Wound irrigation device pressure monitoring and control system
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.
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.