AUXILIARY POWERED NEGATIVE PRESSURE WOUND THERAPY APPARATUSES AND METHODS

• US 20100042074A1
• Filed: 10/17/2007
• Published: 02/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smith & Nephew Incorporated (Smith & Nephew PLC)
• Original Assignee: Bluesky Medical Group Inc. (Smith & Nephew PLC), Smith & Nephew PLC
• Inventors: Hall, Kristian David, Hartwell, Edward Yerbury, Weston, Richard Scott, Bybordi, Farhad
• Granted Patent: US 8,323,264 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/543
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/74 Suction control underwater drainage A61M1/61
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/743 by changing the cross-section of the line, e.g. flow regulating valves A61M1/7413 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/80 Suction pumps A61M1/64, A61M1/71, A61M60/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/81 Piston pumps, e.g. syringes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/96 Suction control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/982 with means for detecting level of collected exudate
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/073 Syringe, piston type
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/16 with back-up system in case of failure
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 battery-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8237 Charging means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/825 using mechanical generation of electricity, e.g. hand cranked generators
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8262 connectable to external power source, e.g. connecting to automobile battery through the cigarette lighter
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8268 Fuel storage cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/6055 With head and stem collections
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/789 Central mount

Abstract

A negative pressure wound therapy apparatus that can include a wound dressing, a fluid collection device, a vacuum pump comprising a pump motor, and tubing can be powered by auxiliary power sources such as high efficiency batteries, photovoltaic panels or cells, fuel cells, combustion generators, human powered generators, or other mechanical, electrical, or chemical power sources such as hand operated dynamos or wound springs, or any combination of the foregoing. Additionally, the apparatus can include a high efficiency pressure controller for controlling the output of the vacuum pump. In some embodiments, the pressure controller can control the pump without using a processor, and can have other features such as an intermittent delay function and an anti-stall mechanism to reduce the energy consumption of the apparatus.

Claims

1-39. -39. (canceled)

40. A negative pressure wound therapy apparatus comprising:

a wound dressing;

a pressure unit in communication with the wound dressing via a conduit configured to channel a fluid between at least the wound dressing and the pressure unit; and

a drive unit in communication with the pressure unit, the drive unit configured to operate the pressure unit when the drive unit is driven by a source of motive power, wherein the source of motive power comprises an accumulator configured to receive and store pressurized air, the accumulator further configured to selectively supply an amount of the pressurized air within the accumulator to the drive unit to actuate the drive unit to operate the pressure unit in response to a supply of the pressurized air in order to draw the fluid out of the wound dressing.

41. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the source of motive power additionally comprises a compressor, the compressor being configured to pressurize the accumulator with pressurized air.

42. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the supply of pressurized air is compressed using a spring.

43. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the supply of pressurized air is compressed using an electric motor.

44. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the supply of pressurized air is compressed using an internal combustion motor driven generator or dynamo.

45. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the supply of pressurized air is, compressed using a human operated dynamo.

46. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the pressure unit comprises a bore, a piston rod, and a piston slidingly received within the bore and in communication with a first portion of the piston rod.

47. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the apparatus further comprises a control unit and a pressure sensor, the pressure sensor configured to measure a pressure within the wound dressing and to communicate the measured pressure to the control unit, the control unit configured to control an amount of the pressurized air that is supplied to the drive unit from the accumulator based at least in part on the pressure input signal.

48. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the apparatus further comprises a control unit and a pressure sensor, the pressure sensor configured to measure a pressure within the wound dressing and to communicate the measured pressure to the control unit, the control unit configured to stop the supply of the pressurized air to the drive unit when the value of the pressure input signal is at least approximately equal to a predetermined value.

49. A method of providing power to a pump used in negative pressure wound therapy, comprising the steps of:

operating a source of motive power to pressurize an accumulator with a pressurized fluid;

selectively powering the accumulator to operate a source of negative pressure, the source of negative pressure being equipped with at least one conduit configured to channel a flow of fluid between the source of negative pressure and a wound dressing.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein the source of motive power may be powered by one or both of a primary and an auxiliary power source.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein the auxiliary power module is a fuel cell.

52. The method of claim 50, wherein the auxiliary power module is a generator.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein the generator is combustion powered.

54. The method of claim 50, wherein the auxiliary power module is a battery.

55. The method of claim 50, wherein the auxiliary power module is a mechanical accumulator.

56. The method of claim 49, further comprising the step of controlling the pressure within the wound dressing by controlling the amount of pressurized fluid supplied to a drive unit to actuate the source of negative pressure based at least in part on a sensed pressure within the wound dressing.

57. The method of claim 56, wherein the sensed pressure is provided by a pressure sensor operatively coupled to the wound dressing, the sensor configured to communicate with a controller that controls the operation of the drive unit.

58. A negative pressure wound therapy apparatus comprising:

a wound dressing;

at least one negative pressure unit;

a conduit configured to channel fluid between at least the wound dressing and the negative pressure unit;

a drive unit driven by a source of motive power, where the drive unit selectively drives the at least one negative pressure unit such that a portion of fluid within the wound dressing is caused to be drawn out of the wound dressing, and wherein the source of motive power is a mechanical energy accumulator movable from a first position to a second position.

59. The apparatus of claim 58, wherein the source of motive power compresses air, and the compressed air is stored in an accumulator.

60. The apparatus of claim 58, wherein the mechanical energy accumulator is a wound spring.

61. A negative pressure wound therapy apparatus, comprising:

a vacuum pump comprising a pump motor connectable to a primary power source selected from the group consisting of photovoltaic power and human power, the vacuum pump operatively coupleable to a wound dressing and configured to selectively draw a fluid from the wound dressing; and

an auxiliary power source operatively coupleable to the pump motor, wherein the auxiliary power source comprises an auxiliary power module configured to selectively supply supplemental power to the pump motor for powering the pump motor.

62. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein the wound dressing is removably positionable over a wound.

63. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein a canister suitable for containing fluid is interposed between the vacuum pump and the wound dressing.

64. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein the auxiliary power module is a fuel cell.

65. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein the auxiliary power module is a generator.

66. The apparatus of claim 65, wherein the generator is combustion powered.

67. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein the auxiliary power module is a battery.

68. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein the auxiliary power module is a mechanical accumulator.

69. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein the photovoltaic power source comprises a photovoltaic panel.

70. A method of providing power to the negative pressure wound therapy apparatus of claim 61.