System and method for bodily fluid collection
A bodily fluid collection system may include a canister fluidly connected to a dressing at a tissue site through an inlet. The canister may also be fluidly connected to a reduced pressure source through an outlet. At least a portion of the wall of the canister may be a membrane and may have the open edge of a flexible bag container fixed to the canister surrounding the perimeter of the membrane. The flexible bag may contain an osmotic agent capable of drawing absorbent from bodily fluid in the canister through the membrane and into the flexible bag.
1. A fluid collection device for collecting bodily fluids from a tissue site using reduced pressure, the fluid collection device comprising:
a support member having an inlet adapted to be in fluid communication through a tube connected to a dressing disposed at the tissue site and an outlet adapted to be in fluid communication with a source of reduced pressure;
a chamber in fluid communication with the inlet and the outlet;
a container coupled to an exterior portion of the support member and defining a variable volume cavity that is in fluid communication with the inlet and the outlet of the support member;
a membrane disposed between the variable volume cavity and the chamber, and wherein the membrane is configured to permit the passage of water-sized molecules; and
an osmotic agent disposed within the variable volume cavity, wherein the osmotic agent is configured to generate an osmotic pressure gradient across the membrane to pull the water-sized molecules from the bodily fluids, across the membrane, and into the variable volume cavity.
2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the support member is a canister comprising walls and an opening that define the chamber within the walls of the canister, and wherein the membrane covers the opening of the canister.
3. The device of claim 2 , wherein a porous material is contained within said chamber of said canister, said porous material positioned in a path of fluid entering said chamber.
4. The device of claim 2 , said canister further comprising a stirring mechanism whereby fluid collected in said canister will be kept in motion.
5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the support member is a lid, and wherein the membrane comprises walls and an opening that defines the chamber within the walls of the membrane, the membrane being enclosed by the container.
6. The device of claim 1 , wherein said container is a bag.
7. The device of claim 1 , wherein an opening of said container is removably affixed to the chamber.
8. The device of claim 1 , wherein said container further comprises a valve.
9. The device of claim 1 , wherein a vessel holding a fluid is positioned within said container, said vessel configured to release said fluid into said container contacting said osmotic agent.
10. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of a wall of said support member comprises a lattice on which said membrane is supported.
11. The device of claim 1 , wherein said membrane is operable to prevent microorganisms from traversing from said support member into said container.
12. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of a surface of said membrane is textured.
13. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of a surface of said membrane is coated with a hydrophilic agent.
14. The device of claim 1 , wherein said osmotic agent is combined with a disintegrant.
15. The device of claim 1 , wherein said osmotic agent is combined with a water soluble bonding agent.
16. The device of claim 1 , wherein said membrane is at least partially coated with said osmotic agent.
17. The device of claim 1 , further comprising an antimicrobial agent located within said container.
18. The device of claim 1 , further comprising an antimicrobial agent located within the chamber.
19. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a heating element.
20. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a liquid-air separator associated with the outlet.
21. The device of claim 1 , wherein the inlet and the outlet are separately coupled to the support member.
22. The device of claim 1 , wherein the membrane separates the chamber from the variable volume cavity.
23. The device of claim 1 , wherein the membrane separates at least one of the inlet or the outlet from the variable volume cavity.
24. The device of claim 1 , wherein the membrane is disposed between the container and the support member.
25. The device of claim 1 , wherein the chamber is configured to utilize gravity to receive the bodily fluids from the inlet and to utilize gravity to prevent the bodily fluids from entering the outlet.
26. The device of claim 1 , wherein the membrane is configured to prevent the passage of molecules that have a molecule size that is greater than a molecule size of the water-sized molecules.
27. The device of claim 26 , wherein the molecule size that is greater than the water-sized molecules comprises at least one of sugar-sized molecules, protein-sized molecules, or microorganism-sized molecules.
28. The device of claim 1 , wherein the water-sized molecules comprise solvent molecules.
29. The device of claim 1 , wherein the tube is located external to the support member.
30. The device of claim 1 , wherein the tube is in liquid communication with the dressing.
31. The device of claim 1 , wherein the dressing comprises a drape configured to create a sealed space at the tissue site.
32. The device of claim 31 , wherein the dressing comprises a tube adapter configured to be coupled to the drape and positioned in fluid communication between the sealed space and the tube.
33. The device of claim 31 , wherein the membrane is hydrophilic.
34. The device of claim 1 , wherein the support member comprises a porous filter configured to be in fluid communication between the inlet and the membrane.