(19)      Federal Republic of Germany

                        [emblem]

            German Patent Office

(51) Int.Cl.3:

A61 L 15/01

(12)                                                         Offenlegungsschrift

                                                      [= Published Patent Application]

(11)                                                          DE 30 32 092 A1

 

(21)      Application number:                  P 30 32 092.4 

(22)      Filing date:                    August 26, 1980

(43)      Disclosure date:                        April 1, 1982

 

                                                                                                     Property of the Patent Authorities

(71)      Applicant:

            IPOS Gesellschaft für integrierte Prothesen Entwicklung und orthopädietechnischen Service mbH & Co KG, 2120 Lüneburg, DE

 

(72)      Inventor:           Prahl, Jan, 2127 Rullstorf, DE

 

(54) Wound Dressing

 

 

DE 30 32 092 A1

 

J. RICHTER, Grad.Eng.

F. WERDERMANN, Grad.Eng.                                                                   PATENT ATTORNEYS

PROFESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVES BEFORE EPO

 

APPLICANT:                                                                                                        D-2000 HAMBURG 36

IPOS Gesellschaft für integrierte                                                                                    NEUER WALL 10

Prothesen Entwicklung und                                                                      Telephone: (040) 34 00 45 / 34 0058

orthopädietechnischen Service                                                                Telegram: INVENTIUS HAMBURG

mbH & Co KG

2120 Lüneburg                                                                                                                     YOUR FILE:

                                                                                                                              OUR FILE: 2611-I-8039

III-8039

                                                                                                                        DATE: August 25, 1980

TITLE:

Wound Dressing

 

                                                                    Patent Claims

 

1.         Wound dressing, characterized in that said wound dressing comprises an absorbent layer (20) which exhibits a capillary action effect and is made of a foamed, addition cross linked silicone rubber and which has an absorbent storage layer (30), which is foam molded into the absorbent layer (20) and which is made of a material, exhibiting a strong hygroscopic effect, and comprises a sealing layer (40), which covers the absorbent layer (20) on one side.

 

2.         Wound dressing, as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the absorbent storage layer (30), which is foam molded into the absorbent layer (20), consists of strip shaped sections (30a), which are made of a material exhibiting a strong hygroscopic effect.

3.         Wound dressing, as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the strip shaped sections (30a), which form the absorbent storage layer (30), are disposed in the absorbent layer (20) adjacent to the sealing layer (40).

 

4.         Wound dressing, as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the absorbent storage layer (30), which is foam molded into the absorbent layer (20), consists of bead shaped bodies (30b), which are made of a material exhibiting a strong hygroscopic effect.

 

5.         Wound dressing, as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the absorbent storage layer (30) is designed as grid shaped surface bodies, which are foam molded into the absorbent layer (20) and which are made of a material exhibiting a strong hygroscopic effect.

 

6.         Wound dressing, as claimed in claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the absorbent storage layer (30) is made of cellulose or the like.

 

7.         Wound dressing, as claimed in claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the sealing layer (40) is made of an addition cross linked, homogeneous silicone.

 

8.         Wound dressing, as claimed in claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the sealing layer (40) has a purge valve (60).

 

9.         Application of a functional element, comprising an absorbent layer (20), which exhibits a capillary action effect and is made of a foamed, addition cross linked silicone rubber and which exhibits an absorbent storage layer (30), which is foam molded into the absorbent layer (20) and is constructed in the shape of strips, grids, large areas or beads and is made of a material exhibiting a strong hygroscopic effect; and comprising a sealing layer (40), which covers the absorbent layer (20) on one side, as a wound dressing, which does not fuse with the body tissue, but has a high absorbent and storage effect for the tissue fluid, developing in the wounds on the human and animal body, for the purpose of improving the healing of wounds.

 

The invention relates to a wound dressing for tending to wounds on the human and animal body.

 

In the treatment of wounds it is known to apply to the wound, in place of cellulose dressings, dressings that are made of polyurethane foams and that exert a certain absorbing effect on the wound. In this way the tissue fluids are absorbed in this foamed material-like polyurethane sponge, so that the therapeutic results are significantly better than those in the case of the prior art cellulose dressings.

 

However, just as in the case of cellulose and compression dressings, the use of dressings made of polyurethane foams also produces a permanent bond between the wound granulation and the dressing pad so that the removal of the absorbent areas always has an impairing effect on the wound.

 

Therefore, the object of the invention is to provide a wound dressing, which prevents the dressing from fusing with the wound granulation of a healing wound and which has a high absorbing and storing effect for the tissue fluids, developing in wounds on the human and animal body. With this wound dressing the absorbed tissue fluid cannot be pushed out of the wound dressing upon movement and pressure.

 

This object is achieved in that the invention proposes a wound dressing, which comprises an absorbent layer which exhibits a capillary action effect and is made of a foamed, addition cross linked silicone rubber.


The absorbent layer also has an absorbent storage layer, which is foam molded into the absorbent layer and which is made of a material exhibiting a strong hygroscopic effect. Furthermore, the wound dressing comprises a sealing layer, which covers the absorbent layer on one side.

 

The absorbent storage layer is also foam molded in the form of strip shaped sections, as bead shaped bodies or in the form of a grid into the absorbent layer and is made of a material that exhibits a strong hygroscopic effect, such as cellulose or the like.

