SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MANAGING REDUCED PRESSURE AT A PLURALITY OF WOUND SITES

• US 20120123358A1
• Filed: 11/09/2011
• Published: 05/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Solventum Intellectual Properties Company (Solventum Corp.)
• Original Assignee: KCI Licensing Incorporated (3M Company)
• Inventors: Hall, Colin John, Locke, Christopher Brian
• Granted Patent: US 9,364,591 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/318
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/732 Visual indicating means for vacuum pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/74 Suction control underwater drainage A61M1/61
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/912 Connectors between dressing and drainage tube
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/918 for multiple suction locations
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/96 Suction control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/966 having a pressure sensor on or near the dressing
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/18 with alarm
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3344 Measuring or controlling pressure at the body treatment site
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/84 for treating several patients simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2207/00 Methods of manufacture, assembly or production

Abstract

Systems and methods are presented for providing reduced pressure to and monitoring pressure at a plurality of tissue sites using a plurality of pressure management devices. The pressure management devices are associated with a plurality of sensing conduits that fluidly couple the pressure management devices and the plurality of tissue sites. Other systems, methods, and devices are disclosed.

Claims

1. A system for managing reduced pressure at a plurality of tissue sites undergoing reduced pressure treatment on a patient, the system comprising:

a reduced-pressure source for providing reduced pressure;

a plurality of reduced-pressure delivery conduits fluidly coupled to the reduced-pressure source;

a plurality of reduced-pressure dressings fluidly coupled to the plurality of reduced-pressure delivery conduits in a one-to-one fashion;

a plurality of pressure management devices;

a plurality of sensing conduits fluidly coupled to the plurality of pressure management devices in a one-to-one fashion;

wherein each reduced-pressure dressing has a sensing conduit of the plurality of sensing conduits and a reduced-pressure delivery conduit of the plurality of reduced-pressure delivery conduits associated with the reduced-pressure dressing; and

wherein each pressure management device of the plurality of pressure management devices comprises;

a controller,

a power unit electrically coupled to the controller for providing power to the controller,

a force transducer associated with a sensing conduit of the plurality of sensing conduits and electrically coupled to the controller for determining if a reduced-pressure threshold exists at a tissue site associated with the sensing conduit, and

an indicator coupled to the controller for indicating when insufficient pressure exists in an associated sensing conduit.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each pressure management device further comprises an activation sensor fluidly coupled to a reduced-pressure delivery conduit associated with the pressure management device and electrically coupled to the controller.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the indicator is selected from the group of an audible indicator and a visual indicator.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein each pressure management device further comprises a muting switch.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of pressure management devices are coupled to form an integral module.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of reduced-pressure dressings comprises:

a manifold for placing proximate to the tissue site, a sealing member for covering the manifold and tissue site to create a sealed space, and a reduced-pressure interface for providing reduced pressure to the sealed space.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of pressure management devices comprises:

a housing,

a first coupling member coupled to a first portion of the housing,

a second coupling member coupled to a second portion of the housing, and

wherein the first coupling member is sized and configured to couple with the second coupling member on another of the plurality of pressure management devices, whereby adjacent pressure management devices may be coupled.

8. A method for managing reduced pressure at a plurality of tissue sites undergoing reduced pressure treatment on a patient, the method comprising:

providing a reduced-pressure source;

fluidly coupling a plurality of reduced-pressure delivery conduits to the reduced-pressure source;

disposing a plurality of reduced-pressure dressings proximate to the plurality of tissue sites;

fluidly coupling the plurality of reduced-pressure dressings to the plurality of reduced-pressure delivery conduits;

providing a plurality of pressure management devices for monitoring pressure;

fluidly coupling a plurality of a sensing conduits to the plurality of pressure management devices in a one-to-one fashion; and

wherein each reduced-pressure dressing has a sensing conduit of the plurality of sensing conduits and a reduced-pressure delivery conduit of the plurality of reduced-pressure delivery conduits associated with the reduced-pressure dressing.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein each pressure management device of the plurality of pressure management devices comprises:

a controller,

a power unit electrically coupled to the controller for providing power to the controller,

