The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 28, 2001
Filed:
Dec. 07, 1998
Ronald Demeo, Miami Beach, FL (US);
Marcus Benedetto, North Miami Beach, FL (US);
Meridian Research and Development, Pompano Beach, FL (US);
Abstract
A lightweight, breathable garment which has radiopaque qualities and a method for making the radiopaque garment. In a preferred embodiment, a lightweight fabric, such as a cloth surgical mask liner (,) or an entire surgical mask (,), is impregnated with a lightweight radiopaque compound, such as a barium sulfate compound, to impart radiopaque qualities. Impregnation of the lightweight radiopaque compound can be performed in any number of ways including soaking the fabric in a solution containing the lightweight radiopaque compound, using the fabric as a filter in a passing solution of the lightweight radiopaque compound, placing the fabric in a reaction chamber between reagent solutions whose interaction will form the lightweight radiopaque compound and impregnating the fabric with one reagent and then exposing it to a complementary reagent whose reaction with the first reagent will form a lightweight radiopaque compound. In alternative embodiments, radiopaque qualities can be imparted to garments by using one or more sheets of lightweight radiopaque material, such as aluminum, or weaving radiopaque metal or metallized threads into the garment. While a surgical mask is provided as one example, the principles of the invention can also be applied to a broad range of other items including surgical hoods, hospital gowns, gloves, partitions, drapes etc.