Tube attachment device for wound treatment

Abstract

The invention provides a vacuum tube attachment device for vacuum assisted wound dressings. The device is in the form of a patch that can be attached to the primary wound cover. The patch forms a substantially air-tight seal to the primary wound cover, and a vacuum tube is fixed to the patch such that the patch can be oriented on the wound cover to locate the tube near an opening in the cover to allow vacuum pressure to be communicated to the wound. The patch has an adhesive area around its perimeter for attaching the patch in a substantially air-tight seal to the wound cover at any convenient location on the cover. Several embodiments of the patch are described.

1 . A tube attachment patch having an adhesive material around its perimeter for attaching the patch in a substantially air-tight seal to a primary wound cover in a vacuum-assisted wound dressing, the primary wound cover forming a substantially air-tight seal over the wound, the patch being a thin flexible film having the adhesive material directly thereon, the patch being substantially smaller in overall size than that of the primary wound cover; and
 a vacuum tube fixed to the patch, the vacuum tube having a ported portion that can be oriented on the primary wound cover near an opening in the primary wound cover to allow vacuum pressure to be communicated to the wound.   
   
   
       2 . A tube attachment patch as in  claim 1 , further comprising the tube attachment patch having fixed to it a frame holding the vacuum tube. 
   
   
       3 . (canceled) 
   
   
       4 . (canceled) 
   
   
       5 . A tube attachment patch as in  claim 2 , further comprising the frame holding a second tube in spaced parallel relation to the vacuum tube wherein the second tube is adapted for fluid delivery. 
   
   
       6 . A tube attachment patch as in  claim 1 , wherein the patch is a film having sufficient permeability to maintain a vacuum around the wound while permitting ingress of oxygen and egress of water vapor through the film. 
   
   
       7 . A tube attachment patch as in  claim 2 , further comprising the frame holding a second tube in spaced parallel relation to the vacuum tube, wherein the tube has an end adjacent to the patch that is uncovered. 
   
   
       8 . (canceled) 
   
   
       9 . (canceled) 
   
   
       10 . A tube attachment patch as in  claim 2 , the patch further comprising a transparent thin film bonded to the sides of the frame and extending to at least the adhesive material at the perimeter of the patch. 
   
   
       11 . A tube attachment patch as in  claim 1 , the patch further comprising a sheet of flexible material having an having an aperture extending therethrough, and the ported portion of the vacuum tube comprising a port in a side wall in the vacuum tube, the vacuum tube being attached to the sheet so that the port is substantially in register with the aperture and a portion of the tube adjacent to the aperture lies substantially parallel to the sheet. 
   
   
       12 . A vacuum assisted wound dressing, comprising:
 a thin-film wound cover adapted to be attached in a substantially air-tight seal to skin surrounding a wound, the wound cover having an opening therethrough;   a tube attachment patch having an adhesive material around its perimeter for attaching the patch in a substantially air-tight seal to the wound cover, the patch being substantially smaller in overall size than that of the primary wound cover; and   a vacuum tube fixed to the patch, the vacuum tube having a ported portion that can be oriented on the primary wound cover near the opening in the cover to allow vacuum pressure to be communicated to the wound.   
   
   
       13 . A vacuum assisted wound dressing as in  claim 12 , further comprising the tube attachment patch having fixed to it a frame holding the vacuum tube. 
   
   
       14 . (canceled) 
   
   
       15 . (canceled) 
   
   
       16 . (canceled) 
   
   
       17 . (canceled) 
   
   
       18 . (canceled) 
   
   
       19 . (canceled) 
   
   
       20 . A wound dressing as in  claim 13 , the patch further comprising a transparent thin film bonded to the sides of the frame and extending to at least the adhesive material at the perimeter of the patch. 
   
   
       21 . A device for holding a ported vacuum tube over a wound, comprising: a frame to which the vacuum tube is connected; and an adhesive film bonded to the frame and extending outward from the frame, and having adhesive material near the perimeter of the film for adhering the device to skin surrounding the wound. 
   
   
       22 . A device as in  claim 21  wherein the adhesive film is a film having sufficient permeability to maintain a vacuum around the wound while permitting ingress of oxygen and egress of water vapor through the film. 
   
   
       23 . The vacuum assisted wound dressing of  claim 12 , wherein the patch is a film having sufficient permeability to maintain a vacuum around the wound while permitting ingress of oxygen and egress of water vapor through the film, 
   
   
       24 . A tube attachment patch comprising:
 a sheet of flexible material;   an adhesive material around a perimeter of the sheet of flexible material for attaching the patch in a substantially air-tight seal to a primary wound cover in a vacuum-assisted wound dressing, the primary wound cover forming a substantially air-tight seal over the wound;   a vacuum tube fixed to the sheet of flexible material, the vacuum tube having a hollow body, a first end and a second end, the first end adapted for connection to a pump, the second end being closed, the tube having a ported sidewall on the hollow body adjacent to the closed second end;   wherein a section of the hollow body of the tube having the ported portion thereon is oriented on the primary wound cover near an opening in the primary wound cover to allow vacuum pressure to be communicated from the pump to the wound, and wherein the section of the hollow body having the ported sidewall lies substantially parallel to the sheet of flexible material and abuts the sheet of flexible material.   
   
