Patent ID: 8030534

Claim:
A tunnel dressing for treating a wound with suction comprising a generally elongate permeable member comprising: a distal end; a proximal end; a cohesive permeable outer wound contact surface; and a permeable internal core; the wound contact surface being adapted to transport wound exudates from the wound tissue to the internal core, the wound contact surface being generally free of protrusions that could become embedded in the wound tissue; the core having interconnecting interstices extending from the distal end to the proximal end for transporting wound exudates along the elongate member, at least some of the interstices being resistant to complete collapse under the compressive forces of therapeutic suction and in the presence of wound exudates such the core remains capable of transporting fluid; the tunnel dressing having sufficient tensile strength to resist breakage during removal from the wound after exposure to therapeutic suction and wound exudates.