Patent ID: 8366693

Claim:
A wound treatment system, comprising: (a) a flexible sealant structure comprising an upper surface, a lower surface and an adhesive, wherein the sealant structure is adapted and configured to seal around an area of tissue trauma to form a sealed space around the area of tissue trauma and beneath the sealant structure; (b) a suction source in fluid communication with the sealed space formed by the sealant structure, the suction source configured to create a level of reduced pressure inside the sealed space; (c) a passageway providing communication between the conduit and the area of tissue trauma for exposing the area of tissue trauma to reduced pressure; (d) an elastic element beneath the sealant structure, the elastic element configured to attach directly to skin and to exerts force onto the tissue for relieving tension on the area of tissue trauma; (e) at least one force control element configured to provide control over an amount of force that the device applies to the tissue; (f) a contact layer configured to be positioned beneath the sealant structure, wherein the contact layer is positioned between the sealant structure and the area of tissue trauma such that the contact layer is in direct contact with the area of tissue trauma; and (g) a carrier structure removably coupled to the sealant structure, wherein the carrier structure maintains the sealant structure in a stretched state when the carrier structure is coupled to the sealant structure, wherein the carrier structure comprises a series of ribs that make the sealant structure substantially rigid when the when the carrier structure is coupled to the sealant structure.