1. A ribbed towel device for massaging or drying hard-to-reach areas of the body during or after bathing, the towel device comprising:
(a) an elongate body of an absorbent material, the elongate body having opposite lateral ends;
(b) a handle at each opposite lateral end of the elongate body;
(c) a plurality of spaced-apart, rod-shaped pockets in the elongate body; and
(d) a plurality of massage bars, each of the plurality of massage bars being inserted in one of the plurality of pockets.
2. The towel device according to claim 1, wherein the massage bars are removable.
3. The towel device according to claim 1, wherein each of the pockets is formed by a spaced-apart pair of substantially parallel seams extending across the elongate body.
4. The towel device according to claim 3, further comprising: (e) end seams extending transversely across opposite ends of the elongate body; and (f) a channel at each of the opposite ends of the elongate body, each channel being formed by the end seams; wherein each handle extends through one of the channels.
5. The towel device according to claim 4, wherein the elongate body is made of a single piece of material folded in two along a longitudinal axis of the single piece, and at least one longitudinal edge of the elongate body is seamed.
6. The towel device according to claim 5, wherein the pockets are not openable, and the bars are not removable.
7. The towel device according to claim 5, wherein the handles are ring-shaped and flexible.
8. The towel device according to claim 4, wherein the absorbent material is terry cloth, and the handles are made of rope.
9. The towel device according to claim 1, wherein the handles are removable.
10. The towel device according to claim 2, wherein the elongate body is comprised of two (2) superimposed matching pieces.
11. The towel device according to claim 1, wherein each of the massage bars is generally cylindrical in shape, and extends substantially the width of the towel device.
12. The towel device according to claim 11, wherein the massage bars are flexible, rigid, or a combination thereof.
13. The towel device according to claim 4, wherein each handle comprises a first component and a second component, an end of the first component being attached to an end of the channel, and an end of the second component being attached to another end of the channel.
14. The towel device according to claim 13, wherein the handles are made of cotton rope.
15. The towel device according to claim 1, wherein each one of the substantially parallel seams is linear.
16. The towel device according to claim 15, wherein the massage bars are made of plastic.
17. The towel device according to claim 4, wherein each one of the substantially parallel seams and each one of the massage bars within the pockets formed by the seams, is irregular in shape.
18. The towel device according to claim 1, wherein the handles are two of the plurality of massage bars in the two end channels, one of the massage bars extending through each of the end channels, opposite ends of the end channels comprising corresponding lock and loop patches for closing the ends of each channel after insertion of the massage bar.
19. The towel device according to claim 1, wherein the massage bars are made of a heatable, microwavable material.
20. The towel device according to claim 19, wherein each of the handles is comprised of a removable end bar with bulbous opposite ends, each of the end bars being substantially enclosed in one of the end channels.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method of advancing a medical device in a patient’s body in association with an endoscope, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a flexible endoscope having an insertion length;
providing an overtube, wherein the overtube is configured to engage the endoscope, wherein the overtube has an interior surface and an exterior surface;
providing a continuous track having a length at least as long as the insertion length of the endoscope, wherein the track is separated from the outer wall of the endoscope by at least one radial distance; and wherein the track is secured to the exterior surface of the overtube via a flange;
associating the track with the endoscope, wherein the act of associating the track with the endoscope comprises supporting the track such that upon flexure of the endoscope a portion of the track in a plane of bending of the endoscope moves circumferentially with respect to the endoscope to follow a curved path outside the plane of bending of the endoscope; and
advancing a medical device along the track.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of advancing the medical device comprises advancing a medical device by sliding the medical device relative to the track.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of associating the track with the endoscope comprises fixing the track relative to the endoscope at a proximal position outside the patient and at a distal position inside the patient.
4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
providing a mating member adapted for sliding engagement with the track;
providing an accessory associated with the mating member; and
sliding the accessory from a point outside the patient to a point inside the patient by sliding the mating member distally along the track.
5. The method of claim 1, further comprising advancing a member along the track to separate the medical device from the track.
6. A method of deploying a medical device within a patient’s body, the method comprising the steps of:
introducing a track into the patient’s body;
advancing a medical device in sliding engagement distally along the track to a desired position within the body;
providing a member configured to engage the track; and
disengaging the medical device from the track so as to deploy the medical device within the body, wherein the act of disengaging comprises advancing the member distally along the track, wherein the member is configured to separate the medical device from the track in an outward direction generally perpendicular to the track as the member is advanced distally along the track, wherein the act of disengaging further comprises separating at least a portion of the medical device from the track in the outward direction generally perpendicular to the track; and wherein the act of disengaging comprises separating the medical device from the track beginning at a proximal portion of the medical device and ending at a distal portion of the medical device.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the member is configured to peel the medical device from the track, wherein the act of disengaging further comprises peeling the medical device from the track upon distal advancement of the member.
8. The method of claim 6, wherein the member is configured to unzip the medical device from the track, wherein the act of disengaging further comprises unzipping the medical device from the track upon distal advancement of the member.