CN101227936A - Wound Cover and Drainage System - Google Patents

Abstract

A vacuum system for draining fluid secreted from an open wound from the wound, comprising: a closure that can be sealed around the wound; a vacuum pump that includes a disposable pump unit that can be removably connected to a non-disposable drive unit; and a waste container that is used to collect the drained fluid. The closure has an outlet that is connected to the inlet of the vacuum pump by a tube, and the waste container is connected to the outlet of the pump unit so that when the vacuum pump is operating, the drained fluid can flow through the vacuum pump. The closure has one or more blow holes or holes on or near the closure outlet so that ambient air can flow into the tube and flow with the drained fluid. The closure and waste container are both disposable so that the drained fluid only contacts the disposable components and can be disposed of together with all the disposable components.

Description

Wound Cover and Drainage System

technical field

The present invention relates generally to wound healing, and more particularly it relates to wound healing by negative pressure drainage.

Background technique

Applying negative pressure to the wound can improve drainage of wound fluid or secretions and can promote tissue growth and wound healing. This rehabilitation method (ie "cupping") has been used by doctors in ancient Greece since the nineteenth century.

A therapeutic device is disclosed in WO 96/05873, which is used to promote wound healing. The device consists of a porous foam pad that seals over the wound and is connected to the jar by a tube. A vacuum pump is connected to the outlet of the tank. A bacterial filter is arranged on the outlet of the canister, which serves to prevent contamination of the vacuum pump by fluid drawn from the wound and sucked into the canister. The pump, tank, and control circuitry are disposed of at some point.

A portable wound treatment device is disclosed in WO 97/18007, which uses a structure similar to a porous pad, canister and vacuum pump. The canister and pump are arranged in a housing which also houses the control circuitry and which can be worn on the patient's straps or straps.

US 6,648,862 discloses a portable vacuum desiccator similar to the above-mentioned structure, wherein the jar is made into a cylinder (dryer) that contains a trapping agent therein. The vacuum pump and canister can be made as a whole and can be disassembled from the pump motor and electrical circuit.

Current negative pressure wound drainage systems, such as those described above, suffer from the following disadvantages:

-Since the negative pressure applied to the wound area is created by the suction of the pump, fluid entering the pump may contaminate the pump or, conversely, may require more expensive and complicated Separated from wound secretions, such as an antibacterial filter.

- The wound secretions are collected in a rigid jar which must be large enough to prevent the secretions from leaking out, thus being too large and inconvenient for ambulatory patients carrying a portable system.

-The conventional wound drainage system adopts the wound air-tight method, which is beneficial to obtain and maintain negative pressure, but it needs a pressure relief valve or an insufflation valve to form the required pressure change in order to accelerate wound healing, see literature WO 96/05873.

- An airtight wound dressing or enclosure that, when under negative pressure, facilitates the flow of secretions to the source of negative pressure, although the connecting tubing may become clogged when secretions coagulate.

- Due to the need to monitor and control negative pressure levels in conventional systems, vacuum transmitters, gauges or pressure relief valves are required, which must be connected to the suction line and thus become contaminated. Cleaning, disinfecting or isolating negative pressure monitoring or control equipment is complex, expensive and unreliable.

Contents of the invention

The object of the present invention is to eliminate all the above-mentioned disadvantages by providing a wound drainage enclosure and vacuum system which is less prone to contamination and yet easy to use.

A first aspect of the present invention is to provide an enclosure for draining fluid secreted from an open wound from the wound. The enclosure can be connected around the wound so as to create a confined space, the enclosure also has an outlet, for example in the form of a mouthpiece, which can be connected via a tube to the outlet of a vacuum pump, thereby Negative pressure can be formed in the confined space. One or more air blow holes are arranged in the enclosure or next to the enclosure outlet so that ambient air can enter the tube and flow with the secreted liquid when a negative pressure is created. When the vacuum pump is not working, the confined space can be restored to ambient pressure.

The blow hole in the enclosure may be a calibrated orifice or other flow restrictor that controls the flow of ambient air into the enclosure or its outlet. For example, pores plugged with open foam or open porous sintered metal plugs, because they are small pores, can restrict flow and are not easy to clog.

The blow holes enable the wound closure to be ventilated or non-airtight, which is distinct from conventional wound closures. Air flows from the insufflation holes into the wound enclosure in response to the negative pressure created by the vacuum pump, which assists in the removal of secretions that would otherwise condense, dry out and block the tubes.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of draining fluid secreted from an open wound. The method includes:

-provides a hood and seals it around the wound creating a confined space,

- connect said confined space to a vacuum pump,

- a waste container for collecting drained liquid is connected to said vacuum pump,

- operating the vacuum pump to drain secreted fluid from the wound.

