Systems and methods for controlling negative pressure therapy with fluid instillation therapy

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021077670-A1
Application number	US-201916961828-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 15, 2019
Priority date	Jan 15, 2018
Publication date	Mar 18, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems, apparatuses, and methods for providing negative pressure with instillation fluids to a tissue site are disclosed. Some embodiments are illustrative of an apparatus or system for delivering negative-pressure and/or therapeutic solution of fluids to a tissue site, which can be used in conjunction with sensing properties of fluids extracted from a tissue site and/or instilled at a tissue site. For example, a system may comprise a tissue interface adapted to be coupled to a source of instillation fluid and a dressing interface having a therapy cavity that includes a pH sensor, a humidity sensor, a temperature sensor, and a pressure sensor embodied on a single pad within the dressing interface to provide data indicative of acidity, humidity, temperature and pressure at the tissue site. Such apparatus may further comprise algorithms for processing such data for detecting leakage and blockage conditions as well as providing information relating to the progression of healing of wounds at the tissue site. An illustrative method may comprise disposing the tissue interface at the tissue site and the therapeutic cavity in fluid communication with the tissue interface. The method may further comprise instilling fluid to the therapy cavity and then sensing the pressure, humidity, temperature, and the pH of the fluids adjacent the tissue interface. The method may further comprise determining various flow characteristics of the system by using a processing element electrically coupled to the sensors for transmitting property signals from the sensors to a controller configured to assess the property signals in order to identify the flow characteristics.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system for controlling negative pressure therapy with fluid instillation therapy using properties of fluids at a tissue site, the system comprising:
a tissue interface adapted to be disposed at a tissue site and adapted to be coupled to a source of instillation fluid; and a dressing interface adapted to couple a source of negative-pressure to the tissue interface, the dressing interface comprising:
a housing having a therapy cavity including an opening configured to be disposed in fluid communication with the tissue interface, and a negative-pressure port adapted to fluidly couple the therapy cavity to the source of negative-pressure;
a pressure sensor mounted to the housing in fluid communication with the therapy cavity and configured to sense the pressure of fluids adjacent the tissue interface during instillation of liquids to the tissue interface;
a humidity sensor mounted to the housing in fluid communication with the therapy cavity and configured to sense the humidity of fluids adjacent the tissue interface during instillation of liquids to the tissue interface;
a temperature sensor mounted to the housing in fluid communication with the therapy cavity and configured to sense the temperature of fluids adjacent the tissue interface during instillation of liquids to the tissue interface; and
a processing element electrically coupled to the pressure sensor, the humidity sensor, and the temperature sensor for receiving property signals indicative of the pressure, humidity, and temperature, the processing element being configured to determine flow characteristics of the system.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the therapy cavity further comprises a vent port adapted to fluidly couple the therapy cavity to a source of positive-pressure.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the humidity sensor and the temperature sensor are disposed within the therapy cavity proximate the vent port.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the pressure sensor is disposed within the therapy cavity proximate the tissue interface.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the pressure sensor, the humidity sensor, and the temperature sensor are disposed outside the therapy cavity.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the pressure sensor is disposed proximate the negative-pressure port.

7 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the humidity sensor and the temperature sensor are disposed proximate the vent port.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing element is disposed on an outside surface of the housing.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing element is an integrated component of the housing.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises a controller configured to receive the property signals from the processing element and to assess property readings reflective of the property signals to identify the flow characteristics of the system.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the processing element further comprises a transmitter configured to transmit the property signals to the controller.

12 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the controller is remote from the dressing interface.

13 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the system further comprises an instillation pump configured to provide instillation fluid to the tissue interface, and a sensor electrically coupled to the controller and adapted to measure an instillation pump pressure provided by the instillation pump.

14 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the system further comprises an instillation pump configured to provide instillation fluid to the tissue interface, and a sensor electrically coupled to the controller and adapted to measure an instillation duty cycle provided by the instillation pump.

15 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the system further comprises an instillation pump configured to provide instillation fluid to the tissue interface, and a sensor electrically coupled to the controller and adapted to measure an instillation pump pressure and an instillation duty cycle provided by the instillation pump.

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the controller is configured to assess the property readings and provide an alarm identifying a blockage state condition as one of the flow characteristics when the instillation pump duty cycle increases while the humidity remains substantially the same.

17 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the controller is further configured to provide an alarm identifying a blockage state condition when the instillation pressure increases.

18 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the controller is further configured to provide an alarm identifying a blockage state condition when the temperature remains substantially the same.

19 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the system further comprises an occlusion sensor electrically coupled to the controller, wherein the controller is further configured to provide an alarm identifying a blockage state condition when the occlusion sensor is tripped.

20 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the controller is configured to assess the property readings and provide an alarm identifying a fluid leak state as one of the flow characteristics when the instillation pump duty cycle and the humidity remain substantially the same.

21 . The system of claim 20 , wherein the controller is further configured to provide an alarm identifying a fluid leak state when the instillation pressure increases.

22 . The system of claim 20 , wherein the controller is further configured to provide an alarm identifying a fluid leak state when the temperature increases or decreases.

23 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the controller is configured to assess the property readings and provide an alarm identifying a fluid leak state as one of the flow characteristics when the instillation pump duty cycle remains substantially the same and the humidity increases but not to a predetermined threshold humidity.

24 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the controller is configured to assess the property readings and provide an alarm identifying a dressing fill state as one of the flow characteristics when the humidity increases to a predetermined target threshold humidity.

25 . The system of claim 24 , wherein the predetermined target threshold humidity is about 90%.

26 . The system of claim 24 , wherein the controller is further configured to provide an alarm identifying a dressing fill state when the temperature decreases.

27 . The system of claim 24 , wherein the controller is further configured to provide an alarm identifying a dressing fill state when the wound pressure increases.

28 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the dressing interface further comprises:
a pH sensor mounted to the housing in fluid communication with the therapy cavity and configured to sense the pH of the fluids adjacent the tissue interface during instillation of liquids to the tissue interface; and wherein the processing element is electrically coupled to the pH sensor for receiving a property signal indicative of the pH, the processing element being further configured to assess the health characteristics of the tissue site.

29 . The system of claim 28 , wherein the therapy cavity further comprises a vent port adapted to fluidly couple the therapy cavity to a source of positive-pressure

Assignees

• Kci Licensing Inc

Inventors

• Long Justin Alexander
• Pratt Benjamin Andrew
• Locke Christopher Brian
• Moore Brett L

Classifications

• A61M1/912

  Connectors between dressing and drainage tube · CPC title

• A61M1/966

  having a pressure sensor on or near the dressing · CPC title

• A61F13/00055 Primary

  Saturation indicators · CPC title

• A61M1/982

  with means for detecting level of collected exudate · CPC title

• A61M1/92

  with liquid supply means · CPC title