Patent ID: 7951124

Claim:
A wound contact device for use in treating a wound with suction to encourage cellular activity at the wound to facilitate wound healing, the wound contact device comprising a permeable material and a wound contact layer, the permeable material having a plurality of interstices, the wound contact layer comprising a thin film formed of a material that is resistant to adhering to the wound, the thin film forming a wound contact surface arranged to directly engage the wound, but not adhere to the wound, the wound contact device having a plurality of voids extending from the wound contact surface through the wound contact layer into the permeable material, each of the voids having a depth in the range of 0.2 mm to 5 mm and comprising a first end, a second end and a sidewall located between the first and second ends, the first end comprising an open area at the contact surface, the second end being located within the permeable material, the sidewall of each of the voids forming the boundary of an open space from the first end of the void to the second end of the void, the open space being open at all times irrespective of whether or not suction is applied to the wound contact device, a portion of the sidewall of each of the voids within the permeable material being bounded by some of the interstices, the voids defining wound contact elements on the wound contact surface, the sidewalls of the voids being resistant to collapse to maintain empty space in the voids when exposed to moisture and other wound exudates and the application of continuous suction within the range of 0.67 PSI to 1.45 PSI to the wound contact device to enable tissue at the voids to be readily drawn into the empty space by the application of such suction, whereupon a mechanical force is applied to the tissue at the voids to stretch that tissue in the empty space to result in strain on that tissue to encourage cellular activity and tissue growth.