DE20103311U1 - Wound dressing - Google Patents

Description

RICHTER, WERDERMANN & GERBAULET

EUROPEAN PATENT ATTORNEYS · PATENT ATTORNEYS
EUROPEAN TRADEMARK ATTORNEYS

HAMBURG · BERLIN

DIPL-ING. JOACHIM RICHTER · BERLIN

DIPL-ING. HANNES GERBAULET ■ HAMBURG DIPL.-ING. FRANZ WERDERMANN ■ - 1986

NEW WALL 10
20354 HAMBURG
S> (04-0) 34 00 45/34 OO 56
FAX (04O) 35 24 15

KURFURSTENDAMM 10719 BERLIN <m (030) &thgr; 82 74 FAX (030) 8 82 32 IN COOPERATION WITH MAINITZ & MAINITZ LAWYERS ■ NOTARIES

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G 01006 III 5414

HAMBURG 23.02.2001

Applicant:

GerroMed Care and Medical Technology Handelsgesellschaft mbH Fangdieckstraße 75 b DE-22457 Hamburg

Title:

Wound dressing Description

The invention relates to a wound dressing which is suitable for stimulation treatment, in particular with electrostimulation devices.

Electrostimulation devices and their use for wound treatment of chronic wounds, e.g. venous leg ulcers or pressure ulcers, etc., using a dispersion electrode and a treatment electrode are known.

European patent application EP 0 557 562 describes a device and method for nerve fiber and body tissue stimulation, e.g. to support wound healing.

US Patent 5,168,875 describes a strip electrode device and a method for its manufacture. The strip electrode consists of an electrically conductive layer, an electrically conductive adhesive layer and an electrically non-conductive insulating layer.

The European patent application EP 0 504 715 relates to a wound treatment device. It consists of an electrically non-conductive layer having an opening, an electrically conductive non-metallic agent and a substantially non-adherent wound contact layer.

The invention is based on the object of providing a wound dressing which is suitable for stimulation treatment, in particular for use with electrostimulation devices. Preferably, it is an object of the present invention to avoid the disadvantages of known energy-transmitting means which are used in stimulation treatments.

This object is achieved by the features specified in claim 1. Advantageous embodiments and expedient further developments of the present invention are characterized in the subclaims.

According to the teaching of the present invention, the wound dressing consists of a combination of an energy transfer medium and a wound dressing agent. This combination makes it possible for the first time to combine the advantages of stimulation treatment with a suitable wound dressing or a suitable wound dressing

and to provide a phase-appropriate wound dressing for each phase of wound healing.

According to the invention, either a material which is particularly suitable for the wound dressing due to its physical properties, such as foam or a hydrophilic material, is selected as the wound dressing material, or a wound conditioning agent or a wound healing agent is selected as the wound dressing material.

A very important idea is that the wound dressing consists of at least one wound dressing agent and an energy transfer medium and that the energy transfer medium has the wound dressing agent on at least one surface side as a disc-, net-, foil- or plate-shaped body. By using a suitable energy transfer medium, which must be designed with a shape suitable for the application of energy and must be provided with a suitable wound dressing agent at least on the side facing the wound floor, it is possible to carry out optional physical, physiological and, if necessary, chemical and biological wound care and at the same time to further promote the wound healing process through suitable stimulation.

According to the invention, the wound dressing consists of a wound dressing means into which an electrode is incorporated and which additionally has a peelable layer on at least one of its outer sides, which is removed when the wound dressing is applied to the wound.

In particular, the teaching according to the invention is implemented by a basic structure of a new wound dressing, which consists in that an energy transfer medium is embedded in a lower and an upper dressing material, preferably in the form of a hydroactive dressing. The lower layer of the dressing material is covered by a film, which

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is removed before being applied to the wound area. The upper layer of dressing material is also covered by a film, which remains in place in the usual way to protect the wound dressing.

The wound dressing according to the invention has the advantage that it is suitable for energy transfer, but can be used like a conventional wound dressing. One of the advantages of the wound dressing according to the invention is that, in particular during stimulation treatment, the dressing material used to protect or treat the wound area no longer has to be removed in order to be able to apply the energy transfer medium to the wound area to be treated, in contrast to the known procedure. Accordingly, it is no longer necessary to apply new dressing material to the wound after stimulation treatment. On the one hand, using a wound dressing according to the invention saves dressing material. On the other hand, it makes it possible to reduce the treatment time for nursing staff. This represents a great advantage in the strained personnel and cost situation in the health care system. Furthermore, the reduction in the number of dressing changes that can be achieved by using a wound dressing according to the invention has the advantage from a medical point of view that the healing process is not disturbed by mechanical irritation of the wound surface when changing the dressing material and that the risk of infection is reduced by changing the dressing less frequently.

