Garments for Dialysis Patients

Abstract

Upper and lower garments (shirts and pants) having recloseable openings located apart from any structural seam in the garment provide improved comfort and privacy for dialysis patients receiving treatment. These garments may help reduce treatment cost and/or cross-contamination risk compared to the use of blankets or similar items.

1 . An upper garment for a dialysis patient formed as a long-sleeved shirt of a soft, insulating fabric, characterized in comprising:
 at least two recloseable openings located incompatibly with all structural seams of the upper garment,   a first of said two recloseable openings located on a right upper front quadrant of the upper garment and oriented vertically, and   a second of said two recloseable openings located on a vertical centerline of a front of the upper garment and extending down from no higher than a mid-chest position of the vertical centerline to short of a hem of the upper garment.   
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . The upper garment of  claim 1 , wherein each of the at least one two recloseable openings comprises a zipper. 
     
     
         4 . The upper garment of  claim 3  wherein each zipper of the at least two recloseable openings comprises two zipper sliders oriented so that a position and a length of and opening of the corresponding recloseable opening can be adjusted. 
     
     
         5 . The upper garment of  claim 1 , wherein each of the at least one recloseable openings comprises a plurality of buttons. 
     
     
         6 . The upper garment of  claim 1 , wherein each of the at least one recloseable openings comprises a plurality of snaps. 
     
     
         7 . The upper garment of  claim 1 , wherein each of the at least one recloseable openings comprises a hook-and-loop fabric closure. 
     
     
         8 . The upper garment of  claim 1  wherein all of the at least two recloseable openings extend through all fabric layers of the upper garment so as to allow access from outside the upper garment to a surface of a patient's skin when the patient wears the upper garment. 
     
     
         9 . A lower garment for a dialysis patient formed as long-legged pants of a soft, insulating fabric, characterized by comprising:
 at least one recloseable opening located incompatibly with all structural seams of the lower garment,   said at least one recloseable opening closed by a zipper with two sliders oriented so that one sub-portion of the recloseable opening may be opened, while a remainder of the recloseable opening is closed,   said at least one recloseable opening located along a front of a left leg of the lower garment and extending from no higher than about a mid-thigh location through to no lower than about a mid-shin location.   
     
     
         10 - 12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . The lower garment of  claim 9  wherein the at least one recloseable opening is exactly one recloseable opening. 
     
     
         14 . The lower garment of  claim 9  wherein all of the at least one recloseable openings extend through all fabric layers of the garment so as to allow access from outside the garment to a surface of a patient's skin when the patient wears the garment. 
     
     
         15 . A dialysis costume for a patient, comprising:
 an upper garment having two full-length sleeves attached to a torso portion at shoulders thereof, said torso portion having an open lower end and a collared neck opening at an opposite, upper end,   said upper garment constructed with at least one material seam connecting a sleeve to the torso, closing a side of the torso, closing a shoulder of the torso, or closing a length of a sleeve; and   at least a first reversibly-closeable opening through all fabric layers of the upper garment, said at least a first reversibly-closeable opening located incompatibly with all of the at least one material seams of the upper garment; and   a lower garment having two full-length, separated pant-legs attached to a waistband, said lower garment constructed with at least one material seam connecting a left side of the garment to a right side of the garment or closing one of the left pant leg or the right pant leg; and   at least a second reversibly-closeable opening through all fabric layers of the lower garment, said at least a second reversibly-closeable opening located incompatibly with all of the at least one material seams of the lower garment, said second reversibly-closeable opening extending from no higher than about a mid-thigh position of the lower garment to no lower than about a mid-shin position of the lower garment.