Wound dressing monitoring systems including appurtenances for wound dressings

Abstract

Appurtenances to a wound dressing and systems for monitoring wound dressings are described. In some embodiments, a system for monitoring a wound dressing includes: an appurtenance to a wound dressing, wherein the appurtenance includes a sensor unit, an electronic identifier, and a transmitter unit operably attached to the sensor unit and to the electronic identifier; and a local unit including a receiver for the transmitter unit, a processor operably attached to the receiver, and a communication unit operably attached to the processor.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An appurtenance to a wound dressing, comprising:
 an enclosure including at least one external surface of a size and shape to mate with a surface of a wound dressing;   a sensor unit affixed to the enclosure, the sensor unit configured to sense a condition of the wound dressing;   an electronic identifier affixed to the enclosure; and   a transmitter unit operably attached to the sensor unit and to the electronic identifier, the transmission unit including circuitry configured to transmit information associated with the sensor unit and the electronic identifier.   
     
     
         2 . The appurtenance of  claim 1 , wherein the enclosure includes one or more apertures in the at least one external surface. 
     
     
         3 . The appurtenance of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor unit comprises:
 at least two sensors of different types.   
     
     
         4 . The appurtenance of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor unit comprises:
 a resonance sensor positioned to detect a change in the resonance of the wound dressing.   
     
     
         5 . The appurtenance of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor unit comprises:
 a resonance sensor positioned to detect a change in the resonance of the enclosure.   
     
     
         6 . The appurtenance of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor unit comprises:
 a chemical sensor.   
     
     
         7 . The appurtenance of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor unit comprises:
 a pressure sensor.   
     
     
         8 . The appurtenance of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor unit comprises:
 a temperature sensor.   
     
     
         9 . The appurtenance of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor unit comprises:
 a pH sensor.   
     
     
         10 . The appurtenance of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor unit comprises:
 at least one antibody configured to bind to a target molecule.   
     
     
         11 . The appurtenance of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor unit comprises:
 at least one aptamer configured to bind to a target molecule.   
     
     
         12 . The appurtenance of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor unit comprises:
 a plurality of sensors within the sensor unit.   
     
     
         13 . The appurtenance of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor unit comprises:
 a sensor;   circuitry for accepting data from the sensor;   circuitry for processing the accepted data; and   circuitry for sending the processed data to the transmission unit.   
     
     
         14 . The appurtenance of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor unit comprises:
 one or more fasteners of a size and shape for attachment to the substrate.   
     
     
         15 . The appurtenance of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more fasteners include one or more reversible fasteners. 
     
     
         16 . The appurtenance of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic identifier comprises:
 an RFID unit.   
     
     
         17 . The appurtenance of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic identifier comprises:
 an electronic code.   
     
     
         18 . The appurtenance of  claim 1 , comprising:
 at least two sensor units, the sensor units positioned on opposing ends of the enclosure.   
     
     
         19 . The appurtenance of  claim 18 , comprising:
 a divider positioned between each of the sensor units.   
     
     
         20 . The appurtenance of  claim 18 , comprising:
 a divider positioned between at least two of the sensor units.   
     
     
         21 . The appurtenance of  claim 1 , comprising:
 at least one aperture in the enclosure, the aperture positioned adjacent to the sensor unit.   
     
     
         22 . The appurtenance of  claim 1 , comprising:
 a plurality of apertures in the enclosure.   
     
     
         23 . The appurtenance of  claim 1 , comprising:
 at least one wire connector positioned between the sensor unit and the transmission unit; and   at least one wire connector positioned between the electronic identifier and the transmission unit.   
     
     
         24 . The appurtenance of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a desiccant material positioned entirely within the enclosure, the desiccant material in fluid communication with the wound dressing.   
     
     
         25 . The appurtenance of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an aperture in the enclosure;   a channel including a first end affixed to the enclosure and a second end affixed to the sensor unit;   one or more walls forming a gas-sealed chamber adjacent to the channel, the gas-sealed chamber with an internal gas pressure below atmospheric pressure;   an aperture in the one or more walls of the gas-sealed chamber at a position adjacent to the channel;   a breakable seal at the aperture in the one or more walls of the gas-sealed chamber;   an aperture in the channel at a position corresponding to the aperture in the one or more walls of the gas-sealed chamber; and   a seal between the aperture in the one or more walls of the gas-sealed chamber and the aperture in the channel.   
     
