Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
PKY0000CADOO
REUSABLE PACK FOR PROMOTING REST, ICING, COMPRESSION,
AND ELEVATION OF INJURED FINGER
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(1) Field of the Invention
The invention pertains generally to a device for increasing compliance to the
RICE (Rest, Ice,
Compress, and Elevate) treatment recommended by doctors for swollen and
bruised sites. More
specifically, a reusable pack encourages and facilitates compliance with rest,
icing, compression,
and elevation of injured fingers by children.
(2) Description of the Related Art
Many people at some point in their lives have injured or bruised a part of
their body and have tried
one or combination of known techniques to reduce the pain and swelling. People
may choose to
take analgesics by mouth or topically apply them to the injured site for
reducing swelling and pain,
but analgesics are not suitable for everyone. When taken orally, analgesics
are known to have side
effects such as constipation, drowsiness, and upset stomach to name a few.
Also, topically applied
analgesic may wear off by clothing or rubbing against another surface which
can be annoying for
people with an active lifestyle. Furthermore, some topical analgesic products
are not suitable for
children as it can be extremely uncomfortable and potentially fatal if the
child got the cream in
their eyes, mouth, or nose. Natural alternatives such as turmeric or Aloe vera
may also be used, but
some people may be allergic to these items.
Another potential solution for reducing pain and swelling is to use "cool-
compress" bandages. The
use of these bandages is limited to arms and legs as they are not suitable for
small areas such as
fingers.
Another common solution recommended by doctors is to use icepacks. For icing,
some people may
choose to use an instant cold pack having two bags where an outer bag contains
water and an inner
bag within the outer bag contains ammonium nitrate, calcium ammonium nitrate,
or urea. When
the inner bag is broken by squeezing the package, there is an endothermic
reaction which cools the
bag. The instant cold packs can only be used once, hence they can be harmful
to the environment.
Despite their effectiveness, icepacks can be an inconvenient process as the
injured person needs to
hold the icepack against the injured site and the person is unable to perform
their day-to-day tasks.
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The issue is particularly worse if someone injures their fingers as the person
would be required to
hold the icepack with one hand and apply the icepack to the other hand. Using
an icepack could
also have a particularly low compliance rate among children who by nature
generally prefer to be
active and would rather not sit for too long even when injured.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention there is disclosed a
reusable pack for
treating soft tissue injuries, the reusable pack includes a bandage having a
first end, a second end,
and means for removably attaching a bottom surface of the first end to a top
surface of the second
end. It further includes an icepack comprising a thermal mass and means of
removably fastening
.. the icepack to a middle portion of the bandage. The icepack is removably
fastened to the middle
portion of the bandage. The bandage is removably wrapped around an injured
site.
These and other advantages and embodiments of the present invention will no
doubt become
apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following
detailed description of
preferred embodiments illustrated in the various figures and drawings.
.. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will be described in greater detail with reference to the
accompanying drawings
which represent preferred embodiments thereof:
FIG. lA shows a reusable pack that can be removably fastened to a desired
location such as a finger,
FIG. 1B shows the reusable pack wrapped around the finger in a first
configuration, and FIG. IC
shows the reusable pack wrapped around the finger in a second configuration
according to an
exemplary embodiment.
FIG. 2 shows a reusable pack having a pocket for holding the removable icepack
according to an
exemplary embodiment.
FIG. 3A shows a finger sleeve encasing the refrigerant gel between an inner
cloth and an outer
.. cloth which prevent the refrigerant gel from leaking, FIG. 3B shows a cross-
section view of the
finger sleeve illustrated in FIG. 3A, and FIG. 3C shows the finger sleeve as
worn by the user
according to an exemplary embodiment.
FIG. 4 shows a cross-section of an open ring that is capable of housing the
removable mini icepack
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according to an exemplary embodiment.
FIG. 5 shows a reusable kit which includes the mini reusable bandage of FIG.
1A and a plurality
of mini icepacks having different shapes, sizes, and colour according to an
exemplary embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
FIG. IA shows a reusable pack 100 that can be removably fastened to a desired
location such as a
finger according to an exemplary embodiment. FIG. 1B shows the reusable pack
100 wrapped
around the finger 102 in a first configuration, and FIG. IC shows the reusable
pack 100 wrapped
around the finger 100 in a second configuration.
