NEGATIVE PRESSURE WOUND THERAPY

Basis for Selection:

Prior art research.

Guideline Patent Number: US 5,645,081 | Latest Date for Prior Art: November 13, 1991

Guideline Patent Filing Date: November 14, 1991| Owner(s): Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Kinetic Concepts

Interested Parties: Wake Forest University, KCI Licensing, KCI USA, KCI Holding Company, KCI International

Multiple Patent Study Description:

These patents are related to the first patent application that was granted as U.S. Patent No. 5,645,081.

Description:

This Study is a request for prior art, preferably non-patent literature, that provides a path to invalidity for the Study patent that is not already known.   The Reward is payable to an Advisor if the Study results in prior art that provides a path to invalidity that is not already known.  

Prior art of interest will be directed to prior art apparatuses used for promoting wound healing with negative pressure, and any public use of such apparatuses, and will include the following features:

a. a flexible adhesive cover configured to cover and enclose the wound and maintain negative pressure at the site of the wound, where the cover is preferably self-adhesive;
b. a porous material such as a synthetic polymer, preferably an open cell foam, positioned within the cover, where the porous material is preferably adapted to prevent overgrowth of granulation tissue and/or to promote the formation of granulation tissue in the wound;
c.  a vacuum system, preferably a motorized pump, that provides negative pressure to the wound for extended periods of time, preferably at least 12 hours, and preferably at reduced pressures of at least 0.1 atm (76 mm Hg);
d.  a fluid trap for collecting wound exudate;
e.  mechanisms for connecting the cover to the vacuum system and the fluid trap, including rigid ports to connect tubing to the cover
f.  one or more filters provided with the vacuum system or the fluid trap, such as a filter for preventing a pump from venting micro-organisms aspirated from the wound or a filter for detecting the level of fluid in the fluid trap;
g.  healing of wounds such as burns or pressure sores by the promotion of the formation of granulation tissue.

This is a Multiple Patent Study

You can view the included patents below:
Patent #: US 5,645,081 (View Details | PDF | Word)
Patent #: US 7,198,046 (View Details | PDF | Word)
Patent #: US 7,216,651 (View Details | PDF | Word)
Patent #: US 5,636,643 (View Details | PDF | Word)