Wound Dressing containing a vacuum pump

Abstract

The present invention relates to a wound healing PVA sponge dressing using negative capillary pressure of the dressing material together with auxiliary negative pressure for wound treatment. The PVA sponge dressing is pretreated with gram positive and gram negative biocidal dyes for insertion into or over a wound. A negative pressure pump is mounted to the PVA sponge dressing to produce additional capillary pressure for withdrawing fluid or water vapor from the sponge dressing and a cover is mounted over the sponge material and negative pressure pump forming a unitary sealed package for placement over a wound.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A wound dressing using natural capillary pressure of the dressing material together with auxiliary pressure for wound treatment comprising:
 a porous PVA sponge dressing material which exerts a natural capillary pressure when moistened, said PVA sponge material being pretreated with gram positive and gram negative biocidal dyes for insertion into or over a wound;   a negative pressure pump mounted to and connected with said PVA sponge material to produce additional negative pressure for withdrawing fluid and water vapor from said sponge and a cover member mounted over said sponge material and said negative pressure pump forming a unitary package for placement over a wound.   
     
     
         2 . A wound dressing as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said cover member has an adhesive placed over at least an inner surface of said cover member allowing said cover member to be mounted on a patient. 
     
     
         3 . A wound dressing as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said sponge material has a natural capillary pressure with a simplified diffusion coefficient ranging from about 0.3 cm 2 /second to about 0.5 cm 2 /second. 
     
     
         4 . A wound dressing as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said cover is impervious to moisture and forms an air barrier. 
     
     
         5 . A wound dressing as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said porous PVA sponge dressing material is pretreated with a biofilm inhibitor. 
     
     
         6 . A wound dressing as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said dyes are taken from a group of dyes consisting of one or more gram positive dyes consisting of Gentian Violet dye, Malachite Green dye, Brilliant Green dye, Quinacrine dye and Acriflavin dye and one or more gram negative dyes consisting of Methylene Blue dye, Dimethyl Methylene Blue dye and New Methylene Blue dye. 
     
     
         7 . A wound dressing as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said negative pressure pump is embedded in said porous sponge material and said natural capillary pressure runs from about −20 mmHg to about −70 mmHg. 
     
     
         8 . A wound dressing as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said porous PVA sponge dressing material has a plurality of sensors mounted thereto, said sensors measuring ambient pressure and vacuum in said PVA sponge dressing material and activating or deactivating said negative pressure pump when predetermined levels of pressure are reached. 
     
     
         9 . A wound dressing as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said negative pressure pump creates negative pressure ranging from about −60 mmHg to about −120 mmHg. 
     
     
         10 . A wound dressing using negative pressure of the dressing porous sponge material together with auxiliary pressure from an outside source for wound treatment comprising of:
 a porous sponge material having natural capillary pressure when wetted for insertion into or over a wound, said porous sponge material being pretreated with biocidal materials;   a negative pressure pump mounted to said porous sponge material having natural capillary pressure when wetted to produce additional negative pressure for withdrawing fluid or water vapor from said porous sponge material and an air barrier cover mounted over said sponge material and negative pressure pump forming a unitary package for placement over a wound.   
     
     
         11 . A wound dressing as claimed in  claim 10  wherein said natural capillary pressure runs from about −20 mmHg to about −70 mmHg. 
     
     
         12 . A wound dressing as claimed in  claim 10  wherein said biocidal materials are dyes are taken from a group of dyes consisting of one or more gram positive dyes consisting of Gentian Violet dye, also called Crystal Violet dye, Malachite Green dye, Brilliant Green dye, Quinacrine dye and Acriflavin dye and one or more gram negative dyes selected from a group of dyes consisting of Methylene Blue dye, Dimethyl Methylene Blue dye, New Methylene Blue dye. 
     
     
         13 . A wound dressing as claimed in  claim 10  wherein said porous sponge material is pretreated with a biofilm inhibitor. 
     
     
         14 . A wound dressing as claimed in  claim 10  wherein said porous sponge material is taken from one or more of a group consisting of: Polyvinyl formal, Polyvinyl acetal, PVA copolymers of vinyl esters and PVA copolymers of ethylene-containing repeat units. 
     
     
         15 . A wound dressing as claimed in  claim 10  wherein said porous sponge material has a plurality of sensors mounted thereto, said sensors measuring the specific negative pressure in said porous sponge material and activating or deactivating said negative pump when predetermined levels of negative pressure are reached. 
     
     
         16 . A wound dressing as claimed in  claim 10  wherein said dressing is disposable. 
     
     
         17 . A wound dressing as claimed in  claim 10  wherein said porous sponge material is taken from one or more of a group of polymers consisting of: Polyvinyl formal, Polyvinyl acetal, PVA copolymers of vinyl esters and PVA copolymers of ethylene-containing repeat units. 
     
     
         18 . A wound healing dressing using natural capillary pressure of the dressing material together with auxiliary pressure for wound treatment comprising of:
 a porous PVA sponge material having a fluid retention ranging from about 5.0 to about 300 ml fluids/g porous material and exerting a natural capillary pressure when wetted, said PVA sponge material being pretreated with gram positive and gram negative biocidal dyes for insertion into or over a wound and exerting a natural capillary pressure on said wound;   a negative pressure pump mounted to said porous PVA sponge material to produce additional negative pressure on said wound of up to −120 mmHg for withdrawing fluid or water vapor from said sponge material and a cover member mounted over said sponge material and said negative pressure pump forming a unitary package for placement over a wound; and   a sealing member mounted over said dressing; and   a plurality of sensors electrically connected to a microcontroller which operates said pump to change the upper and lower threshold valves placed in the wound dressing material in a predetermined pattern.   
     
     
         19 . A wound healing dressing as claimed in  claim 18  wherein said negative pressure placed on said wound is varied by said pump. 
     
     
         20 . A wound healing dressing as claimed in  claim 18  including a fluid removal assembly mounted to said dressing. 
     
     
         21 . A wound healing dressing as claimed in  claim 18  wherein said negative pressure pump is battery powered. 
     
     
         22 . A wound healing dressing as claimed in  claim 18  wherein said negative pressure pump has a filter means to filter exudate from said wound. 
     
     
         23 . A wound healing dressing as claimed in  claim 18  wherein said wound healing dressing is disposable. 
     
     
         24 . A wound healing dressing as claimed in  claim 18  wherein said cover is transparent and has adhesive coated on an inner surface.