An electrode for electrical stimulation, a magnetic plate or foil and/or a heating plate or foil can be used as an energy transfer medium. The choice is made depending on whether it is a matter of treating large-area injuries or chronic or other wounds, and which form of application corresponds to the appropriate wound care phase.

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The core idea of the invention, namely the combination of a suitable wound dressing and stimulation, is particularly valuable here, since the properties of the wound dressing can be particularly utilized by choosing the right one. It has proven to be particularly effective if the wound dressing is a hydroactive polymer or another material with hydrophilic properties or if the wound dressing is selected from the group consisting of hydrofiber materials, foams, hydrogels, hydrocolloids and alginates or a combination thereof.

The design of the energy transfer medium itself is adapted to the handling requirements and the type and shape of the wound. It can be advantageous for the energy transfer medium to be an energy-conducting film.

By choosing to provide the energy transfer medium with the wound dressing on only one side or to use two layers of the wound dressing between which the energy transfer medium is embedded, the moisture absorption capacity can be optimally adjusted.

Another advantage of the wound dressing according to the invention is its ease of handling, which is no different from conventional and known wound dressings. In addition, the wound dressing is protected from contamination by a removable layer that can be easily removed from the corresponding area of the wound dressing before it is applied to the wound surface. On the side opposite the wound surface, the layer remains on the wound dressing and thus protects it in an advantageous manner. This layer is semi-permeable to allow water vapor to be dissipated.

The wound dressing according to the invention is particularly advantageous because the duration of an energy transfer medium in the wound area can now be increased significantly because the energy transfer medium can now remain in the wound area for the same length of time as the wound dressing. Furthermore, the arrangement of the energy transfer medium in the wound area has now been made significantly easier. Furthermore, with electrical stimulation, the mode of action or the intensity of the pulsed electrical stimulation has remained the same or has even been improved because the electrode can be brought closer to the skin area to be treated and the hydroactive dressing can also be better conveyed. Finally, the overall economic outlay is reduced not only by extending the application times of the individual energy transfer media, but also by improving the healing time, since in the best case scenario a much smaller number of hydroactive dressings are required.

Embodiments of the present invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing. It shows:

Fig. 1 shows a purely schematic sectional view of an embodiment of a wound dressing according to the present invention, and

Fig. 2 shows a purely schematic plan view of another embodiment of a wound dressing according to the invention.

The wound dressing 100 according to the invention according to Fig. 1 is formed from the films 10, 11, the wound dressing hydrogels 12, 13 and an energy transfer medium 14, which is located between the hydrogels 12 and 13 and is preferably designed as an electrode. The wound dressing can be any known material suitable for dressing purposes that has hydrophilic properties. For example, a carrier material made of a natural or synthetic fiber is advantageous, which

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is either hydrophilic itself or/and is used in conjunction with special hydrophilic materials, such as hydrofiber materials. The wound dressing material is preferably characterized by good electrical conductivity. Hydrogels and alginates are particularly preferred. It has proven to be particularly advantageous if other auxiliary or medicinal substances such as growth factors are contained in or on the wound dressing. These can be chemical or biological substances such as enzymes. The electrode can be designed as a liquid-permeable net or as a film with small perforations, which ensures an even distribution of the moisture contained in the hydrophilic wound dressing and any additives mentioned above. It has proven to be particularly advantageous to design the electrode as a carbon net, which is designed as a braid or as a woven or knitted surface structure. A connection between the electrode and the wound dressing in the form of a solid connection of the two materials shows particularly good properties. The wound dressing 100 preferably has a flattened shape that essentially has two sides. Any other suitable and advantageous shape is also conceivable, e.g. for specific body regions, which is essentially convex, concave, etc. The films 10 and 11 are preferably made of electrically non-conductive material, whereby hydrophobic plastics known to the person skilled in the art are particularly suitable. Polyethylene, polypropylene or polyurethane films are particularly advantageous. The film can be coated with an adhesive, which ensures adhesion to the wound dressing 12, 13. On the other hand, easy removal of the film 10 or 11 should be ensured. It is also conceivable that the film is attached by means of one or more seams and is provided with a perforation or the like, at which it can be easily separated from the wound dressing. The wound dressing 100, preferably the electrode and particularly preferably the wound dressing have good electrical conductivity. The material can, for example, be treated with pulses of 2 to 12 microamperes/cm ² and a charge of 4 to 8, preferably 6 microamperes.

coulombs are used. The material preferably has a homogeneous conductivity, in particular over the electrode or wound dressing surface or essentially over the wound dressing. Furthermore, the wound dressing is structurally stable, in particular during storage and during use, also during the application of electricity and particularly preferably while it remains on the wound.

