Fluidic connector for negative pressure wound therapy

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11154649-B2
Application number	US-201816107660-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 21, 2018
Priority date	May 18, 2015
Publication date	Oct 26, 2021
Grant date	Oct 26, 2021

Abstract

Disclosed herein are several embodiments of a wound treatment apparatus employing a fluidic connector for negative pressure wound therapy and methods of using the same. Some embodiments are directed to improved fluidic connectors for connecting to a wound site, for example a fluidic connector including a reinforcement, and methods of using the same.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wound treatment apparatus comprising:
a wound dressing comprising a cover layer;
a fluidic connector configured to provide negative pressure to the wound dressing through a fluid passage in the cover layer, the fluidic connector comprising:
a sealing surface for sealing the fluidic connector to a top surface of the cover layer, the sealing surface comprising an opening positioned over the fluid passage in the cover layer, a first adhesive ring surrounding the opening, and a second adhesive ring surrounding the first adhesive ring; and
an elongate conduit extending away from the sealing surface; and

a reinforcement layer configured to provide additional securement between the fluidic connector and the cover layer, wherein the reinforcement layer comprises an opening positioned above the fluid passage in the cover layer.

2. The wound treatment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement layer is positioned between the top surface of the cover layer and a lower surface of the fluidic connector, wherein the lower surface of the fluidic connector is configured to be adhered to the reinforcement layer.

3. The wound treatment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement layer is transparent.

4. The wound treatment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement layer comprises:
an upper surface;
a lower, wound-facing surface; and
an adhesive disposed on the wound-facing surface of the reinforcement layer, wherein the adhesive is configured to seal the reinforcement layer to the top surface of the cover layer.

5. The wound treatment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sealing surface is provided at an enlarged distal end of the fluidic connector.

6. The wound treatment apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the enlarged distal end has a partly elongated teardrop shape.

7. The wound treatment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fluidic connector comprises:
a spacer layer comprising a proximal end, an elongate middle portion and a distal end;
a top layer constructed from a liquid impermeable material provided over the spacer layer;
a bottom layer constructed from a liquid impermeable material provided below the spacer layer, wherein the top layer and the bottom layer substantially enclose the spacer layer, and wherein the top layer and the bottom layer have enlarged distal ends surrounding the distal end of the spacer layer; and
one or more apertures in the bottom layer beneath the distal end of the spacer layer;
wherein the sealing surface is positioned on a lower surface of the bottom layer; and
wherein the elongate conduit is defined between the top layer and the bottom layer.

8. The wound treatment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the wound dressing further comprises a wound contact layer and an absorbent layer for absorbing wound exudate, wherein the absorbent layer is positioned between the wound contact layer and the cover layer.

9. The wound treatment apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising a filter positioned configured to substantially prevent wound exudate from entering the elongate conduit and to retain wound exudate within the absorbent layer during application of negative pressure to the wound dressing, wherein the filter is sized to span the fluid passage in the cover layer.

10. The wound treatment apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the wound dressing further comprises one or more transmission layers between the wound contact layer and the cover layer.

11. The wound treatment apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the absorbent layer defines a smaller perimeter than the cover layer, such that a boundary region of the cover layer surrounding the absorbent layer is defined between an edge of the absorbent layer and an edge of the cover layer, and wherein the reinforcement layer is positioned along at least a portion of the fluidic connector between the fluid passage in the cover layer above the absorbent layer and the boundary region of the cover layer.

12. The wound treatment apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the reinforcement layer is positioned only above the absorbent layer and is not positioned over the boundary region of the cover layer.

13. The wound treatment apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the absorbent layer comprises a super-absorbent material.

14. The wound treatment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement layer has a partly elongated teardrop shape sized to substantially span the entirety of the sealing surface.

15. The wound treatment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first adhesive ring adheres the sealing surface to the top surface of the cover layer, and the second adhesive ring adheres the sealing surface to the reinforcement layer.

16. The wound treatment apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the first adhesive ring adheres the sealing surface to the top surface of the cover layer through the opening of the reinforcement layer.

17. The wound treatment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first adhesive ring and the second adhesive ring adhere the sealing surface to the reinforcement layer.

18. The wound treatment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein an adhesive of the first adhesive ring is different from an adhesive of the second adhesive ring.

19. A wound treatment apparatus comprising:
a fluidic connector configured to provide negative pressure to a wound dressing through a fluid passage in a cover layer of the wound dressing, the fluidic connector comprising:
a sealing surface comprising a first adhesive ring and a second adhesive ring surrounding the first adhesive ring;
an upper surface positioned above the sealing surface that defines a vertical height between the sealing surface and the upper surface; and
an elongate conduit extending away from sealing surface;

a reinforcement layer configured to be adhered to a top surface of the wound dressing, wherein the reinforcement layer comprises an opening configured to be positioned above the fluid passage in the cover layer, and
a filter positioned beneath the upper surface of the fluidic connector and being sized to substantially span the opening in the reinforcement layer;
wherein the sealing surface is configured to be adhered to the reinforcement layer with at least one of the first adhesive ring and the second adhesive ring, and to surround the opening in the reinforcement layer.

20. The wound treatment apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the reinforcement layer has a partly elongated teardrop shape sized to substantially span the entirety of the sealing surface.

Assignees

• Smith & Nephew

Inventors

• Collinson Sarah Jenny
• Gowans John
• Gowans Philip

Classifications

• A61M1/913

  having a bridging element for transferring the reduced pressure from the connector to the dressing · CPC title

• A61M1/985

  the dressing itself forming the collection container · CPC title

• A61M1/962

  having pumping means on the suction site, e.g. miniature pump on dressing or dressing capable of exerting suction · CPC title

• A61M1/916

  specially adapted for deep wounds · CPC title

• A61M1/915

  Constructional details of the pressure distribution manifold · CPC title