Wound Dressing Fluid Paths With Single-Pump Pressure Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) systems are complex, expensive, require significant training, and have issues with fluid control and waste management, leading to increased risk of overfilling and equipment maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A wound-dressing conditioning device with a peristaltic pump system that separates treatment and waste fluid paths, allowing controlled fluid application and removal, and includes monitoring and pressure regulation to prevent overfilling and reduce equipment needs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If separate pumps are used for fluid instillation and waste removal, then fluid control precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The single pump is divided into two independent pump heads, each responsible for a separate function (treatment fluid instillation and waste fluid removal). This segmentation allows independent control of each fluid path while using a single pump body, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining fluid control precision.
Solution Approach 2:
A single pump body performs multiple functions by housing two separate pump heads that operate independently. The pump can switch between instilling treatment fluid and removing waste fluid, providing multi-functionality without requiring separate pump units for each operation.
2Quantity of substance
If rigid containers are used with separate pumps, then fluid storage capacity is improved, but space requirement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The treatment fluid container and waste fluid container are merged into a single integrated container that holds both fluids. This eliminates the need for separate rigid containers and reduces the overall space requirement while maintaining adequate storage capacity for both fluid types.
3Device complexity
If a single vacuum pump is used downstream of the wound, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision of fluid entering the wound deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The pump is segmented into two independent pump heads, with one dedicated to precise measurement and control of treatment fluid instillation and another dedicated to waste fluid removal. This segmentation enables accurate measurement of treatment fluid volume while maintaining a simple single-pump structure.
4Reliability
If pumps that contact wound waste and irrigation fluids are used, then treatment effectiveness is improved, but maintenance cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pump heads or entire pump unit is designed as a disposable component that is discarded after a single use or limited number of uses. This eliminates the need for extensive cleaning and maintenance, reducing long-term costs while ensuring treatment effectiveness during the usable period.
Solution Approach 2:
The pump is extracted from the main device as a separate, easily replaceable component. This allows the pump to be disposed of after use without affecting the rest of the device, reducing maintenance requirements and enabling quick replacement with a new pump unit.
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 enables precise fluid administration and waste removal, reducing the risk of wound dressing rupture and leakage, lowering costs, and simplifying maintenance by using a single pump for both functions.
Implementation Method 1
a peristaltic pump having a controller to control the treatment-fluid-application condition
Implementation Method 2
a waste-fluid-removal condition for pumping waste fluid from the waste-fluid inlet to the waste-fluid outlet
Implementation Method 3
a negative-pressure condition for applying negative pressure to the wound dressing
Data Source
Figure 1~2
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Figure 5~6
AI summary
Abstract A wound-dressing conditioning device (12)for conditioning a wound dressing (14). The device (12)comprises a treatment- fluid flow path (20)and a waste-fluid flow path (22). A pumping means (24)is at the treatment-fluid flow path (20)and the waste-fluid flow path (22). The pumping means (24)can pump treatment fluid along the treatment-fluid flow path (20)pump waste fluid along the waste-fluid flow path (22), and apply negative-pressure condition to the wound dressing (14). The pumping means (24)has a controller to control the treatment fluid pumping, and a monitoring means for monitoring a volume of treatment fluid pumped to the wound dressing (14).