The method is characterized in that a confined space is connected to an inlet of a vacuum pump, and a waste container is connected to an outlet of said vacuum pump so that the drained liquid flows through said vacuum pump.

The method may include using an enclosure with an insufflation port so that ambient air can enter the tube and flow with the expelled exudate.

Preferably, the gas is separated from the expelled secreted fluid and drained.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a vacuum system is provided for implementing the above method. The vacuum system may utilize a fully disposable vacuum pump, and a waste collection bag as described in WO03016719. The vacuum pump is a two-chamber diaphragm pump capable of pumping gas and liquid and/or a combination of both. The vacuum pump is capable of pumping air and fluid entering its inlet into a waste bag connected to its outlet. The waste bag is vented so it only collects fluid that gets into the waste bag.

The vacuum system can be carried by an ambulatory patient.

According to another aspect of the invention, a disposable assembly is provided for draining wound exudate from an open wound. The assembly includes: an enclosure attachable around the wound to create a confined space; a vacuum pump unit attached to the enclosure to create negative pressure in the confined space; and a waste container attached to the vacuum pump unit. The vacuum pump unit has a means detachably connectable to the drive unit to operate the pump unit. The enclosure is connected to the inlet of the vacuum pump unit, and the waste container is connected to the outlet of the vacuum pump unit, so that when the vacuum pump unit is in operation, the discharged liquid flows through the pump.

Alternatively, the pump unit and drive unit can be connected and disconnected by simple manual operation.

The enclosure may have the aforementioned air blow holes.

The vacuum pump unit is preferably a dual chamber diaphragm pump capable of pumping gases and liquids and/or combinations thereof.

The waste container may contain a porous medium capable of absorbing drained liquid and may be in the form of a collapsible or collapsible bag.

Expelled liquid and air only come into contact with parts of the disposable assembly. The drained exudates can then be disposed of together with the disposable assembly. More particularly, the pump unit is disposed of after use, together with the connected tubing, as well as the waste bag and its contents, and the wound cover connected to the pump unit by the tubing.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the above-mentioned vacuum system is provided, wherein the vacuum pump has a driving unit and a control block capable of supplying power to the driving unit, thereby maintaining a predetermined level of negative pressure in a limited space. The control block has: a sensor to sense the operating parameters of the drive unit; a device for obtaining the negative pressure level in the limited space through these operating parameters, so as to maintain the predetermined negative pressure level. The sensor is not in fluid communication with confined spaces.

For example, the drive unit may comprise a DC motor and the sensor may sense the drive current of the motor. The same function of the above-mentioned negative pressure control can also be realized by an adjustable torque limiting clutch, which is arranged between the output shaft of the motor and the pump.

The control block may be provided with an alarm device to alert the user if the predetermined negative pressure level is not maintained.

If the vacuum pump comprises a disposable pump unit and the drive unit can be detachably connected to the pump unit, the control block with the monitoring device is preferably connected to a non-disposable drive unit.

This provides an indirect means for measuring and controlling the negative pressure applied to the wound in which there is no need to connect vacuum sensors, transmitters or gauges directly to those parts of the system where the negative pressure is applied. Indirect negative pressure monitoring comes from those parts of the system that come into contact with the pumped medium and may need to discard contaminated or infected parts. In this way, all disposable parts in the system can be made less expensive, thereby facilitating their disposal after use. Pressure transmitters, vacuum gauges or sensors are relatively expensive, so consider not making them disposable.

Description of drawings

In order to clearly understand the present invention and understand the manner of its realization, a preferred embodiment of the present invention is described in conjunction with accompanying drawing now, and this embodiment is only a non-limitative example, wherein:

Fig. 1 is the sectional view of the vacuum system applied to the wound of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagram of the disposable portion of the system of FIG. 1. FIG.

Detailed ways

The present invention provides a system and method for treating and rehabilitating wounds on the body which require applying a negative pressure to an area of the wound sufficient to promote engraftment of epithelial and subcutaneous tissue.

Apparently, the following descriptions are only used to show preferred embodiments of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the protection scope of the present invention as claimed in the claims.

