Patent ID: 8167869

Claim:
A portable system for subatmospheric pressure therapy in connection with healing a wound, which comprises: a wound dressing dimensioned for positioning relative to a wound bed of a subject to apply a subatmospheric pressure to the wound; a subatmospheric pressure mechanism including: a housing; a vacuum source disposed in the housing and having an inlet port and an outlet port, the inlet port fluidly couplable to the wound dressing via a conduit; a collection canister in fluid communication with the inlet port and the wound dressing via the conduit for collecting exudate removed from the wound bed; a valve mechanism disposed relative to the vacuum source and fluidly coupled to the inlet and outlet ports via the conduit; and an exhaust port in fluid communication with the wound dressing via the valve mechanism and with the outlet port of the vacuum source, the exhaust port configured to vent an air flow from at least one of the vacuum source and the wound dressing; wherein the valve mechanism is adapted to move between an open position where the vacuum source is capable of drawing a vacuum in the collection canister through the inlet port via the conduit and an air flow from the outlet port is vented through the exhaust port, a proportional position where the outlet port is placed in fluid communication with the inlet port through the valve mechanism via the conduit such that an air flow exits from the outlet port and circulates through the valve mechanism and into the inlet port and an air flow from the wound dressing is vented through the exhaust port, and a closed position where an air flow from the outlet port circulates through the inlet port and fluid communication between the inlet port and the wound dressing is interrupted.