Patent ID: 11931165
Assignee: SMITH & NEPHEW PLC
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A  H | IPC A  H

Claim 12:
13. A method for manufacturing an apparatus for use in monitoring or treating a wound, the method comprising:
mounting a sensor on an elastomer substrate and in electrical communication with conductive tracks on the elastomer substrate, the elastomer substrate being flexible;
forming a first conductive pathway from ink on at least part of a perimeter of a first side of the elastomer substrate;
electrically connecting the first conductive pathway to an electrical ground plane for the elastomer substrate;
applying a conformal coating to the elastomer substrate, the conformal coating comprising biocompatible material and encapsulating the elastomer substrate and the sensor; and
incorporating the elastomer substrate into a wound contact layer of a wound dressing or coupling the elastomer substrate to the wound contact layer, the wound dressing comprising the wound contact layer and an absorbent layer, the wound contact layer having a surface area that is at least as large as the absorbent layer and configured to contact the wound, the wound contact layer being flexible, the absorbent layer being configured to store wound exudate.