The reusable pack 100 which can be used in a reversible configuration in this
embodiment includes
a removable icepack 104 and a reusable bandage 106. The reusable bandage 106
has a bottom
surface 108 that contacts the skin and a top surface 110 which is visible to
the user when the
reusable bandage 106 has been wrapped around a bruised or swollen site. At a
first end 112 of the
reusable bandage 106, there are wrapping hooks 114 on the bottom surface 108,
and at a second
end 116 of the reusable bandage 106 there are wrapping loops 118 on the bottom
surface 108. The
wrapping hooks 114 and the wrapping loops 118 are sewed to a reusable bandage
support 120 and
may be implemented using any hook and loop technique such as Velcro . The
wrapping hooks
114 and the wrapping loops 118 make it possible to removably wrap the first
end 112 of the
reusable bandage 106 with the second end 116 of the reusable bandage 106
around the desired
location; the ability to removably wrap the bandage 106 makes it possible use
the reusable pack
100 multiple times such to help heal injuries to the finger 102 at different
times. Within a middle
portion 122 of the reusable bandage 106, the reusable bandage 106 has icepack
attachment hooks
124 on the bottom surface 108 for removably fastening the removable icepack
104.
The removable icepack 104 can be formed by sealing commercially available
refrigerant gel in a
leakproof bag 126. The leakproof bag 126 has the icepack attachment loops 128
on the bottom
surface 130 which make it possible to removably fasten the removable icepack
104 to the icepack
attachment hooks 124 in the middle portion 122 of the reusable bandage 106.
The combination of
icepack attachment hooks 124 on the reusable bandage 106 and the icepack
attachment loops 128
on the icepack 104 allow the removable icepack 104 to be easily changed. The
hooks 124 and the
loops 128 also allow the removable icepack 104 to be mounted in various
orientations. In this
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embodiment, the removable icepack 104 has an aesthetically appealing shape or
other characteristic
to encourage children to use the reusable pack 100. Examples of aesthetically
appealing shapes
include a star, rocket, airplane, ball, spaceship, figurine, or smiley faces,
for example. The
removable icepacks 104 can also be made in different colors, shapes, or sizes.
Examples of different
colours include red, yellow, green, blue, purple, magenta, or orange, for
example. Examples of
different shape includes diamond, sphere, cube, rectangular prism, or pyramid,
for example. In
some embodiments, the mini reusable packs 100 intended for fingers are smaller
than 1 inch in
width and 3 inches in length, and the mini removable icepacks 104 used for
fingers are smaller
than 1 inch3 in volume.
In the first configuration as illustrated in FIG. 1B, the top surface 131 of
the removable icepack
104 makes direct contact with an area where cold therapy is targeted to
provide fast cooling. Sides
of the icepack are insulated with an insulating material thereby allowing the
removable icepack
104 to remain cooler for a longer duration. The bottom surface 108 of the
reusable bandage 106
contacts skin and the top surface 110 of the reusable bandage 106 is visible
to the user in the first
configuration.
In the second configuration as illustrated in FIG. 1C, the reusable pack 100
illustrated in FIG. lA
is used in a reversed configuration such that the top surface 110 of the
reusable bandage 106
contacts the skin and the bottom surface 108 is seen by the user. In this
configuration, the removable
icepacks 104 can be easily attached and detached as the icepack attachment
hooks 124 are
accessible to the user without unwrapping the reusable bandage 106. Another
advantage of this
embodiment is that the reusable bandage 106 acts as a physical barrier between
the skin and the
icepack 104 which can help avoid frostbite and excessive cooling.
In addition to the characteristics of the icepack 104 targeting the interest
of children, the top surface
110 and the bottom surface 108 of the bandage 106 has aesthetically appealing
illustrations for the
targeted audience to motivate them to use the reusable pack 100. Examples
include illustrations
including Mickey Mouse , Donald Duck , Superman , Spider-Man , Hello Kitty ,
Rocket
Power , Rugrats , smiley faces, Barbie , Dora the Explorer , and Batman . In
addition to the
aesthetically appealing illustrations, the reusable bandage 106 in this
embodiment has a
temperature indicator 132 for detecting the temperature of the icepack 104 and
notifying the user
when the removable icepack 104 needs to be replaced. In this embodiment, the
temperature
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indicator 132 is a thermal coating that changes colour with changes in
temperature where the
change in colour can be visually seen by the user wearing the removable pack
100. The thermal
coating is applied to the top surface 110 and the bottom surface 108 of the
reusable bandage 106
and/or icepack 104.
