Patent ID: 7857806

Claim:
A system for applying negative pressure therapy to a wound, comprising: a wound dressing including a wound cover that is sealable to skin surrounding a wound; a portable suction pump powered by a battery or by an alternating current electrical power supply; a conduit having an end operatively associated with the wound dressing and an opposite end operatively associated with the suction pump, to communicate suction to the wound; the suction pump comprising a flow monitor to detect a flow rate in the conduit; a waste collector disposed in the conduit between the wound dressing and the suction pump for collecting liquids aspirated from the wound, the waste collector being releasably supported by a docking station on the pump; the flow monitor comprising a non-numerical annunciator having an indicator that provides color-coded visual indications of flow conditions including an indication that the flowrate is within a range indicative of a blockage showing an occlusion in the system, normal operation, an indication that the flow rate is at a first level indicative of a first level of leakage in the system, and an indication that the flow rate is at a second level indicative of a second and higher level of leakage in the system.