Patent ID: 7381859

Claim:
A removable wound closure, said closure comprising: a porous pad, wherein said pad is permeable to fluids for placement on or in a wound, and wherein said porous pad comprises a polymer foam having interconnecting cells; a first sheet of flexible plastics film disposed between a surface of the wound and said porous pad and wherein said first sheet of flexible plastics film is in contact with a first surface of said porous pad, said first flexible plastics film having a plurality of through holes; a film drape disposed over an opposing second surface of said porous pad, wherein said film drape comprises an adhesive perimeter for sealing said film drape to an area of skin surrounding the wound, and wherein said film drape is impermeable to liquids; a connection means extending through said film drape and in flow communication with said porous pad; a second sheet of flexible plastics film disposed between said film drape and said porous pad, and wherein a perimeter of said second sheet of flexible plastics film is sealed to a perimeter of said first flexible plastics film to form an envelope, and wherein said second sheet is further comprised of through holes, such that when said connection means is connected to said source of negative pressure, wound exudate is drawn through and out said porous pad and through said holes in said second sheet; and a source of negative pressure in flow communication with said connection means, wherein said negative pressure source stimulates a flow of exuded fluids from the wound, through said first sheet of flexible plastics film, through said porous pad, and through said connection means.