US2717602A - Simulated breast and surgical brassiere therefor - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 13, 1955 H. B. RADLER SIMULATED BREAST AND SURGICAL BRASSIERE THEREFOR Filed Sept. l, 1953 HELEN B. RADLER @41E mmOJDOIw m .L

INVENTOR BY ATTORNEY United States Patent SIMULATED BREAST AND SURGICAL BRASSIERE THEREFOR Helen B. Radler, New York, N. Y.

Application September 1, 1953, Serial No. 377,888

14 Claims. (Cl. 12S-275) This invention relates to a simulated breast adapted to be worn during convalescence after an-operation in which either one or both breasts have been removed. It particularly relates to a surgical brassiere including at least one such simulated breast that may be worn comfortably over surgical dressings .by a patient during both Waking and sleeping hours.

The convalescent periodV after abreast removal operation is quite critical. For example, in the case of a cancerous condition, the breast .and considerable portions of the surrounding muscle and flesh are removed. Complete healing ofthe affected parts usually requires a period of several months, during which time care must be taken to maintain the proper surgical dressings nplace. patient is not confined `to. bed dur-ing the latter portion of the convalescent period. She is therefore confronted not only with the diicult psychological problem of recovering from the shock of the operation, but .also of overcoming embarrassmenty in facing friends and the public. Thisperiod of adjustment .is .made more difficult by the fact that conventional padded brassieres, containing Sponges, or -foam rubber or the like, cannot be used to replace the removed bust. Such garments aggravate the unhealed wounds, give inadequate ventilation, .do not absorb drainage from the healing portions, and -do not fit comfortably over the `surgical dressings needed during this period.

Therefore, it is a .principal object of the .present invention to provide an improved brassiere thatcan. be worn over surgical dressings soon after surgery without irritating affected parts resulting from an operation of the type described, and that can be worn either in bed to protect dressings from becoming wrinkled or out .of bed as an under garment.

It is a further object to provide a simulated breast to replace each removed breast, resulting yin'thepsychological advantages of improved appearance and morale during the convalescent period.

Additional objects yinclude the provision of a .comfortable garment that may be easily and quickly put on by a patient having a limited use .of -her arms, that gives 4sup.- port to the unaffected parts :and improves posture, that is readily adjustable tofaccommodate changes in .thesizes of surgical dressings, and that may be easily cleaned. Other advantages of the invention Will appear in the following description. taken in conjunctionl with the drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a front viewfof the complete article adapted for use when only the right breast has been removed.

Figure 2 is a cross section taken along line II-II of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a back view of the simultaed breast pocket and adjacent supporting material shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 is a front view of the removable pocket cover and shoulder flap shown in Figure 2.

Referring in detail to the drawing, and particularly to The.

ice

Figure l, Vthe numerals 11 and 12 designate a pair of side front fabric portions of the brassiere, each portion containing an upper breast-shaped fabric pocket, 13 and 14, respectively, and a lower girdling member, 15 and 16, respectively. Pocket 13 is adapted to cover and to conform to the contour of the unremoved left breast. Pocket 14, adapted to provide a simulated breast to replace the removed right breast as hereinafter described, is provided with substantially the same fullness and contour as pocket 13. The girdling members 1S and 16 cover a substantial portion .of the body in the area of the breasts and provide support for the pockets. Supporting tabs 17 and 18, including thetop buckle or clip members 19 and 20, respectively, are each secured substantially midway of the width of the pocket portions and at the upper edge thereof.

Girdling member 15 has a reinforced outer vertical edge 21, adapted to be secured in the front of the patient to the reinforced outer vertical edge 22 of the adjacent complementary member 16 by hooks and eyes or other suitable fastening means, such as zippers and the like. In thearrangement shown, a plurality of hooks 23 are equally spaced along the under-side of edge 21,A and a plurality of eyes 24 to receive these hooks are equally spaced along the upper-side of edge 22. Members 15A and '16 are each provided with inner reinforced vertical edges'25; a plurality of eyelets 26, equally spaced along these vertical edges, are adapted to receive ribbons or lacings 27. The bottom horizontal reinforced edges 28 of members 15 and 16 have attached thereto, if desired, one or more elastic tabs 29 containing hooks or other fastening devices 30, to be fastened to a girdlefor support. At -least two elastic tabs are preferred on the side having the simulated breast in order to insure keeping it in acorrectly balanced position.

The back member of the garment ,preferably includes a center portion 31 of continuous, relatively unstretchable fabric, `having attached along each vertical edge thereof a relatively narrow vertical panel 32 of an elastic fabric. The outer vertical edge 32a of each panel is reinforced and contains a plurality of eyelets 26 to receive lacings 27.

This construction permits the use of lacing or ribbon to Secure each front portion in adjustable relationship with respect to the back portion whereby the brassiere may be easily and quickly fitted and adjusted to the torso of the individual wearer. It also permits adjusting the garment readily when changes in the sizes of the dressings covering the aifected parts are encountered. The elastic panels provide freedom of motion and flexibility and tend to prevent severe rubbing of, and irritation to, the healing wounds.

