Surgical gown tie attachment

Abstract

There is disclosed the use of bonding and the placement of a reinforcement piece to meet AAMI levels 3 and 4 barrier properties in surgical gowns and similar articles formed from thermally sensitive laminate barrier materials that are composed of thermoplastic polymers. The reinforcement piece is placed on the side opposite of the tie and the bonding uses a point-unbonded pattern.

1 . A surgical gown having an AAMI critical zone comprising a tie cord bonded to said gown at a bond in said critical zone wherein said bond passes AATCC test Method 127-1998. 
   
   
       2 . The surgical gown of  claim 1  further comprising a reinforcement piece on a side opposite said tie cord. 
   
   
       3 . The surgical gown of  claim 3  wherein said reinforcement piece has an area of at most 10 square inches. 
   
   
       4 . The surgical gown of  claim 1  wherein said bond is produced with a PUB pattern. 
   
   
       5 . The surgical gown of  claim 4  wherein said bond has an area of between about and 30 percent. 
   
   
       6 . The surgical gown of  claim 5  wherein said bond has an area of about 25 percent. 
   
   
       7 . A surgical gown having a tie cord, a reinforcement piece on the side opposite said tie cord, and a tie cord bond area where said tie cord is bonded to said gown and said reinforcement piece, wherein said tie cord bond area passes ASTM test 1671-b. 
   
   
       8 . The surgical gown of  claim 7  wherein said gown comprises a polyolefin microfiber layer. 
   
   
       9 . The gown of  claim 8  wherein said microfiber layer is a spunbond layer which is made from polyethylene, polypropylene or an ethylene-propylene copolymer. 
   
   
       10 . The gown of  claim 7  wherein said gown further comprises a filled film. 
   
   
       11 . The gown of  claim 10  wherein said tie cord has an outer layer that is treated with an antistat and a fluorochemical to reduce surface tension. 
   
   
       12 . The gown of  claim 7  wherein said bond is made at a pressure between 50 and 90 psi and for a weld time between 0.05 and 0.25 seconds. 
   
   
       13 . The gown of  claim 12  wherein said bond is made at a pressure between 60 and 75 psi and for a weld time between 0.1 and 0.2 seconds 
   
   
       14 . The gown of  claim 12  wherein said bond is made at a pressure of about 65 psi for a weld time of about 0.18 seconds. 
   
   
       15 . A surgical gown having an AAMI critical zone of sleeves and chest and comprising a tie cord bonded to said gown with a bond at a tie cord bonding area in said critical zone, wherein said bond is produced with a PUB pattern having an area of about 25 percent and at a pressure of about 65 psi and a weld time of about 0.18 seconds, said gown is made from polypropylene SMS and has a reinforcing section of polyethylene film in said AAMI critical zone. 
   
   
       16 . The gown of  claim 15  wherein said tie cord bonding area passes ASTM test 1671-b. 
   
   
       17 . A method of bonding a tie cord to a surgical gown comprising the steps of placing said tie cord on said gown and thermally bonding them together at a tie cord bonding area with a PUB pattern, wherein said tie cord bonding area passes AATCC test Method 127-1998. 
   
   
       18 . A method of bonding a tie cord to a surgical gown comprising the steps of placing said tie cord on said gown, placing a reinforcement piece on a side opposite said tie cord, and thermally bonding them together at a tie cord bonding area where said tie cord is bonded to said gown and said reinforcement piece with a PUB pattern, wherein said tie cord bonding area passes ASTM test 1671-b.