TISSUE HEALING

• US 20140350494A1
• Filed: 11/02/2011
• Published: 11/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tjsmith & Nephew Limited (Smith & Nephew PLC)
• Original Assignee: Smith & Nephew PLC
• Inventors: Hartwell, Samantha Dawn, Hudson, Donald Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 10,231,878 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/319
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/00068 specially adapted for application or removal of fluid, e.g. irrigation or drainage of wounds, under-pressure wound-therapy A61F13/0216 takes precedence; drainage appliances for wounds in general A61M27/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/0206 with absorbent fibrous layers, e.g. woven or non-woven absorbent pads or island dressings
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/022 having more than one layer with different fluid retention characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/0223 characterized by parametric properties of the fluid retention layer, e.g. absorbency, wicking capacity, liquid distribution
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/0243 characterised by the properties of the skin contacting layer, e.g. air-vapor permeability
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/0253 characterized by the adhesive material
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/05 specially adapted for use with sub-pressure or over-pressure therapy, wound drainage or wound irrigation, e.g. for use with negative-pressure wound therapy [NPWT]
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/915 Constructional details of the pressure distribution manifold
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/916 specially adapted for deep wounds
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/985 the dressing itself forming the collection container
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/7536 allowing gas passage, but preventing liquid passage, e.g. liquophobic, hydrophobic, water-repellent membranes

Abstract

A system, method, and apparatus are disclosed for dressing a wound and for minimizing scarring. The apparatus promotes scar-minimizing healing of a wound where negative pressure wound therapy is applied, and comprises a wound contact layer containing silicone, polysiloxanes, or other related compounds.

Claims

1-40. -40. (canceled)

41. An apparatus for promoting scar-free healing at a tissue site where negative pressure is applied, the apparatus comprising:

a tissue contact layer comprising silicone and an open area in an amount sufficient to inhibit scar tissue formation when negative pressure is applied at the tissue site.

42. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein said tissue contact layer comprises a plurality of through holes, a combined area of said holes comprising said open area and said open area comprising around 20% or less of an overall area of the tissue contact layer.

43. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein the through holes comprise one or more of slits, slots, circular holes, square holes, polygonal holes and elliptical holes.

44. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein the tissue contact layer comprises a silicone adhesive layer.

45. The apparatus of claim 44, further comprising at least one exudate absorbing layer proximate to said tissue contact layer for holding exudate removed from a wound site via said open area.

46. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein said absorbing layer comprises a 3D knit layer and a super absorber containing layer.

47. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the tissue contact layer comprises a silicone based adhesive being present in amounts and proportions sufficient to inhibit scar tissue formation when negative pressure is applied at the tissue site.

48. The apparatus of claim 47, wherein the silicone comprises polysiloxane, polyorganosiloxane, or polydimethylsiloxane.

49. The apparatus of claim 47, further comprising a source of negative pressure connectable to the tissue site, said source being adapted to provide continuous negative pressure and/or intermittent negative pressure.

50. The apparatus of claim 47, further a substantially moisture vapour impermeable layer, a moisture vapour permeability of said impermeable layer and said open area being in an amount and proportion sufficient to inhibit scar tissue formation when negative pressure is applied at the tissue site.

51. The apparatus of claim 47, wherein the tissue site comprises a wound site and said negative pressure comprises negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT).

52. A method for the treatment of a wound, comprising:

providing a wound dressing comprising a silicone wound contact layer and a moisture vapor permeable cover layer;

positioning the dressing over a wound site to form a sealed cavity over the wound site; and

applying negative pressure to the wound site so as to draw fluid from the wound site into the sealed cavity.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein the wound dressing further comprises a transmission layer configured to channel wound exudate through itself and an absorbent layer for absorbing wound exudate.

54. The method of claim 52, further comprising containing fluid from the wound site in the sealed cavity.

55. The method of claim 52, further comprising reducing scar tissue formation at the wound site as compared to the scar tissue formation that would have occurred using a wound dressing without said silicone wound contact layer.

56. The method of claims 55, wherein the scar tissue formation is reduced by at least one point according to the Vancouver Scar Scale or Manchester Scar Scale.

57. The method of claims 52, further comprising leaking silicone from the wound contact layer to the wound site in an amount sufficient to reduce scar tissue formation.

58. A method for promoting scar-free healing at a tissue site where negative pressure is applied, the method comprising:

locating a wound dressing at a tissue site, the wound dressing comprising a tissue contact layer comprising silicone and an open area in an amount and proportion sufficient to at least reduce scar tissue when negative pressure is applied at the tissue site;

applying negative pressure to the tissue site via the wound dressing; and

at least reducing scar tissue at the tissue site.

59. The method of claim 58, wherein the tissue site comprises a wound site, and said at least reducing scar tissue comprises inhibiting scar tissue formation at the wound site.

60. The method of claim 58, wherein the scar tissue is tissue associated with a fibrotic disorder.