It is also important to provide means for fastening and unfastening the garment in the front along edges 21 and 22. The patient has only very limited use of her arms up to the last stages of the convalescent period, and she is able to carry out manipulations in front-of her body, but notat her sides or back.

Shoulder strap pieces 33 and 34 extend from the -top edgefof the back portion, each preferably being attached at the reinforced portion at which the elastic panel is joined tothe center portion 31. These shoulder pieces are adapted to extend over the shoulders of the wearer and to be secured to buckles 19 and 20. The straps may be adjusted `as desired to give vertical support to the garment, and to maintain the simulated breast in the proper location.

In a preferred embodiment of this invention, rectangularfabric side ilap members 35 and 36 are vvprovided to fit under eyelets 26 and lacings 27. In one mode a vertical edge of the flap is sewn along the under side of the front portion, along the margin 25a of vertical edges 25, thus leaving eyelets 26 free to receive the lacings. The flap extends outwardly from the front portion and under the eyelets and lacings, and laps under at least a portion of the corresponding elastic panel 32. Thus, a continuous protective covering is provided for the dressings on the affected side. The side iiaps also protect the wearer from irritation caused by the lacings or by knots in the lacings.

Turning now to the simulated breast, as shown in Figure 2, the integral parts include a flexible front pocket 14 adapted to receive a soft, packing material 37, such as fibrous cotton, and a back removable pocket cover 38 adapted to cover the pocket opening and to hold the packing material in place. This cover will lie adjacent to the surgical dressings covering the affected parts. As mentioned heretofore, the outer surface of pocket 14 should have the approximate contour and size of the removed breast, when it is filled with the packing material. The method of cutting and sewing fabric to form the cup-shaped pockets is known to the art, and need not be described in detail herein.

As shown in Figure 3, presenting the back view of the pocket without the pocket cover, the opening of the pocket is defined at its periphery by reinforced edge 39,

which in the modification shown includes a lower semicircular portion and an upper triangular portion. The pocket is attached along the lower portion of edge 39 to member 16. Edge 39 also provides a means for attaching cover 38 thereto. As seen in Figure 4, removable cover 38 is preferably a single thickness of fabric defined on its outer edges by a reinforced portion 40 having a shape corresponding to edge 39. Edges 39 and 40 include means 41 and 42 for fastening cover 38 to the pocket. These fastening means preferably include a plurality of small two-piece grippers or snaps sewn at equally spaced positions along the edges. Thus, the projecting portions 41 of the grippers may be affixed to the backside of edge 39 while the corresponding receiving portions 42 of the grippers are sewn to the front of edge 4t). The pocket cover and packing material provide a flexible, resilient surface for the dressings.

It is also preferred to utilize a shoulder flap 43 on the affected side, this ap extending over the shoulder and under shoulder strap 34. This ap lies over the upper part of the dressings, protects the upper affected parts from pressure caused by the strap, and prevents the strap from becoming unduly soiled by drainage. In the ernbodirnent shown the relatively wide, elongated flap 43 is sewn along its lower edge to the top edge of cover 3S and extends upwardly for lying over the shoulder. This flap may be of a single or double thickness of cloth, and may be of any suitable shape that will provide the desired protection, the progressively narrowing embodiment shown being satisfactory in this respect.

The construction of the simulated breast portion is quite important from several different aspects. The covering 14 and packing material cooperate to give a reasonable approximation of the appearance of the removed breast without at the same time causing pressure against the affected parts. Thus it should not include weighty, relatively inflexible materials of construction. The packing material should be light, iuffy and sanitary and is most preferably a soft fibrous material. Surgical cotton is preferred because it meets these requirements, and is readily available, relatively inexpensive and highly absorbent. This last feature is also important since the affected parts will drain to a considerable extent, and some of the drainage will find its way through the dressings to the garment. Cotton has the ability to absorb such drainings and is readily replaced when the drainage becomes excessive. Furthermore, the amount of packing material used will change from time to time as the size of the dressings decrease. The present construction permits changing the amount easily to conform to the contour of the dressings.

Since the pocket cover is the part most readily soiled by drainage, it will need to be cleaned more frequently than the remainder of the garment. Hence, it is preferably completely detachable as shown. The shoulder flap is also subject to soiling more readily than the front portion of the garment, and for this reason it is preferably attached to the removable pocket cover rather than to the pocket in order to facilitate cleaning. The girdling member 16 and pocket may be unlaced from the rest of the garment and cleaned as needed, or the entire garment may be laundered as a unit.

The garment of the present invention may be constructed of any suitable fabric which is comfortable to the skin, porous and easily cleaned and laundered. The non-elastic portions are for these reasons preferably made of cotton materials, although other fabrics such as nylon, which is easily and quickly washed and dried, may be used in some or all of these portions. Nylon elastic fabrics are preferred for use as the panels 32.