a force transducer associated with a sensing conduit of the plurality of sensing conduits and electrically coupled to the controller for determining if a reduced-pressure threshold exists at a tissue site associated with the sensing conduit, and

an indicator coupled to the controller for indicating when insufficient pressure exists in an associated sensing conduit.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein each pressure management device further comprises an activation sensor fluidly coupled to a reduced-pressure delivery conduit associated with the pressure management device and electrically coupled to the controller.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the indicator is selected from the group of an audible indicator and a visual indicator.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein each pressure management device further comprises a muting switch.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising coupling the plurality of pressure management devices together to form an integral module.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of reduced-pressure dressings comprises:

a manifold for placing proximate to the tissue site, a sealing member for covering the manifold and tissue site to create a sealed space, and a reduced-pressure interface for providing reduced pressure to the sealed space.

15. (canceled)

16. A system for managing reduced pressure at a plurality of tissue sites undergoing reduced pressure treatment on a patient, the system comprising:

a reduced-pressure source for providing reduced pressure;

a pressure management module;

a first conduit fluidly coupled between the reduced-pressure source and the pressure management module for supplying reduced pressure to the pressure management module;

a plurality of reduced-pressure dressings;

a plurality of reduced-pressure delivery conduits fluidly coupled to the pressure management module;

wherein the plurality of reduced-pressure dressings are coupled to the plurality of reduced-pressure delivery conduits;

a plurality of a sensing conduits fluidly coupled to the pressure management module; and

wherein each reduced-pressure dressing has a sensing conduit of the plurality of sensing conduits and a reduced-pressure delivery conduit of the plurality of reduced-pressure delivery conduits associated with the reduced-pressure dressing.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the pressure management module comprises a plurality of pressure management devices, and wherein each pressure management device of the plurality of pressure management devices comprises:

a controller,

a power unit electrically coupled to the controller for providing power to the controller,

a force transducer associated with a sensing conduit of the plurality of sensing conduits and electrically coupled to the controller for determining if a reduced-pressure threshold exists at a tissue site associated with the sensing conduit, and

an indicator coupled to the controller for indicating when insufficient pressure exists in an associated sensing conduit.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein each pressure management device further comprises an activation sensor fluidly coupled to the first conduit and electrically coupled to the controller.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the indicator is selected from the group of an audible indicator and a visual indicator.

20. A system for managing reduced pressure at a plurality of tissue sites undergoing reduced pressure treatment on a patient, the system comprising:

a reduced-pressure source for providing reduced pressure;

a first plurality of reduced-pressure delivery conduits fluidly coupled to the reduced-pressure source, each reduced-pressure delivery conduit of the first plurality of reduced-pressure delivery conduits having a first end and a second end, and wherein the second end has a first pressure-management connector;

a second plurality of reduced-pressure delivery conduits each having a first end and a second end, and wherein the first end has a second pressure-management connector;

a plurality of reduced-pressure dressings coupled to the second plurality of reduced-pressure delivery conduits in a one-to-one fashion;

wherein the first pressure management connectors of the plurality of reduced-pressure conduits are coupled to the second pressure-management connectors of the second plurality of reduced-pressure in a one-to-one fashion, and wherein the first pressure management connectors and second management connectors couple to form a plurality of pressure management devices;

wherein each reduced-pressure dressing has one of the second reduced-pressure delivery conduits associated with the reduced-pressure dressing; and

wherein each pressure management device of the plurality of pressure management devices comprises;

a controller,

a power unit electrically coupled to the controller for providing power to the controller,

a force transducer associated with a sensing conduit of the first plurality of reduced-pressure conduits and electrically coupled to the controller for determining if a reduced-pressure threshold exists at a tissue site associated with the sensing conduit, and

an indicator coupled to the controller for indicating when insufficient pressure exists at the associated sensing conduit.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein for each pressure management device, the indicator is coupled to the first pressure management connector.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein for each pressure management device, the indicator is coupled to the first pressure management connector and the controller, the power unit, and the force transducer are coupled to the second pressure management connector.

23-35. -35. (canceled)