Heat-assisted pumping systems for use in negative pressure wound therapy

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12186166-B2
Application number	US-202117385651-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 26, 2021
Priority date	May 18, 2015
Publication date	Jan 7, 2025
Grant date	Jan 7, 2025

Abstract

A device and method for treating a wound of a patient with negative pressure is provided. The device comprises a heat-assisted pump system. The pump system can be powered in part by heat derived from the patient. The pump system may be configured to be highly planar, light weight, and portable. The pump system may comprise a Stirling engine or a thermal acoustic engine.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A negative pressure wound therapy system, comprising:
a wound dressing configured to form a seal over a wound site of a patient; and
a pump system configured to be in fluid communication with the wound dressing, the pump system further comprising:
a housing; and
a negative pressure source;

wherein:
the negative pressure source comprises a plurality of bellows each configured to move from a compressed position to an expanded position;
the negative pressure source further comprises a pump actuator comprising a swash plate in contact with each of the plurality of bellows;
the swash plate is configured to tilt back and forth about only one axis;
the pump system is configured such that a tilting of the swash plate back and forth about only one axis moves the plurality of bellows at least from the expanded position to the compressed position;
a vacuum pressure is generated by compressing the plurality of bellows into the compressed position and a subsequent recovery of the plurality of bellows from the compressed position to the expanded position generates the vacuum pressure within the wound dressing; and
the pump system is incorporated into the wound dressing to form a single unit.

2. The negative pressure wound therapy system of claim 1 , further comprising a first directional valve between the wound dressing and the plurality of bellows, wherein the first directional valve is configured to allow fluid flow in the direction from the wound dressing into the plurality of bellows and to restrict fluid flow in the direction from the plurality of bellows into the wound dressing.

3. The negative pressure wound therapy system of claim 2 , wherein the pump system further comprises a second directional valve, wherein the second directional valve comprises an exhaust valve.

4. The negative pressure wound therapy system of claim 3 , further comprising a vacuum line fluidically connected to a space disposed between the wound dressing and the wound site.

5. The negative pressure wound therapy system of claim 4 , wherein the first directional valve couples the plurality of bellows to the vacuum line.

6. The negative pressure wound therapy system of claim 3 , wherein the first directional valve is fluidly coupled to the plurality of bellows and the second directional valve is fluidly coupled to the plurality of bellows.

7. The negative pressure wound therapy system of claim 1 , further comprising a fluid trap configured to receive wound exudate from the wound and prevent wound exudate from entering at least one of the plurality of bellows.

8. The negative pressure wound therapy system of claim 7 , wherein the fluid trap comprises a canister.

9. The negative pressure wound therapy system of claim 1 , further comprising a filter configured to prevent passage of liquids toward the pump system.

10. The negative pressure wound therapy system of claim 1 , the wound dressing further comprising one or more dressing layers, wherein the one or more dressing layers comprise one or more of a woven or non-woven material, a foam, or an absorbent material.

11. The negative pressure wound therapy system of claim 1 , the wound dressing further comprising an absorbent layer configured to retain wound exudate within the wound dressing.

12. The negative pressure wound therapy system of claim 1 , wherein the pump actuator comprises a canted surface configured to contact the plurality of bellows and to move the plurality of bellows at least from the expanded position to the compressed position.

13. A negative pressure wound therapy system, comprising:
a wound dressing configured to form a seal over a wound site of a patient; and
a pump system configured to be in fluid communication with the wound dressing, the pump system further comprising:
a housing; and
a negative pressure source;

wherein:
the negative pressure source comprises one or more bellows configured to move from a compressed position to an expanded position and a pump actuator comprising a canted swash plate in contact with the one or more bellows and configured to move the one or more bellows at least from the expanded position to the compressed position by tilting back and forth about only one axis;
a vacuum pressure is generated by compressing the one or more bellows into the compressed position and a subsequent recovery of the one or more bellows from the compressed position to the expanded position generates the vacuum pressure within the wound dressing; and
the pump system is incorporated into the wound dressing to form a single unit.

14. The negative pressure wound therapy system of claim 13 , further comprising a first directional valve between the wound dressing and the one or more bellows, wherein the first directional valve is configured to allow fluid flow in the direction from the wound dressing into the one or more bellows and to restrict fluid flow in the direction from the one or more bellows into the wound dressing.

15. The negative pressure wound therapy system of claim 14 , wherein the pump system further comprises a second directional valve, wherein the second directional valve comprises an exhaust valve.

16. The negative pressure wound therapy system of claim 15 , further comprising a vacuum line fluidically connected to a space disposed between the wound dressing and the wound site.

17. The negative pressure wound therapy system of claim 16 , wherein the first directional valve couples the one or more bellows to the vacuum line.

18. The negative pressure wound therapy system of claim 13 , wherein the negative pressure source comprises at least two bellows.

Assignees

• Smith & Nephew

Inventors

• Hunt Allan Kenneth Frazer Grugeon

Classifications

• F03G7/002

  using the energy of vibration of fluid columns · CPC title

• A61M1/80 Primary

  Suction pumps (A61M1/64, A61M1/71, A61M60/00 take precedence) · CPC title

• A61M1/60

  Containers for suction drainage, adapted to be used with an external suction source (containers not adapted for subjection to vacuum A61M1/69) · 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

• F01B3/007

  Swash plate · CPC title