Patent ID: 7981136

Claim:
A device for closing a wound, comprising: an elongate, flexible base strip having a bottom surface coated with an adhesive to adhere to one side of a wound and a top surface opposite the bottom surface; a plurality of bridging links connected to an inner edge of the base strip in axially-spaced relation, said bridging links extending transversely from the inner edge; each of said bridging links hingably movable about a hinge section between a first, storage position wherein said bridging links are folded over the top surface of the base strip and a second, extended position wherein said bridging links extend outwardly from said inner edge; said bridging links each having a first, engaging surface with an adhesive region thereon to adhere to an opposite side of the wound when the bridging links are in said extended position and a second surface opposite the engaging surface; wherein said hinge section is constructed with a fold line on said second surface of said bridging links, said fold line defines a hinge axis in the hinge section, said fold line of said bridging links being positioned outward a distance from said inner edge to define a tab extending outward a predetermined distance from said inner edge when the bridging links are in the first, storage position; wherein the adhesive region of the engaging surface of each of said bridging links is positioned outwardly and separately from the hinge section represented by said tab to define an adhesive-free region between the base strip and the adhesive region of the engaging surfaces of said bridging links; and said tab may be used as a gauge to maintain an appropriate distance between said inner edge of the base strip and the wound as well as assisting in alignment of the base strip with respect to the wound.