US 11,938,002 B2
Control of wound closure and fluid removal management in wound therapy
Allan Kenneth Frazer Grugeon Hunt, Hull (GB); William Joseph Jaecklein, Saint Petersburg, FL (US); and Felix Clarence Quintanar, Hull (GB)
Assigned to Smith & Nephew, Inc., Memphis, TN (US)
Filed by Smith & Nephew, Inc., Memphis, TN (US)
Filed on Jul. 21, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/870,718.
Application 17/870,718 is a continuation of application No. 16/616,823, granted, now 11,395,873, previously published as PCT/US2018/037165, filed on Jun. 12, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/519,790, filed on Jun. 14, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2023/0017606 A1, Jan. 19, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61F 13/05 (2024.01); A61M 1/00 (2006.01)
CPC A61F 13/05 (2024.01) [A61M 1/73 (2021.05); A61M 1/90 (2021.05); A61M 1/96 (2021.05); A61M 1/982 (2021.05); A61M 1/985 (2021.05); A61M 2205/3331 (2013.01); A61M 2205/35 (2013.01); A61M 2205/50 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A wound therapy apparatus comprising:
a negative pressure source configured to provide negative pressure via a fluid flow path to a wound of a patient covered by a wound dressing and to remove fluid from the wound;
a pressure sensor configured to monitor pressure in the fluid flow path; and
a controller programmed to:
monitor a rate of fluid removal from the wound during provision of negative pressure by the negative pressure source by monitoring pressure variations in the fluid flow path using an output of the pressure sensor,
determine that the rate of fluid removal causes a first volume of fluid being removed from the wound to equal to or exceed a second volume of fluid being provided to the patient, and
provide a notification responsive to determining that the rate of fluid removal causes the first volume of fluid to equal to or exceed the second volume of fluid.