Wound Dressing With Integrated Negative Pressure And Oxygen Source
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional negative pressure-based wound therapies for surgical wounds often require active antimicrobial agents like silver nanocrystals, which can be contraindicated for individuals with metal allergies, limiting their applicability and convenience.
Innovation Solution
The development of wound dressings and systems that utilize negative pressure and therapeutic oxygen, decoupled from antimicrobial agents, allowing for remote recharging and reuse of negative pressure sources, and providing an occlusive, sterile barrier to protect against infection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If silver nanocrystals are used as antimicrobial agents in negative pressure wound therapy, then bacterial colonization is minimized, but the system becomes contraindicated for individuals with metal allergies
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes silver nanocrystals from the wound dressing system entirely, extracting the antimicrobial function from the physical composition and replacing it with negative pressure therapy mechanisms that do not require metal-based antimicrobial agents, thereby eliminating the allergy constraint while maintaining therapeutic effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism (negative pressure therapy system) that mediates the antimicrobial effect without requiring direct contact with metal-based antimicrobial agents, allowing the therapy to work through pressure differentials and fluid dynamics rather than chemical antimicrobial action
2Reliability
If negative pressure wound therapy is applied to reduce dehiscence and promote healing, then wound margins are bolstered and collagen formation is enhanced, but the system requires complex integration of negative pressure sources and oxygen delivery
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the negative pressure source and oxygen source into a single integrated housing structure that works together with the wound dressing, merging two therapeutic functions into one unified system that simplifies the overall integration while maintaining both negative pressure and oxygen delivery capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The housing structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it contains the negative pressure source, houses the oxygen source, provides structural support for the dressing, and facilitates fluid communication between components, making it a multi-functional element that reduces overall system complexity
3Duration of action of stationary object
If the negative pressure and oxygen source are integrated with the dressing, then therapy is delivered continuously, but the dressing cannot be easily sterilized or replaced without disturbing the therapy sources
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the system into distinct modular components: the wound dressing can be separated from the housing containing the negative pressure and oxygen sources. This segmentation allows the dressing to be sterilized or replaced independently while the therapy sources remain in the housing, maintaining continuous therapy delivery capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables the dressing to be discarded as medical waste while the housing with therapy sources is recovered and reused. The decoupled design allows the dressing to be removed and replaced without disturbing the negative pressure and oxygen sources, which can continue operating in the recovered housing
4Ease of operation
If a conventional on/off switch is used for negative pressure and oxygen therapy, then manual control is provided, but the system lacks remote-controlled actuation capability
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically activates negative pressure and oxygen therapy upon application to tissue without requiring manual switch operation. The therapy is self-starting and continues until system removal or power depletion, providing hands-free operation and eliminating the need for conventional on/off switches
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
These systems effectively reduce the risk of dehiscence, enhance wound healing by promoting collagen formation, and minimize scarring, while allowing for safe disposal and recycling of components, and enabling use in environments where metals are prohibited.
Implementation Method 1
a negative pressure source disposed within the chamber, the negative pressure source configured to be in fluid communication with the interior volume such that the negative pressure source provides sub-atmospheric pressure within the interior volume
Implementation Method 2
delivering a high concentration of therapeutic oxygen to the wound site
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure includes wound dressings (18) and systems (10) with therapeutic gas and negative pressure sources for incision management. The dressing, which are configured to be coupled to tissue to facilitate delivery of oxygen to the tissue, comprise a manifold configured to permit communication of oxygen to the tissue the manifold (46) defining: a plurality of gas passageways (50); and a plurality of openings (62), one or more of which comprises a length (66) and a width (70) that is at least 50 percent less than the length; and a gas-occlusive layer (86) configured to be disposed over the manifold and coupled to the tissue such that an interior volume containing the manifold is defined between the gas-occlusive layer and the tissue and the gas-occlusive layer limits escape of oxygen from the interior volume.