Wound cleansing apparatus with heat

A method of treating a wound, comprising:

• providing a conformable wound dressing having a cover configured to form a relatively fluid-tight seal around at least a portion of a wound;
• providing an apparatus for irrigating and/or cleansing a wound comprising:
• at least one inlet pipe configured to communicate with the cover and configured to provide a fluid conduit between at least a fluid reservoir and the cover so that fluid can flow into the cover;
• and
• at least one outlet pipe configured to communicate with the cover and configured to provide a fluid conduit so that fluid can flow out of the cover, wherein the fluid in the cover comprises physiologically active components;
• pumping fluid through at least the inlet pipe, the cover, and the outlet pipe;
• cleansing the fluid that flows out of the cover;
• regulating the fluid that flows out of the cover so that a portion of the fluid that flows out of the cover comprising physiologically active components is recirculated back to the cover without passing through the reservoir after being cleansed and a portion of the fluid that flows out of the cover is bled through a bleed mechanism and is provided to a waste reservoir to relieve pressure within the cover;
• and
• heating the fluid before the fluid enters the cover to maintain the wound at an approximately normothermic range to optimize the metabolic activities of the physiologically active components within the cover and promote wound healing.

An apparatus for irrigating, supplying thermal energy to, and cleansing wounds, comprising:

• a wound dressing comprising a backing layer configured to form a relatively fluid-tight seal around at least a portion of a wound;
• at least one inlet pipe configured to communicate with the backing layer and to provide a fluid conduit into the backing layer;
• at least one outlet pipe configured to communicate with the backing layer and to provide a fluid conduit out of the backing layer;
• a fluid reservoir comprising irrigation fluid in fluid communication with the inlet pipe to supply irrigation fluid from the fluid reservoir into the backing layer;
• a fluid pump configured to pump fluid through at least the inlet pipe, the backing layer, and the outlet pipe;
• a fluid cleansing mechanism in fluid communication with the outlet pipe;
• a recirculation tube in fluid communication with the fluid cleansing mechanism configured to recirculate fluid cleansed by the fluid cleansing mechanism back into the inlet pipe without passing through the fluid reservoir, the fluid recirculation tube having a bleed valve to bleed fluid from the recirculation tube to relieve pressure within at least a portion of the apparatus, the recirculated fluid comprising physiologically active components;
• and
• a heat source configured to heat at least the recirculated fluid before the fluid enters the backing layer, the heat source configured so that the fluid maintains the wound at an approximately normothermic range to optimize the metabolic activities of physiologically active components within the backing layer and promote wound healing.