Wound Care Treatment Service Using Automatic Wound Dressing Fabricator

• US 20090204423A1
• Filed: 04/25/2008
• Published: 08/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nuvesse Skin Therapies Inc.
• Original Assignee: Polyremedy, Inc.
• Inventors: Sinyagin, Dmitriy, DeGheest, Anne
• Granted Patent: US 8,407,065 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/00987 Apparatus or processes for manufacturing non-adhesive dressings or bandages
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/0276 Apparatus or processes for manufacturing adhesive dressings or bandages
• 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: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49 Method of mechanical manufacture

Abstract

A method and/or system allowing patients to receive consistent, effective and convenient reliable wound care by applying customized wound dressings fabricated at automatic wound dressing fabricators deployed in medical facilities. Wound dressing specifications are generated with the aid of a computer-based configuration algorithm based on characteristics of the wounds. The generated wound dressing specifications are communicated between the medical facilities to provide consistent and reliable wound dressings without duplicative diagnosis of the wound. Further, telemedicine for wound care may be implemented by communicating the wound dressing specifications to automatic wound dressing fabricators that are remotely located.

Claims

1. A method of providing a customized wound dressing, comprising:

receiving from a remote device a wound dressing specification representing configuration of a wound dressing customized for a specific wound of a specific patient;

fabricating a first wound dressing by a first automatic wound dressing fabricator based on the wound dressing specification; and

delivering the first wound dressing to a predetermined location from which the patient can access the first wound dressing.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote device is a second automatic wound dressing fabricator located remotely from the first wound dressing fabricator.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote device is a server remotely located from the first wound dressing fabricator, the server storing medical records of the patient, the medical records including a wound prescription associated with the specific wound.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

fabricating a second wound dressing using the first automatic wound dressing fabricator based on the wound dressing specification, the second wound dressing having a second configuration different from a first configuration of the first wound dressing.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the second wound dressing is adapted for application to the wound after progress of condition of the wound during application of the first wound dressing to the wound.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined location is at least one of the patient'"'"'s residence, and a medical facility near the patient'"'"'s home.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the wound dressing specification comprises information on shape and dimension of the first wound dressing.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the wound dressing specification further comprises information on configuration of a protective layer in the first wound dressing.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the wound dressing specification further comprises information identifying a location of the wound on the patient.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving patient information associated with the wound dressing specification.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending tracking information associated with delivery of the first wound dressing.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an authorization associated with the wound dressing specification from a medical practitioner; and

authenticating the authorization of the medical practitioner before fabricating the first wound dressing by the automatic wound dressing fabricator.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a reimbursement code associated with the first wound dressing from the remote device, the reimbursement code representing information required for requesting reimbursement from a paying entity.

14. A method of providing wound treatment service, comprising:

receiving wound characteristics of a specific wound of a specific patient at a wound treatment facility;

generating a wound dressing specification based on the wound characteristics at the wound treatment facility, the wound dressing specification representing configuration of a wound dressing customized for the specific wound of the specific patient; and

sending the wound dressing specification to a first automatic wound dressing fabricator located remotely from the wound treatment facility for fabrication of a first customized wound dressing.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

fabricating a second customized wound dressing based on the wound dressing specification by a second automatic wound dressing fabricator located in the wound treatment facility; and

applying the second customized wound dressing to the wound of the patient.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first dressing is adapted for application to the wound after progress of condition of the wound during application of the second wound dressing to the wound.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving patient information associated with the wound dressing specification at the wound treatment facility; and

sending the patient information to the first automatic wound dressing fabricator.

18. The method of claim 14, generating the wound dressing specification comprises:

receiving inputs associated with the wound characteristics at a wound dressing parameter generator; and

generating the wound dressing specification by applying a computer-implemented algorithm to the received inputs.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising receiving update information from a server, the computer-implemented algorithm modified by the update information to implement updated policy for treating the wound.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining progress of condition of the wound after applying the first wound dressing; and

sending observation of the progress of the wound condition to a server for accumulating and processing statistic data associated with wound treatment.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein diagnosing the wound characteristics comprises visually observing the wound and scanning the wound using a digital imaging device.

22. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

generating a reimbursement code based on the wound characteristics, the reimbursement code representing information required for requesting reimbursement associated with the first customized wound dressing from a paying entity; and

sending the reimbursement code to the first automatic wound dressing fabricator to allow an entity operating the first would dressing fabricator to collect fees associated with the first wound dressing from the paying entity.

23. A wound treatment facility, comprising:

a wound dressing parameter generator adapted to generate a wound dressing specification representing configuration of a wound dressing customized for a wound of a patient responsive to receiving inputs representing wound characteristics of a wound of a patient, the wound dressing parameter generator further adapted to send the wound dressing specification to a first automatic wound dressing fabricator located remotely from the wound treatment facility; and

a second automatic wound dressing fabricator adapted to receive the wound dressing specification and fabricate the wound dressing according to the wound dressing specification.

