Negative Pressure Wound Therapy Device
Apparatus for the application of topical negative pressure, or vacuum, therapy to a wound site.
1 . Apparatus for the application of topical negative pressure or vacuum wound therapy to a wound site, the apparatus comprising:
a wound covering element that provides a substantially airtight seal over the wound site in which at least one portion of the wound covering element is flexible;
a vacuum connection tube connecting a wound cavity to a vacuum source, and the vacuum source connected to a distal end of the vacuum connection tube, wherein the flexible portion of the wound covering element has substantially a similar flexibility or stretch as that of skin.
2 . An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the apparatus further comprises a wound contact element.
3 . An apparatus as claimed in either claim 1 , wherein the flexible portion of the wound covering element is the only portion of the wound covering element.
4 . An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the flexible portion of the wound covering element has a flexibility or force constant of 50 Nm −1 plus or minus that of skin.
5 . An apparatus as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the flexibility or force constant of the wound covering element (with and without an adhesive layer) is less than 500 Nm −1 .
6 . An apparatus as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the flexibility or force constant of the wound covering element (with and without an adhesive layer) is less than 250 Nm −1 .
7 . An apparatus as claimed in claim 4 , wherein in the flexibility or force constant of the wound covering element (with and without an adhesive layer) is less than 150 Nm −1 .
8 . An apparatus as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the flexibility or force constant of the wound covering element (with and without an adhesive layer) is less than 100 Nm −1 .
9 . An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the flexibility or force constant of the wound covering element (with and without an adhesive layer) is less than 50 Nm −1 .
10 . An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the wound covering element has a thickness of less than 10 mm.
11 . (canceled)
12 . An apparatus as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the wound covering element has a thickness of less than 5 mm.
13 . An apparatus as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the wound covering element has a thickness of less than 3 mm.
14 . An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the wound covering element is constructed of an inherently adhesive material.
15 . An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising an adhesive layer to detachably hold the wound covering element to the skin or wound site of the patient.
16 . An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a peel force of the wound covering element (with or without an adhesive layer) detachably held to the skin or wound site of the patient is less than 100 gfcm.
17 . An apparatus as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the peel force of the wound covering element (with or without an adhesive layer) detachably held to the skin or wound site of the patient is less than 50 gfcm.
18 . An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the wound covering element and the vacuum connection tube are integral.
19 . An apparatus for the application of topical negative pressure or vacuum wound therapy to a wound site, the apparatus comprising:
a wound covering element that provides a substantially airtight seal over the wound site in which at least one portion of the wound covering element is flexible;
a vacuum connection tube (inlet tube) connecting a wound cavity to a vacuum source, and the vacuum source connected to a distal end of the vacuum connection tube, wherein the vacuum connection means is incorporated within the thickness of the wound covering element.
20 . (canceled)