WO2008099998A1

WO2008099998A1 - Orthopedic water-repellent stockinette and method of manufacturing the same

Info

Publication number: WO2008099998A1
Application number: PCT/KR2007/004063
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jin-Woo Bae
Original assignee: BL TECH Co Ltd
Current assignee: BL TECH Co Ltd
Priority date: 2007-02-14
Filing date: 2007-08-24
Publication date: 2008-08-21
Anticipated expiration: 2009-08-14
Also published as: WO2008099987A1

Abstract

Disclosed is a stockinette used for application of a splint for orthopedics for supporting an affected part of a patient suffering from a fracture or a sprain. Unlike conventional stockinettes formed by weaving cotton yarn, in the orthopedic water-repellent stockinette of the invention, false twisted and drawn nylon yarn is subjected to weaving and then water-repellent treatment using a water-repellent agent. Whereas stockinettes and cotton bandages are sequentially applied underneath general plaster casts, the stockinette of the invention is characterized in that false twisted and drawn nylon yarn is subjected to circular knitting to increase elasticity and thickness and then to glossing and drying to increase impact absorption, thereby protecting the skin without the need to additionally use a cotton bandage, and also in that water-repellent treatment is conducted to let moisture escape without letting water in, thereby preventing the proliferation of bacteria and the generation of severe offensive odors due to residual moisture.

Description

ORTHOPEDIC WATER-REPELLENT STOCKINETTE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates, generally, to a stockinette used for the application of a splint for orthopedics for supporting an affected part of a patient suffering from a fracture or a sprain, and, more particularly, to an orthopedic water-repellent stockinette, in which nylon yarn, which is the material therefor, is subjected to weaving, to glossing and drying to increase impact absorption, and then to water- repellent treatment using a water-repellent agent, unlike conventional stockinettes woven from cotton yarn, and to a method of manufacturing the same. Background Art

[2] Conventionally, when a splint for orthopedics is applied, a general cotton stockinette and a cotton bandage are sequentially applied over the affected part of a patient, after which a plaster cast or synthetic resin type casting tape, which is wet with water, is further wound around the affected part to thus support the affected part.

[3] The stockinette and cotton bandage have been used to protect the skin from a splint used in the event of a fracture of a joint or a bone, and products related thereto have been developed in various forms for skin protection, along with the development of synthetic resin type casting tape.

[4] The stockinette and cotton bandage should make it convenient to apply the splint for orthopedics, and should have a function of inhibiting the proliferation of bacteria, because a patient must wear them for one month or longer. Further, the stockinette and cotton bandage should have a padding function sufficient to protect the skin from the splint, should be thick in order to prevent secondary injuries, and also, should be responsible for protecting the skin from a splint cutter upon the removal of the splint. Furthermore, the stockinette and cotton bandage should assure comfort and ventilation upon application to a patient, to thus let sweat escape without letting water in.

[5] Although the stockinette and cotton bandage have been used as materials for protecting the skin from the splint for a long period of time, there are difficulties in winding the stockinette and subsequently applying the cotton bandage thereon.

[6] The stockinette is made using hygroscopic cotton to absorb sweat, and the cotton bandage is also formed using hygroscopic cotton to absorb sweat. Such a stockinette and cotton bandage are thick to protect the skin, and therefore, they have poor ventilation and do not dry well upon contact with moisture. In particular, upon the application of a splint, since the splint is used in a wet state after it is immersed in water, moisture may remain in the hygroscopic stockinette and cotton bandage, undesirably causing the proliferation of bacteria and the generation of offensive odors.

[7] In order to mitigate such problems, Gore, USA, developed predetermined products in the form of tape using a waterproof but moisture-permeable Teflon film, which is a Gore-Tex material, thus letting sweat escape without letting water in, upon application to a splint.

[8] Further, in T & L Co. Ltd., Korea, products have been developed using a waterproof but moisture-permeable urethane film according to the same principle as that of Gore, USA.

