Patent ID: 8821535

Claim:
A tissue covering element for use in a vacuum assisted closure system, the tissue covering element comprising: a tissue contacting portion, said portion being positionable on either side of a wound margin of a wounded tissue surface; and a bridging portion which bridges the wound and in use provides at least a partial vacuum above the wound, and wherein the bridging portion when in use comprises a higher ratio of internal surfaces that are aligned substantially non-parallel relative to a skin surface compared to surfaces that are aligned substantially parallel relative to the skin surface such that a contractability of at least a portion of the tissue contacting portion toward a middle portion of the wound is greater in the direction parallel to the skin surface than the contractability of the wound cover in the direction that is substantially non-parallel relative to the skin surface when vacuum is applied above the wound, and wherein the bridging portion is configured for anisotropic collapse parallel to the skin surface.