Systems and methods for operating negative pressure wound therapy devices

A negative pressure wound therapy apparatus comprising:

• a housing;
• a negative pressure source supported by the housing and configured to couple via a fluid flow path to a wound covered by a wound dressing, the negative pressure source configured to provide negative pressure to the wound;
• a pressure sensor configured to measure pressure in the fluid flow path;
• and
• a motion sensor configured to measure at least one of movement of orientation of the housing;
• and
• an electronic control circuitry supported by the housing and configured to operate the negative pressure source, the electronic control circuitry further configured to:
• detect a blockage in the fluid flow path based on determining that one or more peak-to-peak measurements of pressure in the fluid flow path measured by the pressure sensor satisfy a pressure threshold;
• in response to detecting the blockage, output a blockage alert notifying a user of the blockage;
• determine whether the blockage could have been caused by motion of the housing by comparing at least one of movement or orientation of the housing measured by the motion sensor to a motion threshold;
• in response to determining that the at least one of movement or orientation of the housing does not satisfy the motion threshold, operate the apparatus in a first mode in which the pressure threshold is not adjusted;
• and
• in response to determining that the at least one of movement or orientation of the housing satisfies the motion threshold:
• output a notification that blockage could have been caused by motion of the housing;
• and
• operate the apparatus in a second mode by adjusting the pressure threshold.

A negative pressure wound therapy apparatus comprising:

• a housing;
• a negative pressure source supported by the housing and configured to couple via a fluid flow path to a wound covered by a wound dressing, the negative pressure source configured to provide negative pressure wound therapy to the wound;
• a first sensor configured to monitor pressure in the fluid flow path to the wound dressing;
• a second sensor configured to monitor motion of the housing;
• and
• an electronic control circuitry supported by the housing and configured to operate the negative pressure source, the electronic control circuitry further configured to:
• detect an error condition by analyzing pressure monitored by the first sensor;
• determine whether the error condition could have been caused by motion of the housing by analyzing motion data monitored by the second sensor;
• operate the apparatus in a first mode responsive to determining that the error condition could not have been caused by motion of the housing;
• and
• operate the apparatus in a second mode responsive to determining that the error condition could have been caused by motion of the housing.

A method for operating a wound therapy device, the method comprising:

• operating a negative pressure source of the wound therapy device to provide negative pressure wound therapy, via a fluid flow path, to a wound covered by a wound dressing;
• with a first sensor, monitoring pressure in the fluid flow path;
• analyzing pressure obtained by the first sensor to detect an error condition related to provision of negative pressure wound therapy;
• with a second sensor, monitoring motion of a housing of the wound therapy device;
• analyzing motion data obtained by the second sensor to determine whether the error condition could have been caused by motion of the housing;
• at a first time, operating the wound therapy device in a first mode responsive to determining that the error condition could not have been caused by motion of the housing;
• and
• at a second time, operating the wound therapy device in a second mode responsive to determining that the error condition could have been caused by motion of the housing.