Abstract:
A wound leakage collection device is described wherein a chamber provides a volume wherein wound leakage material can be removed from vacuum tubing and said device can be easily removed from a wound and a negative pressure source.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to capture wound leakage material that is drawn away from the vicinity of a wound using a vacuum line. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Negative pressure wound therapy enhances wound healing in multiple ways, including, but not limited to, micro-stimulation of granulation, macro-mechanical holding, stimulation of blood flow, reduction of edema, and removal of healing inhibitory enzymes and wound contaminants. One consequence of providing the negative pressure therapy is a need to collect and remove the drainage. It is sometimes the case that severe wounds leak significant amounts of byproduct material. It is advantageous to remove the wound leakage material or wound byproduct material via a vacuum or negative pressure system. It is typical that negative pressure wound dressings are changed one to four times a week. However, the collection canister employed may need to be changed more or less often, depending on the amount of wound leakage material drainage amounts, which differs greatly from wound to wound. 
     In the wound treatment art, a vacuum or negative pressure source is in contact with a wound via a vacuum tube line, a wound tape material making contact between the wound and the vacuum tube line, and a reservoir canister to hold the byproduct material. 
     Often the reservoir canister is attached to the negative pressure system. The reservoir has to be monitored such that byproduct material, typically a liquid, does not flow into the mechanical vacuum or negative pressure device. The reservoir canister often encompasses a large portion of the vacuum or negative pressure device. The combination of reservoir canister and vacuum device is often too bulky and cumbersome to be carried easily by the patient during activities of daily living. Such bulky vacuum units make the patient less inclined to complete a treatment regimen. 
     Other means of removing wound leakage material include applying an absorbent material next to the wound. Once the absorbent material has reached saturation of wound leakage material, the absorbent material must be removed. Another absorbent material must be placed next to the wound to further remove wound leakage material until the wound is a fully drained. The process of redressing a wound to further eliminate wound leakage material is often messy and involves the use of additional materials. Patients are most often unable or unwilling to undertake the required dressing changes. If dressing is not changed properly, there is an elevated risk of infection and wound healing complication for the patient. 
     Both of the methods described above, as well as others, require significant amounts of material, equipment or effort to effectively drain a healing wound. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an inline vacuum wound leakage collection device to remove wound leakage material. Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. 
     To achieve the foregoing and other objects, and in accordance with the purposes of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the wound leakage collection device hereof includes vacuum tubing having a wall, the wall having an external surface, an internal surface, a first end in fluid communication with a source of negative pressure, a second end in fluid communication with a source of wound leakage, and a portion between the first end and the second end having one or more perforation through the wall thereof; a chamber for enclosing and maintaining a vacuum around the external surface of the perforated portion of the tubing; absorbent material disposed within the chamber adjacent to the external surface of the perforated portion of the tubing; and one or more vapor-permeable plug disposed in the internal surface of the vacuum tubing between the first end and the perforated portion thereof. 
     In another embodiment of the present invention, and in accordance with its objects and purposes, a method for containing leakage from a wound is presented. The method comprising the steps applying a vacuum from a source of negative pressure to one end of a tube, the other end thereof being in fluid communication with a source of wound leakage; collecting wound leakage from the tube through one or more perforation in a portion of the wall of the tube into absorbent material disposed in a chamber enclosing and maintaining a vacuum around the external surface of the perforated portion of the tube; and blocking wound leakage from entering the source of negative pressure using one or more vapor-permeable plug disposed within the tube between the one or more perforation and the source of negative pressure. 
     Benefits and advantages of the present invention include, but are not limited to, providing a less cumbersome device and a more advantageous and cleaner wound treatment by reducing the accumulation of wound byproducts from a wound. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention can be best understood by those having ordinary skill in the art by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a side view of an embodiment of vacuum tubing portion of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a side view of an embodiment of the fluid absorption chamber of the present invention including the vacuum line portion and the chamber portion sealed to the vacuum line portion shown in  FIG. 1  hereof, forming thereby a removable wound leakage material collection device. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of the invention shown in  FIG. 2  hereof. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Throughout the following detailed description, the same reference characters refer to the same or similar elements in all figures. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a side view of one embodiment of the present invention is shown. The negative pressure source  10  typically is disposed opposite the wound leakage material source  20 , and is connected thereto via the vacuum tubing  30 . 
     The vacuum tubing comprises a first end  100 , a second end  110  and an intermediate portion  120 . The intermediate portion  120  comprises a wall  550  having one or more perforations  400  therethrough, a first end  500  and a second end  510 . The vacuum tubing further comprises an internal surface  130  and an external surface  140 . The one or more perforations  400  provide for the flow of wound leakage material from the internal surface  130  to the external surface  140  of the wall  550 . 
       FIG. 1  also depicts the one or more plugs  260 A and  2608  filling the vacuum tubing  30  and contacting with the internal surface  130 . The one or more plugs  260 A and  260 B are disposed between the first end  500  of the intermediate portion  120  and the first end  100  of the vacuum tubing  30 . The one or more plugs  260 A and  260 B are comprised of vapor-permeable material. In one embodiment of the invention, the one or more plugs  260 A and  2608  comprise a material that is liquid impermeable. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a vacuum gauge  35 , which monitors pressure in the vacuum tubing  30  to allow for effective wound therapy.  FIG. 1  depicts a first vacuum line connector  50  disposed between the one or more plugs  260 A and  260 B and the negative pressure source  10 . The vacuum line connector  50  connects to a vacuum line connector  80  attached to the vacuum tubing  30 .  FIG. 1  further depicts a second vacuum line connector  40  between the second end of the vacuum tubing  110  and the wound leakage source  20 . The vacuum line connector  40  connects to a vacuum line connector  90  attached to the vacuum tubing  30 . The vacuum line connectors  50  and  40  allow for quick and easy removal and replacement of the wound leakage collection device. 
