Wound cleansing apparatus in-situ

• US 7,964,766 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2004
• Issued: 06/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smith & Nephew PLC
• Original Assignee: Smith & Nephew PLC
• Inventors: Michelle, Tina, Hartwell, Edward Yerbury, Lee-Webb, Julian, Nicolini, Derek, Blott, Patrick Lewis, Greener, Bryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Bianco; Patricia M
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAWTHORNE, OPHELIA ALTHEA
• Application Number:
  US10/575,871
• Publication Number:
  US 20070167926A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,427 Days
• Field of Search: 602 41- 44, 604/304, 604/313, 604/289, 604/317, 604/327, 604/355, 604/305, 604/307, 604/543, 604/6.09, 604/6.1, 604/6.11, 210/645
• US Class Current: 602/41
• 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 13/0213 the fluid retention member being a layer of hydrocolloid, gel forming material
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/0259 characterised by the release liner covering the skin adhering layer
• 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 2013/00357 implanted wound fillings or covers membranes for covering bone defects A61F2/2846
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/75 Intermittent or pulsating suction A61M1/63, A61M1/772 take precedence
• 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 1/772 operating alternately
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/81 Piston pumps, e.g. syringes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/82 Membrane pumps, e.g. bulbs
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/85 with gas or fluid supply means, e.g. for supplying rinsing fluids or anticoagulants for negative pressure wound therapy A61M1/92, A61M1/94; combined with tracheal tubes A61M16/0463; dental instruments with combined rinsing and aspirating A61C17/0208
• 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 1/92 with liquid supply means
• 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 1/985 the dressing itself forming the collection container
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/075 Bulb type
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/106 reciprocating
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/7518 bacterial
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 battery-operated
• 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 3/0216 : Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 3/022 : Volume; Flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 3/0229 : Devices operating in a closed circuit, i.e. recycling the irrigating fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 35/30 : Gas therapy for therapeutic treatment of the skin
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 : Assembling or joining

Abstract

An apparatus for cleansing wounds, in which wound exudate is removed from a wound bed and selectively cleansed and returned to the wound. The cleansing means removes materials deleterious to wound healing, and the cleansed fluid, still containing materials that are beneficial in promoting wound healing, is returned to the wound bed. The associated wound dressing and cleansing means are conformable to the wound, and may have irrigant fluid circulated from a reservoir by a device for moving fluid through a flow path which passes through the dressing and a means for fluid cleansing and back to the dressing.

Claims

1. An apparatus for cleansing wounds, comprising:

a wound cover configured to be positioned over at least a portion of a wound;

a cleanser positioned between the wound and the wound cover, wherein the cleanser selectively removes materials that are deleterious to wound healing from fluid containing wound exudate;

an inlet for introducing fluid into the wound cover;

an outlet for removing fluid from within the wound cover;

a recirculation path comprising one or more conduits fluidly connecting the outlet to the inlet; and

a moving device for moving fluid containing wound exudate from the wound and to the cleanser and for moving cleansed fluid from the cleanser back to the wound through the recirculation path.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cleanser comprises a chamber containing a cleansing fluid separated from the wound exudate by a permeable integer, and the cleansing fluid or the wound exudate is moved through the cleanser by the moving device.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the permeable integer is selectively permeable to materials deleterious to wound healing in the wound exudate.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the permeable integer is selectively permeable to materials beneficial to wound healing in the wound exudate.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the moving device comprises a syringe.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the moving device is portable.

7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the moving device is integral with the wound dressing.

8. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the moving device is a pump.

9. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the apparatus is configured to supply an irrigant to the wound.

10. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the cleanser comprises an agent suitable for sequestering deleterious materials from the wound exudate.

11. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the cleanser comprises a macroscopic filter.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprises a bleeding device for bleeding wound exudate.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the bleeding device bleeds fluid to a canister.

14. An apparatus for cleansing wounds, comprising:

a conformable wound dressing comprising a backing layer capable of forming a seal over at least a portion of the wound;

a film configured to define a space beneath the backing layer and an upper surface of the film;

a filter configured to be positioned between the wound and the backing layer, the filter configured to retain wound exudate in the space between the film and the backing layer; and

an outlet tube for communicating with a vacuum source and applying vacuum to the wound to draw wound exudate into the space between the film and the backing layer.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the film is configured to be attached at least partially to the backing layer.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the film is configured to contact at least part of the wound.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the film is a flat sheet of polymeric material.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the film is porous.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the space between the backing layer and an upper surface of the film contains a filler.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the filler comprises a foam.

21. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the filter comprises a polymeric membrane.

22. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the film is configured to contact at least a portion of the wound.

23. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the outlet tube is in fluid communication with a pump.

24. A method of treating a wound, comprising:

positioning a wound dressing over a wound, the wound dressing comprising a backing layer, so that the backing layer forms a seal around at least a portion of a wound;

removing fluid containing wound exudate from the wound;

cleansing the wound exudate beneath the wound dressing; and

returning the cleansed fluid to the wound.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising bleeding fluid from the wound dressing with a bleed mechanism.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the fluid is bled into a canister.

27. The method of claim 24, further comprising passing an irrigant fluid through the wound dressing into the wound.

28. A method for cleansing wounds, comprising:

positioning a wound dressing over a wound, the wound dressing comprising a backing layer that forms a seal around at least a portion of the wound and a film beneath the backing layer defining a space between the backing layer and an upper surface of the film capable of containing wound exudate from the wound;

removing fluid from the wound using negative pressure; and

filtering at least a portion of said fluid to retain wound exudate in the space defined by the film beneath the backing layer.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the wound dressing comprises a filler.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the filler comprises a foam.

31. The method of claim 28, further comprising recirculating unfiltered fluid back to the wound.

32. The method of claim 28, wherein the film is porous.

33. The method of claim 28, wherein filtering at least a portion of the fluid is performed using a porous polymeric membrane.