METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR REMOVING EXUDATES FROM A WOUND SITE

• US 20130304007A1
• Filed: 12/07/2011
• Published: 11/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Convatec Technologies, Inc. (ConvaTec Group Plc)
• Original Assignee: Convatec Technologies, Inc. (ConvaTec Group Plc)
• Inventors: Toth, Landy Aaron
• Granted Patent: US 10,780,200 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/321
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/67 Containers incorporating a piston-type member to create suction, e.g. syringes cupping glasses A61M1/08; with a flexible member creating suction A61M1/68
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/68 Containers incorporating a flexible member creating suction
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/74 Suction control underwater drainage A61M1/61
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/78 Means for preventing overflow or contamination of the pumping systems combined with drainage containers A61M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/80 Suction pumps A61M1/64, A61M1/71, A61M60/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/82 Membrane pumps, e.g. bulbs
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/96 Suction control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/962 having pumping means on the suction site, e.g. miniature pump on dressing or dressing capable of exerting suction
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/982 with means for detecting level of collected exudate
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/075 Bulb type
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 battery-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/088 on the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 27/00 Drainage appliance for wounds or the like , i.e. wound drains, implanted drains negative pressure wound therapy devices A61M1/90; implements for holding wound open A61B17/02 ; middle ear drainage A61F11/202

Abstract

An apparatus (10) for controlling flow of fluid from a wound site of a patient may include a chamber (28) connectable to a wound site and a reservoir (16). The chamber (28) may have a first deformed state, and a second state in which it is not deformed or less deformed than in the first state. The chamber (28) may be adapted to manage fluid flow between the wound site and the reservoir (16) during transition of the chamber (28) between the first state and the second state. An actuator element (64) of the apparatus (10) may be adapted to operate on the chamber (28) to transition the chamber (28) from the second state to the first state.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling flow of fluid from a wound site of a patient comprising:

a chamber connectable in fluid communication with the wound site and a reservoir for receiving and holding fluid, the chamber having a first state and a second state, the chamber in the first state being deformed and in the second state being non-deformed or less deformed than in the first state, wherein the chamber is adapted to manage fluid flow between the wound site and the reservoir during transition of the chamber between the first state and the second state; and

an actuator element adapted to operate on the chamber to transition the chamber from the second state to the first state.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is portable.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising the reservoir.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the reservoir is arranged so that a sum of volume of the reservoir and volume of fluid in the reservoir is less than 25%, less than 15% or less than 10% greater than the volume of the fluid.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the chamber is adapted to draw fluid from the wound site into the chamber when the chamber is transitioning from the first state to the second state.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the chamber is adapted to push fluid into the reservoir when the chamber is transitioning from the second state to the first state.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the chamber is adapted to draw fluid from the wound site into the reservoir when transitioning from the first state to the second state.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the actuator element is at least one of mechanically and electrically operable to act on the chamber.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a first one-way valve permitting single direction fluid flow into the chamber and a second one-way valve permitting single direction fluid flow from the chamber to the reservoir.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the actuator element is adapted to operate on the chamber to create a predetermined pressure within the chamber when the chamber is in the first state.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a conduit in fluid communication with an input of the chamber and adapted for conveying fluid from the wound site to the input of the chamber.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising:

a dressing attachable in fluid communication with the wound site of the patient and the conduit.

13. An apparatus for controlling flow of fluid from a wound site of a patient comprising:

a passive pump unit including a chamber having an input for receiving the fluid from the wound site of the patient conveyed over a conduit connectable in fluid communication with the input and an output for providing the received fluid from the chamber; and

an actuator element operable to create a pressure within the chamber for drawing the fluid from the wound site through the conduit and the input and into the chamber, wherein the chamber is adapted to hold the received fluid without the received fluid flowing through the input and the output and to provide the received fluid from the chamber through the output without the received fluid flowing through the input.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the actuator element is at least one of mechanically and electrically operable to create the pressure.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the chamber is deformable to create the pressure when the chamber recovers an original form following deformation of the chamber.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein, when the pressure is created in the chamber by the actuator element and the chamber contains the received fluid, the received fluid in the chamber is caused to flow through the output without flowing through the input.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the actuator element is operable to create the pressure within the chamber while the chamber is pressurized for drawing the fluid from the wound site through the input and into the chamber.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the actuator element is operable to act on the pump unit to create at least one of a continuous and varying pressure within the chamber for drawing the fluid from the wound site through the input and into the chamber.

19. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the conduit is part of the apparatus and has a first end connected to the input.

20. The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising:

a dressing attachable in fluid communication with the wound site of the patient and the input.

21. The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising:

a reservoir attachable in fluid communication with the output of the chamber.