Patent ID: 8795243

Claim:
An apparatus for administering reduced pressure treatment to a wound on a body, comprising: a flexible overlay positionable over the wound and adapted to maintain reduced pressure under the flexible overlay, the flexible overlay configured to form a seal surrounding the wound and having at least one opening therein; a vacuum source configured to provide reduced pressure through the opening to a space under the overlay; a conduit for connecting the overlay to the vacuum source; a hydrophobic filter positioned at the opening, wherein the hydrophobic filter is configured to retain wound exudate in the space under the overlay; wherein the flexible overlay defines at least in part a collection chamber configured such that exudate from the wound can flow into the collection chamber and is retained therein, but the wound exudate within the collection chamber is prevented from flowing past the hydrophobic filter; and further comprising a membrane that acts as a barrier separating the collection chamber and the flexible overlay, so that the membrane acts as a portion of the surface of the collection chamber and a portion of the surface of the flexible overlay.