Assemblies, systems, and methods for vacuum assisted internal drainage during wound healing

A wound drain assembly comprising

• at least one housing enclosing an open interior, the housing being sized and configured for placement within a wound defined by an interior dead space having a volume enclosed between interior tissue surfaces consisting of muscle, connective, or skin tissue containing blood vessels that have been separated by surgery or trauma within a body beneath substantially intact skin, and in which extracellular exudates comprising blood, serous fluid, and byproducts of wound healing including blood clots can accumulate during wound healing,
• perforations in the housing communicating with the open interior, the perforations being sized and configured to comprise a mean pore diameter of about 0.5 mm to about 5 mm to pass the extracellular exudates without substantial plugging,
• an open cell material carried within the open interior to take in the extracellular exudates passed through the perforations from the wound, and
• tubing coupled to the open interior and extending outside the interior dead space, the tubing being sized and configured to be coupled to a source of negative pressure outside the interior dead space to convey the extracellular exudates taken in by the open cell material from the wound.

A wound drain system for a wound defined by an interior dead space having a volume enclosed between interior tissue surfaces consisting of muscle, connective, or skin tissue containing blood vessels that have been separated by surgery or trauma within a body beneath substantially intact skin, and in which extracellular exudates comprising blood, serous fluid, byproducts of wound healing including blood clots escaping from the blood vessels can accumulate during wound healing, the wound drain system comprising

• a housing comprising an inert, non-tissue adherent material, the housing enclosing an open interior, the housing being sized and configured for placement entirely within the interior dead space,
• perforations in the housing communicating with the open interior, the perforations being sized to comprise a mean pore diameter of about 0.5 mm to about 5 mm to pass the extracellular exudates without substantial plugging,
• an open cell material comprising an open-cell porous structure or a granulated foam construction carried within the open interior to take in the extracellular exudates conveyed through the perforations into the open interior,
• tubing coupled to the open interior and extending from the interior void through a percutaneous incision in the substantially intact skin to a location outside the body, the tubing being sized and configured to be coupled to a source of negative pressure outside the body to convey negative pressure into the open interior of the housing for application through the perforations internally throughout the interior dead space, whereby, in response to the applied negative pressure, the extracellular exudates taken in by the open cell material are conveyed from the interior dead space to decrease the volume of the dead space and subsequent seroma formation, and whereby, in response to the applied negative pressure, the separated interior tissue surfaces are drawn together to promote adherence of the tissue surfaces and a normal wound healing process, and
• a source of negative pressure outside the body coupled to the tubing outside the body, the source of negative pressure including means, operative (i) when the housing is placed entirely within the interior dead space, (ii) the tubing is extended from the interior dead space through a percutaneous incision in the substantially intact skin to a location outside the body, and (iii) the tubing is coupled to the source of negative pressure, for conveying negative pressure into the open interior of the housing for application through the perforations internally throughout the interior dead space to convey the extracellular exudates taken in by the open cell material from the interior dead space, thereby decreasing the volume of the dead space and subsequent seroma formation, and to draw together the separated interior tissue surfaces, thereby promoting adherence of the tissue surfaces and a normal wound healing process.

A wound drain system for a wound defined by an interior dead space having a volume enclosed between interior tissue surfaces consisting of muscle, connective, or skin tissue containing blood vessels that have been separated by surgery or trauma within a body beneath substantially intact skin, and in which extracellular exudates comprising blood, serous fluid, byproducts of wound healing including blood clots escaping from the blood vessels can accumulate during wound healing, the wound drain system comprising

• a housing comprising an inert, non-tissue adherent material, the housing enclosing an open interior, the housing being sized and configured for placement entirely within the interior dead space,
• perforations in the housing communicating with the open interior, the perforations comprising slits or slots that emulate a one-way valve that is normally substantially closed in the absence of applied negative pressure and that is opened in response to applied negative pressure, the perforations being sized and configured, when opened, to pass the extracellular exudates without substantial plugging,
• an open cell material comprising an open-cell porous structure or a granulated foam construction carried within the open interior to take in the extracellular exudates conveyed through the perforations into the open interior,
• tubing coupled to the open interior and extending from the interior void through a percutaneous incision in the substantially intact skin to a location outside the body, the tubing being sized and configured to be coupled to a source of negative pressure outside the body to convey negative pressure into the open interior of the housing for application through the perforations internally throughout the interior dead space, whereby, in response to the applied negative pressure, the extracellular exudates taken in by the open cell material are conveyed from the interior dead space to decrease the volume of the dead space and subsequent seroma formation, and whereby, in response to the applied negative pressure, the separated interior tissue surfaces are drawn together to promote adherence of the tissue surfaces and a normal wound healing process, and
• a source of negative pressure outside the body coupled to the tubing outside the body, the source of negative pressure including means, operative (i) when the housing is placed entirely within the interior dead space, (ii) the tubing is extended from the interior dead space through a percutaneous incision in the substantially intact skin to a location outside the body, and (iii) the tubing is coupled to the source of negative pressure, for conveying negative pressure into the open interior of the housing for application through the perforations internally throughout the interior dead space to convey the extracellular exudates taken in by the open cell material from the interior dead space, thereby decreasing the volume of the dead space and subsequent seroma formation, and to draw together the separated interior tissue surfaces, thereby promoting adherence of the tissue surfaces and a normal wound healing process.

