Patent ID: 7368128

Claim:
A dressing for debridement of necrotic and non-viable tissue in a wound by controlled or sustained release of one or more proteolytic enzymes to the wound, said dressing comprising, 1) an absorbent material layer; 2) an amount of particles effective for debridement of necrotic and non-viable tissue, said particles containing one or more proteolytic, debridement enzymes, said enzyme particles coated with a first degradable polymeric material, the first degradable polymeric material being selected from the group consisting of celluloses, polyvinyl, acrylic polymers, polylactates, polymers of glycerol and palmitostearic acid, shellac, polyurethanes, gelatin, polyethylene glycol (PEG) and derivatives and mixtures thereof; 3) a layer of a second degradable polymeric material; wherein the second degradable polymer is more quickly degraded than the first degradable polymer; wherein a first side of the absorbent material layer is in contact with the enzyme particles coated with the first degradable polymer; wherein the layer of the second degradable polymer is a film which covers the absorbent material and the enzyme particles; and wherein said dressing has a backing layer covering a second side of the absorbent material layer.