Hydrogel wound dressing for use with suction
View Patent ↗A wound dressing comprising: an air-impermeable backing sheet having an aperture for attachment of a suction element; an air-permeable screen layer on a wound facing side of the backing sheet; and a substantially air-impermeable hydrogel layer extending across a wound facing side of said screen layer and joined in substantially airtight fashion to a periphery of said backing sheet around said screen layer. Also provided is a wound treatment system comprising a wound dressing according to the invention and a source of suction in fluid communication with said aperture.
1. A wound dressing comprising:
an air-impermeable backing sheet having an aperture for attachment of a suction element;
an air-permeable screen layer on a wound facing side of the backing sheet; and
an continuous hydrogel layer covering a wound facing side of said screen layer and bonded to a periphery of said backing sheet around said screen layer to form an air-impermeable barrier adapted to maintain a pressure differential across the hydrogel layer under suction.
2. A wound dressing according to claim 1 , further comprising a suction manifold in fluid communication with the aperture and configured to deliver suction across said screen layer.
3. A wound dressing according to claim 1 , wherein said hydrogel layer consists essentially of polyacrylate gels, polyacrylamide gels, polyurethane gels, cross-linked biopolymer gels, carboxymethyl cellulose gels, hydroxyethyl cellulose gels, hydroxy propyl methyl cellulose, and gels formed form vinyl alcohols, vinyl esters, vinyl ethers and mixtures thereof.
4. A wound dressing according to claim 1 , wherein said dressing further comprises tubing or a tube connector attached to said aperture for connecting to a suction source.
5. A wound dressing according to claim 1 , wherein the hydrogel comprises at least one active therapeutic substance for promoting wound healing.
6. A wound dressing according to claim 5 , wherein the at least one active substance is selected from an antimicrobial agent, a growth factor, an antioxidant and mixtures thereof.
7. A wound dressing according to claim 1 , further comprising a releasable protective sheet covering the wound facing surface of the hydrogel layer.
8. A wound dressing according to claim 1 , which is sterile and packaged in a microorganism-impermeable container.
9. A wound treatment system comprising a wound dressing according to claim 1 and a source of suction in fluid communication with said aperture.
10. A wound treatment system according to claim 9 , wherein said source of suction is a micro pump that is attached to, or incorporated into, the dressing.
11. A wound treatment system according to claim 9 , further comprising a wound fluid collection vessel separate from said dressing and in fluid communication with said aperture.
12. The wound dressing of claim 1 wherein the screen layer comprises open cellular foam.
13. The wound dressing of claim 1 wherein the screen component is a freeze-dried sponge of biopolymer.
14. The wound dressing in claim 1 wherein the screen comprises a non-woven textile material.
15. The wound dressing of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogel layer is at least 0.5 millimeters thick.
16. A method for promoting wound healing comprising the steps of applying a wound dressing according to claim 1 to a wound, connecting the aperture to a source of suction, and creating a reduced pressure above said hydrogel layer.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the step of applying a reduced pressure includes lowering the pressure above said hydrogel layer to an absolute value of from about 0.5 bar to about 0.9 bar.
18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the step of applying a reduced pressure includes lowering the pressure above said hydrogel layer to an absolute value of from about 0.75 bar to about 0.85 bar.