Portable Wound Therapy System with Segmented Pump and Disposable Exudate Container
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Solution Overview
Problem
Large, chronic, or infected wounds face challenges in healing due to the formation of a zone of stasis, which restricts blood flow, reducing oxygen and nutrient delivery and impairing the ability of epithelial and subcutaneous tissues to close the wound naturally.
Innovation Solution
A portable wound therapy system that applies subatmospheric pressure using a portable mechanism with a wound dressing and a container for collecting exudates, incorporating a pump and power source, allowing for ambulatory treatment and enhancing blood flow and cellular stimulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If negative pressure therapy is applied to remove exudates and promote healing, then wound healing is improved, but patient mobility and portability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the negative pressure therapy apparatus into separable components: a reusable control unit with pump and power source, and disposable wound dressings with integrated exudate collection containers. This segmentation allows the therapy mechanism to be portable while maintaining clinical effectiveness, and enables the collection containers to be removed and replaced without disturbing the entire system.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs disposable collection containers that are discarded after single use, while the expensive pump and control components are recovered and reused. This approach maintains portability and healing effectiveness while reducing long-term costs and improving ease of operation through simple container replacement rather than complex system reconfiguration.
2Productivity
If continuous negative pressure is applied to enhance blood flow and tissue stimulation, then wound closure is accelerated, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies negative pressure in periodic cycles rather than continuously, with the pump activating intermittently to create pressure differentials that promote exudate removal and blood flow. This periodic action maintains wound closure effectiveness while significantly reducing energy consumption compared to continuous operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The disposable collection containers maintain the subatmospheric environment continuously during wear, allowing the wound to remain under negative pressure therapy without interruption. The containers are designed to maintain seal integrity and pressure differential throughout the wearing period, ensuring continuous therapeutic effect while the pump operates intermittently to recharge the pressure system.
3Ease of operation
If a portable power source is integrated into the therapy mechanism, then patient mobility is improved, but device weight and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the power source and pump into a reusable control unit that can be worn on the patient's body, while the collection containers are separate disposable components. This segmentation allows the power-intensive components to be concentrated in one portable unit rather than distributed throughout the entire system, reducing overall complexity while maintaining mobility.
Solution Approach 2:
The reusable control unit with integrated power source and pump serves multiple functions: it powers the pump, controls pressure cycles, monitors therapy delivery, and interfaces with multiple disposable container types. This multi-functionality consolidates complexity into a single universal unit that can be reused across multiple therapy sessions and patients.
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 system promotes wound healing by effectively removing exudates, increasing blood flow, and enhancing tissue stimulation, facilitating the closure of difficult wounds through the use of subatmospheric pressure therapy.
Implementation Method 1
a subatmospheric pressure source disposed within the housing and in fluid communication with the wound dressing to supply subatmospheric pressure to the wound dressing
Implementation Method 2
The subatmospheric pressure source includes a pump member. The pump member is selected from the group consisting of a diaphragm pump, a double diaphragm pump, a bellows pump and a peristaltic pump.
Data Source
AI summary
A portable system for subatmospheric pressure therapy in connection with healing a surgical wound, includes a wound dressing dimensioned for positioning relative to a wound bed of a subject, a portable subatmospheric pressure mechanism dimensioned to be carried or worn by the subject and a container for collecting exudates from the wound bed removed under the subatmospheric pressure supplied by the subatmospheric pressure mechanism. The portable subatmospheric pressure mechanism includes a housing, a subatmospheric pressure source disposed within the housing and in fluid communication with the wound dressing to supply subatmospheric pressure to the wound dressing and a power source mounted to or within the housing for supplying power to actuate the subatmospheric pressure source.