REDUCED-PRESSURE SYSTEMS, DRESSINGS, AND METHODS FACILITATING SEPARATION OF ELECTRONIC AND CLINICAL COMPONENT PARTS

• US 20150057625A1
• Filed: 03/28/2013
• Published: 02/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KCI Licensing Incorporated (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: KCI Licensing Incorporated (3M Company)
• Inventors: Coulthard, Richard Daniel John
• Granted Patent: US 10,286,129 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/319
• 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 13/05 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 1/962 having pumping means on the suction site, e.g. miniature pump on dressing or dressing capable of exerting suction
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/964 having venting means on or near the dressing
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/985 the dressing itself forming the collection container
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 75/30 Articles or materials enclosed between two opposed sheets or blanks having their margins united, e.g. by pressure-sensitive adhesive, crimping, heat-sealing, or welding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49822 by applying force

Abstract

Systems, dressings, and related methods, for providing reduced pressure to a tissue site on a patient are presented that involve using a self-contained reduced-pressure dressing. The dressing includes an absorbent pouch and an electronics pouch. The absorbent pouch has an absorbent for absorbing liquid from the tissue site, and the electronics pouch has a pump for applying reduced pressure to the tissue site through the absorbent pouch. The electronics pouch is removably coupled to the absorbent pouch such that the electronics pouch and absorbent pouch may be easily separated for disposal.

Claims

1. A reduced-pressure dressing for applying reduced pressure treatment to a tissue site, the reduced-pressure dressing comprising:

an absorbent pouch comprising;

a manifold layer adapted to deliver reduced pressure to the tissue site,

an absorbent layer in fluid communication with the manifold layer to absorb liquid from at least one of the manifold layer and the tissue site, and

a first cover positioned over the absorbent layer and the manifold layer to maintain the reduced pressure at the tissue site; and

an electronics pouch removably coupled to the absorbent pouch, the electronics pouch comprising;

a pump adapted to provide fluid communication to the tissue site through at least one of the absorbent layer and the manifold layer; and

a second cover having a first electronics cover and a second electronics cover, the second electronics cover coupled to the first electronics cover and the pump positioned between the first electronics cover and the second electronics cover.

2. The reduced-pressure dressing of claim 1, wherein:

the second cover comprises a perforation and a tab,

the perforation is operable to tear in response to the application of a separating force to the tab, thereby separating the electronics pouch from the absorbent pouch.

3. The reduced-pressure dressing of claim 2, wherein the perforation is of 0.1 mm land and 0.5 mm space.

4. The reduced-pressure dressing of claim 1, wherein:

the first cover comprises a perforation;

the second cover comprises a tab; and

the perforation is operable to tear in response to the application of a separating force to the tab, thereby separating the electronics pouch from the absorbent pouch.

5. The reduced-pressure dressing of claim 1, wherein:

the electronics pouch comprises a circuit board;

the pump is mounted to the circuit board;

the reduced-pressure dressing comprises a sealing member coupled to the circuit board and the absorbent pouch; and

the sealing member provides a fluid seal between the pump and the absorbent pouch.

6. The reduced-pressure dressing of claim 5, wherein the sealing member comprises a liquid-air separator.

7. The reduced-pressure dressing of claim 5, wherein the sealing member comprises an odor filter.

8. The reduced-pressure dressing of claim 5, wherein the sealing member comprises liquid-air separator and a carbon filter.

9. The reduced-pressure dressing of claim 5, wherein the sealing member comprises a sealing ring.

10. The reduced-pressure dressing of claim 5, wherein the sealing member comprises a closed celled foam.

11. The reduced-pressure dressing of claim 5, wherein the sealing member comprises neoprene.

12. The reduced-pressure dressing of claim 5, wherein the sealing member comprises a first sealing connector and a second sealing connector.

13. The reduced-pressure dressing of claim 1, wherein the second cover is bonded to the first cover by a first cover connector and a second cover connector.

14. The reduced-pressure dressing of claim 13, wherein the first cover connector and second cover connector comprise polyurethane.

15. The reduced-pressure dressing of claim 1, wherein:

the second cover is coupled to the first cover by an intermediate cover member;

the intermediate cover member is more susceptible to tearing than the first cover and the second cover; and

the electronics pouch and absorbent pouch are separable by tearing the intermediate cover member.

16. The reduced-pressure dressing of claim 1, further comprising a sealing layer positioned between the first cover and tissue at or near the tissue site.

17. The reduced-pressure dressing of claim 1, wherein the pump is a piezoelectric-driven micropump.

18. The reduced-pressure dressing of claim 1, wherein the electronics pouch further comprises a battery and control electronics positioned within the electronics pouch and operatively connected to the pump.

19. The reduced-pressure dressing of claim 1 further comprising an aperture in the second cover to allow exhausting of gas from the pump.

20. The reduced-pressure dressing of claim 1 further comprising an odor filter in fluid communication with an outlet port of the pump.

21. The reduced-pressure dressing of claim 1, wherein the absorbent pouch further comprises:

a liquid-air separator to inhibit liquid from exiting the absorbent pouch; and

a diverter layer between the liquid-air separator and the absorbent layer, the diverter layer including a plurality of apertures to transmit reduced pressure from the pump to the absorbent layer.

22. The reduced-pressure dressing of claim 21, wherein:

a surface area of the diverter layer is greater than a surface area of the first cover; and

at least a portion of the first cover is adhesively coupled to the diverter layer and at least a portion of the diverter layer is coupled to a tissue surrounding the tissue site.

