CONFORMABLE MEDICAL DRESSING WITH SELF SUPPORTING SUBSTRATE
FIG3 is a schematic cross section of the medical dressing of FIG1 applied to a wound
Another embodiment of a medical dressing according to the present invention is depicted in FIG3 (where FIG3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 in FIG1). The medical dressing 10 includes a backing 14 (which may preferably be conformable as described herein). The backing 14 includes two opposed major surfaces: an interior surface 41 and an external surface 42. In use, the interior surface 41 faces a wound (or other body site) over which the dressing is placed while the external surface 42 faces away from the wound (or other body site). Referring again to FIG3, the dressing 10 is located over a wound W while the backing layer 14 and adhesive layer 17 is attached to the tissue (e.g., skin) surrounding the wound W. The dressing 10 and self supporting substrate 12, along with the wound W and the tissue surrounding the wound, preferably define a sealed environment in which the wound W is isolated from the surrounding environment. The interior surface 41 of the backing 14 faces the sealed environment in which the wound is located while the external surface 42 of the backing 14 faces away from the wound W. Referring again to FIG3, maintenance of the negative pressure within the sealed environment may, in some embodiments, be enhanced by the addition of a ballast component 29 within the sealed cavity 25 created by the self supporting substrate 12. A ballast component 29 may be a resiliently compressible material that, e.g., compresses or shrinks as a vacuum (negative pressure) is provided within the sealed cavity 25 and that attempts to return to at least a portion of its pre-compression size because of its resilient nature. For example, the ballast component 29 may be a resilient foam (open or closed cell, although preferably open cell), nonwoven material, spring, or other structure that can be compressed, but that also is resilient such that it will attempt to return to at least a portion of its pre-compressed size (e.g., the resilient material has a spring constant).
schematic cross-sectional view
1
than
20
backing layer
29
ballast component
31
cut
12
substrate
11
planar surface
25
cavity
24
liner
17
adhesive
22
side wall
16
corrugated portion
27
carrier
21
adhesive layer
15
perimeter
7
in U.S. Patent No.
14
backing
2
than
33
tab tabs
3
U.S. Patent Nos.
['1. An adhesive medical article (10) comprising: (a) a conformable backing (14) having a first major surface and a second major surface, and an opening (26) that forms a window through the backing (14); (b) a pressure sensitive adhesive (17) coated on at least a portion of the first major surface of the backing (14); (c) a self-supporting substrate (12) comprising a first planar surface (11), and at least one side wall (22) formed at an angle between zero to one hundred eighty degrees to the first planar surface (11), and a second planar surface connected to the at least one side wall (11) in the form of a flange (44), wherein the self-supporting substrate (12) is attached to the backing (14) to enclose the opening (26) through the backing (14); and wherein the self-supporting substrate (12) comprises a valve.', '2. The adhesive medical article of claim 1, further comprising a carrier (27) releasably attached to at least a portion of the second major surface of the backing.', '3. The adhesive medical article of claim 2, wherein the carrier (27) comprises at least one cut line (31).', '9. The adhesive medical article of any of claims 1-8, further comprising a liner (24) releasably adhered to the pressure sensitive adhesive (17) opposite the backing (14).', '15. The adhesive medical article of any of the preceding claims, wherein the self-supporting  substrate (12) comprises a corrugated portion (16) on at least a portion of the first planar surface (11) and the corrugated portion (16) comprises alternating ridges and grooves.']