AUTO-REPLENISHING, WOUND-DRESSING APPARATUS AND METHOD
First Claim
1. A dressing comprising:
- a feed conduit for delivering a fluid to a distribution member, the distribution member receiving and distributing the fluid substantially uniformly across the distribution member, irrespective of the orientation of the distribution member.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus and methods to treat skin defects include a pump with reservoirs for a pressurization gas and a fluid, the fluid loaded at a factory and sealed or filled at point of use through a valve, septum, or the like. Upon activation, the pump generates a gas introduced into the gas reservoir, a movable wall of which displaces a movable wall of a fluid source, thus dispensing the fluid into the dressing to spread throughout irrespective of orientation of the dressing, maintaining a transport fluid (e.g. carrier) in the dressing and in contact with a skin defect being treated. Delivery may be periodic, constant, programmatically controlled, or manual. A dressing may maintain intimate contact, a transport fluid, and a controllable concentration of active ingredient against a skin defect.
Apparatus and methods to replenish a dressing with a therapeutically effective concentration of a fluid deliver a fluid carrier containing an active ingredient. The fluid may be stored in and delivered from a pump mechanism including reservoirs for a pressurization gas and the fluid, which may be loaded at a factory and sealed or filled at point of use through a valve, septum, or the like. The dressing may have a distribution network, and multiple members, dispensing the fluid into a wick maintaining a transport fluid (e.g. carrier) distributed in the dressing and in contact with a skin defect being treated. Delivery may be periodic, constant, programmatically controlled, or manual to maintain intimate contact, a transport fluid, and a controllable concentration of active ingredient against wounded tissue.
83 Citations
88 Claims
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1. A dressing comprising:
a feed conduit for delivering a fluid to a distribution member, the distribution member receiving and distributing the fluid substantially uniformly across the distribution member, irrespective of the orientation of the distribution member. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A dressing comprising:
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a feed conduit for delivering a fluid to a distribution member, the distribution member receiving and distributing the fluid substantially uniformly across the distribution member, irrespective of the orientation of the distribution member; wherein the distribution member comprises material that allows the spread of fluid substantially uniformly across the distribution member by wicking action; and wherein the distribution member is configured to be cut to a desired size and still maintain a substantially uniform volume of fluid across the distribution member.
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21. A dressing comprising:
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a distribution member; a feed conduit for delivering a fluid to the distribution member, the distribution member configured to receive and distribute the fluid substantially uniformly across the distribution member by wicking action, irrespective of the orientation of the distribution member; and an interface member is positioned between the distribution member and a skin defect being treated by the dressing, the interface member transporting the fluid into contact with the skin defect. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A dressing comprising:
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a distribution member comprising at least one material chosen from a polymer, a woven fabric, a non-woven fabric, a naturally occurring fiber, a sponge, a fiber matrix, a gauze, absorbent material, adsorbent material, a gel, and a foam; a feed conduit for delivering a fluid to the distribution member, the distribution member configured to receive and distribute the fluid substantially uniformly across the distribution member by wicking action, wherein the force exerted on the fluid by the wicking action is greater than the force exerted on the fluid by gravity, and wherein the distribution member is configured to maintain a predetermined amount of fluid substantially uniformly across the distribution member, wherein the fluid is received, distributed, and maintained irrespective of the orientation of the distribution member; an interface member is positioned between the distribution member and a skin defect being treated by the dressing, the interface member transporting the fluid into contact with the skin defect, wherein the interface member comprises at least one material chosen from a non-adhering polymer and a bioabsorbable polymer; and a semi-occlusive protective member positioned adjacent the distribution member. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A method for treating a skin defect, the method comprising:
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providing a dressing comprising; a feed conduit; and a distribution member in fluid communication with the feed conduit, the distribution member configured to receive a fluid and comprising a material to substantially uniformly distribute the fluid across the distribution member irrespective of the orientation of the distribution member; applying the dressing to a skin defect; supplying a fluid to the distribution member through the feed conduit; and distributing the fluid substantially uniformly across the distribution member. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59)
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60. A method for treating a skin defect, the method comprising:
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providing a dressing comprising; a feed conduit; and a distribution member in fluid communication with the feed conduit, the distribution member configured to receive a fluid and comprising a material to substantially uniformly distribute the fluid across the distribution member irrespective of the orientation of the distribution member; cutting the dressing to a desired shape; applying the dressing to a skin defect; supplying a fluid having an active ingredient to the distribution member through the feed conduit; distributing the fluid substantially uniformly across the distribution member; and distributing the fluid substantially uniformly to a skin defect irrespective of the orientation the distribution member. - View Dependent Claims (61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67)
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68. A fluid delivery system comprising:
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a housing having, an interior volume, inextensible and vented to discharge gas therefrom, and containing reservoir and a fluid source in contact with one another; a fluid source containing a fluid having a first wall flexible to move in response to substantially any pressure and substantially impervious to the fluid, and an outlet to dispense the fluid; a reservoir comprising a second wall, in contact with the first wall to move therewith, substantially impervious to a gas; a galvanic cell in communication with the reservoir and comprising chemicals selected to produce a gas within the reservoir; a dressing to expose the fluid to a skin defect of a subject, said dressing comprising a distribution member configured to receive the fluid and comprising a material to substantially uniformly distribute the fluid across the distribution member by wicking action irrespective of the orientation of the distribution member; and a conduit connectable to the outlet and in fluid communication with the distribution member to replenish the fluid in the distribution member. - View Dependent Claims (69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88)
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Specification