Referring to FIG. 1 , in accordance with the present invention, a vacuum system 10 for draining open wound exudate from a wound is provided, comprising an enclosure 12 , a vacuum pump 14 , and a waste collection bag 31 . The wound cover 12 is connected via a suction line 16 to an inlet 11 of the vacuum pump. The waste collection bag 31 is connected to the outlet 22 of the vacuum pump. Thus, when the vacuum pump 14 is activated, the expelled liquid flows through the pump and into the waste bag 31 .

The suction tube 16 is connected to the mouthpiece 38 of the enclosure 12, which covers the wound area of the body 34, so that a negative pressure is created in the space above the wound area of the body 34 by sucking the air flowing through the tube 16 . The air blow hole 35 is arranged in the enclosure 12, or as a tube hole 37 on the side of the enclosure, whereby ambient air can flow into and flow through the suction duct 16, making the enclosure 12 non-airtight, or is ventilated. This feature, unlike conventional airtight enclosures, enables secretions entering the suction tube 16 to move quickly towards the vacuum pump 14 and into the waste bag 31 before it dries or coagulates to block the tube. This feature also enables the introduction of ambient pressure to the wound area of the body 34 when the vacuum pump stops pumping, thereby also enabling the application of cyclically varying negative pressure to the wound by alternately cycling the vacuum pump on and off.

In addition to the blow holes 35 in the enclosure, flow restrictors can also be used to control the flow of ambient air into the enclosure or into the outlet. For example, a hole plugged with an open foam or open sintered metal plug because of its small orifice, which restricts flow but is not easily plugged.

The vacuum pump 14 includes a pump unit 18 and a drive unit 40 which are detachably connectable as explained below. The pump unit 18 includes a double-chamber housing 17 and a diaphragm 24 , wherein the diaphragm 24 is fixed under the membrane chamber housing 17 to form a working chamber 29 .

The dual-chamber housing 17 has a first chamber 13 with an inlet 11 and a second chamber 21 with an outlet 22 . A suction pipe 16 is connected to the inlet 11 . Two one-way valves 19 and 20 are located at the bottom of the first chamber 13 and the second chamber 21 respectively. A mounting base 23 is connected to the bottom of the dual-chamber housing 17, which mounts the housing 17 to the drive unit 40 through a bayonet lock.

The membrane 24 has an integral rod-shaped drive part 25 for engagement with the drive unit 40 .

The drive unit 40 includes a motor 39, a battery 41 and a control block 50 as described below. The shaft of the motor 39 has a crank 27 connected to a reciprocating rod 26 . The rod 26 has a receptacle containing a cavity capable of receiving the drive member 25 and locking it there.

When the pump unit 18 is connected to the drive unit 40 by snap locks in the base 23, the drive member 25 is accommodated in the cavity of the reciprocating rod 26 and then locked there.

When the motor 39 is started, the crank 27 rotates and makes the chamber rod 26 reciprocate, so that the diaphragm 24 expands and contacts the working chamber 29 . Thus, the pump unit 18 pumps air or liquid through the non-return valves 19 and 20 .

Air and liquid enter the dual chamber housing 17 through the inlet 11 and the suction tube 16, which is connected to the patient's wound cover 12, whereby secretions are removed. The liquid and air enter into the first chamber 13 , and when the diaphragm 24 reciprocates, it drives the liquid and air to flow through the one-way valve 20 and into the second chamber 21 under negative pressure. Air and liquid pumped through outlet 22 into waste bag 31 .

Capable of pumping air and liquids and pumps, unlike conventional pumps that can only efficiently pump one substance, its pumping capacity is enhanced by the flexibility of the diaphragm 24, which enables the diaphragm to withstand heavier loads Loads such as those encountered when pumping liquids can also be output. The flexibility of the diaphragm also has the advantage that when the negative pressure in the working chamber 29 is high, the diaphragm 24 stretches so that the reciprocating movement of the chamber rod 26 occurs at the lowest load of the motor 39 .

The waste bag 31 has a through opening 15 through which air and gases are vented to the atmosphere. Accordingly, the waste bag 31 will only retain those waste fluids that are pumped into the bag. The waste bag may contain a porous medium 47 which is capable of absorbing drained liquid.

It is worth noting that the waste bag 31 is made of a thin sheet of plastic which can be folded away when full, thereby having a minimum bulk with minimal inconvenience to the patient using or carrying the waste bag.

