WOUND TREATMENT APPARATUS WITH EXUDATE VOLUME REDUCTION BY HEAT

Abstract

Apparatus (130) for use in wound therapy of mammals is described, the apparatus (130) comprising: a dressing covering the wound, the dressing being substantially sealed to prevent ingress of ambient atmospheric air to the wound; aspiration means (132) operably connected to a space between the dressing and the wound by an aspiration conduit (142) sealed to the point of entry between wound and dressing against ingress of ambient atmosphere, said conduit (142) being for aspiration of said wound and for removal of fluid from said space between said wound and said dressing; a waste container (148) for receiving aspirated fluid to be discarded operably connected to said aspiration conduit; and heating means (144) for heating said fluid in order to increase the vapour pressure thereof and to cause evaporation to reduce the volume of the fluid in the waste container (148). In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the waste fluid is also provided with a sparge gas.

Claims

1.-16. (canceled)

17. A method of treating a wound, comprising: positioning a wound dressing over a wound; applying negative pressure to the wound dressing to remove fluid from the wound; and vaporizing the fluid removed from the wound to increase a rate of evaporation of the removed fluid.

18. The method for treating a wound according to claim 17, wherein vaporizing the fluid removed from the wound further comprises heating the fluid removed from the wound.

19. The method for treating a wound according to claim 18, wherein heating the fluid removed from the wound further comprises heating fluid stored in a collection canister.

20. The method for treating a wound according to claim 17, wherein vaporizing the fluid removed from the wound further comprises removing fluid from the wound with a heated conduit in fluid communication with the wound dressing and a collection canister.

21. The method for treating a wound according to claim 17, wherein vaporizing the fluid removed from the wound further comprises passing the fluid over a weir within a collection canister.

22. The method for treating a wound according to claim 21, wherein the weir is configured to heat the fluid removed from the wound to increase the rate of evaporation.

23. The method for treating a wound according to claim 17, wherein vaporizing the fluid removed from the wound further comprises passing a gas through the fluid removed from the wound.

24. The method for treating a wound according to claim 17, further comprising removing vaporized fluid with a pump.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] In order that the present invention may be more fully understood examples, by way of illustration only, will be described with reference to the following drawings, of which:

[0034] FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of an apparatus according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] FIG. 1A illustrates a partial view of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

[0036] FIG. 1B illustrates a partial view of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

[0037] FIG. 2 shows an end view of a heated tube which may be used as the heating means in apparatus according to the present invention;

[0038] FIG. 3 shows part of a modified apparatus of FIG. 1; and

[0039] FIG. 4 shows a further modification of part of a modified apparatus of FIG. 1; and

[0040] FIG. 5 which shows a schematic arrangement of a portable TNP type apparatus embodying the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0041] Referring now to the drawings and where FIG. 1 shows a schematic layout of an apparatus 10 according to the present invention. The schematic shows a model wound at 12 made from clear acetate comprising a wound simulating cavity (not shown) into which an aspirant tube 14, an irrigant tube 16 and an air bleed tube 18 are sealed so as to simulate a wound having a sealing dressing. The rectangles 20, 22, 24 denote connectors connecting the three tubes 14, 16, 18 to the appropriate parts of the rest of the apparatus, respectively. Clamps, denoted collectively at 26 and 28 serve to isolate the wound 12 when disconnected from the apparatus or to change one of the tubes or to replace the source of supply relevant to the particular tube. The aspirant tube 14 is connected to a vacuum pump unit 30 via a waste bottle 32 and outlet tube 34 for the application of TNP therapy to the wound 12. The vacuum pump unit 30 is provided with various filter modules 38, 40 to catch solid material and suppress odours, respectively. A sensor 42 monitors the vacuum applied by the pump 30 and the vacuum in the waste bottle 32. The air bleed tube 18 is ultimately connected to a vacuum regulator 46 through an extension 50 of line 18 via a filter 52. A wound pressure sensor 54 is also connected to the tube 50 so as to monitor the actual depression at the wound 12. A flow meter 58 and restrictor 60 are provided in the bleed path before the vacuum regulator unit 46. The irrigant tube 16 is connected to a peristaltic pump cassette 64 which in turn is connected to a container 66 of irrigant fluid 68 for the supply of the irrigant fluid 68 to the wound 12. The waste bottle 32 is provided with a heater 70 upon which it sits so as to heat the contents thereof. The whole apparatus is controlled by a control unit 72 which operates on principles well known to those skilled in the electronic control art.

