although those of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize many alternative embodiments , especially in light of the illustrations provided herein , this detailed description is exemplary of the preferred embodiment of the present invention , the scope of which is limited only by the claims that may be drawn hereto . the present invention is a biocompatible wound dressing for use with negative pressure therapy . the term “ wound ” as used herein , may include burns , incisional wounds , excisional wounds , ulcers , traumatic wounds , and chronic open wounds . as used herein , the term “ pad ” refers to foam , screens , other porous - like materials . the term “ conventional pad ” refers to polyurethane ( pu ) or polyvinylalcohol ( pva ) foams commonly used with v . a . c .® therapy . the term “ v . a . c .® therapy ” as used herein , refers to negative pressure wound therapy as commercialized by the assignee or its parent , and further described in the aforementioned patents and patent applications . referring now to the figures , the present invention 10 is shown to generally comprise a foam pad 11 for insertion substantially into the wound site 12 and a wound drape 13 for sealing enclosure of the foam pad 11 at the wound site 12 . according to the invention , the foam pad 11 is modified to contain a cell growth - enhancing matrix , or lattice 14 , whereby a desired highly porous cell growth enhancing substrate may be directed into and about the wound site 12 . after insertion into the wound site 12 and sealing with the wound drape 13 , the foam pad 11 is placed in fluid communication with a vacuum source for promotion of fluid drainage , as known to those of ordinary skill in the art . foam pad 11 is modified from prior art pads in that the pad 11 comprises matrix 14 that is noninvasive to the known v . a . c .® therapy and therefore requires no modification thereof . according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention , the foam pad 11 , wound drape 13 and vacuum source are implemented as known in the prior art , with the exception of those modifications to the foam pad 11 detailed further herein . each of these components is detailed in u . s . patent application ser . no . 08 / 951 , 832 filed oct . 16 , 1997 , which is a continuation of u . s . patent application ser . no . 08 / 517 , 901 filed aug . 22 , 1995 , which is a continuation - in - part of u . s . patent application ser . no . 08 / 293 , 854 filed aug . 22 , 1994 . by this reference , the full specification of u . s . patent application ser . no . 08 / 951 , 832 (“ the &# 39 ; 832 application ”), including the claims and the drawings , is incorporated as though fully set forth herein . as detailed in the &# 39 ; 832 application , the foam pad 11 preferably comprises a highly reticulated , open - cell polyurethane or polyether foam for good permeability of wound fluids while under suction . as also detailed in the &# 39 ; 832 application , the foam pad 11 is preferably placed in fluid communication , via a plastic or like material hose 15 , with a vacuum source , which preferably comprises a canister safely placed under vacuum through fluid communication , via an interposed hydrophobic membrane filter , with a vacuum pump . finally , the &# 39 ; 832 application also details the wound drape 13 , which preferably comprises an elastomeric material at least peripherally covered with a pressure sensitive , acrylic adhesive for sealing application over the wound site 12 . according to the preferred method of the present invention , those components as are described in the &# 39 ; 832 application are generally employed as known in the art with the exception that the foam pad 11 is provided with a matrix 14 . this matrix 14 is shown to comprise porous material 16 that has been formed into a plurality of sections 17 . the material 16 is implanted in the foam pad 11 at the base 18 of the pad 11 . because it is necessary to trim the foam pad 11 in preparation for v . a . c .® therapy wound treatment , material 16 preferably is placed in the central portion of pad 11 . applicant does not intend to limit itself to a regular or symmetrical arrangement of material 16 or sections 17 by use of the term “ matrix ”. alternatively , or in addition to the preferred embodiment , the foam pad may be comprised of bioabsorbable branched polymers alone ( not shown ), or in combination with the matrix 14 . upon placement of the pad 11 , having the matrix 14 embedded therein , and / or protruding therefrom , and / or comprised of bioabsorbable branched polymers , the wound drape 13 is applied over the pad to form an airtight seal over the wound site . in use , the v . a . c .® therapy is conducted as known and , if desired , cell growth enhancement therapy is added by simply providing the matrix 14 comprising material 16 . in this manner , cell growth enhancement therapy may be conveniently combined with existing v . a . c .® therapies , without loss of v . a . c .® therapy performance and without inconvenience or overly increased cost . the above described open celled foam is formed into a pad . the general principles set forth in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 795 , 584 issued to totakura et al on aug . 