Abstract
The invention relates to a wound care article (100; 200; 300; 400; 500) comprising at least one body (1; 11; 21) absorbing the liquid wound exudates, and at least one shell (2; 12; 22) at least partially encompassing the body (1; 11; 21). The shell (2; 12; 22) itself is designed to absorb fluids.
Claims
1. A wound care article, comprising an absorbent body that is adapted to absorb wound liquids, and an outer shell including only two walls that surround the absorbent body, wherein the two walls of the outer shell are linked to form an open or closed hollow body and each of the two walls includes superabsorbent polymers and a soft foam that can absorb liquids, wherein the outer shell is adapted to absorb wound liquids, and the absorbent body fits within an interior of the outer shell.
2. The wound care article of claim 1, wherein the wound care article is flat prior to use.
3. The wound care article of claim 1, wherein the outer shell further includes wool, cotton, natural sponge, or carboxymethylcellulose.
4. The wound care article of claim 1, wherein the soft foam is a polyurethane foam.
5. The wound care article of claim 1, wherein the absorbent body further includes superabsorbent polymers.
6. The wound care article of claim 5, wherein the superabsorbent polymers are granules, powders, aggregations, compressed material, foam, fibers, woven fiber, fiber mats, fiber fleece or fiber padding.
7. The wound care article of claim 1, wherein the outer shell further includes nutritional additives or antibiotics for topical application in the wound healing process.
8. The wound care article of claim 1, wherein the absorbent body contains an airlaid material that includes hydroactive polymers in powder or granulate form and the outer shell further includes hydroactive polymers in fiber form.
9. The wound care article of claim 1, wherein the absorbent body contains an airlaid material that includes hydroactive polymers.
10. The wound care article of claim 9, wherein the hydroactive polymers are superabsorbent polymers.
11. The wound care article of claim 8, wherein the hydroactive polymers in powder or granulate form and the hydroactive polymers in fiber form are superabsorbent polymers.
12. A method for absorbing wound liquids, comprising placing the wound care article of claim 1 on a wound and applying compression to the wound care article.
13. A method for absorbing wound liquids, comprising placing the wound care article of claim 1 on a wound and applying a partial vacuum to the wound care article.
14. A wound care article for advancing the healing of chronically exudating wounds, the wound care article comprising an absorbent body and an outer shell including only two walls, wherein the outer shell surrounds the absorbent body, the absorbent body is adapted to absorb wound liquid, the outer shell is adapted to absorb wound liquid, and the two walls of the outer shell are linked to form an open or closed hollow body and each of the two walls includes superabsorbent polymers and a soft foam that can absorb liquids.
15. The wound care article of claim 1, wherein the material of the outer shell is supplied in a sandwich structure.
16. The wound care article of claim 15, wherein the sandwich structure contains at least one foam layer and at least one foil-like or web-like cover layer.
17. The wound care article of claim 16, wherein the cover layer is pleated or crinkled.
18. The wound care article of claim 15, wherein the sandwich structure is an airlaid mat with perforated cover.
19. The wound care article of claim 18, wherein the perforated cover is flexible.
20. The wound care article of claim 1, wherein the outer shell consists of highly absorbent material with an absorption potential for wound exudates that is at least triple a weight of the highly absorbent material.
21. The wound care article of claim 14, wherein the material of the outer shell is supplied in a sandwich structure.
22. The wound care article of claim 14, wherein the outer shell consists of highly absorbent material with an absorption potential for wound exudates that at least triples the weight of the material.
23. The wound care article of claim 19, wherein the flexible cover is pleated or crinkled.
Description
FIGURES
(1) The resent invention will be explained in more detail by the Figures and examples shown and discussed in the following. It should be noted that the Figures and examples have only a descriptive character and are not intended to limit the invention in any manner. The Figures show:
(2) FIG. 1 a flat wound care article in a side view;
(3) FIG. 2 another flat wound care article, open on both sides, in a schematic top view of its flat side;
(4) FIG. 3 a schematic cross section of foam-like shell material with a covering layer that is glued on;
(5) FIG. 4 a schematic cross section of the foam-like shell material with covering layers glued onto both sides;
(6) FIG. 5 a schematic cross section of another embodiment of the flat wound care article, where the shell is crimped over;
(7) FIG. 6 a side view of a flat wound care article similar to FIG. 1, but with fiber fill;
(8) FIG. 7 a side view of an essentially cylindrical wound care article intended for wound pockets;
(9) FIG. 8 a side view of another wound care article intended for deep wounds, such as cavities;
(10) FIG. 9 a side view of a ring-shaped wound care article;
(11) FIG. 10 a cross section A-A in FIG. 9;
(12) FIG. 11 a schematic side view of a shell with a closure flap;
(13) FIG. 12 a slit compress in a top view of its flat side;
(14) FIG. 13-15 show other embodiments of a wound care article of the invention.