 

With a wound dressing that is constructed as described above, the formation of a permanent bond between the wound dressing and the wound granulation of a wound is no longer possible, so that the removal of the wound dressing can no longer have an impairing effect on the wound. This feature is due to the absorbent layer that is used and that is made of an addition cross linked silicone rubber, which exhibits a toxicological safeness that is significantly higher than that of the prior art polyurethane foams that are used as wound dressings. Addition cross linked silicone rubber is not accepted by the body tissue. That is, the conditions for the wound dressing to fuse with the wound (that is, the wound granulation) no longer exist. Consequently it turns out that wound dressings having an absorbent layer made of a foamed addition cross linked silicone rubber offer ideal conditions for healing wounds.

Owing to the use of foamed, addition cross linked silicone rubber as the absorbent layer, the absorbent layer is provided with a capillary action effect, which makes it possible to absorb the tissue fluid from the wound. This tissue fluid is conveyed through the capillary canals, which are formed in the absorbent layer, as far as into the absorbent storage layer, which is made of a material that exhibits a strong hygroscopic effect. Hence, the absorbent storage layer has the property to absorb and to store the fluid with the result that when pressure is exerted on the absorbent layer, the tissue fluid cannot emerge, because this tissue fluid has been absorbed by the absorbent storage layer and is securely held in this layer. Owing to the capillary action system, which is formed in the absorbent layer, this absorbent storage layer absorbs a certain amount of tissue fluid, which, however, cannot be pushed out - upon movement and pressure - of the compression member, which acts as a sponge, because the tissue fluid is absorbed by the absorbent storage layer and is securely held in this layer.

 

Other advantageous embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims.

 

Thus, the invention provides, inter alia, the use of a functional element that comprises an absorbent layer. This absorbent layer exhibits a capillary action effect and is made of a foamed, addition cross linked silicone rubber. This absorbent layer also exhibits an absorbent storage layer, which is foam molded into the absorbent layer and is constructed in the shape of strips, grids, large areas or beads and is made of a material that exhibits a strong hygroscopic effect.


The functional element also comprises a sealing layer, which covers the absorbent layer on one side. The functional element is intended for use as a wound dressing, which does not fuse with the body tissue, but has a high absorbent and storage effect for the tissue fluid, developing in the wounds on the human and animal body, in order to improve the healing of wounds.

 

The drawing depicts the subject matter of the invention as an example, and in particular,

 

            Figure 1 depicts a wound dressing constructed in the shape of a pad in a view from the top; and

 

            Figure 2 is a perpendicular sectional view along the line II-II in Figure 1 in an enlarged reproduction.

 

According to Figures 1 and 2, the wound dressing 100, which is constructed, as an example, in the shape of a pad 10, comprises an absorbent layer 20, which is made of a foamed, addition cross linked silicone rubber, which imparts to the absorbent layer 20 a capillary action effect. This capillary action effect is preserved in the use of a foamed, addition cross linked silicone rubber, but there is also the possibility of using an addition cross linked silicone rubber foam, in which, ultrafine capillary tubes, which are arranged side by side, are formed, so that owing to the capillary action in the thin tubes an absorbent effect is achieved. These absorbent capillary channels or tubes are indicated by the reference numeral 25 in Figure 2.

Foam molded into the absorbent layer 20 is an absorbent storage layer 30, which is made of a material that exhibits a strong hygroscopic effect, such as cellulose or the like. However, it is also possible to use other substances and chemical compounds that exhibit strong hygroscopic active properties. The absorbent storage layer 30 is integrated into the absorbent layer 20, for example, in the form of strip shaped sections 30a. In this case it is advantageous to arrange this absorbent storage layer 30 in the edge region of the absorbent layer 20. This feature shall be explained in more detail below. In place of the strip shaped sections 30a, the absorbent storage layer 30 can be made of bead shaped bodies 30b, which are also foam molded into this absorbent layer so as to be distributed over the interior of the absorbent layer 20. Even a large area configuration, for example, in the shape of an intermediate layer, having absorbent and storage layer properties, is possible. In addition, absorbent storage layers, which are formed in the shape of a grid, can also be used. In this case then the grid is also made of a material that exhibits a strong hygroscopic effect.

 

The absorbent layer 20 of the wound dressing 100 is covered on one side with a sealing layer 40, which seals the interior of the absorbent layer 20 on the exterior side. This sealing layer 40 is also made preferably of an addition cross linked, homogeneous silicone. Therefore, the effect of the absorbent material is significantly enhanced. Then the absorbent storage layer 30 is disposed in the absorbent layer 20 adjacent to the sealing layer 40.

As a result, the sealing layer 40 constitutes the exterior termination of the wound dressing. This sealing layer or sealing skin 40 and the absorbent layer 20 are connected together by means of a mortising joint, indicated by the reference numeral 50 in Figure 1.

 

The sponge effect of the absorbent layer 20 is indicated by the reference numeral 20a in Figure 2.

 

In order to intensify the absorbent effect of the absorbent storage layer 30, the sealing layer 40 of the wound dressing may have a purge valve 60, so that the absorbent storage layer 30 may be provided with a slight vacuum. This feature can be achieved by using, for example, a small rubber ball or rubber pad as the purge valve 40, which is integrated into the sealing layer 40 in such a manner that it is totally inconspicuous (Figure 2). Subject to the action of pressure on the rubber ball or the rubber pad and the elimination of the pressure, the desired vacuum is generated after the rubber ball or the rubber pad has been completely transferred into its starting position. The return valve, which is provided, prevents a connection to the outside air, so that the resulting vacuum is maintained in the absorbent storage layer 30.

 

                                                                   - Blank Sheet -

 



Figure 1

 

Number: 3032 092

Int. Cl.3: A 61 L 15/01

Filing date: August 26, 1980

Disclosure date: April 1, 1982