WOUND CLEANSING DEVICE

Abstract

The invention relates to a wound cleansing device comprising a number of strand-shaped cleansing elements, characterized in that the cleansing quotient R=(E*F)/l of at least some cleansing elements is 0.05 N/mm or larger, particularly 0.1 N/mm or larger, preferably 1 N/mm or larger, particularly preferably 10 N/mm or larger and smaller than 1000 N/mm, preferably less than 500 N/mm, in particular 100 N/mm or smaller, wherein E denotes the modulus of elasticity of the material of which the cleansing elements are made, F denotes the average cross-sectional area of the cleansing elements in a direction perpendicular to the strand axis, and l denotes the effective length of the cleansing elements.

Claims

1. A wound cleansing device comprising a number of strand-shaped cleansing elements, characterized in that the cleansing quotient R=(E*F)/l of at least some cleansing elements is 0.05 N/mm or larger, particularly 0.1 N/mm or larger, preferably 1 N/mm or larger, particularly preferably 10 N/mm or larger and smaller than 1000 N/mm, preferably less than 500 N/mm, in particular 100 N/mm or smaller, wherein E denotes the modulus of elasticity of the material of which the cleansing elements are made, F denotes the average cross-sectional area of the cleansing elements in a direction perpendicular to the strand axis, and l denotes the effective length of the cleansing elements.

2. The wound cleansing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the cleansing elements comprise chemical fibers and/or natural fibers which are preferably designed as staple fibers, particularly monofilaments and/or multifilaments of a synthetic material.

3. The wound cleansing device according to claim 2, characterized in that the cleansing elements form a cleansing fleece, wherein the effective length of the cleansing elements is defined as half the mean length of the staple fibers forming the fleece.

4. The wound cleansing device according to claim 2, characterized in that at least some cleansing elements form loops extending from a carrier layer, wherein the effective length is defined as half the length of the loop measured between the two points at which the loop exits the carrier layer.

5. (canceled)

6. The wound cleansing device according to claim 2, characterized in that the natural fibers and/or chemical fibers have a diameter of 500 μm or less, particularly 150 μm or less.

7. The wound cleansing device according to claim 2, characterized in that the natural fibers and/or chemical fibers have a diameter of 5 μm or more, in the case of cleansing elements designed as monofilaments of 10 μm or more, particularly more than 20 μm, preferably 30 μm or more, particularly preferably 45 μm or more.

8. The wound cleansing device according to claim 3, characterized in that the effective length of the chemical fibers and/or natural fibers and/or loops is 2 mm or more, preferably 3 mm or more, particularly 6 mm or more.

9-10. (canceled)

11. The wound cleansing device according to claim 3, characterized in that the cleansing elements comprise bristles and/or hooks and/or mushrooms projecting from a carrier sheet, particularly synthetic bristles and/or hooks and/or mushrooms, wherein the effective length is defined as the height of the bristles and/or hooks and/or mushrooms in a direction perpendicular to the carrier sheet and the mean cross sectional area is defined as cross sectional area in a section plane extending parallel to the carrier sheet at half the height of the hooks and/or bristles and/or mushrooms.

12. The wound cleansing device according to claim 11, characterized in that the effective length of the bristles and/or hooks and/or mushrooms is 10 mm or less, preferably 5 mm or less, particularly 3 mm or less, and/or 0.2 mm or more, particularly 0.5 mm or more, particularly preferably 1 mm or more, wherein the mean cross sectional area of the bristles and/or hooks and/or mushroom is 10-8 m2 or more and 10-6 m2 or less, preferably between 3*10-8 and 3*10-7 m2.

13. (canceled)

14. The wound cleansing device according to claim 11, characterized in that the bristles and/or hooks and/or mushrooms have a branching or bifurcation on their side facing away from the carrier sheet.

15. The wound cleansing device according to claim 11, characterized in that more than 10, particularly 20 or more, particularly preferably 30 or more mushrooms, bristles, and/or hooks per cm2 of the carrier sheet and/or less than 500, particularly less than 100, preferably 50 or less bristles and/or hooks per cm2 of the carrier sheet are provided.

16-20. (canceled)

21. The wound cleansing device, particularly according to claim 11, having a wound cleansing layer adapted for removing substances from the wound and for hooking the removed substances, characterized in that the wound cleansing layer comprises two, three, or more wound cleansing regions having differing wound cleansing properties, wherein at least one of the wound cleansing regions is an absorption region adapted for absorbing wound fluids.

22-23. (canceled)

24. The wound cleansing device according to claim 11, characterized in that one of the wound cleansing regions is an abrasion region adapted to remove fibrin coverings, dead tissue, keratinous material, or the like.

25. The wound cleansing device according to claim 24, characterized in that at least one abrasion region is arranged between two absorption regions.

26. The wound cleansing device according to claim 24, characterized in that at least one absorption region comprises chemical fibers and/or natural fibers, particularly monofilaments and/or multifilaments, having an effective fiber length of 10 mm or less, particularly 5 mm or less, preferably 3 mm or less, and/or the effective fiber length in an abrasion region arranged between two absorption regions is 90% or less, particularly 50% or less, particularly preferably 30% or less of the effective fiber length of the absorption regions.

27. (canceled)

28. The wound cleansing device according to claim 24, characterized in that at least one abrasion region and at least one absorption region are arranged on a joint carrier layer.

29. The wound cleansing device according to claim 28, characterized in that the common carrier layer is substantially flat, and the boundary surfaces of the absorption and abrasion regions facing away from the carrier layer form a profiled cleansing surface.

30. The wound cleansing device according to claim 28, characterized in that the carrier layer is profiled and the boundary surfaces of the absorption and abrasion regions facing away from the carrier layer are arranged in a common plane.

31. The wound cleansing device according to claim 24, characterized in that at least one abrasion region is formed by a seam running between two absorption regions, wherein the at least one abrasion region comprises an abrasive fleece of strand-shaped cleansing elements having a modulus of elasticity which is greater compared to the fibers of the absorption region and/or an abrasive film.

32-43. (canceled)

44. A wound dressing with a wound contact layer comprising a number of strand-shaped wound contact elements and a preferably airtight, particularly water vapor permeable cover means which can be adhesively fastened with respect to the skin surrounding the wound, wherein the wound contact layer is formed by a wound cleansing device according to any one of the preceding claims, and an absorption and/or distributing layer arranged between the wound contact layer and the cover means.

45-48. (canceled)

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0084] FIG. 1 of the drawing shows a wound dressing according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0085] The only FIGURE of the drawing shows a wound dressing according to the invention. This wound dressing comprises a wound cleansing device 20 according to the invention and a cover means 30 in the form of a water vapor permeable backing film, which may be designed as a polyurethane film. The wound cleansing device 20 comprises a plurality of wound cleansing elements 22 on its side facing the wound, which elements can be used as wound contact elements of a wound dressing according to the invention. The wound contact elements 22 are only schematically represented in the drawing. They can be implemented in the form of a fiber fleece or the like. The wound contact elements 22 may also be implemented in the form of individual loops, hooks, bristles, and/or mushrooms. In addition, mixtures of fibers, loops, bristles, hooks, and/or mushrooms may be used.

[0086] A distributing layer 42 and an absorption layer 44 which may optionally be designed as airlaid nonwoven are provided between the wound cleansing device 20 and the cover means 30. The distributing layer 42 is arranged on the side of the absorption layer 44 that faces the wound cleansing device 20.