Apparatus for topical negative pressure therapy

A port member for connecting an aspirant conduit providing negative pressure with a topical negative pressure dressing, the port member comprising:

• a connector portion configured to connect to a distal end of the aspirant conduit;
• an air bleed comprising:
• an air inlet aperture, and
• a filter element covering the air inlet aperture, wherein the air inlet aperture and filter element are configured to bleed ambient air into a wound cavity when the topical negative pressure dressing is covering the wound cavity with the port member attached to the topical negative pressure dressing via an adhesive;
• and
• a housing comprising, within or as part of the housing:
• a base portion having the adhesive thereon for attaching the base portion to an upper surface of the dressing;
• an aperture in the base portion configured to communicate with the wound cavity through a hole formed in the dressing when in use;
• a raised portion formed above the aperture in the base portion;
• a passage within the raised portion that extends substantially parallel to the base portion, the passage having a proximal end located relatively closer to the aperture and a distal end located relatively farther away from the aperture the passage fluidically connecting the aperture in the base portion to an opening to the connector portion at the distal end of the passage, wherein an upper surface of the passage is defined by a continuous length of a single material forming the raised portion and extending from above the aperture to the opening to the connector portion;
• the opening to the connector portion configured to fluidically connect the aspirant conduit with the aperture in the base portion via the passage;
• and
• wherein the air inlet aperture has a longitudinal axis substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of an adjacent portion of the passage;
• wherein the filter element is positioned in a plane that is (i) substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the air inlet aperture and (ii) substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the adjacent portion of the passage;
• and
• wherein the adhesive on the base portion is configured to attach the housing of the port member to the upper surface of the dressing independently of connecting the aspirant conduit to the connector portion.

A port member comprising:

• a connector portion configured to connect to an end of an aspirant conduit;
• an air bleed portion comprising an air inlet aperture and a filter covering the air inlet aperture;
• and
• a housing comprising:
• a planar lower portion of the housing comprising an aperture surrounded by an adhesive surface,
• a passage extending from the aperture to an opening of the connector portion, the aperture configured to fluidically communicate with the aspirant conduit via the passage, the passage fluidically connected to air bleed portion;
• and
• wherein the aperture, passage, and opening are provided within or as part of the housing;
• wherein the air inlet aperture has a longitudinal axis substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of an adjacent portion of the passage;
• wherein the filter element is positioned in a plane that is (i) substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the air inlet aperture and (ii) substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the adjacent portion of the passage;
• and
• wherein the port member is configured to attach the planar lower portion to a sealing membrane of a negative pressure wound dressing with the aperture positioned over a hole in the sealing membrane independently of the attachment of the aspirant conduit to the connector portion.