[9] However, these products are disadvantageous because the film and the skin protecting layer are thin and thus it is difficult to decrease the impact from the splint, and also because they may be cut together upon the removal of the splint using a splint cutter, in which case additional protective tape should be provided.

[10] Furthermore, in the case where water enters into the film of the product, it is not passed through the product but may be passed therethrough only when completely vaporized, and thus a very long period of time is required for a drying process, thereby causing problems related to blistering of the affected part and the generation of offensive odors and itching.

[11] Also, there have been developed products obtained by subjecting stockinettes, typically composed of acryl, polyester, or polypropylene, to water-repellent treatment using a general water-repellent agent. However, these products suffer because they are thin, have no elasticity, and are not tough enough to absorb the impact from the splint, and thereby require the use of an additional cotton bandage.

[12] With the goal of solving these problems, the present applicant has proposed an orthopedic water-repellent stockinette, which is able to exhibit a padding function sufficient to protect the skin from a splint, to realize good ventilation and quick drying, and to dry readily after contact with moisture, and enables convenient application, even when used alone without an additional cotton bandage. Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem

[13] Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the related art, and an object of the present invention is to provide an orthopedic water-repellent stockinette, in which nylon yarn, which is false twisted and drawn, serving as the material for the stockinette, is subjected to circular knitting to increase the elasticity and thickness thereof, the circular knitted stockinette is subjected to glossing and drying to enhance the padding function between the skin and the splint, and a water-repellent treatment is then conducted to thus let moisture escape without letting water in, thus preventing the proliferation of bacteria and the generation of offensive odors and blisters due to residual moisture, and minimizing complexity due to the separate application of the stockinette and the cotton bandage. Technical Solution

[14] According to the characteristics of the present invention for achieving the above objects, nylon yarn having 50 deniers ~ 1100 deniers, may be subjected to false twisting and drawing at the same time, and then to circular knitting, along with elastic yarn having 20 deniers - 140 deniers to provide a good wearing feeling on the affected part, thus increasing the elasticity and thickness for a padding function, unlike general stockinettes for orthopedics.

[15] In the present invention, upon circular knitting, yarn may be designed and woven to a texture having a ratio of yarn needles to which yarn is fed to empty needles to which yarn is not fed of 1 : 1 or 2:2 depending on the way that yarn is fed to the needle, thus manufacturing circular knitted fabric having a network structure having rhombic or circular meshes, resulting in increased ventilation.

[16] Further, in order to increase the padding effect of the stockinette thus obtained, the circular knitted fabric is subjected to glossing by heating it in water at 7O⁰C ~ 95⁰C and then to drying, so that the false twisted yarn contracts, consequently increasing the thickness of the stockinette. The yarn thus thickened may function to increase the padding effect between the splint and the skin, is so thick that there is no need for an additional cotton bandage, and may increase impact absorption.

[17] Furthermore, water-repellent treatment may be conducted using a fluorine-based polymeric water-repellent agent that is harmless to the skin, followed by performing a drying process at 8O⁰C ~ 13O⁰C for 2 min ~ 5 min and then an adhesion process at 14O⁰C ~ 200⁰C for 2 min ~ 5 min, thus completing a water-repellent product that lets sweat escape without letting water in.

[18]

Brief Description of the Drawings

[19] FIG. 1 is a view showing the usage state of the orthopedic water-repellent stockinette according to the present invention; and

[20] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the orthopedic water-repellent stockinette according to the present invention.

[21]

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[22] Hereinafter, a detailed description will be given of the present invention, in conjunction with the appended drawings.

[23] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the orthopedic water-repellent stockinette according to the present invention is manufactured in a manner such that yarn is designed and woven to realize a texture having a ratio of yarn needles to which yarn is fed to empty needles to which yarn is not fed of 1 : 1 or 2:2, depending on the way that yarn is fed to the needle, through circular knitting, thus manufacturing circular knitted fabric having a tubular shape. The circular knitted fabric thus obtained has a network structure having rhombic or circular meshes, according to the above weaving type.