     
         26 . The appurtenance of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a flange affixed to a first end of the enclosure; and   an end cap affixed to a second end of the enclosure, wherein the second end is distal to the first end.   
     
     
         27 . The appurtenance of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a fluid transport film affixed to the enclosure.   
     
     
         28 . The appurtenance of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a fluid control film affixed to the enclosure.   
     
     
         29 . A wound dressing monitoring system, comprising:
 an appurtenance to a wound dressing, wherein the appurtenance includes a sensor unit including a resonance sensor, an electronic identifier, and a transmitter unit operably attached to the sensor unit and to the electronic identifier; and   a local unit including a receiver for the transmitter unit, a processor operably attached to the receiver, and a communication unit operably attached to the processor.   
     
     
         30 . The appurtenance of  claim 29 , wherein the resonance sensor includes a passive RFID unit including a cavity resonator of a size and shape to be dampened when the wound dressing is substantially saturated with fluid, and further comprising:
 a passive RFID including a unique identifier and a self-compensating antenna calibrated for use with the wound dressing.   
     
     
         31 . A method of monitoring a wound dressing, comprising:
 accepting a signal by a receiver of a local unit from a transmitter unit of an appurtenance to a wound dressing;   processing the received signal into data;   classifying a subset of the received data as originating from an electronic identifier of the appurtenance;   classifying a subset of the received data as originating from a sensor unit of the appurtenance;   comparing the subset of the received data classified as originating from the sensor unit of the appurtenance with data in memory; and   initiating a signal to a system user in response to the comparison.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the accepting a signal by a receiver of a local unit from a transmitter unit of an appurtenance to a wound dressing comprises:
 receiving a RFID signal.   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the accepting a signal by a receiver of a local unit from a transmitter unit of an appurtenance to a wound dressing comprises:
 receiving a near field communication signal.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the processing the received signal into data comprises:
 identifying subgroups of signals within the received signal.   
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the classifying a subset of the received data as originating from an electronic identifier of the appurtenance comprises:
 identifying a subset of the data as including an identifier of an appurtenance; and   denoting the subset of data including an identifier of an appurtenance in stored memory.   
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the classifying a subset of the received data as originating from a sensor unit of the appurtenance comprises:
 identifying a subset of the data as including an identifier of a sensor; and   denoting the subset of data including an identifier of a sensor in stored memory.   
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the classifying a subset of the received data as originating from a sensor unit of the appurtenance comprises:
 identifying a subset of the data as including an identifier of a sensor unit;   identifying the type of sensor included in the sensor unit from stored memory; and   denoting the subset of data including an identifier of a sensor unit in stored memory.   
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the initiating a signal to a system user in response to the comparison comprises:
 identifying the comparison result;   identifying a signal type associated with the identified comparison result in stored memory; and   initiating the local unit to begin the identified signal type.   
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 31 , comprising:
 initiating a signal by a communication unit of the local unit in response to the received data.   
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 31 , comprising:
 initiating a signal by the local unit in response to the received data.   
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 31 , comprising:
 classifying at least one subset of the received data;   comparing one or more classified subsets of the received data with data in memory in the local unit; and   initiating a signal from the local unit in response to the comparison.   
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 31 , comprising:
 classifying two or more subsets of the received data;   comparing the two or more subsets of the received data with data in memory in the local unit;   prioritizing results from the comparisons; and   initiating a signal from the local unit in response to the prioritized results.   
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 31 , comprising:
 adding a time stamp to the received data;   comparing the time stamp with data in memory in the local unit to generate an elapsed time value;   prioritizing results from the comparisons and the elapsed time value; and   initiating a signal from the local unit in response to the prioritized results.   
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 31 , comprising:
 classifying two or more subsets of the received data;   comparing the two or more subsets of the received data with data in memory;   prioritizing results from the comparisons into a binary output; and   initiating a signal by the local unit based on the binary output.