Bandage which enables examining or treating a wound without removing the adhesive

Abstract

The base of this bandaging system is attached to the skin around a wound by adhesive and supports the edges of the lid, which covers the wound and can easily be removed and replaced or re-used many times to facilitate examining or treating the wound while the base remains in place The bandaging system has multiple embodiments to accommodate various situations. An embodiment with generally planar components is very simple but may cause vertical pressure on the skin near the wound when the lid is removed or attached. Such pressure is avoided by alternative embodiments in which the components have non-planar parts. Some embodiments have a hinge on an edge of the lid which allows the wound to be uncovered without detaching the lid. The components which latch lids to bases contribute to making the systems easy, quick, convenient, and comfortable to use.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A multicomponent bandaging system to address a traumatic insult to human skin comprising:
 a) a base that:
 i) defines a boundary around a wound region of a size sufficient to encompass a wound or other traumatic insult to human skin that merits repeated attention; 
 ii) has a generally planar portion adapted to adhere to human skin such that it is not easily dislodged and yet can be removed without causing significant pain; and 
 iii) has portions adapted to repeatedly engage with and be disengaged from a lid without adversely affecting the adherence of the base to human skin; and 
   b) a generally planar lid that:
 i) is adapted to substantially cover the base; and 
 ii) has portions adapted to repeatedly engage with and be disengaged from the base, 
   
       wherein either the base is essentially planar with no upstanding walls or the lid has depending walls that interact with upstanding walls of the base and wherein:
 c) said interacting portions of the base and the lid interact via a reclosable fastener set in which a portion of one member of the fastener set protrudes into a portion of the other member to cause a frictional adherence; or 
 d) the interacting portions of the base and the lid interact via fasteners carried by either said base interacting portions or said lid interacting portions and adapted to be repeatedly adhered to and removed from a smooth surface and the other interacting portions each present such a smooth surface using nanogrip adhesive technology. 
 
     
     
         2 . The multicomponent bandaging system of  claim 1  wherein the base is constructed of a material that can be readily cut with a scissors to fit a particular wound. 
     
     
         3 . The multicomponent bandaging system of  claim 1  wherein the portion of the base that interacts with human skin is provided with a suitable adhesive prior to its application to human skin. 
     
     
         4 . The multicomponent bandaging system of  claim 3  wherein the suitable adhesive is protected by a readily removable cover sheet prior to its application to human skin. 
     
     
         5 . The multicomponent bandaging system of  claim 1  wherein a wound dressing is adhered to a portion of the lid which is to be placed immediately above the traumatic insult. 
     
     
         6 . The multicomponent bandaging system of  claim 1  wherein interacting portions of the base and the lid interact via a reclosable fastener set in which a portion of one member of the fastener set protrudes into a portion of the other member to cause a frictional adherence. 
     
     
         7 . The multicomponent bandaging system of  claim 6  wherein the members of the fastener set comprise:
 a. a bead and a groove adapted to accommodate the bead; 
 b. multiple hooks and loops; or 
 c. upstanding flexible members with mushroom-shaped heads. 
 
     
     
         8 . The multicomponent bandaging system of  claim 1  wherein interacting portions of the base and the lid interact via fasteners carried by either said base interacting portions or said lid interacting portions and adapted to be repeatedly adhered to and removed from a smooth surface and the other interacting portions each present such a smooth surface using nanogrip adhesive technology. 
     
     
         9 . The multicomponent bandaging system of  claim 1  wherein at least a portion of the lid has sufficient flexibility to allow one portion of the lid to be rotated away from the plane of the lid thus functioning as a hinge. 
     
     
         10 . The multicomponent bandaging system of  claim 9  wherein the portion to be rotated away from the plane of the lid is adapted to be less strongly adhered to the base than a portion to be retained on the base after such rotation. 
     
     
         11 . The multicomponent bandaging system of  claim 1  wherein the base and the lid each have a portion that interacts with a portion of the other that does not lie in a plane generally parallel to the portion of human skin to which the base is to adhere. 
     
     
         12 . The multicomponent bandaging system of  claim 11  wherein portions of the base and the lid that interact with each other are substantially perpendicular to the plane encompassing the portion of human skin to which the base is to adhere. 
     