[24] Such a network structure enables efficient ventilation to thus let sweat and moisture escape.

[25] In the present invention, nylon yarn having 50 deniers ~ 1100 deniers is used through false twisting and drawing, along with elastic yarn having 20 deniers ~ 140 deniers.

[26] As such, in place of the nylon yarn, in the case where cotton yarn, polyester yarn, or polypropylene yarn is used, wear resistance and durability are decreased, undesirably deteriorating skin protection performance for a given impact from the splint to the affected part upon extended usage thereof.

[27] In the case where nylon yarn less than 50 deniers is used, the padding function is drastically decreased. On the other hand, if nylon yarn exceeding 1100 deniers is used, ventilation is decreased and it is difficult to apply the stockinette to the affected part. In the case where the elastic yarn is not used or elastic yarn less than 20 deniers is used, the wearing feeling on the bendable portion is poor. On the other hand, if elastic yarn exceeding 140 deniers is used, pressure is applied to the affected part, undesirably impeding blood flow.

[28] Further, in order to increase the thickness, the circular knitted fabric having a tubular shape is subjected to glossing by heating it in water at 7O⁰C ~ 95⁰C, and then to drying, so that the false twisted and drawn nylon yarn is contracted, consequently obtaining a stockinette having a high thickness. As such, in the case where the thickness thereof is increased without conducting glossing, yarn having 1100 deniers or more must be used. In this case, ventilation is decreased, as mentioned above.

[29] The thickness of the stockinette preferably ranges from 3 mm to 10 mm. If the thickness is below the lower limit, a padding function is deteriorated. On the other hand, if the thickness exceeds the upper limit, it is difficult to perform a shaping process. Further, the weight of the stockinette preferably ranges from 10 g/in-m to 30 g/in-m. If the weight is less than the lower limit, the density is decreased and thus the padding function is not exhibited. On the other hand, if the weight exceeds the upper limit, the patient suffers from discomfort due to the heaviness thereof.

[30] The stockinette of the present invention may be used in a manner such that a single- layer product is formed into a double layer, as seen in FIG. 2.

[31] In the case where the stockinette of the present invention is used as a single layer, the padding effect relative to the splint is decreased and the ability to protect the skin from a splint cutter is also decreased. Further, in the case where the stockinette is used in a triple layer or more, the pressure that is applied to the affected part is increased, and formability is decreased.

[32] The stockinette of the present invention may be variously provided to have a circular opening having a diameter of 2 inches, 3 inches, 4 inches, 5 inches, or 6 inches. Depending on the size of the applied affected part, a stockinette having circular openings having different diameters may be used by a user. In the case where the affected part is large-sized, a stockinette having circular openings having two or more diameters is preferably provided.

[33] Further, the stockinette of the present invention is subjected to water-repellent treatment using a fluorine-based polymeric water-repellent agent to thus let moisture escape without letting water in. The fluorine-based polymeric water-repellent agent is applied in an amount of 1 wt% - 10 wt%, dried at 8O⁰C ~ 13O⁰C for a time ranging from 2 min ~ 5 min, and subsequently adhered at an increased temperature ranging from 14O⁰C to 200⁰C for a time ranging from 2 min ~ 5 min. If the amount of the water-repellent agent is less then 1 wt%, water repellency is decreased and it becomes difficult to prevent the permeation of water. On the other hand, if the amount exceeds 10 wt%, the resultant coating film is separated and thus water repellency may be deteriorated. Further, when the drying and adhesion temperatures are lower than 8O⁰C, water repellency may be decreased after 2-3 washings of the stockinette of the invention. On the other hand, when the temperature exceeds 200⁰C, the water-repellent agent and the fabric may be deformed.