In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1A, the reusable bandage 106 also has
light emitting diodes
(LED) and one or more sensors such as an accelerometer 134. The combination of
the
accelerometer 134 and corresponding electronic circuit are hidden between the
reusable bandage
support 120 and the wrapping hooks 114 at the first end 112 of the reusable
bandage 106.
For RICE treatment, it is recommended that the patients keep the injured
location elevated above
the heart. For example, if the user injures their finger 102, one way to keep
the finger 102 elevated
is to keep the finger 102 pointing up towards the sky, which will tend by the
natural position of the
arm to keep is the finger above the heart. The accelerometer 134 and
corresponding electronic
circuit are used for detecting an orientation and related movement of the
reusable bandage 106. A
first LED 136 located in the middle portion 122 of the reusable bandage 106
lights up when the
accelerometer 134 detects the finger 102 is elevated which encourages the user
to keep their finger
102 elevated and keeps them engaged in their recovery. The accelerometer 134
can also be used to
detect a movement of the injured site to check how still the person is holding
the injured site. A
second LED 138 located in a middle portion 122 of the reusable bandage 106
lights up when the
user has been resting the injured site for time greater than a set duration.
If the person moves the
injured site in a direction not orientated upwards the first LED 136 turns
off, and if the person
makes sudden movements to the injured sites, the second LED 138 turns off. As
a game, the user
can try to keep both the first LED 136 and the second LED 138 on. Existing
products on the market
generally only promote ice and compression, but the embodiment illustrated in
FIG. lA including
the sensor(s) 134 and LED indicators 136, 138 encourages rest, ice,
compression, and elevation
which is advantageous for healing.
Many existing alternatives for providing cold therapy such as icepacks are not
suitable for fingers
as they are too bulky, and the person would have to hold the icepack with one
hand and apply the
icepack to the other hand. This could have a particularly low compliance rate
amongst children
who prefer to be active and would rather not sit for too long even when
injured. The mini reusable
pack 100 as disclosed herein can be particularly helpful for finger injuries
especially for children
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as the bandage 106 and icepack 104 are in fact toys that may increase the
child's compliance to the
RICE treatment typically recommended by doctors.
Smaller icepacks 104 are particularly beneficial for providing cold therapy to
sites such as the
finger 102 due the smaller size of fingers 102 in comparison to areas such
shoulder or ankle, for
example. Using a smaller icepack 104 provides cooling at the site of the
injury whereas larger
icepacks would also cool the surrounding areas which is typically not
necessary. The reusable
packs 100 have hook 114 and loop 118 fasteners which also makes them reusable.
Using reusable
bandages 106 for holding the icepacks 104 (also reusable) reduces waste in
comparison to using
disposable bandages. Due to its smaller size, the mini icepack 104 is also
likely to cool faster in
the fridge preserving energy required and allowing for rapid recharging of the
"coldness" when the
child reports that the icepack 104 is no longer cool. Another advantage of the
mini reusable pack
100 is that the user can simply wrap the bandage 106 around the bruised or
swollen finger 102 and
continue with their activities with minimal attendance. If larger icepacks
such as the one that are
typically used for arms or legs were to be used, the person would have to sit
and hold the icepacks
against the bruised finger which can be time consuming, inconvenient and
boring especially for
children.
FIG. 2 shows a pocketed reusable pack 200 for holding the removable icepack
104 according to an
exemplary embodiment. In this embodiment, the icepack attachment hooks 124
illustrated in FIG.
lA are omitted, and the reusable bandage 106 has a pocket 202 formed by
attaching a pocket cloth
204 on the top surface 110 of the reusable bandage 106. The removable icepack
104 can be placed
within the pocket 202. The pocket cloth 204 can also be used for insulating
the mini icepack 104
from the external environment to make the coolness last for longer. The
reusable bandage 106 is
fabricated from a waterproof material. Also, the pocketed reusable pack 200 is
coated with a glow
in dark paint 206 making it fun to wear and encouraging children to comply
with RICE treatment.