     
         13 . The multicomponent bandaging system of  claim 11  wherein the interacting lid portion is adapted to fit inside the perimeter defined by the interacting base portion in such a way that the interacting lid portion and the interacting base portion are both accessible from the exterior of the system when in position to interact. 
     
     
         14 . The multicomponent bandaging system of  claim 11  wherein the interacting portion of the base or the lid is two parallel walls and the interacting portion of the other is a wall adapted to fit between these two parallel walls. 
     
     
         15 . The multicomponent bandaging system of  claim 14  wherein a recess between the parallel walls and the other wall are both shaped to facilitate the lid easily fitting onto the base. 
     
     
         16 . The multicomponent bandaging system of  claim 15  wherein both the base and the lid are generally rectangular in shape and two parallel sides of the lid carry hinges that facilitate rotating the lid away from the base to give access to the wound without detaching the lid from the base. 
     
     
         17 . The multicomponent bandaging system of  claim 16  wherein the two parallel walls and the other wall that are on the sides carrying the hinges are appropriately curved to facilitate rotation about the hinges and the two parallel walls and the other wall on the other two sides are appropriately shaped to avoid interference with rotation about either hinge. 
     
     
         18 . A multicomponent bandaging system comprising:
 a. a base that:
 i. defines a boundary around a wound region of a size sufficient to encompass a wound or other traumatic insult to human skin that merits repeated attention; 
 ii. has a generally planar portion adapted to adhere to human skin such that it is not easily dislodged and yet can be removed without causing significant pain; and 
 iii. has a portion adapted to repeatedly engage with and be disengaged from a lid without adversely affecting the adherence of the base to human skin; and 
   b. a generally planar lid that:
 i. is adapted to substantially cover the base; and 
 ii. has a portion adapted to repeatedly engage with and be disengaged from the base, 
   
       wherein portions of the base and the lid interact with each other via a reclosable fastener set in which a portion of one member of the fastener set protrudes into a portion of the other member to cause a frictional adherence. 
     
     
         19 . A multicomponent bandaging system comprising:
 a. a base that:
 i. defines a boundary around a wound region of a size sufficient to encompass a wound or other traumatic insult to human skin that merits repeated attention; 
 ii. has a generally planar portion adapted to adhere to human skin such that it is not easily dislodged and yet can be removed without causing significant pain; and 
 iii. has a portion adapted to repeatedly engage with and be disengaged from a lid without adversely affecting the adherence of the base to human skin; and 
   b. a generally planar lid that:
 i. is adapted to substantially cover the base; and 
 ii. has a portion adapted to repeatedly engage with and be disengaged from the base, 
   
       wherein interacting portions of the base and the lid interact via fasteners carried by either said base interacting portions or said lid interacting portions and adapted to be repeatedly adhered to and removed from a smooth surface and the other interacting portions each present such a smooth surface using nanogrip adhesive technology. 
     
     
         20 . A process of addressing a traumatic insult to human skin comprising:
 a. obtaining a multicomponent bandaging system comprising:
 i. a base that:
 1. defines a boundary around a wound region of a size sufficient to encompass a wound or other traumatic insult to human skin that merits repeated attention; 
 2. has a generally planar portion adapted to adhere to human skin such that it is not easily dislodged and yet can be removed without causing significant pain; and 
 3. has a portion adapted to repeatedly engage with and be disengaged from a lid without adversely affecting the adherence of the base to human skin; 
 
 ii. a generally planar lid that:
 1. is adapted to substantially cover the base; and 
 2. has a portion adapted to repeatedly engage with and be disengaged from the base, 
 
   wherein either the base is essentially planar with no upstanding walls or the lid has depending walls that interact with upstanding walls of the base; and
 iii. said interacting portions of the base and the lid interact via a reclosable fastener set in which a portion of one member of the fastener set protrudes into a portion of the other member to cause a frictional adherence; or 
 iv. interacting portions of the base and the lid interact via fasteners carried by either said base interacting portions or said lid interacting portions and adapted to be repeatedly adhered to and removed from a smooth surface and the other interacting portions each present such a smooth surface using nanogrip adhesive technology; 
   b. adjusting the size of the aperture of the base as necessary to form at least a partial perimeter around said traumatic insult;   c. adhering the base to a portion of the human skin which surrounds said traumatic insult with an adhesive that it is not easily dislodged and yet can be removed without causing significant pain; and   d. causing a portion of the lid to engage a portion of the base.