Reduced pressure wound therapy is performed on a sacral region of a patient using an adhesive dressing comprising a flexible planar layer and a non-planar fold-sealing region configured to seal to the intergluteal cleft of a patient. The fold-sealing region is located on an outer edge of the adhesive dressing and comprises a tapered configuration.

Disclosed is a liquid removal drypad and liquid removal system suitable for absorbing and removing liquid produced by an individual. The drypad can include one or more perforated conduits arranged with an absorbent material. A source of reduced pressure can be connected to the one or more perforated conduits to remove liquid from the drypad. The drypad can be positioned under a patient and liquid produced by the individual can be removed by applying reduced pressure to the drypad. The drypad can be made by combining one or more conduits with an absorbent material.

Incontinence management systems, methods, and sensors are provided that alert the caregiver when a patient's brief has been soiled. A resonant circuit includes a polyaniline/carbon black (PANI/CB) composite chemiresistor which undergoes a large impedance change upon exposure to the vapor or smell of urine or feces. Due to the impedance change of the PANI/CB resistor, characteristics of the resonant circuit change when the sensor is exposed to urine or feces vapor. The sensor responds to an interrogating signal with a signal based least in part on the sensor's impedance and indicates the condition of the brief as soiled or clean.

A valve for an inflatable device includes a pocket configured to be located in a cavity of the inflatable device. The pocket includes an entrance opening to receive air from an air source and an exit opening to deliver air to the cavity. The exit opening is spaced apart from the entrance opening, such that airflow passes through the valve by flowing from the entrance opening, through the pocket, and out through the exit opening to enter the cavity. The pocket may include a second exit opening spaced from the entrance opening and the exit opening, and may include a first branch and a second branch extending away from each other, and wherein the exit opening is located on the first branch and the second exit opening is located on the second branch.

Disclosed is a liquid removal drypad and liquid removal system suitable for absorbing and removing liquid produced by an individual. The drypad can include one or more perforated conduits arranged with an absorbent material. A source of reduced pressure can be connected to the one or more perforated conduits to remove liquid from the drypad. The drypad can be positioned under a patient and liquid produced by the individual can be removed by applying reduced pressure to the drypad. The drypad can be made by combining one or more conduits with an absorbent material.

The described easy access apparel provides ever day wear that is effective to reduce the stigma of a chronic illness, improve the experience of receiving treatment for a chronic illness, and facilitates access to and utilization of a percutaneous access site.

Introduced here are apparatuses and systems for mitigating contact pressures applied to a human body by the surface of an object, such as a chair, bed, or table. A pressure-mitigation apparatus can include a series of chambers whose pressure can be individually varied. When placed between a patient and a contact surface, the pressure-mitigation apparatus can vary the contact pressure on a specific anatomical region of the patient by controllably inflating and/or deflating one or more cell. Moreover, a pressure-mitigation system can be readily integrated into a conventional treatment regimen for a variety of different conditions.

A liquid absorbent support cushion for a user is disclosed comprising a first member having first and second surfaces, the first member constructed of a first material in which the first member is substantially liquid permeable and the first material is substantially liquid impervious. The cushion includes a second member having first and second surfaces, the second member constructed of a second material in which the second member is substantially liquid permeable and the second material is substantially liquid impervious. The cushion also includes a third member, the third member is liquid absorbent; and wherein the second member is positioned between the first and third members and wherein the first, second and third members are constructed such that liquid passing through the first and second members is absorbed by the third member.

The present invention is a multifunctional disposable absorbent article providing numerous features including, in addition to containment and absorption of bodily fluid secretions, improved feel, dryness, and comfort upon a person's skin, odor control and anti-microbial properties, and sufficient strength to support lifting and transferring of a person.

A system for detecting an incontinence event includes a pad which is deployable on a mattress and which, as deployed, has a first conductor and a second conductor and in which the first conductor and the second conductor are not in electrical communication with each other. The system also incudes an RFID reader subsystem having a processor and an array of two or more spatially distributed antennas. The system is adapted to A) command transmission of energy from the antenna array at a variety of powers and at various frequencies, B) monitor the antenna array for a return signal resulting from the spatially and temporally varying transmission, and C) communicate a WET or DRY status to a destination. The WET or DRY status depends on a moisture status indicator of the return signal.