Wound irrigation device pressure monitoring and control system

• US 7,608,066 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2006
• Issued: 10/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innovative Therapies Incorporated (Cardinal Health, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Innovative Therapies Incorporated (Cardinal Health, Inc.)
• Inventors: Vogel, Richard C.
• Primary Examiner(s): KIDWELL, MICHELE M
• Application Number:
  US11/350,089
• Publication Number:
  US 20070032763A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,356 Days
• Field of Search: 604/540, 604/543, 604/317
• US Class Current: 604/317
• 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: A61F 13/069 Decubitus ulcer bandages
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/00157 for burns or skin transplants A61F2013/00187 takes precedence; not adhering to the wound A61F2013/00217
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/00174 possibility of applying pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/00255 with pores
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/00412 for use with needles, tubes or catheters
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/00519 for treating burn bandages for burns or skin transplants A61F2013/00157
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/00536 for draining or irrigating wounds
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/0054 for deep wounds
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/00863 with pores
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/00927 with biological activity, e.g. enzymes for debriding wounds or others, collagen or growth factors
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/00936 metal wound bandages with a metallic layer A61F2013/00234
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/74 Suction control underwater drainage A61M1/61
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/77 Suction-irrigation systems aspiration tips supplying fluids A61M1/85; specific for negative pressure wound therapy A61M1/92; combined with tracheal tubes A61M16/0463
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/882 Draining devices provided with means for releasing antimicrobial or gelation agents in the drained fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/912 Connectors between dressing and drainage tube
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/92 with liquid supply means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/96 Suction control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/982 with means for detecting level of collected exudate
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/984 portable on the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/15 : Detection of leaks
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/18 : with alarm
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3317 : Electromagnetic, inductive or dielectric measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/583 : by visual feedback

Abstract

An apparatus includes a pressure housing configured to be coupled to a vacuum source and a diaphragm sealingly coupled to the pressure housing. The diaphragm is configured to move in response to the vacuum source. A magnet is coupled to the diaphragm. A magnetic switch is disposed opposite the magnet and is configured to be actuated by the magnet when the magnet is a predetermined distance from the magnetic switch. The magnetic switch is configured to selectively actuate the vacuum source.

Claims

1. A wound therapy system, comprising:

a power supply;

a vacuum pump coupled to the power supply, the vacuum pump configured to be coupled to a wound dressing;

a control element coupled to the vacuum pump;

a shunt resistor coupled to the control element and configured to provide an indication of a vacuum pump current draw associated with the vacuum pump; and

a processor coupled to the control element.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an amplifier configured to output a pressure signal based on the vacuum pump current draw; and

an analog-to-digital converter configured to digitize the pressure signal and output the digitized pressure signal to the processor.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the control element is a field effect transistor.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the vacuum pump is configured such that the vacuum pump current draw is correlated to a pressure associated with the vacuum pump and maintained within a predetermined range of pressure levels.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the shunt resistor is coupled in series with the control element and the vacuum pump, the shunt resistor configured to produce a voltage signal based on the vacuum pump current draw.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to compare a pressure signal associated with the vacuum pump current draw with a predetermined threshold value.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to output an actuation signal to the control element based on a comparison of a pressure signal associated with the vacuum pump current draw with a predetermined threshold value.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the vacuum pump current draw is a proxy for a system pressure.

9. A wound therapy system, comprising:

a vacuum pump configured to provide negative pressure to a wound dressing;

a control element coupled to the vacuum pump, the control element configured to switch the vacuum pump between a first mode and a second mode when a control signal based on a vacuum pump current draw reaches a predetermined voltage, the vacuum pump providing less suction when in the second mode than when in the first mode; and

a shunt resistor coupled to the control element, the shunt resistor configured to provide an indication of a vacuum pump current draw to a processor.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to output the control signal, the control signal being based on the indication of the vacuum pump current draw.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the vacuum pump current draw is correlated to a pressure associated with the vacuum pump.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein, the vacuum pump current draw increases to a pressure level at the wound dressing increases.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the vacuum pump current draw increases substantially linearly with a pressure level associated with the vacuum pump.

14. A wound therapy system, comprising:

a vacuum pump configured to provide negative pressure to a wound dressing;

a control element coupled to the vacuum pump;

a shunt resistor coupled to the control element and configured to provide an indication of a vacuum pump current draw, the vacuum pump current draw being correlated to a pressure level associated with the vacuum pump.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the vacuum pump is configured to increase the vacuum pump current draw as a pressure level at the wound dressing increases.

16. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

an amplifier configured to output a pressure signal based on the vacuum pump current draw; and

an analog-to-digital converter configured to digitize the pressure signal and output the digitized pressure signal to a processor.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the control element is configured to switch the vacuum pump between a first mode and a second mode when a pressure signal based on the vacuum pump current draw reaches a predetermined voltage.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the shunt resistor is coupled in series with the control element and the vacuum pump, the shunt resistor configured to produce a voltage signal based on the vacuum pump current draw.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the vacuum pump is configured to increase the vacuum pump current draw substantially linearly with the pressure level associated with the vacuum pump.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the vacuum pump is configured to maintain the pressure associated with the vacuum pump within a predetermined range of pressure levels.