Drive unit 40 also comprises a control block 50, and it has control circuit such as: cycle control circuit 42, and this circuit makes motor pump switch alternately; The level of negative pressure generated by the pump unit 18 is controlled. At any given voltage driving the motor 39, the current drawn by the motor is directly related to the negative pressure generated by the pump 18. Accordingly, the monitoring of the current of the motor 39 can indirectly monitor the negative pressure obtained by the pump 18 . The ability to monitor the negative pressure created by the pump 18 indirectly eliminates the need for a dirty negative pressure line to connect to a pressure transmitter or vacuum gauge.

For example, if the motor 39 is a DC motor, then the sensor can sense the drive current of the motor. Since the output torque of the DC motor is directly related to the driving current of the motor, and because the output torque of the motor is directly related to the negative pressure generated by the pump 18, the monitoring of the motor current can monitor the negative pressure generated by the vacuum pump. . Monitoring of the motor current is only one available method of indirectly measuring and controlling the negative pressure. The above-mentioned function of negative pressure control can also be accomplished by an adjustable torque limiting clutch arranged between the output shaft of the motor and the crank 27 .

The control block 50 also has a negative pressure comparator 44 , which compares the desired set negative pressure level generated by the pump 18 with the actually measured negative pressure level indirectly obtained by the motor voltage and current measurement and control unit 43 . The comparator 44 activates an audible alarm 45 whenever the pump 18 fails to achieve the desired predetermined negative pressure level.

FIG. 2 shows the disposable part of the system as assembly 60 , which includes pump unit 18 , waste bag 31 , connecting tubing 16 and wound cover 12 , all separated from the drive unit and the wound area of the body 34 . The assembly 60 can be disposed of as a whole after use and replaced by a new assembly, thus saving the expensive drive unit 40 from contamination. Obviously, the present invention does not require any part of the drive unit 40 to be cleaned or sterilized after use, or to provide protective means such as filters to prevent contaminants from contaminating the valuable drive unit 40 .

Claims (33)

