Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) bandage

1 . A negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) bandage for applying negative pressure to a wound, the NPWT bandage comprising:

a membrane configured for disposition over a wound so as to form a wound chamber between the membrane and the wound, the membrane comprising a wound-side surface, an atmosphere-side surface, and an opening extending through the membrane from the wound-side surface to the atmosphere-side surface;

a pump assembly mounted to the membrane by a pair of pedestals, the pump assembly comprising:

a pump body comprising a wall structure disposed about a pump chamber, wherein at least a portion of the wall structure is resilient;

a wound-side passageway extending through the wall structure and communicating with the wound chamber through the opening in the membrane; and

an atmosphere-side passageway extending through the wall structure and connecting the pump chamber to the atmosphere;

wherein when the negative air pressure within the wound chamber is below a predetermined threshold, the pump body is in an expanded configuration, and when the negative air pressure within the wound chamber is above the predetermined threshold, the pump body is in fully collapsed configuration; and

a suction source configured to be (i) connected to the pump assembly to increase the negative air pressure in the wound chamber of the pump body when the pump body is in the expanded configuration, and (ii) automatically and operatively disconnected from the pump assembly when the negative air pressure in the wound chamber exceeds the predetermined threshold and causes the pump body to automatically transition from the expanded configuration to the fully collapsed configuration,

wherein the pump body comprises a plurality of notches formed in the wall structure of the pump body as interrupted notches separated by full-thickness wall portions, wherein each full-thickness wall portion is disposed between two adjacent interrupted notches, and

wherein, when the pump body transitions from the expanded configuration to the fully collapsed configuration, at least two of the full-thickness wall portions of the wall structure of the pump body move radially inwardly to engage each other to automatically seal the pump chamber and prevent the suction source from increasing the negative air pressure in the wound chamber.

2 . The NPWT bandage of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined threshold is between 60 mm Hg and 180 mm Hg.

3 . The NPWT bandage of claim 1 , wherein when the negative pressure within the wound chamber is falling, but has not fallen enough to go below the predetermined threshold and cause a transformation of the pump body into the expanded configuration, the full-thickness wall portions of the wall structure of the pump body bow inwardly.

4 . The NPWT bandage of claim 1 , wherein the pump body is suspended between the pair of pedestals and spaced from the membrane.

5 . The NPWT bandage of claim 1 : wherein the pump body has a substantially circular cross-section;

wherein the pump body is mounted to the membrane by the pair of pedestals joined to the pump body at the “6 o'clock position”, with the pump body being suspended between the pair of pedestals and spaced from the membrane;

wherein notches are formed in the wall structure of the pump body at the “9 o'clock position” and the “3 o'clock position”;

wherein, when the pump body is in the fully collapsed configuration, the side walls of the wall structure of the pump body bow inwardly at the “9 o'clock position” and the “3 o'clock position”; and

wherein, when the negative pressure within the wound chamber is falling, but has not fallen enough to go below the predetermined threshold and cause a transformation of the pump body into the fully expanded configuration, top and bottom walls of the wall structure of the pump body bow inwardly at the “12 o'clock position” and the “6 o'clock position”.

6 . The NPWT bandage of claim 1 , wherein the pump assembly further comprises a removable cap for fluidically sealing the atmosphere-side passageway of the pump assembly when the suction source has been disconnected from the pump assembly.

7 . The NPWT bandage of claim 1 , wherein the suction source is fluidically connected to the atmosphere-side passageway of the pump assembly with a Luer lock.

8 . The NPWT bandage of claim 1 , wherein the pump body comprises a substantially cylindrical configuration.

9 . The NPWT bandage of claim 8 , wherein when the pump body is in the expanded configuration, the pump body comprises a substantially circular cross-section.

10 . The NPWT bandage of claim 8 , wherein when the pump body is in the fully collapsed configuration, the wall structure of the pump body bows inwardly.

11 . The NPWT bandage of claim 1 wherein the wall structure of the pump body bows inwardly to seal the pump chamber when the pump body is in the fully collapsed configuration.

12 . A negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) bandage for applying negative pressure to a wound, the NPWT bandage comprising:

a membrane configured for disposition over a wound so as to form a wound chamber between the membrane and the wound,

wherein the membrane comprises a wound-side surface, an atmosphere-side surface, and an opening extending through the membrane from the wound-side surface to the atmosphere-side surface;

a pump assembly carried by the membrane, the pump assembly comprising:

a pump body comprising a wall structure disposed about a pump chamber, wherein at least a portion of the wall structure is resilient,

a wound-side passageway extending through the wall structure and communicating with the wound chamber through the opening in the membrane, and

an atmosphere-side passageway extending through the wall structure and connecting the pump chamber to an external atmosphere; and

a suction source configured to be connected to the pump assembly for establishing negative air pressure within the wound chamber,

wherein when the negative air pressure within the wound chamber is below a predetermined threshold, the pump body is automatically in an expanded configuration, and when the negative air pressure within the wound chamber is above the predetermined threshold, the pump body is automatically in a fully collapsed configuration,

wherein, when the pump body is in the expanded configuration, the suction source increases the negative air pressure within the wound chamber,

wherein the pump body is configured to automatically transition from the expanded configuration to the fully collapsed configuration so as to operatively disconnect the pump assembly from the suction source when the negative air pressure within the wound chamber exceeds the predetermined threshold,

