TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention set forth in the appended claims relates generally to tissue treatment systems and more particularly, but without limitation, to abdominal treatment systems with negative pressure and optionally instillation.

BACKGROUND

Clinical studies and practice have shown that reducing pressure in proximity to a tissue site can augment and accelerate growth of new tissue at the tissue site. The applications of this phenomenon are numerous, but it has proven particularly advantageous for treating wounds. Regardless of the etiology of a wound, whether trauma, surgery, or another cause, proper care of the wound is important to the outcome. Treatment of wounds or other tissue with reduced pressure may be commonly referred to as “negative-pressure therapy,” but is also known by other names, including “negative-pressure wound therapy,” “reduced-pressure therapy,” “vacuum therapy,” “vacuum-assisted closure,” and “topical negative-pressure,” for example. Negative-pressure therapy may provide a number of benefits, including migration of epithelial and subcutaneous tissues, improved blood flow, and micro-deformation of tissue at a wound site. Together, these benefits can increase development of granulation tissue and reduce healing times.

There is also widespread acceptance that cleansing a tissue site can be highly beneficial for new tissue growth. For example, a wound can be washed out with a stream of liquid solution, or a cavity can be washed out using a liquid solution for therapeutic purposes. These practices are commonly referred to as “irrigation” and “lavage” respectively. “Instillation” is another practice that generally refers to a process of slowly introducing fluid to a tissue site and leaving the fluid for a prescribed period of time before removing the fluid. For example, instillation of topical treatment solutions over a tissue site can be combined with negative-pressure therapy to further promote tissue healing by loosening soluble contaminants at a tissue site and removing infectious material. As a result, soluble bacterial burden can be decreased, contaminants removed, and the tissue site cleansed.

While the clinical benefits of negative-pressure therapy and/or instillation therapy are widely known, improvements to therapy systems, components, and processes may benefit healthcare providers and patients.

BRIEF SUMMARY

New and useful systems, apparatuses, and methods for treating a tissue site in a negative-pressure therapy environment are set forth in the following summary and description, as well as in the appended claims. Illustrative embodiments are also provided to enable a person skilled in the art to make and use the claimed subject matter.

For example, a dressing for treating a tissue site may comprise a sheet of reticulated foam between two fenestrated film layers. In some embodiments, the film layers may be polyurethane drape layers. The dressing can have a variety of shapes, such as substantially oval or hexagonal. The film layers may be welded or bonded together, and may encapsulate the foam in some examples. For example, the film layers may be bonded with RF welding, ultrasonic welding, adhesives, or some combination. The bonding can be registered or aligned with voids or perforations in the foam, or the film layers may be bonded through the foam in some embodiments. The bonds may be spaced so that they do not inhibit fluid flow through the foam or the ability to size the dressing, and close enough to maintain the structural integrity of the dressing a single unit.

More generally, in some embodiments, a dressing for treating a tissue site may include a first layer and a second layer coupled to each other to define a chamber therebetween, and a third layer disposed within the chamber. Each of the first and second layers may individually be made from a liquid-impermeable material and may be at least partially fenestrated. In some embodiments, the third layer may comprise a manifold having a central region and a perimeter region, with the perimeter region containing perforations arranged in a pattern that defines a plurality of sub-regions. In more particular examples, the first and second layers may be coupled together by a plurality of welds or bonds through at least some of the perforations in the perimeter region of the third layer comprising the manifold. In some example embodiments, the chamber may comprise a plurality of fluid removal pathways, substantially all of which may be through the manifold.

Alternatively, in other example embodiments, a system for treating a tissue site may include a dressing comprising a manifold layer and a plurality of fluid pathways therethrough, as well as a negative-pressure source fluidly coupled to the plurality of fluid removal pathways via the manifold layer. The dressing may be configured for deploying in a compartmented tissue site, such as in an abdominal cavity. In some embodiments, the system may further include a fluid source coupled to and in fluid communication with the dressing and a plurality of fluid delivery pathways formed within the chamber and configured to be in fluid communication with the fluid source. In some such embodiments, the fluid delivery pathways may also be in fluid communication with the fluid removal pathways via the manifold layer.

Alternatively, in other example embodiments, a method for treating a compartmented wound site, such as a peritoneal or abdominal cavity, may include: opening the compartmented wound site to form an open cavity; deploying within the compartmented wound site a dressing or at least a portion of a system for treating a tissue site; and deploying a cover to form a fluid seal over the open cavity. In some embodiments, the method may additionally include deploying a negative-pressure connector subsystem; fluidly coupling the negative-pressure connector subsystem to a negative-pressure source; and activating the negative-pressure source.

Objectives, advantages, and a preferred mode of making and using the claimed subject matter may be understood best by reference to the accompanying drawings in conjunction with the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments.