In another embodiment, the removable icepack 104 is sealed within the pocket
202.
FIG. 3A shows a finger sleeve 300 encasing the refrigerant gel 302 between an
inner cloth 304 and
an outer cloth 306 which prevent the refrigerant gel 302 from leaking, FIG. 3B
shows a cross-
section view of the finger sleeve 300 illustrated in FIG. 3A, and FIG. 3C
shows the finger sleeve
300 as worn by the user according to an exemplary embodiment. The inner cloth
304 and outer
cloth 306 are sewed together at a first end 308 and a second end 310 which
seals the gel 302. Inner
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surfaces 312 of the inner cloth 304 and the outer cloth 306 contacting the
refrigerant gel 302 have
a lining fabric 314 to prevent leakage through the inner 304 and outer cloth
306. The refrigerant
gel 302 makes this embodiment reusable as the refrigerant gel 302 within the
finger sleeve 300 can
be cooled by placing the finger sleeve 300 in the refrigerator or freezer.
After the finger sleeve 300
has been cooled, the user slides on the elastic finger sleeve 300 as shown in
FIG. 3C and keeps it
on as long as necessary or until the finger sleeve 300 does not provide
adequate cooling. If the
finger sleeve 300 does not provide adequate cooling, it can be removed and
placed in the fridge to
cool it again. Elastic material of the finger sleeve 300 can also help provide
mild compression at
the effected site. If multiple fingers were to be injured at the same time,
the multiple finger sleeves
300 can be easily used by the user to reduce pain and swelling.
FIG. 4 shows a cross-section of an open ring 400 that is capable of housing
the removable mini
icepack 104 according to an exemplary embodiment. The open ring 400 has a
first end 402 and a
second end 404, and each end of the ring has a C-shape mini icepack jaw 406.
The removable mini
icepack 104 is held between the first end 402 and the second end 404 by the C-
shape mini icepack
.. jaws 406. The open ring 400 is made from a material capable of undergoing
elastic deformation.
In other words, the material can temporarily change the shape when force is
applied and go back
to the original shape when the force is removed. When the user desires to
place the removable mini
icepack 106 in the open ring 400, the two ends of the ring are gently pulled
apart and the mini
icepack 104 is placed between the first end 402 and the second end 404. When
the force is released,
.. the removable icepack 104 is held between by the open ring 400 between the
first end 402 and the
second end 404 by the C-shape on both sides 406 by the tension in the open
ring 400. The open
ring 400 with the mini icepack 104 can be worn by the user at the injured
site.
FIG. 5 shows a reusable kit 500 which includes the mini reusable bandage 106
of FIG. IA and a
plurality of mini icepacks 104 having different shapes, sizes, and colours. In
an example use
scenario according to an exemplary embodiment, multiple versions of kits each
having different
themes allows for children to select a favorite kit for purchase. Each kit may
have a plurality of
icepacks 104 differing from one another in some characteristic but having a
common theme, for
example. After opening the kit at home, a user such as a parent or care
provider stores the plurality
of removable icepacks 104 in the fridge. When a child injures their finger
102, their parent or
guardian may let the child choose a first removable icepack from the plurality
of removable
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icepacks stored in the fridge. The child selects the first removable icepack
that appeals to them
from the fridge and attaches it to the icepack attachment hooks 124 on the
reusable bandage 106.
Once the removable icepack 104 has been attached to the reusable bandage 106,
the reusable
bandage 106 can be wrapped around the desired location where either the top
surface 110 of the
reusable bandage 106 or the bottom surface 108 of the reusable bandage 106
contacts the site where
therapy is desired. The two ends of the reusable bandage 106 are fastened
together with wrapping
hooks 114 and wrapping loops 118 to provide mild compression. Either of the
configurations of
FIG. 1B and 1C can be utilized depending on the level of coolness desired by
the child and/or
caregiver.
The first LED 136 and second LED 138 in this embodiment encourage the child to
keep the finger
102 elevated by pointing it in the upwards direction and rested by holding
still making the reusable
pack 100 interactive for the child. They can keep the finger elevated in a
resting position until the
temperature indicator 138 notifies the user that the removable icepack 104
needs to be replaced.
