Control apparatus for delivery of therapy to wounds and related methods of use
In various aspects, the wound therapy apparatus disclosed herein includes a wound interface that defines an enclosed space over a wound bed that is fluid tight when secured to a skin surface around the wound bed. The wound therapy apparatus includes a control group that cooperates with the wound interface to regulate input of input fluid comprising a gas having an O 2 concentration greater than atmospheric air into the enclosed space and to regulate the withdrawal of output fluid from the enclosed space in order to vary an actual pressure p a within the enclosed space generally between a minimum pressure p min and a maximum pressure p max . Related methods of use of the wound therapy apparatus are disclosed herein.
1. A wound therapy apparatus, comprising:
a wound interface that defines an enclosed space over a wound bed that is fluid tight when secured to a skin surface around the wound bed; and
a control group that cooperates with the wound interface to regulate input of input fluid comprising a gas having an O 2 concentration greater than atmospheric air into the enclosed space and to regulate the withdrawal of output fluid from the enclosed space in order to vary an actual pressure p a within the enclosed space generally between a minimum pressure p min and a maximum pressure p max , and in order to vary the actual pressure p a intermediate of the minimum pressure p min and the maximum pressure p max in substantial continuous conformance to a target pressure p 0 specified continuously as a function of time.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the minimum pressure p min is greater than an ambient pressure p amb .
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the maximum pressure p max is greater than an ambient pressure p amb .
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the input fluid further comprises a liquid.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the liquid as input fluid is input into the enclosed space as a pulse to remove exudate within lumen in fluid communication with the enclosed space.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the input fluid further comprises a nitric oxide gas.
7. A wound therapy apparatus, comprising:
a wound interface attachable to a skin surface around a wound bed to define an enclosed space over the wound bed that is fluid tight; and
a control group that cooperates with a liquid source of a liquid, a gas source of a gas, and the enclosed space to deliver an input fluid into the enclosed space and to withdraw an output fluid from the enclosed space in order to vary an actual pressure p a within the enclosed space generally between a minimum pressure p min and a maximum pressure p max , and in order to vary the actual pressure p a intermediate of the minimum pressure p min and the maximum pressure p max in substantial continuous conformance to a target pressure p 0 specified continuously as a function of time throughout a pressure cycle, the input fluid selected from a group consisting of the liquid and the gas.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the minimum pressure p min is greater than an ambient pressure p amb .
9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the gas has an O 2 concentration greater than atmospheric air.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the gas comprises nitric oxide.
11. A method for wound therapy, comprising the steps of:
attaching a wound interface to a skin surface around a wound bed thereby defining an enclosed space over the wound bed that is fluid tight;
specifying a target pressure p 0 within the enclosed space as a continuous function of time throughout a pressure cycle;
regulating the input of input fluid into the enclosed space using a control group and regulating the withdrawal of output fluid from the enclosed space using the control group thereby altering an actual pressure p a within the enclosed space between a minimum pressure p min and a maximum pressure p max while substantially continuously conforming the actual pressure p a intermediate of the minimum pressure p min and the maximum pressure p max with the target pressure p 0 throughout the pressure cycle; and
wherein the input fluid comprises a gas.
12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising the step of:
delivering a therapy regimen to the wound bed, the therapy regimen comprising several of the pressure cycles.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the minimum pressure p min is greater than an ambient pressure p amb .
14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the maximum pressure p max is greater than an ambient pressure p amb .
15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the gas has an O 2 concentration greater than atmospheric air.
16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the gas comprises nitric oxide.
17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the input fluid further comprises a liquid.