Wound cleansing apparatus with stress

• US 10,342,729 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2016
• Issued: 07/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smith & Nephew PLC
• Original Assignee: Smith & Nephew PLC
• Inventors: Blott, Patrick Lewis, Greener, Bryan, Hartwell, Edward Yerbury, Lee-Webb, Julian, Nicolini, Derek, Green, Clare, Martin, Robin Paul, Walker, Tina Michelle
• Primary Examiner(s): Zalukaeva, Tatyana
• Assistant Examiner(s): Treyger, Ilya Y
• Application Number:
  US15/364,027
• Publication Number:
  US 20170156967A1
• Time in Patent Office: 952 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/05 specially adapted for use with sub-pressure or over-pressure therapy, wound drainage or wound irrigation, e.g. for use with negative-pressure wound therapy [NPWT]
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 9/0057 Suction suction kneading A61H7/008
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/75 Intermittent or pulsating suction A61M1/63, A61M1/772 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/77 Suction-irrigation systems aspiration tips supplying fluids A61M1/85; specific for negative pressure wound therapy A61M1/92; combined with tracheal tubes A61M16/0463
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/85 with gas or fluid supply means, e.g. for supplying rinsing fluids or anticoagulants for negative pressure wound therapy A61M1/92, A61M1/94; combined with tracheal tubes A61M16/0463; dental instruments with combined rinsing and aspirating A61C17/0208
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/915 Constructional details of the pressure distribution manifold
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/916 specially adapted for deep wounds
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/92 with liquid supply means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/94 with gas supply means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/96 Suction control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 35/30 Gas therapy for therapeutic treatment of the skin

Abstract

An apparatus for cleansing wounds with means for stressing the wound bed and optionally tissue surrounding the wound, in which irrigant fluid from a reservoir connected to a conformable wound dressing and wound exudate from the dressing are recirculated by a devise for moving fluid through a flow path which passes through the dressing and a means for fluid cleansing and back to the dressing. The cleansing means (which may be a single-phase, e.g. micro-filtration, system or a two-phase, e.g. dialytic system) removes materials deleterious to wound healing, and the cleansed fluid, still containing materials that are beneficial in promoting wound healing, is returned to the wound bed. The means for stressing the wound bed and optionally tissue surrounding the wound promotes wound healing. The dressing and a method of treatment using the apparatus.

Claims

1. An apparatus for administering negative pressure to a wound, the apparatus comprising:

a negative pressure source configured to be fluidically connected to a wound dressing placed over a wound; and

a controller configured to control the negative pressure source to cause application of a varying negative pressure to the wound in accordance with a sawtooth waveform, the sawtooth waveform varying about a negative baseline pressure between a first negative pressure value and a second negative pressure value, the first negative pressure value different from the second negative pressure value.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the application of the varying negative pressure comprises stressing the wound.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the application of the varying negative pressure comprises maintaining at least one of the first negative pressure value or the second negative pressure value.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a fluid supply tube configured to be in fluid communication with the wound dressing, the fluid supply tube configured to permit fluid to flow under the wound dressing.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a fluid offtake tube configured to be in fluid communication with the wound dressing, the fluid offtake tube configured to permit fluid to flow out of the wound.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the varying negative pressure is applied at a controlled frequency.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wound dressing comprises a conformable wound dressing configured to at least partially cover the wound, the conformable wound dressing configured to form at least a relatively fluid tight seal around at least a portion of the wound.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the conformable wound dressing is configured to maintain negative pressure under the dressing.

9. A method of treating a wound, comprising:

controlling a negative pressure source to apply a varying negative pressure to the wound in accordance with a sawtooth waveform, wherein the negative pressure source is configured to be fluidically connected to a wound dressing placed over the wound,

wherein the sawtooth waveform varies about a negative pressure baseline pressure between a first negative pressure value and a second negative pressure value different from the first negative pressure value.

10. The method of treating a wound of claim 9, wherein applying the varying negative pressure further comprises stressing the wound.

11. The method of treating a wound of claim 9, wherein applying the varying negative pressure further comprises maintaining at least one of the first negative pressure value or the second negative pressure value.

12. The method of treating a wound of claim 9, further comprising providing fluid under the wound dressing.

13. The method of treating a wound of claim 9, wherein the varying negative pressure is applied at a controlled frequency.

14. The method of treating a wound of claim 9, wherein the wound dressing comprises a conformable wound dressing configured to at least partially cover the wound, the conformable wound dressing configured to form at least a relatively fluid tight seal around at least a portion of the wound.