Patent ID: 7794450

Claim:
An apparatus for irrigating, supplying thermal energy to, and cleansing wounds, comprising: a fluid flow path, comprising: a conformable wound dressing, comprising a backing layer which is capable of forming a relatively fluid-tight seal or closure over a wound and a wound-facing face, at least one inlet pipe passing through and/or under the wound-facing face and directly or indirectly communicating with at least a fluid reservoir, and at least one outlet pipe passing through and/or under the wound-facing face, wherein a relatively fluid-tight seal or closure is formed over the wound at the point at which each inlet pipe and each outlet pipe passes through and/or under the wound-facing face; a means for fluid cleansing in direct or indirect communication at least with the outlet pipe; and a fluid recirculation tube for directing cleansed fluid from the means for fluid cleansing back into the inlet pipe without passing through the reservoir so that at least nutrients, molecules, factors, physiologically active components and/or other components from the wound dressing that aid in proliferation or that are favorable to the wound healing process are returned to the wound; a device for moving fluid through at least the wound dressing and the means for fluid cleansing; a means for supplying thermal energy to at least the recirculated fluid provided to the wound so as to maintain the wound at a temperature between 34 and 40 degrees Celsius to optimize the metabolic activities of physiologically active components within the wound dressing and promote wound healing, and a means for bleeding the fluid flow path to bleed fluid from the recirculation tube to relieve pressure within the fluid flow path.