Breast and abdominal inspection gown

Abstract

Apparatus and associated methods relate to a hospital gown designed for breast and abdominal examinations. In an illustrative example, the gown includes a first aperture and a second aperture conforming to the breast region. The first aperture may, for example, circumscribe a patient's left breast area, while the second aperture may, for example, circumscribe a patient's right breast area. The gown includes a first flap and a second flap. The first flap may, for example, be releasably coupled to the first aperture by at least one releasable coupler such as snaps or buttons, and the second flap may, for example, be releasably coupled to the second aperture by at least one releasable coupler. Various embodiments may advantageously be configured for selective exposure during examinations, enhancing patient comfort while providing necessary access for medical procedures.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A hospital gown comprising:
 a plurality of modular flaps configured to selectively expose a selected portion of a patient, the plurality of modular flaps comprising:
 a collar flap comprising a plurality of collar fastening devices positioned along an edge of a collar configured to releasably secure the gown around a patient's neck when fastened and the collar flap is configured to selectively expose the selected portion of the neck region when at least one of the collar fastening devices are unfastened; 
 a plurality of breast flaps positioned on the front of the gown configured to cover over the breast region, the breast flap comprising a left breast flap and a right breast flap separated by a central releasably separable closure module extending along a midline of the gown, each breast flap configured to cover a respective breast region, each breast flap comprising a plurality of breast fastening devices positioned along at least a portion of a perimeter of the respective breast flap, each breast flap is configured to selectively expose the selected portion of the breast region when at least one of the breast fastening devices are unfastened; and, 
 an abdominal flap positioned on the front of the gown configured to cover the abdominal region, the abdominal flap being coupled to the gown by a plurality of abdominal fastening devices positioned along at least a portion of a perimeter of the abdominal flap configured to selectively expose the selected portion of the abdominal region when at least one of the abdominal fastening devices are unfastened; 
   wherein the central releasably separable closure module is configured such that such that either the left breast flap or the right breast flap may be selectively opened to expose only the selected portion of the breast region.   
     
     
         2 . The hospital gown of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of collar fastening device comprises a snap fastener positioned along the edge of the collar. 
     
     
         3 . The hospital gown of  claim 1 , wherein the central releasably separable closure module comprises a zipper that extends vertically along the midline of the gown. 
     
     
         4 . The hospital gown of  claim 1 , wherein the central releasably separable closure module comprises a series of buttons positioned along a vertical seam between the left breast flap and the right breast flap. 
     
     
         5 . The hospital gown of  claim 1 , wherein the left breast flap overlaps the right breast flap at the midline of the gown to conceal the central releasably separable closure module when the flaps are closed. 
     
     
         6 . The hospital gown of  claim 1 , wherein the left breast flap comprises a fastening device located along a lower and lateral edge of the flap. 
     
     
         7 . The hospital gown of  claim 1 , wherein the right breast flap comprises a fastening device located along an upper and medial edge of the flap. 
     
     
         8 . The hospital gown of  claim 1 , further comprising an open-back gown portion comprising a rear panel that is divided along a central vertical opening, the rear panel including a first edge and a second edge that are separable to define an access opening, the gown further comprising a tie secured to one of the edges and configured to releasably fasten the rear panel in a closed position. 
     
     
         9 . The hospital gown of  claim 1 , wherein the breasts flaps are configured to expose an upper breast portion while concealing the lower breast portion 
     
     
         10 . The hospital gown of  claim 1 , wherein the breasts flaps are configured to expose a lower breast portion while concealing the lower breast portion 
     
     
         11 . The hospital gown of  claim 1 , wherein the abdominal flap comprises fabric extension folded inward to conceal the second fastening device when the abdominal flap is in a closed position. 
     
     
         12 . The hospital gown of  claim 1 , wherein the abdominal flap is shaped to conform to a lower abdominal contour of a patient while in a seated position. 
     
     
         13 . The hospital gown of  claim 1 , wherein the gown comprises a modesty panel positioned beneath the breast flap and attached to the gown along a lower edge of the breast region. 
     
     
         14 . The hospital gown of  claim 1 , wherein the collar comprises a padded lining configured to contact the skin of a patient during wear. 
     
     
         15 . The hospital gown of  claim 1 , wherein a lower edge of the gown comprises a central vertical slit extending upward from a bottom hem to facilitate stride length during walking. 
     
     
         16 . The hospital gown of  claim 1 , wherein the gown comprises a sizing loop positioned along a side seam of the gown to enable length or fit adjustment by a caregiver. 
     
     
         17 . The hospital gown of  claim 1 , wherein gown comprises a pair of sleeves. 
     
     
         18 . The hospital gown of  claim 1 , wherein the abdominal flap comprises a central pull tab configured to assist a user in lifting the flap during examination. 
     
     
         19 . The hospital gown of  claim 1 , wherein the gown comprises a multilayer fabric panel located at the chest region to enhance opacity when the breast flap is in a closed position. 
     
     
         20 . The hospital gown of  claim 1 , further comprising a bottom hem of the gown formed using a folded edge finished with double-needle stitching extending continuously along the front and back of the gown.