23. The reduced-pressure dressing of claim 21 further comprising a seal layer positioned between the diverter layer and tissue surrounding the tissue site.

24. The reduced-pressure dressing of claim 1, wherein the manifold layer is hydrophobic.

25. The reduced-pressure dressing of claim 1, wherein the absorbent layer includes a super-absorbent fiber.

26. The reduced-pressure dressing of claim 1, wherein the absorbent pouch further comprises:

a first manifold layer in fluid communication with the manifold layer;

a diverter layer formed from a substantially gas-impermeable material, the diverter layer including a plurality of spaced apertures in fluid communication with the absorbent layer;

a second manifold layer in fluid communication with the diverter layer;

a liquid-air separator positioned between the second manifold layer and the pump to inhibit liquid from entering the pump,

wherein the absorbent layer is in fluid communication with the first manifold layer to absorb liquid from at least one of the first manifold layer, the manifold layer, and the tissue site; and

wherein the pump is in fluid communication with the second manifold layer to deliver a reduced pressure to the tissue site.

27. A method for disposing of a reduced-pressure dressing comprising a second pouch removably coupled to a first pouch, the first pouch comprising a tissue manifold layer, an absorbent layer in fluid communication with the tissue manifold layer, and a first cover, the method comprising:

pulling the second pouch to separate second pouch from the first pouch along a weakened coupling between the second pouch and the first pouch.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the weakened coupling comprises a perforation and wherein the second pouch comprises a pump, a second pouch cover, and a substrate.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the weakened coupling is an intermediate cover member that tears more easily than the first cover and the second pouch cover, and wherein the second pouch comprises a pump, a first electronics cover, and a substrate.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the weakened coupling comprises an interface between a first cover connector and a second cover connector, and wherein the second pouch comprises a pump, a first electronics cover, and a substrate.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein the weakened coupling comprises an adhesive layer coupled to the first pouch and the second pouch, and wherein the second pouch comprises a pump, a first electronics cover, and a substrate.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the adhesive layer is coupled to the first cover and the substrate.

33. The method of claim 27, wherein the reduced-pressure dressing further comprises a sealing member coupled to the second pouch and the first pouch, and the second pouch comprises a pump, a first electronics cover, and a substrate, the method further comprising:

separating the sealing member from one of the first pouch and the second pouch.

34. A reduced-pressure dressing for applying reduced pressure treatment to a tissue site, the reduced-pressure dressing comprising:

an absorbent pouch having an absorbent for absorbing liquid from the tissue site;

a pump pouch having a pump for applying reduced pressure to the tissue site through the absorbent pouch, the pump pouch removably coupled to the absorbent pouch.

35. The reduced-pressure dressing of claim 34, wherein:

the pump pouch comprises a perforation and a tab, the perforation operable to tear in response to the application of a separating force to the tab.

36. The reduced-pressure dressing of claim 34, wherein:

the pump pouch comprises a circuit board;

the pump is mounted to the circuit board;

the reduced-pressure dressing comprises a sealing member coupled to the circuit board and the absorbent pouch; and

the sealing member provides a fluid seal between the pump and the absorbent pouch.

37. The reduced-pressure dressing of claim 36, wherein the sealing member comprises a sealing ring.

38. The reduced-pressure dressing of claim 36, wherein the sealing member comprises a first sealing connector and a second sealing connector.

39. The reduced-pressure dressing of claim 34, wherein the pump pouch is coupled to the absorbent pouch by a first cover connector and a second cover connector.

40. The reduced-pressure dressing of claim 34, wherein:

the pump pouch is coupled to the absorbent pouch by an intermediate cover member;

the intermediate cover member is more susceptible to tearing than the pump pouch and the absorbent pouch; and

the pump pouch and absorbent pouch are separable by tearing the intermediate cover member.

41. The reduced-pressure dressing of claim 34, wherein the pump is a piezoelectric-driven micropump.

42. A reduced-pressure dressing for applying reduced pressure treatment to a tissue site, the reduced-pressure dressing comprising:

a manifold layer adapted to be positioned at the tissue site;

an absorbent layer in fluid communication with the manifold layer;

a cover positioned over the absorbent layer to create a sealed space beneath the cover, the cover having an aperture to allow fluid communication with the sealed space;

an envelope comprising an upper sheet and a lower sheet, the lower sheet coupled to the upper sheet, and a pump positioned between upper and lower sheets; and

a removable coupling between the envelope and the cover.

43. The reduced-pressure dressing of claim 42, wherein:

the envelope comprises a perforation and a tab, the perforation operable to tear in response to the application of a separating force to the tab.

44. The reduced-pressure dressing of claim 42, wherein:

the envelope comprises a circuit board;

the pump is mounted to the circuit board; and

the reduced-pressure dressing comprises a sealing member coupled to the circuit board and the cover, wherein the sealing member provides a fluid seal between the pump and the cover.

45. The reduced-pressure dressing of claim 44, wherein the sealing member comprises a sealing ring.

46. The reduced-pressure dressing of claim 44, wherein the sealing member comprises a first sealing connector and a second sealing connector.

47. The reduced-pressure dressing of claim 42, wherein the envelope is coupled to the cover by a first cover connector and a second cover connector.

48. The reduced-pressure dressing of claim 42, wherein:

the envelope is coupled to cover by an intermediate cover member;

the intermediate cover member is more susceptible to tearing than the cover, the upper sheet, and the lower sheet; and

the envelope and absorbent pouch are separable by tearing the intermediate cover member.

49. The reduced-pressure dressing of claim 42, wherein the pump is a piezoelectric-driven micropump.