Temperature regulating garment

Abstract

A garment for regulating temperature includes a body having a back panel and at least one front panel made of a temperature insulating textile and partially joined along at least one common edge, the joined panels defining an inside chamber. At least one pocket is fastened to an inside surface of at least one of the front panel and the back panel. The at least one pocket is configured for accommodating a temperature regulating element.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A surgical garment comprising:
 a body including a back panel and at least one front panel made of a temperature insulating material and partially joined along at least one common edge, said joined panels defining an inside chamber and opposing arm holes;   at least one first pocket attached to an inner surface of at least one of said front panel and said back panel; and   at least one second pocket attached to an inner surface of at least one of said front panel and said back panel,   wherein at least one of said pockets is fastened to the inner surface of said back panel approximately 20-25 cm from a bottom of said back panel to a bottom of the pocket so as to be placed over the wearer's lumbar region, and   wherein said at least one first pocket and said at least one second pocket are each configured for accommodating a temperature regulating element.   
     
     
         2 . The surgical garment of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one temperature regulating element disposed inside one or more of said pockets, each said at least one temperature regulating element configured for maintaining a desired temperature within said inside chamber. 
     
     
         3 . The surgical garment of  claim 2 , wherein said at least one temperature regulating element is one of a heating element and a cooling element. 
     
     
         4 . The surgical garment of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one second pocket is configured as a double pocket having a third pocket and a fourth pocket attached to said inner surface of said front panel, said fourth pocket being attached to an outer surface of said third pocket or directly to said inner surface of said front panel such that said fourth pocket lies inside said third pocket, each said third and fourth pocket being constructed and arranged for simultaneously accommodating said temperature regulating element. 
     
     
         5 . The surgical garment of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one first pocket includes a third pocket and a fourth pocket attached to said inner surface of said front panel, said fourth pocket being attached to an outer surface of said third pocket or directly to said inner surface of said front panel such that said third pocket lies inside said fourth pocket, each said third and fourth pocket being constructed and arranged for simultaneously accommodating said temperature regulating element. 
     
     
         6 . The surgical garment of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one first pocket includes a third pocket and a fourth pocket attached to said inner surface of said front panel, said third pocket and said fourth pocket being laterally adjacent to each other. 
     
     
         7 . The surgical garment of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one first pocket includes a third and a fourth pocket attached to said inner surface of said front panel, said third pocket and said fourth pocket each forming a half of said at least one first pocket. 
     
     
         8 . The surgical garment of  claim 1 , wherein said first pocket and said second pocket are attached to said inner surface of said front panel approximately 10-15 cm from a bottom of said first pocket to a bottom edge of said garment and approximately 4 cm from a lower front edge of said front panel of the garment to a side edge of said first pocket. 
     
     
         9 . The surgical garment of  claim 1 , wherein each of said arm holes are defined by an end of a seam formed by joining said common edges of said front panel and said back panel, and at an end of said arm hole opposite said end of said seam by a shoulder seam formed by a junction of said front panel and said back panel. 
     
     
         10 . The surgical garment of  claim 9 , further including a first sleeve and a second sleeve affixed respectively to said arm holes. 
     
     
         11 . The surgical garment of  claim 10 , further including a cuff affixed to an end of each of said sleeves. 
     
     
         12 . The surgical garment of  claim 1 , further including at least one supplemental pocket. 
     
     
         13 . The surgical garment of  claim 1 , further including at least one of a neck or a collar. 
     
     
         14 . The surgical garment of  claim 13 , wherein at least one of said neck and said collar is made of rib-knit polyester. 
     
     
         15 . The surgical garment of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said pockets is made of a material selected from the group consisting of polyester mesh, surgical fabric and polyester fabric. 
     
     
         16 . The surgical garment of  claim 1 , wherein said body is made of a material selected from the group consisting of polyester fabric and surgical fabric. 
     
     
         17 . The surgical garment of  claim 1 , wherein said body is reversible such that said inner surface of said front panel becomes an outer surface of said front panel and said inner surface of said back panel becomes an outer surface of said back panel. 
     
     
         18 . A surgical garment comprising:
 a body including a back panel and at least one front panel made of a temperature insulating material and partially joined along at least one common edge, said joined panels defining an inside chamber and opposing arm holes;   at least one first pocket attached to an inner surface of at least one of said front panel and said back panel;   at least one second pocket attached to an inner surface of at least one of said front panel and said back panel,   wherein said at least one first pocket and said at least one second pocket are each configured for accommodating a temperature regulating element, said at least one second pocket configured as a double pocket having a third pocket and a fourth pocket attached to said inner surface of said front panel, said fourth pocket being attached to an outer surface of said third pocket or directly to said inner surface of said front panel such that said fourth pocket lies inside said third pocket, each said third and fourth pocket being constructed and arranged for simultaneously accommodating said temperature regulating element; and   at least one temperature regulating element disposed inside one or more of said pockets, each said at least one temperature regulating element configured for maintaining a desired temperature within said inside chamber.   
     
     
         19 . The surgical garment of  claim 18 , wherein said at least one first pocket includes a third pocket and a fourth pocket attached to said inner surface of said front panel, said third pocket and said fourth pocket being side-by-side pockets. 
     
     
         20 . The surgical garment of  claim 19 , wherein said third pocket and said fourth pocket each form one half of said at least one first pocket.