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and eliminates the need of placing thegown identification mark16 directly on thegown10.
• FIG. 8 shows another exemplary embodiment of the present invention where the[0044]gowns10 are arranged in afirst stack54, asecond stack56, and athird stack58 on ashelf34. Each of thestacks54,56, and58 are labeled with a respective indicia being the first, second, and third gown identification marks18,20, and22. In this manner, thegowns10 are identified without having the first, second, or third gown identification marks18,20 and22 placed directly on thegowns10. Additionally, thegowns10 shown in FIG. 8 are contained withinpackages36 that have the appropriate first, second, or third gown identification marks18,20, and22 located thereon. In other exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it may be the case that thegowns10 also have one of the first, second, or third gown identification marks18,20, and22 located directly on thegown10. The arrangement in FIG. 8 therefore provides an easily identifiable stack ofgowns10 that are classified according to a particular first, second, or thirdgown identification mark18,20, or22. The listing ofinformation14 is shown as being on a poster attached to awall52 and located above ashelf34. It is to be understood that in other exemplary embodiments of the present invention, that the listing ofinformation14 may be located at a location more remote from thegowns10 as opposed to being located on thesame wall52 onto which thegowns10 are located via theshelf34.
• The healthcare provider may employ the method of the present invention in much the same way as discussed above. For instance, the healthcare provider will identify the[0045]surgical procedure12 in question and then will be able to note the corresponding first, second, or thirdgown identification mark18,20, and22 that relates to thesurgical procedure12. At this point, the healthcare provider may take from the appropriate stack the correspondinggown10 that is to be employed in thesurgical procedure12.
• The indicia may be stamped onto the outside[0046]48 of thegown10. This allows both the wearer of thegown10 and other healthcare providers inside the operating room to quickly identify the type ofgown10 being used by each person in the operating room. This may be beneficial when asurgical procedure12 is being conducted and additional assistance is required or requested. Clear display of the indicia ensure that it is easy to identify and make certain that each healthcare provider involved in thesurgical procedure12 is adequately and properly protected.
• Storage for the[0047]gowns10 may vary from hospital to hospital. In some hospitals, thegowns10 may be placed into a bin as opposed to being located on theshelf34. In this instance, the indicia being for instance the gown identification marks16 may be located on the bin in order to identify thegown10. Additionally, the gown identification marks16 may be placed on thegown10 itself and on thepackage36 in order to assist with the identification and selection of thegown10. In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, thegowns10 are located inside of a vending machine. The vending machine may be provided with the gown identification marks16 such that the healthcare provider may dispense theappropriate gown10 for the desiredsurgical procedure12.
• In some instances, the[0048]gowns10 are provided with atie card40 as shown in FIG. 5. The tie card may have asterile section46 and anon-sterile section44. Tie strings on thegown10 are connected to thesterile section46, and an assistant (typically the scrub or circulating nurse) may grasp thenon-sterile section44 and pass thetie card40 along with the tie string around the back of thegown10. At this point, the assistant may hand off the tie string and/or thetie card40 to the wearer of thegown10. From here, the tie strings may be tied in order to properly secure thegown10 and thetie card40 may be thrown away. Thetie card40 in other instances may not be thrown away but may remain in and around the operating room and be used by operating room personnel for taking notes, that are written on thetie card40. One such example of atie card40 known in the art is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,982,448 to Kogut the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes.
• The[0049]tie card40 provides another medium by which information about the surgical gown selection procedure may be communicated to the healthcare provider. For instance, printedinformation42 as shown in FIG. 5 that relates to the method of selecting agown10 in accordance with the present invention may be printed on thetie card40. The printedinformation42 may be so placed in order to further acquaint the healthcare provider with the correspondence between the gown identification marks16 and the various levels of expectedfluid exposure38. Alternatively, thetie card40 may be provided with the particular indicia used to identify thegown10 onto which thetie card40 is attached. Although shown as being located in thenon-sterile section44 of thetie card40, the printedinformation42 may be located on either thenon-sterile section44 and/or thesterile section46.
• FIG. 10 shows an alternative exemplary embodiment of the listing of[0050]information14 in accordance with the present invention. Here, differentsurgical procedures12 are listed on the listing ofinformation14 as compared to thesurgical procedures12 listed in FIG. 1. As such, the present invention is not limited to a particular correspondence between thesurgical procedures12 and the levels of expectedfluid exposure38. Additionally, more than one listing ofinformation14 may be used in accordance with the present invention. For example, a particular listing ofinformation14 may havesurgical procedures12 that relate to eye and ear procedures while a different listing ofinformation14 hassurgical procedures12 that are classified as cosmetic surgeries.
• Although as shown in the form of a chart in FIG. 10, the listing of[0051]information14 may be set up in other arrangements in order to correspond the gown identification marks16 to thesurgical procedures12 and the levels of expectedfluid exposure38. For instance, the listing ofinformation14 may be in graphical form or may be only a listing of varioussurgical procedures12 and corresponding gown identification marks16. It is therefore the case that in other exemplary embodiments of the present invention that the row including the expected level offluid exposure38 is not included in the listing of information. Additionally, the row and information concerning the recommended gown examples24 is not necessary in other exemplary embodiments of the present invention.
• FIG. 11 shows an exemplary embodiment of the present invention where the listing of[0052]information14 is not completed prior to delivery to the healthcare provider. In this instance, the surgical procedures are provided with a plurality ofblanks60. The healthcare provider may fill in theblanks60 as he or she sees fit in corresponding thesurgical procedures12 to the expected level offluid exposure38 and the corresponding gown identification marks16. This is due to the fact that different hospitals or surgical units have different views as to what type ofgown10 is appropriate for a particularsurgical procedure12. For instance, some healthcare providers or hospitals may be more conservative in selectinggowns10 that are sure to provide the level of fluid resistance necessary in all instances, while other hospitals or healthcare providers are more liberal in selecting thegowns10 so that benefits other than fluid resistance are employed.
• In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the gown identification marks[0053]16 may be applied to thegowns10 such that the hospital or healthcare provider is free to mark thegown10 with the desiredgown identification mark16. This also allows for flexibility in selecting thegown10 based on the hospitals or healthcare provider's view of the gown's10 ability to resist fluid. In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, some of thesurgical procedures12 may be listed in the listing ofinformation14 while othersurgical procedures12 are added by the hospital or healthcare provider. However, it is to be understood that in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the listing ofinformation14 is provided complete to the hospital or healthcare provider along with the indicia already identifying thegowns10.
• Although described as having three different identification marks[0054]16 to correspond to three different levels of expectedfluid exposure38, it is to be understood that in other exemplary embodiments of the present invention that thesurgical procedures12 may be categorized into different levels of expectedfluid exposure38 in degrees other than three. For instance, two different levels of expected fluid exposure corresponding to two different gown identification marks16 may be used in one exemplary embodiment of the present invention while in another, four different levels of expected fluid exposure corresponding to four different gown identification marks16 may be used.
• It should be understood that the present invention includes various modifications that can be made to the embodiments of the selection method described herein as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.[0055]

