Wound dressing and apparatus for forming same

• US 20060020235A1
• Filed: 07/18/2005
• Published: 01/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nuvesse Skin Therapies Inc.
• Original Assignee: Polyremedy, Inc.
• Inventors: Siniaguine, Oleg
• Granted Patent: US 7,448,186 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 602/41
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/00995 for mechanical treatments
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/022 having more than one layer with different fluid retention characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/023 wound covering film layers without a fluid retention layer
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/0289 manufacturing of adhesive dressings
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 15/001 Packages or dispensers for bandages, cotton balls, drapes, dressings, gauze, gowns, sheets, sponges, swabsticks or towels A61F15/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 15/02 Devices for cutting bandages of any kind, e.g. shears, cast-cutting saws
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/00255 with pores
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/00727 means for wound humidity control
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/00863 with pores

Abstract

A multi-layered wound dressing includes a moisture-retaining portion for enhancing the healing of a wound. The wound dressing includes an intermediate layer that has both water soluble and water insoluble fibers. An apparatus that includes a cutting tool and a reservoir of liquid to pre-moisten a portion of the dressing may be used to manufacture the dressings.

Claims

1. A dressing for use on a wound of a mammalian body comprising a protective outer layer formed of a material that is substantially impermeable to water, an inner layer adapted for engaging the wound and formed of a material that is at least partially hydrophilic and an intermediate layer disposed between the outer layer and the inner layer and formed of a material that is water-soluble and of a material that is water-insoluble.

3. The wound dressing of claim 1, wherein the intermediate layer includes at least one layer of hydrophilic fibers extending through the intermediate layer for dividing the intermediate layer into first and second distinct layer portions.

4. The wound dressing of claim 1, wherein the outer layer includes hydrophobic polymer micro-fibers.

5. The wound dressing of claim 1, wherein the water insoluble material of the intermediate layer includes hydrophobic polymer micro-fibers.

6. The wound dressing of claim 1, wherein the inner layer includes a mesh formation formed from micro-fibers and having pores between the micro-fibers;

an average size of the pores being graduated from relatively larger proximate to an exposed surface of said wound facing layer to relatively smaller proximate to the intermediate layer.

7. The wound dressing of claim 1 for use with a wound having an exudating portion, wherein a water-impermeable border circumscribes at least a portion of the inner layer and the intermediate layer to form a moisture-retaining portion from such circumscribed portions, a moisturizing solution disposed in the moisture-retaining portion.

8. The wound dressing of claim 7, wherein the moisturizing solution is a water-based solution.

9. The wound dressing of claim 1, wherein the inner layer has an exposed surface for engaging the wound and a peripheral area extending around at least a portion of the exposed surface, and an adhesive provided on the peripheral area of the exposed surface for attaching the dressing to the skin of the mammalian body.

10. The wound dressing of claim 1, wherein the outer layer is provided with pores having an average pore size of less than one micron.

11. The wound dressing of claim 1, wherein the outer layer is bacteria impermeable.

12. The wound dressing of claim 1, further comprising a package having an air-tight internal chamber for providing a protected environment, the outer layer, the inner layer and the intermediate layer forming a layered structure that is disposed in the internal chamber.

13. The wound dressing of claim 1, further comprising at least one alignment marking for alignment with a reference mark on the mammalian body.

2. The wound dressing of claim 2, wherein the material of the outer layer is permeable to air and water vapor.

14. A package for treating a wound of a mammalian body comprising a container having an air-tight internal chamber for providing a protected environment, a wound dressing contained within the air-tight internal chamber, the wound dressing including outer and inner layers and an intermediate layer disposed between the outer and inner layers, the outer layer being formed of a material that is substantially impermeable to water, the inner layer being adapted for engaging the wound and being formed of a material that is at least partially hydrophilic, the intermediate layer being formed of a material that is water-soluble and of a material that is water-insoluble, the inner layer having an exposed surface for engaging the wound and a peripheral area extending around at least a portion of the exposed surface, an adhesive being provided on the peripheral area of the exposed surface for attaching the dressing to the skin of the mammalian body.

15. The packaged wound dressing of claim 14, wherein a water-impermeable border circumscribes at least a portion of the inner layer and the intermediate layer to form a moisture-retaining portion from such circumscribed portions, a moisturizing solution being disposed in the moisture-retaining portion.

16. An apparatus for use with a strip of material to form a wound dressing for a mammalian body, comprising a frame, a stage provided on the frame, a dispenser carried by the frame and adapted for dispensing a portion of the strip of material on to the stage, a cutting tool, a cutting tool mechanism carried by the frame for selectively moving the cutting tool relative to the stage to cut the portion of the strip of material into a wound dressing of a desired shape, a reservoir of moisturizing solution and a moisturizing solution mechanism carried by the frame for applying moisturizing solution to at least a portion of the wound dressing to moisturize the portion of the wound dressing.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the reservoir of moisturizing solution is coupled to the frame.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a reservoir of water-repellant substance and a water repellant substance mechanism carried by the frame for applying water-repellant substance to at least a portion of the wound dressing to form a water-repellant barrier around at least a portion of the wound dressing.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the wound dressing has a periphery, further comprising a reservoir of adhesive and an adhesive mechanism carried by the frame for dispensing adhesive on to at least a portion of the periphery of the wound dressing to adhere the wound dressing to the mammalian body.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the cutting tool mechanism and the moisturizing solution mechanism include a stage that is movable along two axes to correspondingly move the cutting tool mechanism and the moisturizing solution mechanism.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising a reservoir of water-repellant substance and a reservoir of adhesive carried by the frame, capillaries extending between the reservoirs and the moisturizing solution, water repellant substance, and adhesive mechanisms to selectively apply moisturizing solution, water-repellant substance, and adhesive to the wound dressing.

22. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a dispenser for dispensing first and second sheets of packaging material to the stage and a tool for hermetically sealing together the first and second sheets of packaging material to form a package containing the wound dressing.

23. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a cover for enclosing the material dispenser, the mechanism for selectively moving the cutting tool, the reservoir of moisturizing solution, and the mechanism for applying the moisturizing solution.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the cover includes a window for operable engagement with ultraviolet germicidal lamps.

25. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a detachable case, the detachable case enclosing and containing the dispenser, the cutting head mechanism, the reservoir of moisturizing solution, and the moisturizing solution mechanism;

the detachable case further comprising an outlet for dispensing the wound dressing out of the case; and

a base for engagement with and support of the detachable case, the base including control electronics for controlling the material dispenser, the cutting head mechanism, and the moisturizing solution mechanism.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the case includes a window and the base includes an ultraviolet germicidal lamp for working alignment with the window for sustaining a sterile environment within said case.

27. The apparatus of claim 25 further comprising an image acquiring apparatus for acquiring data about a wound and a mechanism for transmitting said data to said control electronics.