(15) FIG. 1 depicts a flat rectangular wound care article 100 consisting of body 1 to absorb the wound exudates, where body 1 is embodied as a mat containing cellulose, and of shell 2 surrounding the mat. Reference numbers 2.1 and 2.2 designate walls of the shell. Shell 2 and body 1 within shell 2 consist in the present case of known Airlaid mats containing the known powdery superabsorbent substance 20. Shell walls 2.1, 2.2 are linked by a circumferential seam 18. Wound care article 100 described here has an overall thickness of 4 mm to 5 mm.
(16) FIG. 2 depicts wound care article 200, which is very similar to the above description, except that its shell 12 has only two opposite seams 8.1, 8.2, i.e. it has two open sides 14.1, 14.2 for the insertion of mat-like body 1. Given that the mat contains the powdery superabsorbent substance 20, it is necessary to seal the mat along its periphery 17.
(17) As depicted in FIG. 3, the shell material consists of a soft foam layer 5 of polyurethane and a cover layer 6.1 consisting of very thin polyester foil that is glued onto the foam layer. Foam layer 5 contains also an amount of powdery superabsorbent substance 20.
(18) FIG. 4 shows the sandwich-like structure of the shell material with the difference that foam layer 5 is covered on both sides by cover layers 6.1 and 6.2. Cover layers 6.1 and 6.2 are firmly attached to foam layer 5 across their entire extent.
(19) FIG. 5 likewise presents a flat wound care article 300. This includes shell 42 generated by a reversal of shell 12 shown in FIG. 2. However, the foam-like shell material with a cover layer described for FIG. 3 was selected for shell 42. Of course, at least one of the sides (see FIG. 2) is open. The cover layer forms an interior surface F1 in the finished shell 42. Shell 42 houses an absorbent body 11 consisting of an aggregation of small cubed pieces of material with a size ranging from 1.5 mm to 4.0 mm, which were cut from the Airlaid mat or a waste product of the manufacturing process of the mat. Such an embodiment requires the provision of a finishing seam.
(20) FIG. 6 shows a further wound care article (reference number 400), consisting of a flat shell 72 and a body 21 formed of multiple carboxymethylcellulose fibers 50. Carboxymethylcellulose fibers 50 are covered by a powdery superabsorbent substance 20, which adheres to the fibers. In another embodiment not shown here, the fibrous absorbent body consists exclusively of a superabsorbent substance.
(21) Shell 22 shown in FIG. 11 has a closing clasp 15, which facilitates the insertion of a selected absorbent body, such as an aggregation of cubed alginate pieces or a mat, as needed into the interior of the shell.
(22) A slit 19 made in rectangular wound care article 100 shown in FIG. 1 generates wound care article 800 in the form of a novel slit dressing with increased absorption capacity. Circumferential seam 18 extends into the slit.
(23) FIG. 7 depicts wound care article 500 designed for deep wounds and cavities, which consists of a partly cylindrical shell 52 and the previously described absorbent body 11 embodied as an aggregation of small cubed pieces of material with a size of 2.0 mm to 4.0 mm covered by powdery superabsorbent substance 20. Shell 52 consists of soft polyurethane foam 3 mm thick. The pieces of material are generated by machine cutting of an Airlaid mat 2 mm thick. As shown in the Figure, shell 52 is open at one of its ends 23 and is rounded and closed at its second, opposite end 24.
(24) Wound care article 600 shown in FIG. 8 has a geometrically very similar, but closed shell 62 with two rounded ends. The interior of shell 62 contains absorbent body 31 embodied as fibrous fill. The fill is loose and airy. As a consequence, the sausage-like wound care article 600 is especially well suited for wound healing in the anal area.
(25) Finally, FIGS. 9 and 10 show a ring-like wound care article 700, where shell 72, which consists of polyurethane foam, has a circular cross section, as is shown in FIG. 10. The interior (absorbent body 11) consists of the same cubed pieces of material described for FIG. 7. There is nothing to preclude incorporating a radial slit (not depicted here) into wound care article 700 in order to generate a ring-like slit dressing.
(26) FIG. 13 shows a wound care article 900 with body 901 to absorb wound exudates and a composite overall shell, where the liquid-absorbing shell forms the upper side 902 (furthest from the wound) of the overall shell and the shell incapable of absorbing liquids forms the lower side 903 (closest to the wound) of the overall shell. Shell 903, which is incapable of absorbing liquids, is a wound spacing screen.
(27) FIG. 14 shows wound care article 1000 with absorbent body 1001 to absorb wound exudates and with a composite overall shell, where the shell incapable of absorbing liquids is the upper surface 1002 (furthest from the wound) of the composite shell and the absorbent shell is the lower surface 1003 (closest to the wound) of the composite shell. Shell 1002, which is incapable of absorbing liquids, protects the clothing from getting soiled.
(28) FIG. 15 shows wound care article 1200 with body 1201 to absorb wound exudates and an absorbent shell 1202 surrounded by a composite outer shell, of which the lower surface 1203 (closest to the wound) serves as a wound spacing screen, whereas the upper surface 1204 (furthest from the wound) protects the clothing from getting soiled.
