A portable system for subatmospheric pressure therapy in connection with healing a surgical wound, including a wound dressing dimensioned for positioning relative to a wound bed of a subject and a subatmospheric pressure mechanism dimensioned to be carried or worn by the subject. The subatmospheric pressure mechanism includes a housing having a control unit adapted to draw a vacuum and a canister associated with the housing. The canister has a collection bag disposed therein, which is in fluid communication with the wound dressing to receive exudates from the wound bed. The collection bag is adapted to expand upon receipt of the fluids and has means to release gas from within the collection bag in connection with operation of the control unit. With this arrangement, the canister is attitude independent, i.e., the canister may be positioned on edge, on its side or on its end etc. while still maintaining operation of the control unit. The collection bag may include a hydrophobic vent or material for releasing the gases. In another embodiment, the collection bag comprises a gas permeable material. The collection bag may include one of pleats or bellows.

A wound treatment appliance is provided for treating all or a portion of a wound. In some embodiments, the appliance comprises a cover or a flexible overlay that covers all or a portion of the wound for purposes of applying a reduced pressure to the covered portion of the wound. In other embodiments, the wound treatment appliance also includes a vacuum system to supply reduced pressure to the site of the wound in the volume under the cover or in the area under the flexible overlay. Methods are provided for using various embodiments of the invention.

A negative pressure wound therapy apparatus can include a wound dressing, a fluid collection container, a vacuum pump comprising a pump motor, and tubing. Additionally, the apparatus can include a pressure sensor that measures a pressure in the tubing. One or more tubes can channel a fluid between the wound dressing, the fluid collection canister, and the pump. In addition, first and second control circuits can be provided for controlling the pump motor without using a processor. The first control circuit can generate a difference signal between a desired pressure input and a pressure sensor input, and can further generate a motor control signal responsive to the difference signal. Moreover, a second control circuit can provide an override signal based at least in part on the difference signal and at least one reference signal. The override signal beneficially overrides the motor control signal to prevent the pump motor from stalling.

A negative pressure wound therapy apparatus can include a wound dressing, a fluid collection container, a vacuum pump comprising a pump motor, and tubing. Additionally, the apparatus can include a pressure sensor that measures a pressure in the tubing. One or more tubes can channel a fluid between the wound dressing, the fluid collection canister, and the pump. In addition, first and second control circuits can be provided for controlling the pump motor without using a processor. The first control circuit can generate a difference signal between a desired pressure input and a pressure sensor input, and can further generate a motor control signal responsive to the difference signal. Moreover, a second control circuit can provide an override signal based at least in part on the difference signal and at least one reference signal. The override signal beneficially overrides the motor control signal to prevent the pump motor from stalling.

A wound treatment appliance is provided for treating all or a portion of a wound. In some embodiments, the appliance comprises a cover or a flexible overlay that covers all or a portion of the wound for purposes of applying a reduced pressure to the covered portion of the wound. In other embodiments, the wound treatment appliance also includes a vacuum system to supply reduced pressure to the site of the wound in the volume under the cover or in the area under the flexible overlay. Methods are provided for using various embodiments of the invention.

A canister for a negative pressure wound therapy device includes a receptacle, a lid, and a port cover. The receptacle is configured to contain wound exudate collected from a wound site. The lid is configured to attach to the receptacle and includes a port extending through the lid. The port cover is pivotally attached to the lid and configured to pivot between a closed position in which the port cover covers the port and an open position in which the port cover uncovers the port. The port cover includes a buoyant float configured to float in the wound exudate and a non-buoyant mass configured to sink in the wound exudate. The buoyant float and the non-buoyant mass cause the port cover to pivot between the closed position and the open position responsive to a level of the wound exudate within the receptacle and/or an orientation of the receptacle.

A medical waste collection system for collecting medical waste material, and a manifold for filtering the waste material and/or coupling a suction tube to the system. The system may include a receiver in which the manifold is configured to be inserted in a proximal direction to facilitate an inlet mechanism moving correspondingly in the distal direction. The manifold may include an arm, a spine, a lock element, and/or a catch each having a surface with a relative position in the proximal-to-distal direction. The rim and the catch may be spaced apart by a void, and the rim may be positioned below the catch. The housing may include a body portion, a first leg extending proximally from the body portion, and a second leg spaced apart from the first leg to define the void. The rim may be on the first leg, and the catch may be on the second leg.

Illustrative embodiments of new and useful systems and methods for reduced-pressure therapy are described. One example embodiment is a manually-actuated pump for applying reduced-pressure therapy. The pump generally comprises a charging chamber, a regulated chamber, and a regulator passage between the charging chamber and the regulated chamber. A valve body controls fluid communication through the regulator passage, and a regulator spring may be engaged with the valve body to bias the valve body against a differential between a pressure in the regulated chamber and an ambient pressure. The regulator passage may have a bore size adapted deflect the valve body to cause an audible indication of a leak.

Manifold for a medical/surgical waste collection assembly. A shell includes a proximal end base, and a lip extending proximally from the proximal end base. The lip extends around an outlet opening defined in the proximal end base that is off-centered to a longitudinal axis of the shell. A cap including a cap head is coupled to a side wall of the shell. A drip stop may be seated within a space defined by the lip to cover the outlet opening. An arcuate section of the lip may be flush with an adjacent section of the side wall. The cap head may define a through hole, and a flapper valve unit may be coupled to the cap head with another component having ears extending through the through hole. A fence may extend from the cap head and configured to be grasped by a user.

A manifold for a medical/surgical waste collection assembly. The manifold includes a housing shaped to be removably received within a manifold receiver of the medical/surgical waste collection assembly. An inlet fitting is coupled to the housing and adapted to be coupled with a suction line. An outlet opening is in fluid communication with the inlet fitting to define a fluid communication path from the suction line to the outlet opening and through a filter. The manifold includes a data carrier storing data useable to regulate operation of the medical/surgical waste collection assembly. The data carrier may include a radiofrequency identification tag having memory storing data suitable for determining whether the manifold is usable with the medical/surgical waste collection assembly. The RFID tag is adapted to be in electronic communication with a data reader when the manifold is coupled with the manifold receiver for communicating the data from the manifold.