A conduit for treating a tissue site with reduced pressure may include a primary lumen and at least one secondary lumen. A wall of the conduit may include a first wall material and a second wall material. The first wall material may comprise a substantially non-absorbent material that is vapor impermeable and liquid impermeable. The second wall material may comprise an absorbent material that is vapor permeable and liquid impermeable. The second wall material may be positioned in fluid contact with the at least one secondary lumen. Other systems, apparatus, and methods are disclosed.

A dressing for an open wound includes a cover layer dimensioned for positioning relative to a wound bed. The cover layer permits an evacuation of the space around the wound bed such that a sub-atmospheric pressure may be established to stimulate healing and facilitate the removal of fluid from the wound. Multiple performance zones in the cover layer allow the wound dressing to remain in position through repeated cycles of evacuation without placing undue strain on the wound bed. An outer peripheral zone may include a high peal-strength adhesive while an intermediate zone may include a shear resistant adhesive. A central zone may be devoid of any coating to maximize moisture transmission through cover layer.

The subject of the invention is a wound care article for extraction and control of wound fluids, comprising at least one first fluid-absorbing structure (1; 10; 36), which is surrounded by a liquid-permeable, first enclosure (2), and a liquid-permeable, second enclosure (3) comprising two enclosing surfaces (13.1, 13.2). The wound care article is thus characterized in that the first enclosure (2) is covered or supported on at least one of its flat sides (4.1, 4.2) by at least one fluid-absorbing material layer (6.1, 6.2; 6.3), which is arranged (FIG. 1a) between the first enclosure (2) and one of the enclosing surfaces (13.1, 13.2) of the second enclosure (3).

A system for providing a force to a desired area on a curved body part of a person includes a dressing assembly shaped and configured to be placed on the desired area of the person, a releaseable circumferential member surrounding the curved body part that holds the dressing assembly against the desired area, a sealing subsystem for providing a fluid seal over the dressing assembly and the person's skin, and a reduced-pressure subsystem for providing a reduced pressure to the dressing assembly. When reduced pressure is supplied, the system generates the force against the desired area on the curved body part.

The invention provides an adhesive support article for supporting a body part of a user. A single-sided stretchable adhesive tape blank is precut into a sheet having a central anchoring portion and a plurality of outwardly extending fingers. The sheet is marked with visual indicators to guide the user of the support article for applying the central anchoring portion onto a first exterior surface of the body part and for stretching the fingers before adhering them at a predetermined distance away from the central anchoring portion. The adhesive support article can also be provided in a support system with at least one corresponding body landmark article, providing further guidance for applying the support article to the desired body part.

A system for treating a linear wound on a patient has a closing dressing bolster for placing on the patient's epidermis over the linear wound, a sealing subsystem for providing a seal over the closing dressing bolster and the patient, and a reduced-pressure subsystem for delivering reduced pressure to the sealing subsystem. The sealing subsystem and reduced pressure subsystem are operable to deliver reduced pressure to the closing dressing bolster. The closing dressing bolster is operable under reduced pressure to develop a inward closing. The closing dressing bolster may include one or more closing members on each side of a center wound area to create the inward closing when under reduced pressure. A compressive force may also be developed. Other systems and methods are presented.

An article of manufacture suitable for addressing a problem in a human body includes a material in sheet form including first and second adhesive-coated parts releasably retained on a cover layer. Each of the first and second adhesive-coated parts includes a support layer of synthetic microfiber fabric having a greater resistance to stretching in a first test direction than in a second test direction and an adhesive intermittent across the support layer. Each of the first and second adhesive-coated parts is elongated with straight sides and rounded end portions and is configured to be removable from the cover layer and adhered to an outer skin surface of the human body. The support layer allows the passage of moisture vapor, and the adhesive being intermittent across the support layer increases permeability.

A therapeutic article of manufacture suitable for adhesive application to the skin of a user includes an elongate support layer formed of a single layer of woven fabric. The woven fabric has a ratio of elongation in percent to tensile strength (lb/in-width) that is less than 0.9 in only one of two test directions, where elongation, tensile strength, and test directions are determined under test conditions specified in ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) D3759. The article of manufacture additionally includes an adhesive intermittent across the support layer and a removable cover layer releasably retained on the adhesive.

Described is a method of mitigating and/or preventing the onset of a pressure ulcer at an area of risk of developing a pressure ulcer, which includes the step of: a) applying a medical dressing to intact skin of a subject at the area of risk of developing the pressure ulcer, thereby mitigating and/or preventing the onset of the pressure ulcer, wherein the medical dressing has a gel pad arranged between a backing layer and an adhesive body contact layer, wherein a gel of the gel pad has a compressive strength of from 5 to 60 kPa at a strain of 50%, as measured according to a compression test.

A medical dressing is described for prevention of pressure ulcers. The dressing has a gel pad and an anisotropic layer being stiffer in one layer direction. The dressing reduces the shear and compression forces on the skin and in the underlying the soft tissue layers and prevents the onset of pressure ulcers.