Claims (25)

What is claimed is:

1. A method of selecting a gown to be worn during a surgical procedure, comprising:

listing information pertaining to a plurality of surgical procedures in a first location;

depicting a plurality of gown identification marks in the first location, each gown identification mark corresponding to at least one of the surgical procedures;

providing a plurality of surgical gowns, the plurality being subdivided into groups wherein each group corresponds to at least one of the gown identification marks;

marking the individual gowns in each group with indicia, the indicia corresponding the gown to the gown identification mark of the group from which the gown is selected; and

selecting the gown to be worn during the procedure based upon any of the listing of information, the gown identification mark, and the indicia.

2. The method ofclaim 1, comprising depicting the gown identification marks at least partially pictorially.

3. The method ofclaim 1, comprising corresponding the procedures to the gown identification marks based upon expected fluid exposure of the procedure.

4. The method ofclaim 1, comprising depicting the information in chart form.

5. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the plurality of gown identification marks comprises a group of at least three distinct marks comprising:

a first symbol corresponding to procedures having a first expected fluid exposure;

a second symbol corresponding to procedures having a second expected fluid exposure greater than the first expected fluid exposure; and

a third symbol corresponding to procedures having a third expected fluid exposure greater than the said second expected fluid exposure.

6. The method ofclaim 5, comprising:

depicting the first symbol as a single droplet;

depicting the second symbol as two droplets; and

depicting the third symbol as three droplets.

7. The method ofclaim 1, comprising depicting each of the gown identification marks as a combination of words and at least one image.

8. The method ofclaim 1, comprising marking the gown with a gown size, a brand name, and a gown product code proximal to the indicia.

9. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the indicia is located on an inside surface of the gown.

10. The method ofclaim 1, comprising corresponding the procedures to low, moderate, and high levels of expected fluid exposure, wherein the low level of expected fluid exposure is less than about 100 ml of fluid, the moderate level of expected fluid exposure is between about 100 ml and about 300 ml of fluid, and the high level of expected fluid exposure is greater than about 300 ml of fluid.

11. The method ofclaim 1, comprising labeling a second location with the gown identification marks remote from the first location, wherein the second location corresponds to a storage area for the plurality of gowns.

12. The method ofclaim 1, comprising packaging the gown and labeling the package with the appropriate gown identification mark.

13. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the indicia is applied directly on the gown.

14. A method of selecting a gown for a surgical procedure comprising:

displaying a listing of surgical procedures and a plurality of gown identification marks at a first location;

correlating the procedures to the marks; and

choosing a gown from a location remote to the first location suited for the procedure based upon indicia at the remote location corresponding the gown to at least one of the gown identification mark or surgical procedure.

15. The method ofclaim 14, comprising depicting the gown identification marks at least partially pictorially.

16. The method ofclaim 14, comprising corresponding the procedures to the gown identification marks based upon expected fluid exposure of the procedure.

17. The method ofclaim 14, depicting the information in chart form.

18. The method ofclaim 14, wherein the plurality of gown identification marks comprises a group of at least three distinct marks comprising:

a first symbol corresponding to procedures having a first expected exposure;

a second symbol corresponding to procedures having a second expected fluid exposure greater than the first expected fluid exposure; and

a third symbol corresponding to procedures having a third expected fluid exposure greater than the second expected fluid exposure.

19. The method ofclaim 14, comprising depicting at least one gown example corresponding to each different procedure at the first location.

20. The method ofclaim 14, comprising depicting each of the gown identification marks as a combination of words and at least one image.

21. The method ofclaim 14, comprising:

storing the gowns at the remote location; and

marking the indicia upon the gowns.

22. The method ofclaim 14, comprising marking the indicia on an inside surface of the gowns.

23. The method ofclaim 14, comprising corresponding the procedures to low, moderate, and high levels of expected fluid exposure, wherein the low level of expected fluid exposure is less than about 100 ml of fluid, the moderate level of expected fluid exposure is between about 100 ml and about 300 ml of fluid, and the high level of expected fluid exposure is greater than about 300 ml of fluid.

24. The method ofclaim 14, comprising packaging the gown and labeling the package with the appropriate gown identification mark.

25. A method of identifying a gown, comprising:

providing information corresponding a plurality of procedures to a plurality of gown identification marks;

providing a surgical gown to be worn during a surgical procedure, the gown configured for use with at least one of the procedures; and

labeling the gown in a manner substantially similar to at least one of the plurality of gown identification marks.

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