Patent ID: 8022266

Claim:
A method of facilitating the healing of a wound in a mammal by encouraging cellular activity at the wound comprising: a. providing a dressing comprising a permeable structure having a first surface, a second surface and a plurality of interstices located between said first surface and said second surface, wherein: (i) said first surface comprises wound surface contact elements and a plurality of discrete voids defined by said wound surface contact elements, (ii) each of said voids is resistant to collapse in the presence of liquids in the wound to maintain empty space therein, and (iii) each of said first surface, said second surface and said wound surface contact elements comprises the same fibrous material; b. applying said dressing on the wound so that said first surface is in engagement with the tissue of the mammal at the wound; c. providing a cover; d. applying said cover over said second surface of said dressing to establish a confined space in which said dressing is located and to cause said first surface of said dressing to be in intimate engagement with the tissue of the mammal at the wound; e. providing a vacuum source; f. applying suction to said confined space by coupling said vacuum source to said confined space to produce a compressive force on said dressing while maintaining empty space within said voids, whereupon a force in a force range of 0.1 PSI to 5.0 PSI is applied on the tissue at said voids by the suction, which force encourages cellular activity within said voids without completely collapsing said voids, thereby facilitating wound healing; and g. maintaining said dressing in intimate engagement with the tissue of the mammal at the wound during the application of suction thereto.