Patent ID: 7118545

Claim:
An external wound dressing retainer comprising: a flexible frame having an opening substantially surrounded by the frame, wherein the opening is bounded by a plurality of edges, wherein the frame includes a first side and a second side including an adhesive for adherence of the frame to skin of a patient; a flexible flap having a plurality of edges, wherein the dimensions of the flap substantially correspond to the dimensions of the opening, and the flap is attached to the frame via a corresponding edge of the flap and the frame; and a sealing mechanism for releasably engaging non-attached edges of the flap to corresponding non-attached edges of the frame, wherein the sealing mechanism includes a zipper arrangement having complementary interlocking first and second grooves situated on the non-attached edges of the flap and the frame, respectively, further including a sliding element adapted to sealably join the first groove to the second groove, wherein the sealing mechanism provides a liquid-proof seal between the edges of the flaps and the edges of the frame.