Patent ID: 8177763

Claim:
A portable system for subatmospheric pressure therapy in connection with healing a surgical wound, which comprises: a wound dressing dimensioned for positioning relative to a wound bed of a subject; and a collection canister in fluid communication with the wound dressing and defining a central longitudinal axis extending along a length of the collection canister, the canister including a first vacuum chamber for drawing a vacuum and a second fluid chamber for collecting fluids removed from the wound dressing under the vacuum, the canister further including a hydrophobic membrane separating the first vacuum chamber and the second fluid chamber, the hydrophobic membrane dimensioned to span a major portion of the cross-sectional area of the canister and including one or more lobes extending outwardly relative to the central longitudinal axis, the one or more lobes positioned and dimensioned for permitting continued vacuum draw upon tilting, inverting, or placing the collection canister on a side thereof.