Method for treating wound, dressing for use therewith and apparatus and system for fabricating dressing
A method of treating a wound using a customized dressing. In the method, at least one wound characteristic is evaluated. A treatment need as a function of the at least one wound characteristic is determined. A dressing having a dressing characteristic responsive to the treatment need is fabricated and applied to the wound. A dressing for use therewith and an apparatus and system for fabricating the dressing are provided.
1. A system for fabricating a wound dressing customized for a wound, the system comprising:
one or more actuators within the system, the one or more actuators configured to cause relative motions between materials for fabricating the customized wound dressing; and
a controller configured to receive wound dressing specification defining characteristics of the customized wound dressing, the characteristics comprising at least a shape of the customized wound dressing, the controller connected to the one or more actuators to control the one or more actuators based on the wound dressing specification to shape and prepare the customized wound dressing as defined by the wound dressing specification.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the wound dressing specification is received from a processor that generates the wound dressing specification based on an image received from a digital camera or optical digitizer.
3. The automated system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a stage having a fabrication surface on which the customized wound dressing is fabricated;
an actuator for moving the stage according to commands from the controller; and
a housing for enclosing at least the stage and the actuator for moving the stage.
4. The system of claim 3 , further comprising:
a first deposition source for depositing a first dressing fabrication material on the stage; and
a second deposition source for depositing a second dressing fabrication material on the stage.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the wound dressing specification defines a plurality of dressing zones, each wound zone associated with one or more corresponding wound dressing parameters for a wound zone.
6. The system of claim 5 , wherein at least one of the wound dressing parameters represents a shape predefined in a library of predetermined shapes.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein: said library of predetermined shapes comprises at least one of circle, ellipse, triangle, trapezoid and rhomboid.
8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the wound dressing specification further defines a dimension of the customized wound dressing.
9. The system of claim 5 , wherein:
said plurality of wound zones comprise at least one of an exudating wound zone and a drying wound zone.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the wound dressing specification comprises wound dressing parameters for a wound zone, the wound dressing parameters specifying at least one of:
porosity of a layer in a dressing zone corresponding to the wound zone;
exudate absorbing capacity of the dressing zone;
an amount of a pharmacological additive to be contained in the dressing zone;
moisture evaporating capacity of the dressing zone;
water vapor penetration capacity of the dressing zone;
gas penetration capacity of the dressing zone; and
pharmacological additives included in the dressing zone.
11. The system of claim 5 , wherein the wound dressing specification defines shapes and locations of two or more dressing zones corresponding to two or more wound zones of the wound, wherein the two or more wound zones comprise at least one of: a granulating wound zone, an epitheliazing wound zone, a necrotic wound zone, a sloughy wound zone, a bacteria colonized wound zone, a bleeding wound zone, an exudating wound zone, and a drying wound zone.
12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the wound dressing specification further defines materials to be added in the customized wound dressing.
13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the wound dressing specification further defines a number of material layers in the customized wound dressing.
14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the wound dressing specification further defines an exudate absorbing capacity of a material in the customized wound dressing.
15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the wound dressing specification further defines a water penetration capacity or a water vapor penetration capacity of a material of the customized wound dressing.
16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the wound dressing specification further defines a gas penetration capacity of a material in the customized wound dressing.
17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the wound dressing specification further defines materials of the customized wound dressing.
18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the wound dressing specification further defines whether a material in the customized wound dressing is a fibrous film or a continuous film.
19. The system of claim 1 further comprising:
a packaging system for packing the customized wound dressing in a package after the customized wound dressing is fabricated in accordance with the wound dressing specification.
20. The system of claim 19 , wherein:
the packaging system packs the fabricated wound dressing using packaging material from a roll of packaging material.
21. The system of claim 1 wherein the wound specification defines a plurality of dressing zones, each dressing zone corresponding to a wound zone classified based on exudate, type of exudate, color of exudate, or odor of exudate.