Disposable Limb Wound Device with Inflatable Seals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wound treatment devices face challenges such as the risk of infection transmission, high manufacturing and usage costs, leakage of treatment gases, and limited accessibility for wound treatments like hyperbaric, compression, and negative pressure therapies.
Innovation Solution
A flexible wound treatment device with a housing made from polymer materials, featuring inflatable divider cuffs and a control system for adjusting gas pressure, which allows for easy access and efficient delivery of therapeutic gases while minimizing the risk of infection and leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional wound treatment devices are reused, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but infection transmission risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a disposable wound treatment device that is used once and then discarded, eliminating the need for sterilization between patients. This single-use approach prevents infection transmission while maintaining cost-effectiveness by avoiding complex sterilization infrastructure and procedures.
2Loss of substance
If sealing mechanisms are improved to prevent gas leakage, then treatment gas is conserved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The device employs flexible sealing surfaces and conformable membranes that adapt to the patient's anatomy, creating effective seals without complex mechanical components. The flexible housing and sealing elements conform to body contours, preventing gas leakage through simple geometric adaptation rather than complex sealing mechanisms.
3Ease of operation
If the device is designed for easy clinician access, then ease of operation improves, but sealing reliability may worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The device incorporates modular components with distinct functional zones - sealed treatment chambers and accessible operational interfaces. This segmentation allows the sealing portions to maintain integrity while providing designated access points for clinicians to administer treatments, adjusting pressures, or monitoring wounds without compromising the overall seal.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device provides a cost-effective, infection-reduced, and accessible solution for various wound treatments by ensuring a sealed environment for gas therapy, reducing waste, and allowing for easy clinician access, thereby enhancing wound healing outcomes.
Implementation Method 1
a first polymer material coated with a second polymer material selected from the group consisting of ethyl vinyl acetate and polyethylene heat sealable material
Data Source
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AI summary
A limb wound treatment device 10C is described having a first end 12C, a second end 14C and an interior therebetween for accommodating a treatment gas. The device 10C can include a flexible housing 8C that can be inflated. The first end 12C can include an inflatable cuff seal 16C for hermetically- sealing against the limb being treated. The second end 14C can include a closed end or an access port 22a that is releasably sealed with a clamping mechanism 24A. Further, the device can include a controller 60D that can inflate that housing, inflate the cuff seal and provide treatment gas to the interior, in response to pressures within the cuff seal 16C and the housing 8C. Further, the device can accommodate different types of wound treatments, such as hyperbaric therapy, compression therapy or negative pressure therapy.