18 , 1998 at col . 5 lines 5 - 42 , are followed to create a structure superimposed on the bottom of the pad . holes are placed in those portions of the non - bioabsorbable substrate relatively remote from the bioabsorbable cell growth enhancing matrix substrate . the matrix covers a portion of the pad located within the boundaries of the wound being treated . the pad is then completely covered by an airtight drape , and subjected to sub atmospheric pressure , as is the standard practice for utilizing v . a . c .® therapy . the matrix is absorbed within the expected useful life of the pad , so , that when the pad is removed , the matrix had been absorbed , and the growing cells are not disturbed . the pad is replaced , if necessary , either by a conventional pad or by a matrix containing pad , as deemed therapeutically necessary . a conventional pad is selected . a collagen cell growth matrix is applied to a portion of the bottom thereof . the general principles of v . a . c .® therapy are followed , with the matrix containing pad substituted for a conventional pad . during the expected duty cycle of the pad , the collagen matrix is absorbed by the growing cells , so that when the pad is removed , the matrix had been absorbed , and the growing cells are not disturbed . the pad is replaced , if necessary , either by a conventional pad or by a matrix containing pad , as deemed therapeutically necessary . the procedure set forth in example ii is followed . however an ultra - low density fused - fibrous ceramic , sometimes referred to under the trademark p . r . i . m . m ., is substituted for the collagen matrix thereof . the general principles of v . a . c .® therapy are followed . during the expected duty cycle of the pad , the ultra - low density fused - fibrous ceramic is absorbed by the growing cells , so , that when the pad is removed , the ultra - low density fused - fibrous ceramic had been absorbed , and the growing cells were not disturbed . the pad is replaced , if necessary , either by a conventional pad or by a matrix containing pad , as deemed therapeutically necessary . many suitable bioabsorbable materials have been used for sutures , surgical implements , and the like . a small sample of these materials are set forth in the following u . s . patents , to wit : u . s . pat . no . 5 , 997 , 568 , issued to liu on dec . 7 , 1999 and the following patents issued in 1999 to roby et al : u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 914 , 387 ; 5 , 902 , 874 and 5 , 902 , 875 . a selected one or more of these , or similar materials , are placed upon a conventional pad . the general principles of v . a . c .® therapy are followed . during the expected duty cycle of the pad , the bioabsorbable material is absorbed by the growing cells , so , that when the pad is removed , the bioabsorbable material had been absorbed , and the growing cells were not disturbed . the pad is replaced , if necessary , either by a conventional pad or by a matrix containing pad , as deemed therapeutically necessary . a bioabsorbable branched polymer , similar to that described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 578 , 662 issued to bennet et al ., forms the pad . the general principles of v . a . c .® therapy are followed with the bioabsorbable branched polymer pad substituted for the conventional pad . during the expected duty cycle of the pad , the pad is absorbed by the growing cells , so that there is no need to replace the pad and disturb the wound site . if further treatment is deemed necessary , a conventional pad , or an additional matrix containing pad , or an additional bioabsorbable branched polymer pad may be placed in the wound site , and v . a . c .® therapy continued . while the foregoing description is exemplary of the preferred embodiment of the present invention , those of ordinary skill in the relevant arts will recognize the many variations , alterations , modifications , substitutions and the like are readily possible , especially in light of this description and the accompanying drawings . in any case , because the scope of the present invention is much broader than any particular embodiment , the foregoing detailed description should not be construed as a limitation of the scope of the present invention , which is limited only by the claims that are drawn hereto .
a biocompatible wound dressing comprised of a pad for insertion substantially into a wound site and a wound drape for sealing enclosure of the foam pad at the wound site . the pad , comprised of a foam or other like material having relatively few open cells in contact with the areas upon which cell growth is to be encouraged so as to avoid unwanted adhesions , but having sufficiently numerous open cells so that drainage and negative pressure therapy may continue unimpaired , is placed in fluid communication with a vacuum source for promotion of fluid drainage , as known in the art . the pad is further comprised of an ultra - low density fused - fibrous ceramic , or a bioabsorbable branched polymer , or cell growth enhancing matrix or scaffolding .