24. The wound treatment facility of claim 23, further comprising an electronic medical information system storing information of the patient and the wound dressing specification associated with the patient.

25. The wound treatment facility of claim 23, wherein the wound dressing parameter generator runs a computer-implemented algorithm to generate the wound dressing specification based on the inputs.

26. The wound treatment facility of claim 25, wherein the wound dressing parameter generator is further adapted to receive update information from a server for updating the algorithm for generating the wound dressing specification.

27. The wound treatment facility of claim 23, wherein the wound dressing parameter generator is further adapted to:

receive patient information associated with the wound specification; and

send the patient information to the first automatic wound dressing fabricator.

28. The wound treatment facility of claim 23, wherein the wound dressing parameter generator is adapted to receive authorization of a medical practitioner approving the wound dressing specification, the wound dressing parameter generator adapted to send the authorization to the first automatic wound dressing fabricator.

29. The wound treatment facility of claim 23, wherein the wound dressing parameter generator is further adapted to generate a reimbursement code associated with the wound dressing, the reimbursement code representing information required to request reimbursement from a paying entity.

30. A wound dressing dispenser facility, comprising:

an automatic wound dressing fabricator adapted to fabricate a wound dressing customized for a specific wound of a specific patient responsive to receiving a wound dressing specification representing configuration of a wound dressing from a wound dressing parameter generator located remotely from the automatic wound dressing fabricator; and

a distribution facility adapted to deliver the fabricated wound dressing to a predetermined location from which the patient can access the first wound dressing.

31. The wound dressing dispenser facility of claim 30, wherein the predetermined location is at least one of the patient'"'"'s residence and a medical facility near the patient'"'"'s home.

32. The wound dressing dispenser facility of claim 30, further comprising a terminal for sending tracking information for fabrication and delivery status of the fabricated wound dressing to a server located remotely from the wound dressing dispenser.

33. The wound dressing dispenser facility of claim 30, wherein the automatic wound dressing fabricator is adapted to receive and authenticate authorization from a medical practitioner approving the wound dressing specification before fabricating the wound dressing.

34. The wound dressing dispenser facility of claim 30, wherein the automatic wound dressing fabricator is further adapted to receive a reimbursement code associated with the wound dressing, the reimbursement code representing information required to request reimbursement from a paying entity.

38. The computer readable storage medium of claim 31, further comprising instructions to:

receive an input from a medical practitioner authorizing the wound dressing specification before sending the wound dressing specification to the automatic wound dressing fabricator.

35. A computer readable storage medium storing instructions thereon, the instructions when executed by a processor cause the processor to:

receive inputs associated with characteristics of a wound of a patient;

generate a wound dressing specification representing configuration of a wound dressing customized for the wound of the patient by an algorithm analyzing the inputs; and

send the wound dressing specification to an automatic wound dressing fabricator remotely located from the processor.

36. The computer readable storage medium of claim 35, further comprising instructions to:

receive update information from a server accumulating and analyzing statistical data related to wound treatment, the update information generated based on analysis of the statistical data; and

updating the algorithm according to the update information.

37. The computer readable storage medium of claim 35, further comprising instructions to:

receive patient information associated with the wound dressing specification; and

send the patient information to the automatic wound dressing fabricator.

39. The computer readable storage medium of claim 35, wherein the inputs are generated by a digital imaging device.

40. The computer readable storage medium of claim 35, wherein the inputs includes at least one member of the group consisting of:

a wound type, an amount of exudation, depth of the wound, a bacteria colonization of the wound, an epitheliazation of the wound, and sensitivity of wound.

41. A system for providing wound treatment service to a patient comprising:

a wound treatment facility including an wound dressing parameter generator adapted for generating a wound dressing specification responsive to receiving inputs representing characteristics of a specific wound of a specific patient; and

a wound dressing dispenser adapted to fabricate a customized wound dressing for the patient by an automatic wound dressing fabricator responsive to receiving the wound dressing specification from the wound treatment facility, the wound dressing dispenser delivering the fabricated wound dressing to a predetermined location.

42. The system of claim 41 further comprising:

an electronic medical information system for receiving and storing the wound dressing specification and wound treatment information representing progress of wound conditions, the electronic medical information system analyzing the wound dressing specification and the wound treatment information to generate an algorithm for generating the wound dressing specification.

43. The system of claim 41, wherein the predetermined location is at least one of the patient'"'"'s residence and a medical facility near the patient'"'"'s home.

44. The system of claim 41, further comprising an electronic medical information system adapted to send the wound dressing specification to the wound dressing dispenser responsive to receiving authorization of a medical practitioner approving the wound dressing specification.

45. The system of claim 41, wherein the wound dressing parameter generator is further adapted to generate and send a reimbursement code associated with the customized wound dressing to the wound dressing dispenser, the reimbursement code representing information required to request reimbursement from a paying entity.