[34] As mentioned above, the stockinette of the present invention is characterized in that nylon yarn, having improved durability through false twisting and drawing, and elastic yarn are subjected to doubling and then to circular knitting to form a tubular shape, after which the circular knitted fabric having a tubular shape is subjected to glossing and drying to increase the elasticity and thickness thereof for skin protection, without the need to use a conventional cotton bandage, and also in that water-repellent treatment is conducted to let moisture escape without letting water in, thereby preventing the proliferation of bacteria and the generation of severe offensive odors due to residual moisture.

[35]

Mode for the Invention

[36] A better understanding of the present invention may be obtained through the following examples which are set forth to illustrate, but are not to be construed as the limit of the present invention.

[37] [Example 1] [38] 1. Circular Knitting: Circular knitted fabric was designed and woven to a texture having a ratio of yarn needles to which yarn is fed to empty needles to which yarn is not fed of 1:1 or 2:2 depending on the way that yarn is fed to the needle, through circular knitting, thus obtaining a circular knitted fabric having a tubular shape and having a network structure having rhombic meshes.

[39] In order to maintain the thickness of 3 mm ~ 7 mm, the nylon yarn having 50 deniers

~ 1100 deniers was subjected to false twisting and drawing, and then circular knitting, along with elastic yarn having 20 deniers ~ 140 deniers, to thus exhibit good formability. Further, the circular knitted fabric thus obtained was subjected to glossing by heating it in water at 7O⁰C ~ 95⁰C and then to drying, thus inducing contraction of the false twisted yarn, thereby making it possible to sufficiently increase the thickness thereof, resulting in a circular knitted fabric weighing 10 g/in-m ~ 30 g/in-m.

[40] 2. Water-Repellent Treatment: The circular knitted fabric was treated using a fluorine-based polymeric water-repellent agent. To this end, a fluorine-based polymeric water-repellent agent was diluted to 10% and was then applied on the circular knitted fabric at a weight ratio of 8:2. The resultant coating product was dried at 9O⁰C ~ 13O⁰C for 2 min ~ 5 min, and was then adhered at an increased temperature ranging from 14O⁰C to 18O⁰C for 2 min ~ 5 min, thus completing the stockinette of the present invention.

[41] 3. Comparison of Products

[42] The products were compared in terms of dryness and padding properties. The dryness of products subjected or not subjected to water-repellent treatment was evaluated. Further, the washability of the products depending on the temperatures of water-repellent treatment and adhesion treatment was evaluated.

[43] A conventional product using stockinette and cotton bandages, a Teflon film-type skin-protecting pad, available from B, USA, and a urethane-type skin-protecting pad, available from T, Korea, were used.

[44] (Test Example 1)

[45] In order to compare the dryness of the products, a 4-inch product was wound on an artificial foot and then a splint was applied thereto according to the method disclosed in the instructions for each product. The resultant product was completely dried, cut, and measured for its initial weight except the weight of the artificial foot. Subsequently, the product was immersed in water for 10 sec and was then removed therefrom, after which the weight of the product was measured over time while the product was dried in an oven at 7O⁰C. The results were recorded as a percentage and the drying time was determined.

[46] The weight of the product was measured over time and substituted into Equation 1 below to thus determine the amount of moisture remaining in the product as a percentage:

[47] Equation 1 [48] Initial Moisture Content (%) = [(product weight in water-initial product weight)/initial product weight] x 100

[49] Residual Moisture Removal (%) = [(product weight in water-dried product weight)/(product weight in water-initial product weight)] x 100

[50] The results are shown in Table 1 below. [51] Results of Dryness of Inventive Product and Conventional Product [52] Table 1 [Table 1]

[54] As is apparent from Table 1, the initial moisture content after the immersion process in water was the lowest in products available from B and T subjected to water-repellent treatment. The inventive product, subjected to water-repellent treatment, had an initial moisture content of 68%, which was higher than those of products available from B and T but was considerably lower than those of conventional stockinette products. The period of time required to completely dry the inventive product was determined to be 1.5 hours, which was much shorter than 5 hours for the products available from B and T. This is considered to be because the inventive product has a network structure and thus exhibits good ventilation, thus drying quickly even though initial moisture content is somewhat high.

