Expandable Negative-Pressure Dressing for Deep Wound Contours
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing negative-pressure therapy systems and dressings lack the ability to effectively adjust to the contours of deep wounds and provide optimal fluid management, leading to suboptimal treatment outcomes.
Innovation Solution
A dressing design featuring a segmented manifold with vertical expansion joints allows for adjustable depth and includes a fluid bridge between segments, enabling vertical movement and fluid communication, enhancing the fit to wound contours and improving fluid management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed-depth manifold is used in negative-pressure therapy dressings, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the dressing cannot adapt to deep wounds with varying contours
Solution Approach 1:
The manifold is divided into multiple segments that can move independently relative to each other. Each segment can be positioned to match the depth and contour of different wound regions, allowing the dressing to adapt to varying wound geometries while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The manifold transitions from a static, fixed-depth structure to a dynamic, adjustable structure. The segments can be repositioned vertically along the manifold body to change the depth profile, enabling the dressing to adapt to different wound depths and contours as needed.
2Length of moving object
If segments are connected rigidly in the manifold, then structural integrity is maintained, but vertical movement and depth adjustment are prevented
Solution Approach 1:
The connection between segments changes from rigid to dynamically adjustable. The joints allow vertical movement when adjustment is needed while maintaining structural integrity when in position, enabling both movement and stability at different operational states.
Solution Approach 2:
The joints between segments incorporate flexible elements or thin-film structures that allow controlled vertical movement while maintaining the overall structural integrity of the manifold. These flexible connections enable depth adjustment without compromising the strength and stability needed for therapeutic function.
3Shape
If continuous manifold structure is used, then fluid distribution is simplified, but depth adjustment and contour fitting are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The continuous manifold is segmented into multiple sections that can be independently positioned. This segmentation allows each section to conform to different depth requirements along the wound contour while the fluid distribution system remains integrated through the segmented structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Different segments of the manifold can be positioned to create locally optimized depth profiles matching specific wound contours. Each segment can be adjusted independently to match the local geometry, allowing the overall structure to fit complex three-dimensional wound shapes.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed embodiments relate to dressings for treating a tissue site with negative pressure. Some dressing embodiments may be configured to allow the depth of the dressing to be expandable. For example, dressing embodiments may comprise a segmented manifold having one or more vertical expansion joints between segments of the manifold. Some embodiments may comprise a first layer adjacent to a first surface of the manifold and a second layer adjacent to a second surface of the manifold. In some embodiments, the first layer may comprise one or more folds configured to extend between adjacent segments, and the second layer may also comprise one or more folds configured to extend between adjacent segments; and the folds in the first layer may match the folds in the second layer to jointly form the vertical expansion joints. Additionally disclosed are other apparatus, dressings, systems, and methods.