The child then optionally unwraps the reusable bandage 106 if the icepack 104
is in the
configuration of FIG. 1B where the icepack 104 is between the bandage 106 and
the child's finger
102, takes off the first removable icepack, and place it back in the fridge to
be used again once the
removable icepack 104 has cooled. If desired, the child and/or parent/care
provider can take a
second removable icepack from the fridge and continue to use the reusable pack
100 for cold
therapy. In this way, the reusable kit 500 becomes an interactive toy for
children so they can recover
from injury while playing and forgetting about the pain as the reusable kit
500 may take the child's
attention away from the pain and keep them engaged by giving them a goal where
they need to
keep the first LED 136 and the second LED 138 lit simultaneously.
According to an exemplary embodiment, a reusable pack 100 for treating soft
tissue injuries
includes the bandage 106 having the first end 112, the second end 116, and
means for removably
attaching the bottom surface 108 of the first end 112 to the top surface 110
of the second end 116.
The removable attachments allow the bandage 106 to be removably wrapped around
an injured
site. It further includes the icepack 104 comprising thermal mass and means of
removably fastening
the icepack 104 to the middle portion 122 of the bandage 106. The removable
fasteners allow one
of a plurality of icepacks 104 having different shapes, sizes, or colour to be
attached to the bandage
106 as selected by the user. The reusable pack 100 may have sensors for
encouraging the user to
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rest and orient the injured site in an upward direction. The reusable pack 100
may also have thermal
sensors 132 for detecting temperature of the reusable pack 100 and notifying
the user when the
icepack 104 needs to be replaced.
Although the invention has been described in connection with preferred
embodiments, it should be
understood that various modifications, additions and alterations may be made
to the invention by
one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the
invention.
The reusable bandage 106 and icepack 104 can be made in various sizes for
different parts of the
body including the finger, arm, leg, ankle, elbow, shoulder, and knee, for
example. In the
embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the mini removable icepack 100 used for
finger 102 has volume
smaller than 1.0 in3. For the icepacks used for other parts of the body, the
icepack 104 volume may
be smaller than 2.0 in3, 3.0 in3, 5.0 in3, 10.0 in3, or 50.0 in3 depending on
the application, for
example. Likewise, the reusable bandage 106 may have different length and
width for other parts
of the body.
In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3A, the finger sleeve 300 is made from
an elastic material.
In another embodiment, the finger sleeve 300 is made from a rigid material
that provides support
to the injured site and helps to immobilize the finger 102 to prevent further
damage. This may be
advantageous for hairline fractures. The finger sleeve has a semi-circular
cross section which make
the finger sleeve easy to put on. The rigid finger sleeve also has a strap
that can be used for
removably wrapping the finger sleeve 300 around the finger 102 and for
providing mild
compression. In yet another embodiment, the outer cloth 306 has a pocket 202.
The removable
mini icepack 104 can be placed within the pocket 202 when needed, otherwise
the finger sleeve
300 can be used just for compression. By having the pocket 202 for the
removable icepack 104,
finger sleeve 300 can continuously provide compression and the removable
icepack 104 can be
placed in the pocket 202 when cold therapy is required.
In embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1A, wrapping hooks 114 and wrapping loops
118 are used for
removably wrapping the first end 112 and the second end 116 of the reusable
bandage 106. In other
embodiments, other types of fastening mechanisms are used for removably
wrapping. Other type
of fastening mechanisms includes reusable adhesives, reusable tape, bandage
clips, magnets, snap
fasteners, or a combination thereof. Furthermore, the icepack attachment hooks
124 on the bandage
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can be replaced with loops, and icepack attachment loops 128 on the removable
icepack can be
replaced with hooks. It is also possible to use any of the previously
described fastening mechanisms
in the middle portion 122 of the reusable bandage 106 for removably attaching
the removable mini
icepack 104 with the reusable bandage 106. In addition, the removable icepacks
104 in some
embodiments have the previously described fastening mechanism so the removable
icepacks 104
can be removably attached to the reusable bandage 106. In the embodiment
illustrated in FIG. 3A,
the first end 308 and the second end 310 of the finger sleeve 300 are
stitched. In other embodiments,
the first end 308 and second end 310 of the finger sleeve 300 can be attached
with glue, paste, clips,
or zippers, for example.
