Conformable medical dressing with self supporting substrate

Abstract

A medical dressing comprising a backing layer and a self-supporting substrate. The backing layers form a perimeter around the self-supporting substrate and holds the self-supporting substrate in place on a wound. The medical dressing forms a sealed environment surrounding the wound such that a negative pressure can be maintained in the sealed environment through the valve.

1 - 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . A medical dressing for treating a body site, comprising:
 a conformable backing including a first surface configured to face the body site, a second surface opposite the first surface, and an opening that forms a window through the backing;   a self-supporting substrate configured to be attached to the backing to enclose the opening through the backing and to form a sealed environment between the medical dressing and the body site when positioned thereon, wherein the self-supporting substrate is more rigid than the conformable backing; and   a wound packing material configured to be positioned within the sealed environment.   
     
     
         16 . The medical dressing of  claim 15 , wherein the self-supporting substrate is semi-rigid. 
     
     
         17 . The medical dressing of  claim 15 , wherein the self-supporting substrate is configured to maintain a pre-formed, three-dimensional shape in the absence of an applied force. 
     
     
         18 . The medical dressing of  claim 15 , wherein the self-supporting substrate defines a cavity that is pre-formed and configured to project from the backing. 
     
     
         19 . The medical dressing of  claim 15 , wherein the self-supporting substrate comprises a first planar surface, a second planar surface defining a flange, and at least one side wall connected between the first planar surface and the second planar surface. 
     
     
         20 . The medical dressing of  claim 15 , wherein the self-supporting substrate is translucent or transparent. 
     
     
         21 . The medical dressing of  claim 15 , wherein the self-supporting substrate comprises a corrugated portion of alternating ridges and grooves. 
     
     
         22 . The medical dressing of  claim 15 , wherein the self-supporting substrate comprises a modulus from 10,000 to 400,000 and a thickness between 1 mil to 5 mil. 
     
     
         23 . The medical dressing of  claim 15 , further comprising a low adhesion coating on the second surface of the backing. 
     
     
         24 . The medical dressing of  claim 15 , wherein the backing is selected from the group consisting of polyurethane film, polyester film, polyether block amide film, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         25 . The medical dressing of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 a liner releasably adhered to an adhesive on the first surface of the backing; and   a removable carrier attached to the second surface of the backing, wherein a first bond between the removable carrier and the backing is stronger than a second bond between the adhesive and the liner.   
     
     
         26 . The medical dressing of  claim 25 , wherein the carrier comprises at least one cut line that traverses the carrier. 
     
     
         27 . The medical dressing of  claim 15 , further comprising at least one port in fluid communication with the sealed environment. 
     
     
         28 . The medical dressing of  claim 27 , wherein the at least one port comprises a valve. 
     
     
         29 . The medical dressing of  claim 28 , wherein the valve comprises a check valve configured to open at a predetermined pressure to allow ambient air to enter the sealed environment. 
     
     
         30 . The medical dressing of  claim 27 , wherein the at least one port is configured to be coupled to a reduced pressure source. 
     
     
         31 . The medical dressing of  claim 30 , further comprising a sample port positioned in fluid communication with fluid drawn from the sealed environment by the reduced pressure source. 
     
     
         32 . The medical dressing of  claim 15 , wherein the sealed environment is sufficient to maintain a negative pressure. 
     
     
         33 . The medical dressing of  claim 15 , wherein the wound packing material comprises a foam or resilient nonwoven packing. 
     
     
         34 . The medical dressing of  claim 15 , further comprising an absorbent material.