1. A disposable wearing article, comprising:
a front waist region;
a rear waist region;
a crotch region extending in a longitudinal direction of said article between said waist regions;
longitudinally opposite front and rear ends extending in a transverse direction of the article;
a pair of transversely opposite side edges extending in the longitudinal direction;
opposite body-side and garment-side surfaces;
a pair of leak-barrier sheets laid on the body-side surface in at least said crotch region among said front and rear waist regions and said crotch region, said leak-barrier sheets comprising (a) proximal zones lying along said side edges of said article so as to extend in said longitudinal direction of said article, (b) elasticized distal zones extending in the longitudinal direction and normally biased to rise up above said body-side surface, and (c) fixed front and rear ends which lie on longitudinal ends of said distal zones and are directed in said transverse direction of said article;
a first band which has opposite end portions directly attached to said distal zones of said leak-barrier sheets and extends between said distal zones to pull said distal zones toward each other in the transverse direction, said first band being located in said crotch region toward said front waist region; and
a second band rearwardly spaced in the longitudinal direction from the first band and directly attached to the distal zones of said leak-barrier sheets so as to extend between said distal zones and to pull said distal zones toward each other in the transverse direction;
wherein
the fixed front ends of said leak-barrier sheets are directed outward in the transverse direction and bonded to the body-side surface in such a directed state, and the fixed rear ends of said leak-barrier sheets are directed inward in the transverse direction and bonded to the body-side surface in such a directed state, so that (i) a first distance, by which first distal edge segments of said distal zones extending forward in the longitudinal direction from said first band are spaced in the transverse direction from each other, gradually increases from said first band toward said front waist region, and (ii) a second distance, by which second distal edge segments of said distal zones extending rearward in the longitudinal direction from said first band are spaced in the transverse direction from each other, gradually decreases from said first band toward said rear waist region;
said first band further has, between said end portions, a middle portion spanning between the distal zones of said leak-barrier sheets and free of direct attachment to the body-side surface of said crotch region;
said first band is entirely spaced upward from the body-side surface as said distal zones rise up above said body-side surface;
the spacing between the first band and the body-side surface allows body discharges to move, in use, along the body-side surface and underneath the first band from a rear half of the crotch region to a front half thereof; and
the rear half of said crotch region includes a first rear half positioned toward said front half and a second rear half positioned toward said rear waist region, and a front end of said second band is located in said second rear half of the crotch region.
2. The wearing article as defined by claim 1, wherein the front half of said crotch region includes a first front half positioned toward said front waist region and a second front half positioned toward said rear half, and said first band is located in said second front half of the crotch region.
3. The wearing article as defined by claim 2, wherein said first band extends transversely of the crotch region without obstructing, in use, movement of body discharges along the body-side surface in the longitudinal direction from the rear half of said crotch region to the front waist region.
4. The wearing article as defined by claim 1, further comprising a liquid-absorbent core adapted for absorption and containment of bodily fluids sandwiched between the body-side surface and the garment-side surface at least in said crotch region among said front and rear waist regions and said crotch region,
the maximum dimension of the first distance is in a range of 26 to 120% of a minimum transverse dimension of said core extending in said crotch region, and
the maximum dimension of the second distance is in a range of 1 to 25% of the minimum transverse dimension of said core extending in said crotch region.
5. The wearing article as defined by claim 4, wherein
said second band further comprises:
a rear portion which, in a region rearward of said core and along said rear end of said article, is sandwiched between (i) the fixed rear ends of the leak-barrier sheets and (ii) a liquid-pervious topsheet defining the body-side surface of the article; and
a front portion which includes the front end of said second band, spans the second distance between the second distal edge segments of said distal zones and defines, together with the distal zones of the leak-barrier sheets, a top wall of a pocket opening forwardly for receiving fecal material in use.
6. The wearing article as defined by claim 5, wherein said second band
extends in the transverse direction without obstructing, in use, movement of body discharges along the body-side surface in the longitudinal direction from said crotch region to the front waist region, and
further comprises elastic members contractible in the transverse direction and directly attached along said front end of the second band.
7. The wearing article as defined by claim 6, wherein
the front portion of the second band further defines a rear wall of the pocket, the distal zones of the barrier sheets define side walls of the pocket, and the body-side surface defines a bottom of the pocket; and
the front portion of the second band is adapted to cover, from above, fecal material received in the pocket.
8. The wearing article as defined by claim 6, wherein
said second band extends forwardly in the longitudinal direction from the rear portion located in the rear waist region into the crotch region and terminates at the front end of the second band in the second rear half of the crotch region, without extending into the first rear half of said crotch region.
9. The wearing article as defined by claim 6, wherein said first band is elastically stretchable and contractible in the transverse direction and is attached to the distal zones of said leak-barrier sheets when said first band is being stretched in the transverse direction so that said distal zones are pulled towards each other in the transverse direction by the so-bonded first band.
10. The wearing article as defined by claim 9, wherein the front end of said second band is elastically stretchable and contractible in the transverse direction due to the elastic members, and is attached to the distal zones of said leak-barrier sheets when the front end of said second band, together with the elastic members attached thereto, is being stretched in the transverse direction so that said distal zones are pulled towards each other in the transverse direction by the so-bonded second band when the elastic members contract.
11. The wearing article as defined by claim 1, wherein said first band is elastically stretchable and contractible in the transverse direction and is attached to the distal zones of said leak-barrier sheets when said first band is being stretched in the transverse direction so that said distal zones are pulled towards each other in the transverse direction by the so-bonded first band.
