Patent ID: 7753894

Claim:
An apparatus for irrigating, stressing and/or cleansing wounds, comprising: a fluid flow path comprising: a conformable wound dressing, comprising: a backing layer which is capable of forming a relatively fluid-tight seal or closure over a wound; an inlet conduit passing through and/or under a wound-facing face of the dressing and directly or indirectly communicating with at least a fluid reservoir; and an outlet conduit passing through and/or under the wound-facing face; wherein a relatively fluid-tight seal or closure is formed over the wound at the point at which the inlet conduit and the outlet conduit passes through and/or under the wound-facing face; a means for fluid cleansing in direct or indirect communication at least with the outlet conduit, the means for fluid cleansing being configured to retain in the cleansed fluid nutrients, molecules, factors, and/or other components from the wound exudate that aid in proliferation or that are favorable to the wound healing; a fluid recirculation tube for directing cleansed fluid from the means for fluid cleansing back into the inlet conduit so that nutrients, molecules, factors, and/or other components from the wound exudate that aid in proliferation or that are favorable to the wound healing process are returned to the wound; and a device for moving fluid through the wound dressing and means for fluid cleansing; and means for stressing the wound bed comprising means for bleeding fluid into the flow path to vary the pressure applied to the wound to stress the wound.