A method comprising

• identifying a wound defined by an interior dead space having a volume enclosed between interior tissue surfaces consisting of muscle, connective, or skin tissue containing blood vessels that have been separated by surgery or trauma within a body beneath substantially intact skin, and in which extracellular exudates comprising blood, serous fluid, byproducts of wound healing including blood clots escaping from the blood vessels can accumulate during wound healing,
• providing a wound drain assembly comprising at least one housing sized and configured to be placed entirely within the interior dead space, the housing enclosing an open interior, perforations in the housing communicating with the open interior, the perforations being sized and configured to pass the extracellular exudates without substantial plugging, an open cell material carried within the open interior to take in the extracellular exudates passed through the perforations from the wound, and tubing coupled to the open interior and extending outside the interior wound site or body cavity, the tubing being sized and configured to be coupled to a source of negative pressure outside the body cavity to convey the extracellular exudates taken in by the open cell material from the wound,
• placing the wound drain assembly entirely within the interior dead space, and
• conveying negative pressure into the open interior of the housing for application through the perforations internally throughout the interior dead space to convey the extracellular exudates taken in by the open cell material from the interior dead space, thereby decreasing the volume of the dead space and subsequent seroma formation, and to draw together the separated interior tissue surfaces, thereby promoting adherence of the tissue surfaces and a normal wound healing process.

A method comprising

• assessing the morphology of a wound defined by an interior dead space having a volume enclosed between interior tissue surfaces consisting of muscle, connective, or skin tissue containing blood vessels that have been separated by surgery or trauma within a body beneath substantially intact skin, and in which extracellular exudates comprising blood, serous fluid, byproducts of wound healing including blood clots escaping from the blood vessels can accumulate during wound healing,
• providing a wound drain assembly having a size and configuration selected based upon the assessing that is conducive for draining the extracellular exudates from the wound, the wound drain assembly comprising at least one housing enclosing an open interior, perforations in the housing communicating with the open interior, the perforations being sized and configured to pass the extracellular exudates without substantial plugging, a open cell material carried within the open interior to take in the extracellular exudates passed through the perforations from the wound, and tubing coupled to the open interior and extending outside the interior wound site or body cavity, the tubing being sized and configured to be coupled to a source of negative pressure outside the body cavity to convey the extracellular exudates taken in by the open cell material from the wound,
• placing the wound drain assembly entirely within the wound, and
• conveying negative pressure into the open interior of the housing for application through the perforations internally throughout the interior dead space to convey the extracellular exudates taken in by the open cell material from the interior dead space, thereby decreasing the volume of the dead space and subsequent seroma formation, and to draw together the separated interior tissue surfaces, thereby promoting adherence of the tissue surfaces and a normal wound healing process.

A wound drain assembly comprising

• a housing enclosing an open interior, the housing being sized and configured for placement within an interior wound site or body cavity,
• perforations in the housing communicating with the open interior,
• an open cell component carried within the open interior to take in fluid in the interior wound site or body cavity, and
• tubing coupled to the open interior and extending outside the interior wound site or body cavity, the tubing being sized and configured to be coupled to a source of negative pressure outside the body cavity to convey fluid taken in by the open cell component from the internal wound site or body cavity.

A system comprising

• a wound drain assembly comprising
• a housing enclosing an open interior, the housing being sized and configured for placement within an interior wound site or body cavity,
• perforations in the housing communicating with the open interior,
• an open cell component carried within the open interior to take in fluid in the interior wound site or body cavity, and
• tubing coupled to the open interior and extending outside the interior wound site or body cavity, the tubing being sized and configured to be coupled to a source of negative pressure outside the body cavity to convey fluid taken in by the open cell component from the internal wound site or body cavity, and
• a tubular sleeve including a tissue penetrating distal tip for accessing the interior wound site or body cavity and an interior bore sized and configured to accommodate passage of the wound drain assembly into the accessed interior wound site or body cavity.

A method comprising

• providing a wound drain assembly comprising
• a housing enclosing an open interior, the housing being sized and configured for placement within an interior wound site or body cavity,
• perforations in the housing communicating with the open interior,
• an open cell component carried within the open interior to take in fluid in the interior wound site or body cavity, and
• tubing coupled to the open interior and extending outside the interior wound site or body cavity, the tubing being sized and configured to be coupled to a source of negative pressure outside the body cavity to convey fluid taken in by the open cell component from the internal wound site or body cavity,
• providing a tubular sleeve including a tissue penetrating distal tip for accessing the interior wound site or body cavity and an interior bore sized and configured to accommodate passage of the wound drain assembly into the accessed interior wound site or body cavity,
• accessing the interior wound site or body cavity with the tubular sleeve, and
• passing the wound drain assembly into the interior wound site or body cavity through the tubular sleeve.

A system comprising

• a wound drain assembly comprising
• a wound drainage structure comprising a material capable of being absorbed by the body and being sized and configured to take in fluid in an interior wound site or body cavity, and
• tubing coupled to the wound drainage structure and extending outside the interior wound site or body cavity, the tubing being sized and configured to be coupled to a source of negative pressure outside the body cavity to convey fluid taken in by the material from the internal wound site or body cavity, and
• a tubular sleeve including a tissue penetrating distal tip for accessing the interior wound site or body cavity and an interior bore sized and configured to accommodate passage of the wound drain assembly into the accessed interior wound site or body cavity.

A method comprising

• providing a wound drain assembly comprising
• a wound drainage structure comprising a material capable of being absorbed by the body and being sized and configured to take in fluid in an interior wound site or body cavity, and
• tubing coupled to the wound drainage structure and extending outside the interior wound site or body cavity, the tubing being sized and configured to be coupled to a source of negative pressure outside the body cavity to convey fluid taken in by the material from the internal wound site or body cavity,
• providing a tubular sleeve including a tissue penetrating distal tip for accessing the interior wound site or body cavity and an interior bore sized and configured to accommodate passage of the wound drain assembly into the accessed interior wound site or body cavity,
• accessing the interior wound site or body cavity with the tubular sleeve, and
• passing the wound drain assembly into the interior wound site or body cavity through the tubular sleeve.