Negative pressure wound closure device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9226737-B2
Application number	US-201213365615-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 3, 2012
Priority date	Feb 4, 2011
Publication date	Jan 5, 2016
Grant date	Jan 5, 2016

Abstract

The present invention relates to a negative pressure wound closure system and methods for using such a system. Preferred embodiments of the invention facilitate closure of the wound by preferentially contracting to provide for movement of the tissue. Preferred embodiments can utilize tissue grasping elements to apply a wound closing force to the tissue.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A negative pressure wound closure device, comprising:
a wound filler material that is sized and shaped to fit within a wound opening and preferentially contracts along at least a first direction relative to a second direction upon application of a negative pressure to the filler material;
wherein the wound filler material comprises a stabilizing structure to enable collapse in at least the first direction and inhibit collapse in at least the second direction, the stabilizing structure comprising vertically oriented members that each extend in the second direction from a bottom to a top of the wound filler material, the stabilizing structure configured to maintain vertical orientation of the vertically oriented members during collapse.

2. The wound closure device of claim 1 further comprising a tissue grasping surface extending over an outer peripheral surface of the wound filler material and comprising a plurality of outward-projecting tissue anchors that contact tissue at a margin of the wound opening and displace the tissue at the wound margin upon application of the negative pressure to the filler material to facilitate closure of the wound.

3. The wound closure device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a negative pressure source that is coupled to the wound filler material.

4. The wound closure device of claim 1 , wherein the wound filler material comprises a porous material.

5. The wound closure device of claim 4 , wherein the wound filler material comprises a foam.

6. The wound closure device of claim 2 , wherein the tissue anchors are integrally formed in the wound filler material.

7. The wound closure device of claim 2 , wherein the tissue grasping surface comprises a film that is provided over a surface of the filler material, the tissue anchors projecting outward from the film.

8. The wound closure device of claim 7 , wherein the film comprises a mesh material.

9. The wound closure device of claim 7 , wherein the film includes a second plurality of inward facing anchors that secure the film to the filler material.

10. The wound closure device of claim 1 , wherein the stabilizing structure comprises one or more regions of relatively rigid material surrounded by regions of relatively compressible material.

11. The wound closure device of claim 1 , wherein the filler material has length, width and height dimensions, wherein the height dimension extends in the second direction, wherein the length and the width dimensions are greater than the height dimension, and the stabilizing structure inhibits collapse in the height dimension.

12. The wound closure device of claim 1 , wherein the stabilizing structure promotes collapse of the filler material in at least the first direction to effect reapproximation of the wound.

13. The wound closure device of claim 1 , wherein the stabilizing structure substantially restricts the collapse of the filler material to a plane defined by the wound margins.

14. The wound closure device of claim 1 , wherein the stabilizing structure comprises an endoskeleton made from relatively rigid material.

15. The wound closure device of claim 14 , wherein the endoskeleton comprises a network of interconnected rigid members that can articulate with respect to one another during collapse of the filler material.

16. The wound closure device of claim 2 , wherein the tissue anchors are integrally formed in an endoskeleton.

17. The wound closure device of claim 14 , wherein the endoskeleton comprises truss members to inhibit tilting motion of the filler material.

18. The wound closure device of claim 1 , further comprising a smooth surface extending over a bottom surface of the wound filler material.

19. The wound closure device of claim 18 , further comprising a plurality of micropores formed in the smooth surface to allow the passage of fluid through the bottom surface and into the device for removal.

20. The wound closure device of claim 19 , wherein the micropores have at least one of different sizes and different pore densities across the bottom surface of the filler material to direct a distribution of vacuum force from a negative pressure source.

21. The wound closure device of claim 1 , wherein the filler material varies in pore size and/or pore density to direct a distribution of vacuum force from a negative pressure source.

22. The wound closure device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a negative pressure wound treatment component coupled to the wound filler material.

23. The wound closure device of claim 22 , wherein the wound treatment component connects to a negative pressure source and manages the drainage of fluids from the wound site.

24. The wound closure device of claim 23 , further comprising a sliding surface at the interface between the wound filler material and the wound treatment component.

25. The wound closure device of claim 1 , wherein the filler material includes removable portions to adjust the size of the wound closure device.

26. A negative pressure wound closure device, comprising:
a wound filler material that is sized and shaped to fit within a wound opening and preferentially contracts along at least a first direction relative to a second direction upon application of a negative pressure to the filler material;
wherein the filler material includes removable portions to adjust the size of the wound closure device; and
wherein sets of tissue anchors are embedded in the filler material, and become exposed by removing the removable portions.

27. The wound closure device of claim 2 , wherein the tissue anchors have a force profile that varies based on the type of tissue with which the anchors engage.

28. The wound closure device of claim 27 , wherein the types of tissue include at least one of collagen, fat tissue and muscle.

29. The wound closure device of claim 1 , wherein an outer peripheral wall of the wound filler material is oval shaped.

30. The wound closure device of claim 1 , wherein the vertically oriented members are relatively rigid.

31. The wound closure device of claim 30 , wherein the vertically oriented members comprise rods.

32. The wound closure device of claim 1 , wherein the wound filler material comprises a first material and a second material, wherein the first material is denser than the second material.

33. The wound closure device of claim 1 , wherein the wound filler material comprises a shape memory material.

34. The wound closure device of claim 1 , wherein the endoskeleton comprises a shape memory material.

35. A negative pressure wound closure device, comprising:
a wound filler for insertion into a wound, the wound filler configured to collapse under negative pressure, the wound filler having a length corresponding to a y-direction extending along a central longitudinal axis of the wound filler, a width corresponding to an x-direction transverse to the length extending along a central transverse axis of the wound filler, and a height corresponding to a z-direction transverse to the length and the width, wherein the length and width are greater than the thickness, and wherein the wound filler comprises:
a plurality of stabilizer elements that enable collapse of the wound filler in the x-direction and that resist collap

Assignees

• Dunn Raymond
• Univ Massachusetts

Inventors

• Dunn Raymond

Classifications

• A61F2013/00548

  net · CPC title

• A61F2013/00174

  possibility of applying pressure · CPC title

• A61F2013/0054

  for deep wounds · CPC title

• A61B17/08 Primary

  Wound clamps {or clips, i.e. not or only partly penetrating the tissue (suture bridges A61B17/0466); Devices for bringing together the edges of a wound} · CPC title

• A61F2013/00544

  form or structure · CPC title