Flexible reduced pressure treatment appliance

An appliance for administering reduced pressure treatment to a wound on a body, the appliance comprising:

• a wound treatment device, wherein the wound treatment device comprises:
• an impermeable flexible overlay sized to be placed over and enclose an area of the wound to be treated and adapted to maintain reduced pressure in a volume under the overlay in the area of the wound to be treated, wherein the overlay comprises a base end opening, a perimeter edge adjacent to the base end opening, and an interior surface configured to face the area of the wound to be treated;
• wherein
• the overlay is configured such that, when the overlay is positioned on the body over the wound, a first portion of the interior surface adjacent to the perimeter edge forms an acute angle relative to the body when the overlay is in a relaxed state and such that the first portion of the interior surface collapses against the body surrounding the wound when reduced pressure is supplied to the volume under the overlay;
• the overlay is configured such that a second portion of the interior surface adjacent to the first portion of the interior surface is maintained out of contact with the body in both the relaxed state of the overlay and when reduced pressure is supplied to the volume under the overlay;
• the surface area of the second portion of the interior surface is greater than the surface area of the portion of the body beneath the second portion of the interior surface;
• the overlay is sufficiently rigid to support at least one fold in the second portion of the interior surface of the overlay out of contact with the body when reduced pressure is supplied to the volume under the overlay;
• and
• the overlay is adapted so that the collapse of the first portion of the interior surface against the body surrounding the wound when reduced pressure is supplied to the volume under the overlay causes the formation of an approximately hermetic seal between the first portion of the interior surface and without the need for an adhesive;
• a vacuum system comprising:
• a reduced pressure supply source that provides a supply of reduced pressure;
• and
• reduced pressure supply means to operably connect the overlay to the reduced pressure supply source so that the volume under the overlay is supplied with reduced pressure by the reduced pressure supply source.

An appliance for administering reduced pressure treatment to a wound on a body, the appliance comprising:

• a wound treatment device, wherein the wound treatment device comprises:
• an impermeable flexible overlay sized to be placed over and enclose an area of the wound to be treated and adapted to receive a supply of reduced pressure and to maintain reduced pressure in a volume under the impermeable flexible overlay in the area of the wound;
• wherein
• the impermeable flexible overlay has a base end opening, a port, a perimeter edge adjacent to the base end opening, and an interior surface configured to face the area of the wound to be treated;
• the interior surface has interior surface portions positioned around and adjacent to the perimeter edge;
• the surface area of the interior surface is greater than the surface area of the portion of the body to be enclosed by the impermeable flexible overlay;
• the overlay itself has sufficient rigidity such that, before reduced pressure has been supplied to the overlay, the interior surface portions form an acute angle relative to the body, and such that the port is held away from the wound so as to define the volume under the overlay when the overlay is placed over and encloses the area of the wound;
• the impermeable flexible overlay is adapted to collapse in the approximate direction of the area of the wound to be treated when reduced pressure is supplied to the volume under the impermeable flexible overlay in the area of the wound;
• the impermeable flexible overlay is adapted so that such collapse draws the interior surface portions tightly against the body so as to increase the surface area of the interior surface portions that are in contact with the body, the collapse causing the formation of an approximately hermetic seal between the interior surface portions of the impermeable flexible overlay and the body in the area of the wound without the need for an adhesive;
• and
• at least one fold forms in the impermeable flexible overlay when the impermeable flexible overlay collapses;
• and
• a vacuum system, wherein the vacuum system comprises:
• a suction bulb, wherein the suction bulb is adapted to provide a source of reduced pressure;
• and
• reduced pressure supply means to operably connect the port of the impermeable flexible overlay to the suction bulb, so that the volume under the impermeable flexible overlay in the area of the wound may be supplied with reduced pressure by the suction bulb.

An appliance for administering reduced pressure treatment to a wound on a body, the appliance comprising:

• a wound treatment device, wherein the wound treatment device comprises:
• an impermeable flexible overlay sized to be placed over and enclose an area of the wound to be treated and adapted to receive a supply of reduced pressure and to maintain reduced pressure in the area of the wound to be treated;
• wherein
• the impermeable flexible overlay has a base end opening, a perimeter edge adjacent to the base end opening, and an interior surface configured to face the area of the wound to be treated;
• the interior surface has interior surface portions positioned around and adjacent to the perimeter edge;
• the surface area of the interior surface is greater than the surface area of the portion of the body to be enclosed by the impermeable flexible overlay;
• and
• the overlay itself has sufficient rigidity such that, before reduced pressure has been supplied to the overlay, the interior surface portions form an acute angle relative to the body, and such that at least a portion of the interior surface of the overlay is held away from the wound so as to define the volume under the overlay when the overlay is placed over and encloses the area of the wound;
• the impermeable flexible overlay is adapted to collapse in the approximate direction of the area of the wound to be treated when reduced pressure is supplied to the volume under the impermeable flexible overlay in the area of the wound;
• the impermeable flexible overlay is adapted so that such collapse draws the interior surface portions tightly against the body so as to increase the surface area of the interior surface portions that are in contact with the body, the collapse causing the formation of an approximately hermetic seal between at least a portion of the perimeter edge of the impermeable flexible overlay and the body in the area of the wound without the need for an adhesive;
• and
• at least one fold forms in the impermeable flexible overlay when the impermeable flexible overlay collapses;
• a vacuum system, wherein the vacuum system comprises:
• a reduced pressure supply source that provides a supply of reduced pressure;
• and
• reduced pressure supply means to operably connect the impermeable flexible overlay to the reduced pressure supply source, so that the volume under the impermeable flexible overlay in the area of the wound to be treated is supplied with reduced pressure by the reduced pressure supply source;
• and
• wound packing means, wherein the wound packing means is positioned between the wound treatment device and the portion of the wound to be treated.

An appliance for administering reduced pressure treatment to a wound on a body, the appliance comprising:

• an impermeable flexible overlay sized to be placed over and enclose the area of the wound to be treated and adapted to maintain reduced pressure in the volume under the impermeable flexible overlay in the area of the wound, wherein the impermeable flexible overlay comprises an opening, a perimeter edge adjacent to the opening, and an interior surface facing the area of the wound to be treated, and the surface area of the interior surface is greater than the surface area of the portion of the body to be enclosed by the impermeable flexible overlay;
• wherein:
• the overlay itself has sufficient rigidity such that at least a portion of the interior surface is biased to form an acute angle relative to the body;
• the overlay is configured to collapse in the approximate direction of the area of the wound to be treated when reduced pressure is supplied to the volume under the impermeable flexible overlay in the area of the wound;
• the overlay is configured so that such collapse causes a portion of the interior surface adjacent to the perimeter edge to overcome the bias and to be drawn tightly against the body surrounding the wound so that a portion of the overlay adjacent to the perimeter edge forms a substantially flat seal that operably seals the overlay to the body in the area of the wound to be treated, so that reduced pressure can be maintained in the volume under the overlay in the area of the wound;
• and
• at least one fold forms in the impermeable flexible overlay when the impermeable flexible overlay collapses;
• and
• reduced pressure supply means to operably connect the overlay to a reduced pressure supply source that provides a supply of reduced pressure to the overlay, so that the volume under the overlay in the area of the wound to be treated is supplied with reduced pressure by the reduced pressure supply source.