Compression Garments

Compression socks and stocking project.

Looking for serious Investors to establish compressed sock and stockings for medical usage.

Abstract

Data got from Journal of Textile Science & Engineering

Chronic Venous Insufficiency (CVI) in the lower limb is commonly associated with varicose veins. In Asian countries, demand has increased for Medical Elastic Compression Stockings (MECS) as conservative treatment for varicose veins and CVI; however, their efficacy requires further investigation. The legs of 726 Taiwanese participants were measured, and MECS were designed and manufactured accordingly. Manufacturing processes included “fixation of the elastic fiber,” “design of the fabric,” “application of techniques for high-pressure stockings,” and “application of techniques for configuration.” Further techniques used for the production of functional MECS included “elastic yarn composite techniques,” “incremental pressure fabric knitting/weaving,” and “pressure shaping of fabrics.” Parameters for the mechanical testing of MECS included size measurement, extensibility, practical elongation, compression, and residual pressure on corresponding points of the leg. Clinical assessments and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) analyses using noncontract-enhanced Magnetic Resonance Venous (MRV) techniques were also performed on 100 participants with varicose veins pre-and post-MECS use. The average circumferences and lengths of specific points of the lower legs of the 726 participants were smaller than U.S. measurements by approximately 12% to 19%. This suggested that Taiwanese - and possibly Asian - MECS should not be manufactured according to Western sizes. Subjective clinical questionnaire results included relief of symptoms of heaviness of the legs, spasticity in the evenings, and convulsion during sleep. According to MRV analyses, deep venous blood flow increased significantly (relief of high pressure), and available hemoglobin in the deep vein increased (reduced tissue hypoxia) post-MECS use. Our findings provide important reference material for the establishment of Taiwanese and Asian standards for MECS. Results from clinical and MRV analyses confirmed the efficacy of prolonged use of MECS, with results indicating that 4 h/d and 112 h of use is sufficient to improve deep venous insufficiency

Project Goal

The goal of this project was to address the disadvantages of current compression therapies by developing an improved compression garment system that applies reproducible compression to the leg, is able to be put on at home by the patient or caretaker, controls tension in the leg garment  as the patient’s leg is wrapped, and is reusable.

Compression therapy, in its current clinical form, has many flaws that could be improved by the design and implementation of an improved compression garment system by manufacturing socks or stockings on high end circular knitting machines with main focus on Product Design, Manufacture, Mechanical Testing and Clinical/Mri Assessment of the Medical Elastic Compression socks and stockings

To produce functional MECS that is superior to current commercial compression stockings, further innovative manufacturing procedures included “elastic yarn composite techniques,” “incremental pressure fabric weaving,” and “pressure shaping of fabrics.” To maintain the stretch and elasticity of the MECS, elastic yarn is to be selected as the composite. However, because of the unstable features of elastic yarn, it is mixed with hard yarn to form elastic yarn coating. Techniques for elastic yarn coating included “core spinning,” “core twisting,” “air jet converting,” and “hollow spindle wrapping”

Disadvantages of Existing Compression Therapies

To understand the importance of designing an improved compression garment system, it is helpful to identify the numerous problems associated with current compression therapies in clinical use. Unfortunately, it is virtually impossible to isolate one distinct fundamental problem with existing therapies because there is a myriad of individual factors that contribute to the overall problem. The most pertinent disadvantages, which will be further elaborated upon, include:

· Application of compression wraps is highly technician dependent

? Clinicians often apply non-uniform tension during the application of compression bandages

? Compression wraps do not maintain consistent pressure over time

? Compression wraps can only be put on by trained technicians

? Compression garments can potentially compromise the quality of life for patients

? Compression stockings are difficult to don

? Compression stockings can cause shearing on the leg

The goal of this project is to design, construct, and evaluate a novel compression garment system that addresses the most prominent disadvantages.

One of the major problems associated with existing compression garments is the fact that their application is highly technician dependent. For instance, when using compression wraps, the amount of created compression varies significantly between different applications and between the clinicians who apply these wraps. Currently, there is no quantitative method for the clinician to measure exactly how much tension is in the sock/stockings/bandage when he or she is applying the wrap to patient leg.

Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI)— To alleviate the sequelae of CVI, compression garments have been generally accepted as the foundation of therapy. The means by which compression garments improve the conditions of CVI are by reduction in surface area of the leg, decreased venous pooling, and limitation of retrograde flow. These claims have been validated by studies by G.D. Motykie et al., 1999, Agu et al., 2004, Ibegbuna et al., 2003, and Buchtemann et al., 1999.

The use of graded compression stockings has proven effective – there is generally a fall in ambulatory venous pressure accompanied by a rise in the expelled calf volume upon exercise. Each garment has a standard compression value, which is graded up the leg so that there is more pressure at the bottom and this pressure lessens upon moving up the leg. Generally there are four classes of compression stockings. Compression class I stockings apply a pressure of 20-30 mmHg and are recommended for treatment of patients with varicose veins, minimal edema, and leg fatigue. Compression class II stockings apply a pressure of 30-40 mmHg and are used for the treatment of moderate edema and moderate venous insufficiency. Class III stockings apply a pressure of 30-50 mmHg, and class IV stockings (60+ mmHg) are utilized in extreme cases of edema, venous insufficiency, and elephantiasis (O’Meara, 2008).