It will be recognized by one skilled in the art that the present invention may be modified in various ways and designed to fit individual needs without departing from the spirit and the scope thereof. For example the simulated breast may be supported by means other than the corset-type construction shown. For example, the simulated breast per se may be fitted to the figure by means of suitable lateral and vertical supporting straps to provide the psychological advantages mentioned heretofore. However, the construction shown in the drawings cooperates to give all the advantages of a supporting garment, brassiere and simulated breast during the convalescent period and is preferred for these reasons. Although the pocket 13 for the unremoved breast is shown as a simple fabric covering, it may include conventional breast supports, pads, or the like.

Garments constructed in accordance with the present invention have been successfully used by patients, who have undergone mastectomy operations, in both hospital and home. Because of its many desirable and beneficial sanitary features, as well as the psychological benefits, it has been approved for the described use by surgeons.

The garment has been described for use in cases where the right breast has been removed. It is obvious, however, that it is also applicable to other cases where either the left or both breasts have been removed, With proper modifications in the construction thereof.

What is claimed is:

l. A simulated breast adapted to replace a surgically removed female breast during convalescence comprising in combination a pocket member adapted to receive a soft packing material and to assume a breast-like appearance when packed therewith; and a cover member for the opening of said pocket detachably secured to said pocket at the periphery thereof.

2. A simulated breast adapted to replace a surgically removed female breast during convalescence and to fit over surgical dressings comprising in combination a breastshaped pocket member packed with a soft, fibrous material, a removable cover member for the opening of said pocket adapted to hold said fibrous material in place, said cover member being secured to said pocket, and an elongated shoulder flap member extending upwardly from the top of said cover member.

3. A simulated breast adapted to be worn over surgical 'E dressings after a breast removal operation comprising in combination a girdling member adapted to cover a substantial portion of the front portion of the body around the removed breast, a breast-shaped pocket member extending outwardly from the upper portion of said girdling member and .attached `thereto along at least a substantial portion .of the periphery defining the opening of said pocket, a soft, absorbent fibrous material packed in said pocket, a removable cover member attached to said opening, and means for attaching said cover along the periphery of said opening.

4. A simulated breast as in claim 3 including an elongated fabric shoulder flap member connected to and extending upwardly from the top edge of said cover member.

5. A surgical brassiere adapted to be worn during convalescence after a breast removal operation comprising in combination at least one front member adapted to cover a substantial portion of the body around a removed breast, said front member being attached to a back portion of the brassiere by lacings, a breast-shaped fabric pocket member extending outwardly from the upper portion of said front member and attached thereto along at least a substantial portion of the periphery defining the opening of said pocket, a soft, absorbent fibrous material packed in said pocket, a removable cover member se cured to said opening, means for attaching said cover along the periphery of said opening, and a fabric ap member attached to and extending outwardly from the side edge of said girdling member, said ilap member being adapted to lie under said lacings and adjacent to the body of the wearer.

6. A simulated breast as in claim 5 including an elongated fabric shoulder ap member connected to and extending upwardly from said cover member.

7. A surgical brassiere adapted to be worn during convalescence after an operation in which at least one breast has been removed comprising in combination a back portion and a pair of front portions adjustably connected to the back portion by lacings, means for fastening said front portions together along the vertical edges thereof, at least one of said front members including a breastshaped fabric pocket, a soft, absorbent, fibrous material packed in said pocket, a removable inner fabric cover member for the packed pocket and attached thereto along the periphery defining the pocket opening, a tab extending upwardly from each of said front portions, shoulder straps extending upwardly from said back portion, and means for adjustably attaching said straps to said tabs.

8. A brassiere as in claim 7 wherein each of said front portions includes a side fabric Hap member attached to and extending outwardly from the side vertical edges thereof, said side flap members being adapted to iit under said lacings.

9. A brassiere as in claim 7 wherein said inner cover member includes an elongated, relatively wide fabric shoulder ilap member connected to and extending upwardly from the top edge thereof, said shoulder flap member being adapted to fit under said shoulder strap.

l0. A brassiere as in claim 9 wherein each of said front portions includes a side fabric flap member attached to and extending outwardly from the vertical edges thereof, said side flap members being adapted to fit under said lacings.

11. A brassiere as in claim 7 wherein said back portion includes an elastic fabric panel member along each outer edge thereof, said lacings connecting said front portions to said panels.

l2. A brassiere as in claim 11 wherein said cover member includes an elongated, relatively wi-de fabric shoulder flap member connected to and extending upwardly from the top edge thereof, said shoulder flap member being adapted to t under said shoulder strap.

13. A brassiere as in claim 12 wherein each of said front portions includes a side fabric flap member attached to and extending outwardly from the side vertical edges thereof, said side flap members being adapted to fit under said lacings and to lap under at least a portion of said elastic panel member.

14. A brassiere as in claim 13 wherein said fibrous material is cotton.

No references cited.

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