Wound and therapy compress and dressing

Abstract

A method of providing moisture therapy to a subject by applying a moist therapy compress against a treated body portion. The moist therapy compress includes a fluid-permeable shell, a flexible backing fastened to the shell to define an enclosure, and a hydrophilic zeolite fill granules loosely contained within the enclosure. The therapy compress is exposed to a source of moisture to cause absorption of water into the hydrophilic zeolite, and the moisture is delivered from the hydrophilic zeolite through the fluid permeable shell to the treated body portion.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A moist heat wrap for delivery of moist heat therapy to a treated body part of a human body, the moist heat wrap comprising:
 a flexible backing;   a shell forming a contact surface for application to the treated body part, the shell being attached to the backing to form at least one enclosure between the backing and the shell; and   a plurality of solid, individual hydrophilic zeolite fill granules distributed within said at least one enclosure;   wherein the fill granules are configured to absorb moisture and remain solid, individual granules; and   wherein the fill granules comprise hydrophilic zeolite.   
     
     
         2 . The moist heat wrap of  claim 1 , wherein the fill granules consist essentially of hydrophilic zeolite. 
     
     
         3 . The moist heat wrap of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one enclosure is configured to be placed against and conform to the treated body part for delivery of moist heat from the solid, individual hydrophilic zeolite fill granules through the shell to the treated body part. 
     
     
         4 . The moist heat wrap of  claim 1 , comprising a plurality of filled enclosures, each defining an elongate channel and extending generally parallel to one another. 
     
     
         5 . The moist heat wrap of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one attachment fastening strap comprising a hook-and-loop fastener material for securing the moist heat wrap in place wrapped about the treated body part. 
     
     
         6 . The moist heat wrap of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the hydrophilic zeolite fill granules are antimicrobial, comprising up to twenty percent weight content of silver. 
     
     
         7 . The moist heat wrap of  claim 6 , wherein the silver comprises at least one material selected from atomic silver, silver compounds, silver salts, silver chloride, and silver nitrate, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The moist heat wrap of  claim 1 , wherein the fill granules comprise silver-loaded zeolite granules and unloaded zeolite granules. 
     
     
         9 . The moist heat wrap of  claim 1 , wherein the treated body part is a human back, and wherein the moist heat wrap is configured as a back wrap for securing around a human torso to deliver moist heat from the hydrophilic zeolite fill granules through the shell to the human back. 
     
     
         10 . The moist heat wrap of  claim 1 , wherein the treated body part is a human eye, and wherein the moist heat wrap is configured as an eye compress to deliver moist heat from the hydrophilic zeolite fill granules through the shell to the eye. 
     
     
         11 . A moist heat wrap for delivery of moist heat therapy to a treatment area of a human body, the moist heat wrap comprising:
 a series of enclosures formed between a shell and a flexible backing; and   a granular hydrophilic zeolite fill material comprising a plurality of solid porous crystalline fill granules contained within the enclosures between the shell and the backing, forming filled enclosures;   wherein the hydrophilic zeolite fill material remains in granular form as moisture is absorbed and released from the solid porous crystalline fill granules.   
     
     
         12 . The moist heat wrap of  claim 11 , wherein the solid porous crystalline fill granules consist essentially of hydrophilic zeolite. 
     
     
         13 . The moist heat wrap of  claim 11 , further comprising at least one attachment fastening strap comprising a hook-and-loop fastener material for securing the moist heat wrap in place wrapped about the treatment area of the human body. 
     
     
         14 . The moist heat wrap of  claim 11 , wherein at least a portion of the fill granules are antimicrobial, comprising up to twenty percent weight content of silver. 
     
     
         15 . The moist heat wrap of  claim 14 , wherein the silver comprises at least one material selected from atomic silver, silver compounds, silver salts, silver chloride, and silver nitrate, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         16 . The moist heat wrap of  claim 11 , wherein the fill material comprises a mixture of silver-loaded zeolite granules and unloaded zeolite granules. 
     
     
         17 . The moist heat wrap of  claim 11 , wherein the treatment area of the human body is a human back, and wherein the moist heat wrap is configured as a back wrap for securing around a human torso to deliver moist heat from the hydrophilic zeolite fill granules through the shell to the human back. 
     
     
         18 . The moist heat wrap of  claim 11 , wherein the treatment area of the human body is a human eye, and wherein the moist heat wrap is configured as an eye compress to deliver moist heat from the hydrophilic zeolite fill granules through the shell to the eye. 
     
     
         19 . A moist heat back wrap for delivery of moist heat to a human back, the moist heat back wrap comprising:
 a flexible backing;   a moist heat permeable shell attached to the flexible backing to form a plurality of enclosures defining channels extending generally parallel to one another;   a plurality of solid, individual hydrophilic zeolite particles filling the enclosures, whereby the filled enclosures are configured to be placed against and each conform to the shape of the human back for delivering moist heat from the solid, individual hydrophilic zeolite particles through the moist heat permeable shell to the human back; and   at least one attachment fastening strap comprising a hook-and-loop fastener material for securing the moist heat wrap in place wrapped about the human back.   
     
     
         20 . The moist heat back wrap of  claim 19 , wherein the solid, individual hydrophilic zeolite particles consist essentially of hydrophilic zeolite. 
     
     
         21 . The moist heat back wrap of  claim 19 , wherein at least a portion of the hydrophilic zeolite particles are antimicrobial, comprising up to twenty percent weight content of silver. 
     
     
         22 . The moist heat back wrap of  claim 21 , wherein the silver comprises at least one material selected from atomic silver, silver compounds, silver salts, silver chloride, and silver nitrate, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         23 . The moist heat wrap of  claim 19 , wherein the fill particles comprise silver-loaded zeolite particles and unloaded zeolite particles.