Wound treatment apparatus

• US 6,824,533 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2002
• Issued: 11/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: KCI Licensing Incorporated (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Petrosenko, Robert, Risk, James R. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Calvert, John J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRUONG, LINH T
• Application Number:
  US10/159,720
• Publication Number:
  US 20020198503A1
• Time in Patent Office: 914 Days
• Field of Search: 604/35, 604/305-308, 604/317-323, 604/540-544, 604/902, 606/131
• US Class Current: 604/319
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/73 comprising sensors or indicators for physical values
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/74 Suction control underwater drainage A61M1/61
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/913 having a bridging element for transferring the reduced pressure from the connector to the dressing
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/92 with liquid supply means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/94 with gas supply means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/95 with sensors for exudate composition
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/96 Suction control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/18 with alarm
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3331 Pressure; Flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/52 with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 3/0208 before use
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 3/0216 Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 35/30 Gas therapy for therapeutic treatment of the skin
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/93 Latch spindles

Abstract

A control unit is adapted for use with a vacuum wound bandage. The control unit has a canister to collect waste material from the vacuum wound bandage, a fluid source to irrigate the wound, and a door to at least partially cover the fluid source.

Claims

1. A control unit adapted for use with a vacuum wound bandage, the control unit comprising

a vacuum source to provide a negative pressure through the vacuum wound bandage,

a pressure sensor, and

a canister having a chamber to collect waste material from the vacuum wound bandage, an inlet port to introduce waste material from the vacuum wound bandage into the chamber, an outlet port to communicate with the chamber and the vacuum source, and a pressure port to communicate with the chamber and the pressure sensor, the pressure port to allow the pressure sensor to sense a pressure change within the chamber in response to the waste material within the chamber at least partially occluding the outlet port.

2. The control unit of claim 1, further comprising a control module carrying the vacuum source, the canister having an interior region to collect waste material from the vacuum wound bandage, and the canister having a latch to couple the canister to the control module the latch extending through the interior region.

3. The control unit of claim 2, wherein the canister has a sleeve positioned within the interior region, and a portion of the latch is positioned within the sleeve.

4. The control unit of claim 3, wherein the canister has a first wall and a second wall, and the sleeve extends from the first wall to the second wall.

5. The control unit of claim 3 wherein the latch has a shaft positioned within the sleeve.

6. The control unit of claim 2, wherein the canister has a first wall having a first aperture and a second wall having a second aperture, the control module has a third wall having a third aperture, and the latch extends through the first aperture, the second aperture, and the third aperture.

7. The control unit of claim 2, wherein the latch has an actuator and a fastener to couple the canister to the control module in response to rotation of the actuator.

8. The control unit of claim 7, wherein the control module has a housing, and the fastener has a pair of canted lugs to cam against the housing of the control module in response to rotation of the actuator.

9. The control unit of claim 8, wherein the housing of the control module has an aperture, and the canted lugs pass through the aperture when the canister is coupled to the control module.

10. The control unit of claim 7, wherein the actuator has a shaft coupled to the fastener and positioned within the interior region.

11. The control unit of claim 9, wherein the actuator has a handle coupled to the shaft to rotate the fastener.

12. The control unit of claim 2, wherein the control module has a housing, the canister has a housing having the interior region, and the latch is operable to move the housing of the canister into sealing engagement with the housing of the control module.

13. The control unit of claim 11, wherein the housing of the canister has a port, the housing of the control module has a tapered socket, and rotation of the latch against the housing of the control module draws the port into the tapered socket to provide the sealing engagement between the housing of the canister and the housing of the control module.

14. The control unit of claim 1, wherein the canister has a vertical wall, and the vertical wall has the outlet port and the pressure port.

15. The control unit of claim 1, wherein the canister has a filter covering the outlet port and the pressure port.

16. The control unit of claim 1, further comprising a lower socket and an upper socket, the outlet port is positioned within the lower socket, and the pressure port is positioned within the upper socket.

17. The control unit of claim 1, further comprising a controller coupled to the pressure sensor and a proportional valve coupled to the controller, the proportional valve being positioned fluidly between the vacuum source and the outlet port, and the controller being configured to operate the proportional valve in response to the pressure sensed by the pressure sensor.

18. The control unit of claim 17, further comprising an alarm coupled to the controller, the controller being configured to activate the alarm when the proportional valve is fully open and the pressure sensor senses that the negative pressure within the chamber is greater than a desired negative pressure due to at least partial occlusion of the outlet port by waste material within the chamber.

19. The control unit of claim 1, further comprising a fluid source to irrigate the wound, a housing carrying the vacuum source and the fluid source, a door movable relative to the housing between an opened position uncovering the fluid source and a closed position at least partially covering the fluid source, and a latch coupled to the door for movement relative to the door between a latched position blocking movement of the door from its closed position to its opened position and a release position allowing the door to move between its closed position and its opened position.

20. The control unit of claim 19, wherein the housing has a slot, and the latch is positioned within the slot in the latched position and outside the slot in the release position.

21. The control unit of claim 20, wherein the latch has a fastener and an actuator to rotate the fastener into and out of the slot.

22. The control unit of claim 21, wherein the actuator has a handle positioned in front of the door, and the fastener is positioned behind the door.

23. The control unit of claim 22, wherein the actuator has a stem coupled to the handle and the fastener and extending through the door.

24. The control unit of claim 23, wherein the fastener is comprises an arm perpendicular to the stem.

25. The control unit of claim 19, wherein the door has a first side and a second side, the first side is hinged to the housing, and the latch is rotatably coupled to the second side.

26. The control unit of claim 1, further comprising a fluid source to irrigate the wound, a housing carrying the vacuum source and the fluid source, and a door coupled to the housing and at least partially covering the fluid source, the door having a mount supporting the fluid source.

27. The control unit of claim 26, wherein the mount comprises a groove, an the fluid source is comprises a syringe having a flange positioned within the groove.

28. The control unit of claim 27, wherein the door has a plurality of vertically-spaced grooves, and the flange is positioned within one of the grooves.

29. The control unit of claim 28, wherein the housing has a plurality of vertically-spaced grooves, and the flange is positioned within one of the grooves of the housing.

30. The control unit of claim 27, wherein the housing has a groove, and the flange is positioned within the groove of the housing.

31. The control unit of claim 30, wherein the groove is horizontal so that the syringe is oriented vertically.

32. The control unit of claim 1, wherein the canister has a front wall and a rear wall, the inlet port comprises a first passage through the front wall, the outlet port comprises a second passage through the rear wall, and the pressure port comprises a third passage extending through the rear wall.

33. The control unit of claim 1, wherein the outlet port and the inlet port each comprise a nipple and an O-ring surrounding the nipple.

34. The control unit of claim 1, wherein the canister further comprises a latch having a first portion below the inlet port and a second portion below both the outlet port and the pressure port.

35. The control unit of claim 34, wherein the first portion of the latch comprises a handle accessible in front of the front wall.

36. The control unit of claim 34, wherein the second portion of the latch comprises a lug behind the rear wall.

37. The control unit of claim 34, wherein rotation of the first portion about an axis results in rotation of the second portion about the axis.

38. The control unit of claim 1, wherein the canister comprises first and second stops that limit the amount by which the first portion may rotate about the axis.

39. The control unit of claim 1, wherein the inlet port is positioned at an elevation lower than the pressure port.

40. The control unit of claim 1, wherein the inlet port is positioned at an elevation higher than the outlet port and lower than the pressure port.