[55] [56] (Test Example 2) [57] In order to compare the padding properties of the products, a 4-inch product was applied to a double layer, and the variation of force with thickness was measured through a compression test using a tensile tester, thereby determining a padding property. The results are shown in Table 2 below.

[58] Results of Variation of Force depending on Changes in Thickness [59] Table 2 [Table 2]

[60]

( 4 6 8

[61] As is apparent from Table 2, the inventive product and conventional stockinette had a thickness of 10 mm, which is considered to be suitable for protecting the affected part from the splint. In particular, the inventive product had higher elasticity than any of the other products, and thereby was seen to efficiently protect the affected part from external impact.

[62] [63] (Test Example 3) [64] In order to evaluate the washability of the water-repellent agent depending on the adhesion temperature, 3% of a fluorine-based polymeric water-repellent agent was applied, drying and adhesion thereof were conducted at corresponding temperatures for 8 min, several washings were conducted, and then water repellency was evaluated.

[65] Results of Washability depending on Adhesion Temperature [66] Table 3 [Table 3]

[67] As is apparent from Table 3, when a drying process was conducted at 15O⁰C, washability was determined to be the best. In the cases where the drying and adhesion were conducted at temperatures of 8O⁰C or lower, washability was determined to be gradually decreased. On the other hand, in the cases where the drying and adhesion were conducted at temperatures of 18O⁰C or higher, the properties of the water- repellent agent and the nylon yarn were seen to change.

[68]

Industrial Applicability [69] As described hereinbefore, the present invention provides an orthopedic water- repellent stockinette. According to the present invention, the stockinette simultaneously functions as both a stockinette and a cotton bandage for protecting the affected part of a patient from a splint, and thus eliminates the complexity of conventional separate applications. Further, while the stockinette of the present invention has good padding ability, which is essential for a stockinette and cotton bandage, it lets moisture escape without letting water in, thus preventing a blistering phenomenon caused by residual moisture. Furthermore, the proliferation of bacteria, severe offensive odors, and itching due to residual moisture, which are problems with conventional stockinettes, may be overcome, and a padding function may be exhibited.

[70]

Claims

[1] An orthopedic water-repellent stockinette for use in applying a splint for orthopedics for supporting an affected part of a patient suffering from a fracture or a sprain, which is manufactured by subjecting nylon yarn, which is false twisted and drawn, to doubling with elastic yarn and then to circular knitting to construct a circular knitted fabric having a tubular shape, after which the circular knitted fabric is subjected to glossing and drying and then to water-repellent treatment with a polymeric water-repellent agent.

[2] The stockinette according to claim 1, wherein the water-repellent agent is a fluorine -based polyacrylic water-repellent agent.

[3] A method of manufacturing an orthopedic water-repellent stockinette, comprising: false twisting and drawing, including false twisting and drawing nylon yarn; circular knitting, including subjecting the false twisted and drawn nylon yarn to doubling with elastic yarn and then to circular knitting to construct a circular knitted fabric having a tubular shape and a network structure; glossing and drying, including heating the circular knitted fabric having a tubular shape in water at 7O⁰C ~ 95⁰C to induce contraction thereof, and then drying it; water-repellent treatment, including subjecting the glossed and dried circular knitted fabric to water-repellent treatment using a fluorine-based polyacrylic water-repellent agent; and drying and adhesion, including drying the circular knitted fabric, subjected to water-repellent treatment, at 9O⁰C ~ 13O⁰C for 2 min ~ 5 min and then conducting adhesion at an increased temperature ranging from 14O⁰C ~ 18O⁰C for 2 min ~ 5 min.