12. The wearing article as defined by claim 11, wherein the front end of said second band is elastically stretchable and contractible in the transverse direction and is attached to the distal zones of said leak-barrier sheets when the front end of said second band is being stretched in the transverse direction so that said distal zones are pulled towards each other in the transverse direction by the so-bonded second band.
13. The wearing article as defined by claim 1, wherein said first band is entirely free of direct attachment to said body-side surface.
14. The wearing article as defined by claim 1, wherein said first band is directly attached to a remainder of said article only via the direct attachment of the end portions of said first band to the distal zones of said leak-barrier sheets.
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. An apparatus for modifying the annulus of a cardiac valve to reduce regurgitation of blood flow through the cardiac valve, said apparatus comprising:
a first annuloplasty ring having a first diameter and being disposed about a first aspect of the annulus of the cardiac valve, said first annuloplasty ring including a terminal end and a connecting section spaced apart by a predetermined length, said connecting section including a means for disconnecting from a main body portion and a receptacle portion adapted to receive and interconnect with said terminal end; and
an elongate flexible body comprising proximal and distal end portions and being insertable into said first annuloplasty ring, said elongate flexible body including an adjustable mechanism for selectively adjusting said elongate flexible body from a first relaxed configuration to a second tensioned configuration;
said first annuloplasty ring being adaptable to obtain a second smaller diameter and to cause the annulus of the cardiac valve to be modified and reduce regurgitation of blood flow through the cardiac valve when said elongate flexible body obtains said second tensioned configuration.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said adjustment mechanism is manually manipulated so that said elongate flexible body obtains said second tensioned configuration.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said adjustment mechanism is electromagnetically manipulated so that said elongate flexible body obtains said second tensioned configuration.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a second annuloplasty ring is disposed about a second aspect of the annulus of the cardiac valve, said second annuloplasty ring being magnetically coupled to said first annuloplasty ring to secure said first annuloplasty ring about the first aspect of the annulus of the cardiac valve.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a positioning catheter is used to magnetically guide said first andor second annuloplasty rings to the first andor second aspects of the annulus of the cardiac valve, respectively.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said distal end portion of said first annuloplasty ring includes a plurality of deployable hook members.
7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said terminal end has a threaded portion for mating with said receptacle portion, said receptacle portion including a threaded portion that is complementary in shape to said terminal end.
8. An apparatus for modifying the annulus of a cardiac valve to reduce regurgitation of blood flow through the cardiac valve, said apparatus comprising:
a first annuloplasty ring having a first diameter and being disposed about a first aspect of the annulus of the cardiac valve, said first annuloplasty ring including a terminal end and a connecting section spaced apart by a predetermined length, said connecting section including a means for disconnecting from a main body portion and a receptacle portion adapted to receive and interconnect with said terminal end; and
a flexible body comprising first and second oppositely disposed strut members having proximal and distal end portions and a cinching mechanism for adjusting said flexible body from a first relaxed configuration to a second tensioned configuration, said cinching mechanism being operatively connected to said distal end portion of said strut members;
said cinching mechanism comprising a resistance member operatively coupled to said distal end portion of said strut members and a harness member operatively coupled to a pull wire extending between said strut members;
said flexible body being disposed in a delivery catheter being insertable into said first annuloplasty ring, said delivery catheter comprising proximal and distal end portions and an opening at said distal portion for extending said harness member therethrough;
said flexible body being adaptable to obtain said second tensioned configuration and to cause said first annuloplasty ring to obtain a second smaller diameter so that the annulus of the cardiac valve is modified and regurgitation of blood flow through the cardiac valve is reduced.
9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein a second annuloplasty ring is disposed about a second aspect of the annulus of the cardiac valve, said second annuloplasty ring being magnetically coupled to said first annuloplasty ring so that said first annuloplasty ring is secured to the first aspect of the annulus of the cardiac valve.
10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein a positioning catheter is used to magnetically guide said first andor second annuloplasty rings to the first andor second aspects of the annulus of the cardiac valve, respectively.
11. An apparatus for modifying the annulus of a cardiac valve to reduce regurgitation of blood flow through the cardiac valve, said apparatus comprising:
a first annuloplasty ring having a first diameter and being disposed about a first aspect of the annulus of the cardiac valve, said first annuloplasty ring including a terminal end and a connecting section spaced apart by a predetermined length, said connecting section including a means for disconnecting from a main body portion and a receptacle portion adapted to receive and interconnect with said terminal end; and
an electromagnetic wire having proximal and distal end portions, said electromagnetic wire including a plurality of magnetic members operably connected to said electromagnetic wire and an adjustable mechanism for selectively adjusting said electromagnetic wire from a first relaxed configuration to a second tensioned configuration, said electromagnetic wire being insertable into said first annuloplasty ring;
said adjustable mechanism being selectively adjustable so that said first annuloplasty ring is adaptable to obtain a second smaller diameter and modify the annulus of the cardiac valve to reduce regurgitation of blood flow through the cardiac valve.
12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein a second annuloplasty ring is disposed about a second aspect of the annuloplasty ring, said second annuloplasty ring being magnetically coupled to said first annuloplasty ring so that said first annuloplasty ring is secured to the first aspect of the annulus of the cardiac valve.
13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein a positioning catheter is used to magnetically guide said first andor second annuloplasty rings to the first andor second aspects of the annulus of the cardiac valve, respectively.