Dressing and apparatus for cleansing the wounds
A dressing ( 2 ) and an apparatus ( 1 ) comprising the dressing, for cleansing the wounds ( 5 ) in which an irrigant fluid from a reservoir ( 12 ) connected to a conformable would dressing and would exudate from the dressing are moved by a device ( 18 ) (which may be a single pump or two pumps) for moving fluid through a flow Path ( 6, 7, 9, 10 ) which passes through the dressing with a means for providing simultaneous aspiration and irrigation of the wound, to provide a desired balance of fluid at a controlled nominal flow rate that removes materials deleterious to wound healing, while distributing materials that are beneficial in promoting would healing over the wound bed.
1. An apparatus for aspirating and irrigating wounds, comprising:
a backing layer capable of forming a fluid-tight seal over a wound;
a fluid supply tube configured to supply fluid from a fluid reservoir to the wound;
an outlet tube configured to supply negative pressure to the wound;
a control device configured to control the fluid supply such that fluid from the fluid reservoir is supplied to the wound in a plurality of fluid supply cycles, each fluid supply cycle supplying a volume of fluid with a time period between fluid supply cycles, the control device configured to cycle negative pressure between a first level and a second level;
a bleed regulator connected to the outlet tube or configured to connect to a wound space for the regulation of positive or negative pressure applied to the wound.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a pressure monitor configured to measure negative pressure.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the bleed regulator is configured to be controlled by the pressure monitor.
4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein a measurement of the pressure at the wound enables control of operation of at least one of a negative pressure source or an irrigant pump.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pressure monitor is connected to a monitor offtake tube.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the monitor offtake tube is configured to be in fluid communication with the wound through the backing layer.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the bleed regulator comprise a bleed tube configured to be connected to the backing layer.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the bleed regulator comprises a valve configured to vent the wound from the atmosphere.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a negative pressure pump, the negative pressure pump configured to connect to the outlet tube.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an irrigant pump, the irrigant pump configured to be connected to the fluid supply tube.
11. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising one or more bosses.
12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein each of the one or more bosses received both the fluid supply tube and the outlet tube.
13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the one or more bosses is circular.
14. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a wound filler.
15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the wound filler comprises foam.