Control of vacuum level rate of change
AssigneeHill-Rom Services, Inc.
InventorsJeffrey S. Lockwood, Robert Petrosenko, James Robert Risk, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wound treatment apparatus has a vacuum bandage covering a wound of a patient, a vacuum source coupled to the vacuum bandage, and a controller that operates the vacuum source to apply negative pressure to the wound through the bandage in a controlled manner. The controller is programmed to limit the rate of change of the negative pressure applied to the wound. A caregiver has the ability to change one or more negative pressure setpoint values and the controller of the wound treatment apparatus controls the rate of change of the negative pressure to reduce patient discomfort.
Claims20
A vacuum wound therapy device for providing a negative pressure at a wound bed, the vacuum wound therapy device comprising:
- a vacuum bandage configured to fluidly communicate with the wound bed,
- a vacuum source fluidly coupled to the vacuum bandage to provide negative pressure for presentation at the wound bed, and
- a controller controlling the time rate of change of negative pressure presented at the wound bed to be less than a predetermined maximum allowable rate.
A vacuum wound therapy device for providing a negative pressure at a wound bed, the vacuum wound therapy device comprising:
- a vacuum bandage configured to fluidly communicate with the wound bed,
- a vacuum source fluidly coupled to the vacuum bandage to provide negative pressure for presentation at the wound bed,
- a controller controlling the rate of change of negative pressure presented at the wound bed,
- an electrically actuated valve electrically coupled to the controller and fluidly coupled between the vacuum source and the vacuum bandage, and
- a pressure transducer in fluid communication with the wound bed and electrically coupled to the controller,
- wherein the controller implements a proportional, integral derivative (PID) control algorithm and a filter to limit the control signal generated by the PID control algorithm within bounds.
A controller for regulating a negative pressure provided to a wound bed of a patient through a vacuum bandage fluidly coupled to a vacuum source, the controller comprising:
- a regulator configured to regulate the negative pressure provided at the wound bed by the vacuum bandage and vacuum source in response to a pressure regulation signal,
- a pressure transducer positioned to detect the negative pressure at the wound bed and provide a pressure signal indicative of the negative pressure at the wound bed,
- setpoint circuitry configured to provide a setpoint signal indicative of a desired negative pressure at the wound bed, and
- control circuitry electrically coupled to the pressure transducer, the setpoint circuitry and the regulator,
- whereby the control circuitry generates the pressure regulation signal in response to the pressure signal and setpoint signal to limit the time rate of change of negative pressure to a predetermined maximum allowable rate at the wound bed while adjusting the negative pressure at the wound bed to the desired negative pressure,
- wherein the regulator comprises an electrically actuated valve fluidly coupled to the bandage and the vacuum source and electrically coupled to the control circuitry, and
- wherein the valve is a proportional yalve.
A method of providing vacuum wound therapy to a wound bed comprising the steps of providing a vacuum bandage in fluid communication with the wound bed, adjusting the air pressure at the wound bed through the vacuum bandage, and controlling the time rate of change of the air pressure at the wound bed to be less than a predetermined maximum allowable rate.
A method for applying a vacuum to a space above an open wound bed, thereby to enhance the rate of healing of the wound, the method comprising:
- establishing a predetermined vacuum pressure level to be achieved in the space,
- applying a suction from a vacuum source to the space, the suction being applied through a proportional valve, and
- controlling the proportional valve in incremental steps to increase the vacuum up to the predetermined pressure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.