       FIG. 1  depicts a first tubing clamp  70  between the one or more plugs  260  and the first vacuum line connector  50 .  FIG. 1  further depicts a second clamp  60  between the second end portion  510  of the intermediate portion  120  and the second vacuum line connector  40 . The clamps  70  and  60  allow for isolation and containment of wound leakage material during removal and replacement of the wound leakage collection device. 
       FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  depict the clamps closed; however, during collection of wound leakage material, the clamps  70  and  60  would be open to maximize the fluid flow and pressure (vacuum) differential between the negative pressure source  10  and the wound leakage source  20 . 
       FIG. 2  depicts the chamber  190  surrounding the wall  550  of the wound leakage material collection device. The chamber  190  comprises a first end portion  200 , a second end portion  210 , and an intermediate portion  220 . The chamber has an internal surface  230  and an external surface  240 . 
       FIG. 2  also depicts the first end portion  200  of the chamber  190  and the second end portion  210  of the chamber  190  sealed to the external surface  140  of the vacuum tubing  30 . 
     Absorbent material  300  is disposed between the internal surface  230  of the chamber  190  and the external surface  140  of the wall  550 . The absorbent material  300  is adjacent to the one or more perforations  400 . 
       FIGS. 2 and 3  depict space between the one or more perforations  400  and the absorbent material  300  and space between the wall  550  and the absorbent material  300  to show the individual elements. In one embodiment of the invention, there is no space between the one or more perforations  400  and the absorbent material  300  nor is there space between the wall  550  and the absorbent material  300 . 
     In one embodiment of the present invention, the absorbent material  300  comprises filter material. In another embodiment of the present invention, the absorbent material  300  comprises a liquid permeable barrier material effective for transferring fluids but not desiccant. The absorbent material  300  provides a means for wound leakage material to be transferred from one or more perforations  400  of the wall  550  and into the chamber  190  as the wound leakage material travels from the wound leakage source  20  towards the negative pressure source  10 . 
     The wall  550  provides support such that the absorbent material  300  does not clog or occlude the application of negative pressure to the wound leakage source  20  from the negative pressure source  10 . It is contemplated within the scope of this invention that the wall includes structures such as screens, various meshes, scaffolding, rods and bars. 
       FIG. 2  depicts a desiccant material  310  disposed between the absorbent material  300  and the internal surface  230  of the chamber  190 . The desiccant material  310  absorbs the wound leakage material from the absorbent material  300 . The absorption of wound leakage material by the desiccant material  310  allows the absorbent material  300  to transfer additional wound leakage material from the one or more perforations  400  as such material flows from the wound leakage source  20  toward the negative pressure source  10  along the wall  550  of the intermediate portion  120 . 
     There are many different fabrication techniques to make the invention described and disclosed herein. As an example, chamber  190  may be fabricated and prepared for its intended purpose by using lengths of vacuum tubing having three diameters, the external surface  140  of innermost tubing  30  having a first outer diameter. A first short length of vacuum tubing having an inner diameter approximately equal to the first outer diameter is threaded onto tubing  30  between the intermediate portion  120  and the first end  100  thereof, that is, between perforations  400  in wall  550  and tubing clamp  70 , forming thereby a fluid seal with tubing  30 . A second length of vacuum tubing having an inner diameter approximately equal to the outer diameter of the first short length of vacuum tubing, and having a length spanning the approximate distance between the first end  100  and the second end  110  of tubing  30 , is threaded over tubing  30  and onto the first short length of tubing, forming thereby a fluid seal at one end of intermediate portion  120  corresponding to first end portion  200  of chamber  190 . The open end of the second tube is filled with absorbent material  300 . A second length of vacuum tubing having an inner diameter approximately equal to the first outer diameter is threaded onto tubing  30  between the intermediate portion  120  and second end  110  thereof, forming thereby a fluid seal at the other end of intermediate portion  120  corresponding to second end portion  210  of chamber  190 . If the diameters of the tubing do not provide sufficient fluid and vacuum seals, a silicone or other sealing composition can provide additional sealing capability. 
     In one embodiment of the present invention, the vacuum tubing is flexible. In another embodiment of the present invention the chamber is flexible. In yet another embodiment of the present invention the chamber is cylindrical and having an axis along said tubing. 
     In one embodiment of the present invention, the one or more perforations  400  are disposed circumferentially around the wall  550 . In another embodiment of the present invention, the chamber  190  is disposed circumferentially around the wall  550 . In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the absorbent material  300  is disposed circumferentially around the external surface  140  of the wall  550 . It is contemplated within the scope of the present invention that the individual size of the one or more perforations range from nanometers to multiple centimeters in length and width. 
       FIG. 3  depicts a cross sectional view of an embodiment of the wound leakage collection chamber of the present invention. The wall  550  has one or more perforations  400 , which allow for the flow of wound leakage material (not depicted) from the inside to the outside of the wall  550  and then to the absorbent material  300 . Wound leakage material flows from the absorbent material  300  to the desiccant material  310 , which is encased by the chamber  190 . 
     Any number of negative pressure sources are contemplated within the scope of this invention including a negative pressure sources that are battery powered, alternating current powered or manually powered. 
     It is believed that the apparatus of the present invention, and many of its attendant advantages will be understood by the foregoing description. It is also believed that it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction, and arrangement of the components thereof without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention or without sacrificing all of its material advantages. The forms herein before described, being merely exemplary and explanatory embodiment thereof. It is the intention of the following claims to encompass and include such changes.