   
       25 . A tube attachment patch, comprising:
 a sheet of flexible material;   an adhesive material around a perimeter of the sheet of flexible material for attaching the patch in a substantially air-tight seal to a primary wound cover in a vacuum-assisted wound dressing, the primary wound cover forming a substantially air-tight seal over the wound, the sheet of material being substantially smaller than the primary wound cover;   a vacuum tube fixed to the patch, the vacuum tube having a ported portion that can be oriented on the primary wound cover near an opening in the primary wound cover to allow vacuum pressure to be communicated to the wound; and   a peel-off support, applied around the perimeter of the patch on an opposite side of the patch to the adhesive, the support holding the shape of the patch and providing a press area to press down upon the patch over the adhesive material to make an air tight seal with the primary wound cover.   
   
   
       26 . The tube attachment patch of  claim 25 , wherein the support is peelable such that the support may be removed after the patch is applied to the wound cover. 
   
   
       27 . A patch for applying suction to a wound, comprising:
 a cover comprising a sheet comprising a bottom surface defining a wound side of the sheet and a top surface defining a non-wound side of said sheet, said cover comprising a flexible film adapted to be conformable to anatomical surfaces;   an opening in said cover;   a seal for sealing the patch over the wound in a substantially airtight manner, said seal comprising adhesive on the bottom surface of said cover, said adhesive securing the patch over the wound;   a conduit comprising an interior, an exterior, a proximal end and a distal end, said conduit further comprising a proximal opening in a proximal region of said conduit, said proximal region of said conduit being a short length of said conduit immediately adjacent to said proximal end, and a distal opening, said distal opening being adapted for connection to a source of suction, wherein said proximal end of said conduit is disposed on said non-wound side of said sheet and said distal end of said conduit is disposed away from said sheet, wherein only said proximal region of said conduit lies substantially flat over said wound when said patch is secured over said wound and wherein said conduit other than said proximal region is disposed away from said sheet;   said exterior of said conduit coupled to said top surface of said sheet such that said proximal region of said conduit with said proximal opening is maintained in a substantially non-perpendicular orientation to said sheet, said exterior of said conduit coupled to said top surface at a position away from a perimeter edge of said cover;   said interior of said conduit open to said wound via said proximal opening in said conduit and said opening in said cover such that when the patch is sealingly secured over the wound and connected to the source of suction, the wound is maintained at a reduced pressure.   
   
   
       28 . The patch of  claim 27 , wherein said proximal end of said conduit is disposed on said non-wound side of said sheet and said distal end of said conduit is disposed away from said sheet. 
   
   
       29 . The patch of  claim 28 , wherein said proximal region of said conduit lies substantially flat over said wound when said patch is secured over said wound. 
   
   
       30 . The patch of  claim 29 , wherein:
 said cover comprises a flexible film adapted to be conformable to anatomical surfaces;   said seal comprises adhesive on the bottom surface of said cover, said adhesive securing the patch over the wound; and   said patch comprises a peel-off layer releasably attached to said adhesive for protecting said adhesive until the patch is applied over the wound.   
   
   
       31 . The patch of  claim 27 , wherein the film has sufficient permeability to maintain a vacuum around the wound while permitting ingress of oxygen and egress of water vapor through the film. 
   
   
       32 . A dressing for applying suction to a wound, comprising:
 a primary wound cover;   a patch comprising a sheet comprising a bottom surface defining a wound side of the sheet and a top surface defining a non-wound side of the sheet;   an opening in said sheet;   a seal for sealing the patch over the wound in a substantially airtight manner;   a conduit comprising an interior, an exterior, a proximal end and a distal end, said conduit further comprising a proximal opening in a proximal region of said conduit, and a distal opening, said distal opening being adapted for connection to a source of suction;   said exterior of said conduit connected to said top surface of said sheet such that said proximal region of said conduit with said proximal opening is maintained in a substantially non-perpendicular orientation to said sheet;   said interior of said conduit open to said wound via said proximal opening in said conduit and said opening in said sheet such that when the patch is sealingly secured over the wound and connected to the source of suction, the wound is maintained at a reduced pressure; and   the patch being substantially smaller in overall size than that of the primary wound cover.   
   
   
       33 . The dressing of  claim 32 , wherein said proximal end of said conduit is disposed on said non-wound side of said sheet and said distal end of said conduit is disposed away from said sheet. 
   
   
       34 . The dressing of  claim 32 , wherein:
 said cover comprises a flexible film adapted to be conformable to anatomical surfaces;   said seal comprises adhesive on the bottom surface of said cover, said adhesive securing the patch over the wound; and   said patch comprises a peel-off layer releasably attached to said adhesive for protecting said adhesive until the patch is applied over the wound.   
   
   
       35 . The dressing of  claim 34 , comprising:
 a support releasably attached to said film, said support supporting said film after removal of said peel-off layer and during application of said patch;   said support being configured for removal after application of said patch; and   said patch remaining sealed over said wound after removal of said support.   
   
   
       36 . The dressing of  claim 32 , wherein the primary wound cover has an adhesive material around its perimeter for attaching the primary wound cover in a substantially air-tight seal to a wound. 
   
   
       37 . The dressing of  claim 32 , wherein the primary wound cover is a thin, flexible film. 
   
   
       38 . The dressing of  claim 37 , wherein the primary wound cover is a film having sufficient permeability to maintain a vacuum around the wound while permitting ingress of oxygen and egress of water vapor through the film.