Granted Patent B2

US 12,653,722 · App. 18/039,488 · Granted Jun 16, 2026

Inventor: Christopher Brian Locke (San Antonio, TX)

Assignee: KCI Manufacturing Unlimited Company

A61F13/05A61F13/022A61F2013/00578

Abstract

Claims (43)

1 . A dressing for treating a tissue site with negative pressure, the dressing having, in a relaxed state in which no external forces are applied to the dressing, both a first non-planar surface and a second non-planar surface opposite the first non-planar surface, the dressing comprising:

a fluid management layer comprising a polymer film and a plurality of fluid restrictions extending through the polymer film and configured to deform; and

a manifold layer coupled to the fluid management layer;

wherein at least a portion of the dressing comprises one or more tension-relief regions having a decreased tensile strength relative to another portion of the dressing, and wherein the one or more tension-relief regions include a non-planar surface feature.

2 . The dressing of claim 1 , wherein the dressing comprises a length, a width, and a thickness, wherein the thickness is substantially uniform.

3 . The dressing of claim 1 , wherein each of the first non-planar surface and the second non-planar surface deviates from planar by at least 50% of a thickness of the dressing.

4 . The dressing of claim 1 , wherein each of the first non-planar surface and the second non-planar surface deviates from planar by at least a thickness of the dressing.

5 . The dressing of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first non-planar surface and the second non-planar surface comprises the non-planar surface feature, wherein the non-planar surface feature comprises at least a portion of a surface of a sphere, an ellipsoid, a torus, a cylinder, a paraboloid, a hyperboloid, a cone, a prism, a pyramid, or a tetrahedron.

6 . The dressing of claim 1 , wherein the dressing is formed by a thermoforming process comprising heating the fluid management layer and the manifold layer and, while heated, conforming the fluid management layer and the manifold layer to a form, wherein the first non-planar surface and the second non-planar surface are formed as a result of the thermoforming process.

7 . The dressing of claim 6 , wherein at least a portion of the dressing exhibits a decrease of at least 10% in tensile strength after the thermoforming process.

8 . The dressing of claim 6 , wherein the dressing exhibits an increase in conformability with respect to the tissue site after the thermoforming process.

9 . The dressing of claim 1 , wherein the first non-planar surface is a surface of the fluid management layer and comprises a convex surface, and wherein the second non-planar surface is a surface of the manifold layer and comprises a concave surface.

10 . The dressing of claim 1 , further comprising a polymeric layer coupled to the manifold layer opposite the fluid management layer, wherein the second non-planar surface is a surface of the polymeric layer and comprises a concave surface.

11 . The dressing of claim 10 , wherein the dressing is formed by a thermoforming process comprising heating the fluid management layer, the manifold layer, and the polymeric layer.

12 . The dressing of claim 1 , wherein the one or more tension-relief regions are thermoformed.

13 . The dressing of claim 1 , wherein the non-planar surface feature comprises at least a portion of a surface of a sphere, an ellipsoid, a torus, a cylinder, a paraboloid, a hyperboloid, a cone, a prism, a pyramid, or a tetrahedron.

14 . The dressing of claim 1 , wherein a first tension-relief region is disposed concentrically around a second tension-relief region.

15 . A system for treating a tissue site, the system comprising:

the dressing according to claim 1 ; and

a negative-pressure source configured to be fluidly coupled to the dressing.

16 . A method of treating a surface wound with negative pressure, the method comprising:

applying the dressing of claim 1 to the surface wound;

sealing the dressing to epidermis adjacent to the surface wound;

fluidly coupling the dressing to a negative-pressure source; and

applying negative pressure from the negative-pressure source to the dressing.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the first non-planar surface is a surface of the fluid management layer and comprises a convex surface, wherein the dressing is applied to the surface wound such that the convex surface faces the surface wound, and wherein the convex surface extends into the wound prior to applying negative pressure.

18 . A method for forming a dressing for treatment of a tissue site with negative pressure, the dressing comprising a fluid management layer comprising a polymer film and a plurality of fluid restrictions extending through the polymer film and configured to deform and also comprising a manifold layer coupled to the fluid management layer, the method comprising:

heating the fluid management layer and the manifold layer; and

while heated, conforming the fluid management layer and the manifold layer to a form,

wherein the method imparts to the dressing, in a relaxed state in which no external forces are applied to the dressing, both a first non-planar surface and a second non-planar surface opposite the first non-planar surface.

19 . A dressing for treating a tissue site with negative pressure, the dressing comprising:

a first non-planar surface;

a second non-planar surface opposite the first non-planar surface;

a fluid management layer comprising a polymer film and a plurality of fluid restrictions extending through the polymer film and configured to deform; and

a foam manifold layer coupled to the fluid management layer,

wherein the first non-planar surface is a surface of the fluid management layer and comprises a convex surface, and wherein the second non-planar surface is a surface of the manifold layer and comprises a concave surface, and wherein at least a portion of the dressing exhibits a decrease in tensile strength.

20 . The dressing of claim 19 , wherein each of the first non-planar surface and the second non-planar surface deviates from planar by at least 50% of a thickness of the dressing.

21 . The dressing of claim 19 , wherein at least one of the first non-planar surface and the second non-planar surface comprises at least a portion of a surface of a sphere, an ellipsoid, a torus, a cylinder, a paraboloid, a hyperboloid, a cone, a prism, a pyramid, or a tetrahedron.

22 . The dressing of claim 19 , wherein the dressing exhibits an increase in conformability with respect to the tissue site.

23 . A method for forming a dressing for treatment of a tissue site with negative pressure, the dressing comprising a fluid management layer comprising a polymer film and a plurality of fluid restrictions extending through the polymer film and configured to deform and also comprising a manifold layer coupled to the fluid management layer, the method comprising:

heating the fluid management layer and the manifold layer; and

while heated, conforming the fluid management layer and the manifold layer to a form,

wherein at least a portion of the dressing exhibits a decrease in tensile strength after the thermoforming process.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (202)