In some embodiments, the reusable bandage 106 and the finger sleeve 300 has at
least one hole to
improve ventilation. In some embodiments, the reusable bandage 106 changes
colour based on the
temperature. In this embodiment, the mini icepack 104 is formed with
refrigerant gel 302 as the
thermal mass within the icepack 104. In other embodiments, the mini icepacks
104 are made with
any thermal mass such as water, vinyl-coated silica gel, hydroxyethyl
cellulose, sodium
polyacrylate, or other liquids.
In the illustrated embodiments, the reusable pack 100 is used for swollen and
bruised sites. In some
embodiments, the reusable pack 100 is used for cuts to reduce bleeding. In
some embodiments, a
plurality of removable icepacks may be attached to the reusable bandage 106.
In some embodiments, the illustrations, thermal coating 132, the first LED
136, and the second
LED 138 may only be applied to either the top surface 110 or the bottom
surface 108 of the reusable
bandage 106. The accelerometer 134, the first LED 136, and the second LED 138
are placed on
the removable icepack 104 in some embodiments. In other embodiments,
electronics such as a
temperature sensor may be used to have an LED indicate the temperature is
lower than a particular
threshold. When the LED turns off, the child (or caregiver) knows the icepack
104 is no longer
cool and can be swapped out.
In some embodiments, a tiny battery such as a watch battery is integrated into
the bandage 106 to
provide power for the electronics. In other embodiments, each icepack 104
includes a battery for
powering the electronics. Regardless of the location of the battery, in
preferred embodiments, the
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battery is enclosed in an openable container or other holder thereby allowing
the parent or care
provider to replace the battery when it runs out.
In yet other embodiments, the electronics such as LED and circuit / sensor(s)
are omitted while
still having a fun bandage and removable icepacks 104 appealing and beneficial
for children to use.
In some embodiments, to encourage elevation, the miniature icepacks 104 or
bandage 106 have
integrated mechanical moving parts that rotate into desirable orientations
only under the force of
gravity when the finger 102 or other body part upon which the bandage 106 is
attached is orientated
in the upwards direction.
In yet other embodiments, no moving parts or electronics are included while
still encouraging
children to orientate their injured finger 102 in an elevated manner. For
instance, by designing the
icepacks 104 such that they have a design that makes more sense when
orientated in an upwards
direction, the child can be taught by the parent or caregiver to attach the
icepack 104 to the bandage
106 in the correct orientation such that the icepack 104 will be upright when
the child points their
finger upwards. An example of an icepack design that would make sense when
oriented in an
upward direction may include a profile of a movie or cartoon character that
children would
naturally want to see right-side up. In yet other embodiments, a mechanical
attachment for
attaching the icepack 104 and the bandage 106 may be designed to only allow
attaching the icepack
105 in the orientation that will be visually appealing when the child holds
their finger pointing in
the upwards direction. For instance, the bandage 106 may include three holes
orientated in a
triangular pattern that accept three corresponding protrusions on the icepack
104 in a friction fit
attachment scheme. Because of the triangular orientation in this embodiment,
it is only possible for
the child to attach the icepack 104 in the correct orientation.
Although the above illustrated embodiments show a reversible bandage where the
icepack 104 can
be held either against the user's skin as illustrated in FIG. 1B or on the
outside of the bandage as
illustrated in FIG. IC, in some embodiments, the bandage 106 is not reversible
and only has
attachment means on one side. For instance, a bandage according to a first
single sided embodiment
may have attachment means on the outside allow attaching the icepack 104 only
as shown in FIG.
1C. Likewise, a bandage according to a second single sided embodiment may have
attachment
means on the inside allowing attaching the icepack 104 only as shown in FIG.
1B.
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Although the above illustrated embodiments are particularly beneficial for
treating bruising, the
design may also be utilized to treat cuts and bleeding as well. For instance,
the bandage 106 may
be utilized in the configuration of FIG. 1C where the icepack 104 is on the
outside surface 110 and
a sterile absorbent material may be located on the center inner surface
similar to a typical bandage.
In yet other embodiments, the kit may include a plurality of pads of absorbent
material that can be
inserted as necessary by the user either between the bandage 106 and the
injured area when the
pack 100 is used in the configuration of FIG. 1C, or between the icepack 104
and the injured area
when the pack 100 is used in the configuration of FIG. 1B.
All combinations and permutations of the above described features and
embodiments may be
utilized in conjunction with the invention.
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