System and method for managing reduced pressure at a tissue site

An apparatus for managing reduced pressure at a tissue site, the apparatus comprising:

• a reduced pressure source that generates reduced pressure, the reduced pressure being delivered to the tissue site via a delivery tube;
• a single pressure sensor detecting an actual reduced pressure at the tissue site through a control tube that does not receive fluids drawn from the tissue site by the reduced pressure source;
• a controller configured to detect, without the use of the single pressure sensor or any other pressure sensor, when the reduced pressure generated by the reduced pressure source is increased, the controller further configured to determine a responsiveness of the actual reduced pressure measured by the single pressure sensor to an increase in reduced pressure generated by the reduced pressure source;
• an indicator emitting a signal when the controller determines that the actual reduced pressure measured by the single pressure sensor is nonresponsive to the increase in reduced pressure generated by the reduced pressure source;
• and
• wherein the responsiveness is determined by at least one of (1) monitoring whether the actual reduced pressure at the tissue site increases within a predefined period of time, and (2) monitoring whether the actual reduced pressure at the tissue site meets a target reduced pressure within a predefined period of time.