1. A vacuum system for draining fluid secreted from an open wound, comprising: an enclosure sealably connected to the wound surrounding to form a confined space; a vacuum pump coupled to said confined space for liquid communication; and a waste container for collecting discharged liquid that is in liquid communication with said vacuum pump, Wherein the confined space is connected to the inlet of the vacuum pump, and the waste container is connected to the outlet of the vacuum pump, whereby the discharged liquid flows through the vacuum pump when the vacuum pump is operated. 2. The vacuum system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said enclosure has: an outlet connected to the inlet of the vacuum pump by a tube; and one or more blow holes arranged on said enclosure or next to its outlet so that ambient air can enter the tube and flow with the discharged liquid. 3. The vacuum system of claim 1, wherein said vacuum pump comprises a disposable pump unit detachably connected to a non-disposable drive unit, said enclosure and said waste container being Disposable, such that the drained liquid, and the air that comes into contact with them, only come into contact with the disposable part, and said drained liquid can be disposed of together with the disposable part. 4. The vacuum system of claim 3, wherein the pump unit and the driving unit can be connected and separated by simple manual operations. 5. The vacuum system according to claim 1, wherein said vacuum pump comprises a driving unit and a control block capable of supplying electric power to said driving unit, thereby capable of maintaining a predetermined level of negative pressure in a limited space, Wherein the control block has: a sensor to sense the operating parameters of the driving unit; and a device for obtaining the negative pressure level in the limited space through these operating parameters, so as to maintain the predetermined negative pressure level , the sensor is not in fluid communication with the confined space. 6. The vacuum system of claim 5, wherein the drive unit comprises an electric motor and said operating parameters comprise current and/or voltage of said electric motor. 7. The vacuum system of claim 1, wherein said waste container is capable of being vented, thereby releasing gases mixed with said expelled liquid. 8. The vacuum system of claim 1, wherein said waste container is a collapsible bag. 9. The vacuum system of claim 1, wherein said vacuum pump is a dual chamber diaphragm pump capable of pumping gas and liquid and/or a combination of both. 10. The vacuum system of claim 1 which can be worn by an ambulatory patient. 11. An enclosure for draining fluid secreted from an open wound, the enclosure attachable around the wound to form a confined space, the enclosure also having an outlet through which a The tube is connected to the inlet of the vacuum pump, whereby a negative pressure can be created in said space, Wherein one or more blow holes are arranged on the sealing cover or next to the sealing cover outlet, so that the ambient air can enter the tube under the effect of negative pressure and flow together with the secreted liquid. When the vacuum pump is not working, the confined space can be restored to ambient pressure. 12. The enclosure of claim 11 having a mouthpiece for connection to said tube. 13. The enclosure of claim 11, wherein a plurality of blow holes in the form of a porous body are arranged within the enclosure. 14. The enclosure of claim 11, having a tube connected to said outlet for connection to the inlet of said vacuum pump, wherein said one or more blow holes are arranged in the tube, said outlet next to. 15. A method of draining fluid secreted from an open wound from the wound, the method comprising: -provides an enclosure and seals it around the wound creating a confined space, - connect said confined space to a vacuum pump, - a waste container for collecting drained liquid is connected to said vacuum pump, - operating the vacuum pump to drain secreted fluid from the wound, in The confined space is connected to the inlet of the vacuum pump and the waste container is connected to the outlet of the vacuum pump so that the drained liquid flows through the vacuum pump. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein said enclosure has an outlet connected to said inlet of a vacuum pump by a tube, and ambient air can pass through said enclosure or beside the enclosure outlet One or more air blow holes are arranged to flow into the tube so that the air flows together with the expelled secreted fluid. 17. The method of claim 15, comprising separating and draining the gas from the expelled secreted fluid. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein said gas is vented through a vent in the waste container. 19. The method of claim 15, wherein said vacuum pump is a dual chamber diaphragm pump capable of pumping gas and liquid and/or any combination of both. 20. The method of claim 15, wherein at least the portion of said enclosure, said waste container, and said vacuum pump that is in contact with said discharged liquid is disposable, and the method includes combining the disposable components with the discharged liquid. Dispose of the excreted fluid together. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the disposable part of the vacuum pump is a pump unit that can be detachably connected to a non-disposable drive unit, the method further comprising connecting the pump unit to the on the drive unit and the pump unit is folded off prior to the procedure described. 22. The method of claim 21, wherein said attaching and detaching involves only simple manual operations. 23. The method of claim 15 applied to ambulatory patient wounds. 24. A disposable assembly for draining wound secretions from an open wound, the assembly comprising: an enclosure attachable around the wound to create a confined space; a vacuum pump unit attached to the said enclosure to form a negative pressure in a confined space; said vacuum pump unit having a device detachably connected to a drive unit for operating the pump unit; and a waste container connected to said vacuum pump unit superior; Wherein the enclosure is connected to the inlet of the vacuum pump unit, and the waste container is connected to the outlet of the vacuum pump unit, so that when the vacuum pump unit is in operation, the discharged liquid flows through the pump. 25. The disposable assembly as claimed in claim 24, wherein said enclosure has: an outlet connected to said inlet of the vacuum pump by a tube; and one or A plurality of air blow holes whereby ambient air can flow through the tube together with expelled secreted fluid. 26. The disposable assembly of claim 24, wherein the vacuum pump unit is a dual chamber diaphragm pump capable of pumping gas and liquid and/or any combination thereof. 27. The disposable assembly of claim 24, wherein said waste container comprises a porous medium capable of absorbing said expelled liquid. 28. The disposable assembly of claim 24, wherein said waste container is a collapsible bag. 29. A vacuum system for draining fluid secreted from an open wound, comprising: an enclosure sealably connected to the wound surrounding to form a confined space; a vacuum pump coupled to The limited space has liquid circulation, the vacuum pump has a drive unit; and a control block capable of supplying power to the drive unit, thereby maintaining a predetermined level of negative pressure in the limited space; in The control block has: a sensor to sense the operating parameters of the drive unit; and a device for obtaining the negative pressure level in the limited space through these operating parameters, so as to maintain the predetermined negative pressure level, The sensor is not in fluid communication with the confined space. 30. The vacuum system of claim 29, wherein said drive unit comprises a motor and said operating parameters comprise current and/or voltage of said motor. 31. The vacuum system of claim 29, wherein said control block is provided with a warning device to warn a user when said predetermined level of negative pressure cannot be maintained. 32. The vacuum system of claim 29, further comprising a waste container to collect discharged liquid, wherein said confined space is in liquid communication with an inlet of said vacuum pump, and said waste container is in liquid communication with an outlet of said vacuum pump , so that when the vacuum pump is operating, the expelled secreted fluid flows through the vacuum pump. 33. The vacuum system of claim 29, wherein said vacuum pump comprises a disposable pump unit comprising said inlet and said outlet, and said pump unit is detachably connected to said drive unit, said belt The control block with sensors is connected to the drive unit, And wherein said enclosure and said waste container are disposable such that said secreted liquid only comes into contact with disposable parts of the vacuum system and can pass through these parts from said drive unit together with said disposable parts Dispose of after dismounting.