The wound dressing 100 according to Fig. 2 has hydrogel as wound dressing means 12, 13, between which a carbon electrode 18 is introduced in the composite. The electrode 18 is provided with a connection 15, which serves for connection to a pulse-generating or possibly energy-generating device or a stimulation device and has conventional connection means. The connection between the connection means 15 and the electrode 18 can be provided laterally between the wound dressing means 12, 13 or can be implemented by an opening in the form of a slot or window in one of the wound dressing means 12, 13.

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List of reference symbols

100 wound dressing

10 Slide

11 Slide

12 wound dressings (hydrogel)

13 Wound dressings (hydrogel)

14 Energy transfer medium

15 Connection means for energy generation device

16 Carbon braided electrode

Claims (22)

1. Wound dressing ( 100 ), characterized in that the wound dressing consists of a combination of an energy transfer medium ( 14 ) and at least one wound dressing agent ( 12 , 13 ). 2. Wound dressing according to claim 1, characterized in that the wound dressing agent ( 12 , 13 ) is a wound conditioning agent and/or a wound healing agent. 3. Wound dressing according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the energy transfer medium ( 14 ) has the wound dressing means ( 12 , 13 ) on at least one surface side as a disc-, net-, grid-, film-, or plate-shaped body. 4. Wound dressing according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the energy transmission medium ( 14 ) is substantially surrounded by the wound dressing means ( 12 , 13 ). 5. Wound dressing according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the wound dressing means ( 12 , 13 ) has an additional layer ( 10 , 11 ) on at least one side facing away from the energy transmission medium ( 10 ). 6. Wound dressing according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the energy transmission medium ( 14 ) is an electrode for electrical stimulation. 7. Wound dressing according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the energy transfer medium ( 14 ) is a magnetic plate for generating a magnetic field. 8. Wound dressing according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the energy transfer medium ( 14 ) is a heating plate for generating heat. 9. Wound dressing according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the wound dressing agent ( 12 , 13 ) is a hydroactive polymer or another material with hydrophilic properties. 10. Wound dressing according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the wound dressing agent ( 12 , 13 ) is selected from the group consisting of hydrofiber materials, foams, hydrogels, hydrocolloids and alginates or a combination thereof. 11. Wound dressing according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the energy transfer medium ( 14 ) is an energy-conducting film. 12. Wound dressing according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the energy transfer medium ( 14 ) is a carbon foil or metal foil. 13. Wound dressing according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the energy transfer medium is introduced between two layers ( 12 , 13 ) of the wound dressing. 14. Wound dressing according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the energy transfer medium ( 14 ) is permeable to liquid transfer and/or vapor exchange. 15. Wound dressing according to one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the energy transfer medium ( 14 ) is designed as a braid or as a knitted or woven fabric. 16. Wound dressing according to one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that the additional layer is a semi-permeable film ( 10 ) which enables water vapor to be dissipated. 17. Wound dressing according to one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that the additional layer is a film ( 10 ) made of polyethylene, polypropylene or polyurethane. 18. Wound dressing according to one of claims 1 to 17, characterized in that the wound dressing means ( 12 , 13 ) has an additional layer in the form of a removable film ( 11 ) on a further side facing away from the energy transmission medium ( 14 ). 19. Wound dressing according to one of claims 1 to 18, characterized in that the removable layer is a film ( 11 ). 20. Wound dressing according to one of claims 1 to 19, characterized in that the film ( 11 ) consists of polyethylene, polypropylene or polyurethane. 21. Wound dressing according to one of claims 1 to 20, characterized in that the wound dressing ( 100 ) is provided with one or more perforations or the like in order to enable a size assignment to the wound or a band-shaped arrangement of several wound dressings for tearing off. 22. Wound dressing according to one of claims 1 to 21, characterized in that the film ( 10 , 10 ) is fastened by means of one or more seams and/or is provided with a perforation or the like, with which the film ( 10 , 11 ) can be easily separated from the wound dressing.