Attachment device for use in the vacuum therapy of wounds

An attachment device for use in vacuum therapy of a wound, the wound being treated using a vacuum dressing, wherein the vacuum dressing is adapted to be fixed to skin of a patient surrounding the wound to cover and tightly seal the wound with respect to atmosphere, the vacuum dressing having an opening adapted to communicate with the wound, the attachment device comprising:

• a large-surface, vacuum-tight mounting element, said mounting element structured for attachment to the vacuum dressing and not to the skin of the patient surrounding the wound, said mounting element having openings, wherein said mounting element is made of a flexible elastomer non-adhesive material with a Shore A hardness of 5 to 60;
• and
• a flexible, flat conduit having a width of at least 10 mm, wherein said conduit has an upper wall, a lower wall and two side walls disposed between and integral with said upper wall and said lower wall, said upper wall, lower wall and side walls thereby defining a flat duct passing longitudinally through said conduit, wherein said lower wall has openings and said side walls and said upper walls have no openings and, as projected perpendicularly onto said mounting element, at least 70% of a lower surface portion of said lower wall is attached to an upper side of said mounting element in a vacuum-tight, extensive and non-detachable manner, said conduit also structured for attachment to a vacuum generating device for evacuation thereof, wherein said lower wall openings are adapted to communicate with the wound via said openings in said mounting element and the opening in the vacuum dressing, said conduit being made from a flexible elastomer material of Shore A hardness of no more than 60, wherein a combined thickness of said conduit and said mounting element does not exceed 7 mm, said conduit thereby constituting an extruded part having internal members to prevent collapse of said conduit when a vacuum is applied, said internal members being integrally molded to form one integral element with said material of said conduit, wherein said internal members comprise a plurality of ribs, protrusions or septa, said ribs, protrusions or septa extending continuously from end to end in a longitudinal direction of said conduit, wherein at least one of said ribs, protrusions or septa defines multiple ducts in said conduit which are pressure-tightly separated from each other, said conduit thereby being structured as one integral element.