Privacy medical garment for access to a buttocks region

Abstract

A medical garment pant that provides limited but easy access to a patient's buttocks in a manner that offers both coverage and protection includes a garment pant having a crotch seam or backside panel; at least one selectively closable, elongated passageway that spans a longitudinal distance along the crotch seam or backside panel and is adapted for central alignment with a gluteal cleft and anal orifice; and a closure mechanism for selectively closing and opening the elongated passageway. The closure mechanism may include a first joinder and a second joinder that removably join sides of the elongated passageway by coming together at a central location between ends of the elongated passageway.

1 . A medical garment pant that provides limited but easy access to a patient's buttocks in a manner that provides coverage and protection, the medical garment pant comprising:
 a garment pant having a crotch seam or backside panel;   at least one selectively closable, elongated passageway that spans a longitudinal distance along the crotch seam or backside panel and is adapted for central alignment with an anal orifice; and   a closure mechanism that removably joins sides of the elongated passageway to provide selective opening and closing of the elongated passageway.   
     
     
         2 . The medical garment pant in  claim 1 , wherein the elongated passageway is a slit formed in a material of the garment pant, the slit having two sides that are removably joined by the closure mechanism in a location that is between ends of the slit. 
     
     
         3 . The medical garment pant in  claim 1 , wherein the longitudinal distance of the elongated passageway is configured so as not to extend beyond iliac crests of a hip region on either a front side or a back side of the garment pant. 
     
     
         4 . The medical garment pant in  claim 1 , wherein the longitudinal distance of the elongate passageway does not extend to a perimeter top of the garment pant. 
     
     
         5 . The medical garment pant in  claim 1 , wherein the closure mechanism is a two-way zipper including first and second joinders that run along a length of the elongated passageway to form an opening that is both operator-variable in length and position such that the opening may allow minimal amount of body exposure, while providing access to the desired location. 
     
     
         6 . The medical garment pant in  claim 5 , wherein the two-way zipper includes chain or teeth elements engaged by two joinder tabs such that at least a portion of the two sides are joined together when first and second joinder tabs move in closing directions along the elongated passageway and at least a portion of the two sides are unjoined from one another when the first and second tabs move in opening directions that are opposite the closing directions. 
     
     
         7 . The medical garment pant in  claim 6 , wherein each tab includes either a male or female component, the male component having a protruding element that is positioned over a receiving receptacle on the female component, so that an external, downwardly directed force mechanically joins the male and female components such that the tabs are locked together. 
     
     
         8 . The medical garment pant in  claim 6 , wherein the tabs include adhesive on tab sides facing each other such the tab sides may be pressed together to secure the tabs to one another. 
     
     
         9 . The medical garment pant in  claim 8 , wherein each tab includes an inert padding material between an underside of the tab and the adhesive. 
     
     
         10 . The medical garment pant in  claim 6 , wherein at least one tab includes a dog ear including an adhesive, which dog ear extends laterally from an upper portion of the tab, wherein the two tabs may be brought together with vertical surfaces of the two tabs in contact such that the adhesive dog ears may wrap around the two tabs to secure the two tabs together. 
     
     
         11 . The medical garment pant in  claim 6 , further comprising:
 a zip tie having a length of a flexible plastic strand;   a plurality of periodic cone-shaped bumps located along a strand length of the flexible plastic strand;   a restrictive aperture at an end of the flexible plastic strand, wherein the aperture has an internal diameter so as to allow the cone-shaped bumps to pass through in one direction, but to not permit passage of the cone-shaped bumps in an opposing direction; and   a hole located in each of the two tabs, wherein when the two tabs are brought together, an end of the zip tie may pass through the holes, be looped around the two tabs, passed through the restrictive aperture, and pulled until the two tabs are tightly bound.   
     
     
         12 . The medical garment pant in  claim 1 , wherein the closure mechanism includes one or more clip buttons that removably join the two sides of the elongate passageway. 
     
     
         13 . The medical garment pant in  claim 1 , further comprising a drape that is attached to at least one side of the elongate passageway, so as to be drapable over the elongate passageway. 
     
     
         14 . The medical garment pant in  claim 13 , wherein the drape is removably attached by an adhesive, clips, buttons, Velcro, or zippers. 
     
     
         15 . The medical garment pant in  claim 1 , further comprising one or more adhesive seals that may be placed over the elongate passageway to prevent further access to the elongate passageway. 
     
     
         16 . The medical garment pant in  claim 1 , wherein the garment pant is made of one or more of plastic or fabric. 
     
     
         17 . A method for performing a rectal procedure on a patient while preserving patient privacy and protection, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a medical garment pant with a selectively closable, elongated passageway that spans a longitudinal distance along a crotch seam or back panel and that is in central alignment with an anal orifice;   putting the medical garment pant on the patient with the elongated passageway aligned over the anal orifice of the patient's lower body;   moving a closure mechanism of the medical garment pant in a first direction along the elongated passageway such that sides of the elongated passageway are separated to expose the anal orifice of the patient's lower body;   performing a rectal procedure on the patient; and   closing the elongated passageway such that the sides of the elongated passageway are joined together and a gluteal cleft and the anal orifice are concealed.   
     
     
         18 . The method in  claim 17 , wherein the closure mechanism comprises a two-way zipper including first and second zipper joinder tabs that run along a length of the elongated passageway. 
     
     
         19 . The method in  claim 17 , further comprising sealing the elongated passageway with sealing means of the medical garment pant following the rectal procedure to prevent further access to the anal orifice. 
     
     
         20 . The method in  claim 19 , wherein the sealing means comprises:
 placing adhesive seals over the elongated passageway following the rectal procedure;   locking a male component of one zipper joinder tab into a female component of another zipper joinder tab;   securing two zipper joinder tabs of the closure mechanism together with adhesive; or   securing two zipper joinder tabs of the closure mechanism together with a zip tie.