wherein the pump body has a substantially circular cross-section and is mounted to the membrane by a pair of pedestals joined to the pump body at the “6 o'clock position,” with the pump body being suspended between the pair of pedestals and spaced from the membrane,

wherein the pump body comprises a plurality of notches formed in the wall structure at the “9 o'clock position” and the “3 o'clock position,” the plurality of notches comprising two interrupted notches separated by a full-thickness wall portion at the “9 o'clock position” and two interrupted notches separated by a full-thickness wall portion at the “3 o'clock position”, and

wherein, when the pump body is in the fully collapsed configuration, diametrically-opposing portions of the wall structure of the pump body bow inwardly into engagement with each other to automatically seal the pump chamber and prevent the suction source from increasing the negative air pressure in the wound chamber.

13 . A negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) bandage for applying negative pressure to a wound, the NPWT bandage comprising:

a membrane configured for disposition over a wound so as to form a wound chamber between the membrane and the wound, the membrane comprising a wound-side surface, an atmosphere-side surface, and an opening extending through the membrane from the wound-side surface to the atmosphere-side surface;

a pump assembly carried by the membrane, the pump assembly comprising:

a pump body comprising a wall structure disposed about a pump chamber, wherein at least a portion of the wall structure is resilient;

a wound-side passageway extending through the wall structure and communicating with the wound chamber through the opening in the membrane; and

an atmosphere-side passageway extending through the wall structure and connecting the pump chamber to the atmosphere; and

a suction source configured to be connected to the pump assembly for establishing negative air pressure within the wound chamber,

wherein when the negative air pressure within the wound chamber is below a predetermined threshold, the pump body is automatically in fully expanded configuration, and when the negative air pressure within the wound chamber is above the predetermined threshold, the pump body is automatically in a fully collapsed configuration,

wherein, when the pump body is in the expanded configuration, the suction source increases the negative air pressure within the wound chamber,

wherein the pump body is configured to automatically transition from the expanded configuration to the fully collapsed configuration so as to operatively disconnect the pump assembly from the suction source when the negative air pressure within the wound chamber exceeds the predetermined threshold,

wherein the pump body comprises a plurality of notches formed in the wall structure of the pump body as interrupted notches separated by full-thickness wall portions,

wherein each full-thickness wall portion is disposed between two adjacent interrupted notches, and

wherein, when the pump body transitions from the expanded to the fully collapsed configuration, at least two of the full-thickness wall portions of the wall structure of the pump body move radially inwardly to engage one another and automatically seal the pump chamber, thereby preventing the suction source from further increasing the negative pressure within the wound chamber.

14 . A negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) bandage for applying negative pressure to a wound, the NPWT bandage comprising:

a membrane configured for disposition over a wound so as to form a wound chamber between the membrane and the wound, the membrane comprising a wound-side surface, an atmosphere-side surface, and an opening extending through the membrane from the wound-side surface to the atmosphere-side surface;

a pump assembly carried by the membrane, the pump assembly comprising:

a pump body comprising a wall structure disposed about a pump chamber, wherein at least a portion of the wall structure is resilient,

a wound-side passageway extending through the wall structure and communicating with the wound chamber through the opening in the membrane, and

an atmosphere-side passageway extending through the wall structure and connecting the pump chamber to the atmosphere,

wherein when the negative air pressure within the wound chamber is below a predetermined threshold, the pump body is automatically in an expanded configuration, and when the negative air pressure within the wound chamber is above the predetermined threshold, the pump body is automatically in a fully collapsed configuration; and

a suction source configured to be (i) connected to the pump assembly to increase the negative air pressure in the wound chamber of the pump body when the pump body is in the expanded configuration, and (ii) automatically and operatively disconnected from the pump assembly when the negative air pressure in the wound chamber exceeds the predetermined threshold causing the pump body automatically transitions from the expanded configuration to the fully collapsed configuration,

wherein the pump body has a substantially circular cross-section,

wherein the pump body is mounted to the membrane by a pair of pedestals joined to the pump body at the “6 o'clock position”, with the pump body being suspended between the pair of pedestals and spaced from the membrane,

wherein the pump body comprises a plurality of notches formed in the wall structure of the pump body at the “9 o'clock position” and the “3 o'clock position”, wherein the plurality of notches comprises two interrupted notches separated by a full-thickness wall portion at the “9 o'clock position” and two interrupted notches separated by a full-thickness wall portion at the “3 o'clock position”,

wherein, when the pump body is in the fully collapsed configuration, the side walls of the wall structure of the pump body bow inwardly at the “9 o'clock position” and the “3 o'clock position”, and

wherein, when the negative pressure within the wound chamber is above the predetermined threshold and the pump body is in the fully collapsed configuration, respective full-thickness wall portions of the wall structure of the pump body bow inwardly to engage each other and automatically seal the pump chamber, thereby preventing the suction source from further increasing the negative pressure in the wound chamber.

15 . The NPWT bandage of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of notches comprises a first notch and a second notch that are diametrically opposed to each other such that the full-thickness wall portion of the first notch contacts the full-thickness wall portion of the second notch when the pump body is in the fully collapsed configuration.

16 . The NPWT bandage of claim 15 , wherein the first notch is at 3 o'clock and the second notch is at 9 o'clock around a circumference of the wall structure.