[0042] The effect of the vacuum pump 30 aspirating the wound 12 by the tube 14 is to create a vacuum therein so as to draw a supply of bleed air into the wound via the tube 16. The amount of or rate of bleed air is controlled by outputs 74 from the control unit 72 to the vacuum regulator 46 in response to the inputs 76 from the various sensors in the apparatus. Thus, the bleed air is drawn into the wound site by the vacuum applied by the pump 30 and is also withdrawn by the aspiration tube 14 by the vacuum pump together with the wound exudates and the irrigant fluid 68. The waste fluid 80 being withdrawn from the wound site 12 is aerated by the bleed air supply and is delivered to the waste bottle 32 by the tube 14. The waste fluid in the bottle 32 is heated by the heater 70 to a predetermined temperature set in the control system and with the flow of bleed air through the waste fluid 80 vapour is drawn off through the line 34 and discharged via the filter 40.

[0043] A system was set up as in the above schematic and the pressure was set up 100 mmHg below atmospheric at the wound site 12. The air bleed was adjusted to 0.2 l/min and the heater 70 set to 65.degree. C. and allowed to stabilise. Saline was used as the irrigant fluid 68 and delivered to the wound 12 at a fixed rate to represent fluid coming from the wound 12. The mass of fluid delivered was recorded together with the mass of fluid collected in the waste bottle 32. For the waste bottle a glass bottle was used with Hawco (trade mark) 20 watt silicon heater mat glued to the base of the bottle. The conditions were by no means optimised but, however, the results indicated that over a 24 hour period a mass of 45 g of fluid was evaporated. Thus, with suitable optimisation of the system it is expected that far higher levels of evaporation may be easily achieved.

[0044] FIG. 2 shows a heated plastics material tube 100 having seven separate lumens comprising one central lumen 102 for the passage of fluid and six surrounding smaller lumens 104 which were provided with a continuous element of nickel-chrome resistance heating wire 106 which was run up and down the lumens 104 in a continuous manner. The ends of the wire 106 have a voltage applied thereto.

[0045] This heating tube may be used in the apparatus of FIG. 1 as, for example, part of the tube 14 immediately prior to entry into the waste bottle 32. With this heating means the surface area to volume ratio of the fluid in contact with the central lumen 102 is relatively high and the fluid may be heated rapidly prior to entry into the waste bottle 32. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that this heated tube may be used additionally to the heater 70 shown in FIG. 1 to further enhance the rate of evaporation of fluid.

[0046] FIG. 3 shows the waste bottle of FIG. 1 modified by the substitution of an atomising spray head 120 in place of the tube 14 which has an end immersed in the waste fluid in bottle 32 in FIG. 1. The spray head 120 terminates above the waste fluid level in the bottle 32 and sprays directly into the free space 122 in the bottle 32. In addition to the spray head 120 this embodiment is further modified by the addition of the heated tube 100 of FIG. 2 so as to preheat the waste fluid prior to entry into the waste bottle 32.

[0047] FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram of part of a further modification of the apparatus of FIG. 1. The waste container is indicated by the reference numeral 32 as before as is the inlet aspirant conduit 14. However, in this case the wound exudates and other fluids are discharged by a nozzle 110 over a weir arrangement 112 in the waste container in order to increase the efficiency of heating of the fluid and also to increase the surface area thereof to increase the rate of evaporation. The weir 112 is heated by means of a suitable heating element 114 by a potential difference V controlled by the control unit 72 to maintain a predetermined temperature in response to temperature signals from a sensor (not shown). The waste container 32 is provided with filters 116, 118 which allow the passage of gaseous vapour but not liquid.

[0048] FIG. 5 shows a schematic representation of part of a portable TNP therapy apparatus 130. The apparatus comprises a device including a pump 132, a pressure monitor 134 to monitor pressure applied by the pump at a wound site (not shown), a flow meter 136 and a silencer 138 to quieten gas/vapour being exhausted by the pump through an exhaust orifice 140. The pump aspirates a wound site via an aspiration tube or conduit 142 and draws the aspirated fluid through a heated conduit 144, which may be the same or similar to heated conduit described with reference to FIG. 2, immediately into a waste canister 148 which is equipped with filters 150, 152 which ensure that only gaseous vapour and/or gas is drawn from the canister 148 via an exit conduit 154. The conduit 144 has a voltage 156 applied across a resistance heater the voltage being controlled by a control system (not shown) located in a device housing (not shown) together with the pump, pressure sensor, flow meter etc. A desired temperature may be preset in the control system to be maintained thereby in response to signals from a temperature sensor (not shown) incorporated into the heated conduit in known manner.