Reusable elastic wound care dressing cover

Abstract

A wound care device comprises a cover layer having formed from a stretchable material which has an elastic memory such that upon stretching the first layer will tend to retract to an at-rest position; a layer of adherent on the bottom surface of the cover layer; and a removable release liner removably adhered to the adherent. In use, the wound care device is applied over or adjacent the wound in a stretched/elongated condition extending to be adhered to skin beyond the margins of the wound. The wound care device retracts under its elastic member along lines of tension towards a focal point of lines of tension, thereby drawing the margins of the wound together to stabilize and compress the skin about the wound. The wound care device reduces and absorbs sheer forces directed to the wound that would otherwise disrupt connective tissue of the wound, the device comprising:

1 . A sheet material useable for wound care devices or negative pressure wound therapy, said sheet material comprising;
 a cover layer formed from fibers as a knit sheet, a woven sheet, or a fleece, said sheet material being stretchable and having an elastic memory; said cover layer including a plurality of fibers extending from a bottom surface thereof;   a binder adjacent said bottom surface of said cover layer, said fibers extending into said binder, whereby said binder adheres to said fibers along lengths of said fibers; and   a bottom layer of a gel adhesive; said binder being an adhesive which will bond to said gel adhesive to securely adhere said gel adhesive to said cover layer.   
     
     
         2 . The sheet material of  claim 1  further including a release liner removably adhered to said gel adhesive. 
     
     
         3 . The sheet material  claim 1  wherein said sheet material is gas and vapor permeable, or wherein said sheet material is liquid permeable under pressure. 
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . The sheet material of  claim 1  wherein said gel adhesive substantially covers the bottom surface of said cover layer, or wherein said layer of gel adhesive has openings formed therein to define areas of said sheet material which are free of said gel adhesive. 
     
     
         6 . A wound care device configured to aid in the healing of a wound by providing stability to tissue of both the wound and periwound while reducing and absorbing sheer forces directed to the wound that would otherwise disrupt connective tissue of the wound, the wound care device comprising said sheet material of  claim 1 ,
 wherein in use, the wound care device is capable of being applied to a person's skin over or adjacent the wound or wound dressing in a stretched/elongated condition with a first portion of the device adhered to the periwound at a first site proximate the wound and a second portion of the device is adhered to the periwound at a second site proximate to the wound, said second site being a side of the wound opposite of the first site, wherein, upon application of the wound care device, energy stored in the wound care device from stretching the wound care device causes the cover layer to retract along lines of tension towards a center or focal point of the lines of tension, thereby drawing the margins of the wound together to stabilize and compress the skin about the wound.   
     
     
         7 . The wound care device of  claim 6 , wherein the gel adhesive is adapted to transfer tensions or compressions in tissue surrounding the wound caused by natural movement of the skin proximate the wound to the cover layer, thereby diverting sheer forces to the cover layer that would interrupt the healing process or that otherwise would be transferred directly to the wound. 
     
     
         8 . The wound care device of  claim 6 , wherein the gel adhesive comprises a heavy coat weight silicone gel;
 wherein, in use, said heavy coat weight silicone gel works in conjunction with the cover layer to elongate and accumulate sheer forces in the skin to absorb destructive forces which might otherwise be transferred to the wound.   
     
     
         9 . The wound care device of  claim 6  wherein the wound care device is adapted to, in use, limit the tangential force applied to the skin adjacent a wound. 
     
     
         10 . The wound care device of  claim 9  wherein the gel adhesive has an adhesive strength such that when sheer forces accumulated in the gel adhesive exceed engineered design limitations of the gel adhesive (such as the adhesive gel adhesive of said adherent), the wound care device will release from the skin before injury can occur to the skin, limiting the tangential forces applied to the skin of the patient. 
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . The wound care device of  claim 6  wherein the elastic memory of the cover layer has a dynamic value, such that forces generated by the device upon stretching of the device are linear. 
     
     
         16 . The wound care device of  claim 6 , wherein the cover layer is stretchable in multiple directions along multiple axes. 
     
     
         17 . The wound care device of  claim 6 , wherein wound care device is shaped such that upon application of the wound care device, the center point of the lines tension is under the cover layer and within the tissue being compressed or pulled. 
     
     
         18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . The wound care device of  claim 6  wherein one or both of the cover layer and layer of gel adhesive are conductive or semi-conductive. 
     
     
         24 . A method of stabilizing and compressing dermis tissue proximate a wound using the wound care device of  claim 6 , the method comprising:
 stretching the wound care device a sufficient amount such that the wound care device will extend beyond margins of the wound;   adhering the elongated wound care device to a patient over or adjacent a wound site of the patient, such that the wound care device is adhered to skin of the patient proximate the wound on opposite sides of the wound;   whereby, the elastic memory of the cover layer causes the cover layer to retract along lines of tension toward said center focal point of the lines of tension, thereby drawing the margins of the wound together such that the tissue adjacent the wound is compressed and stabilized.   
     
     
         25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the wound care device transfers stresses in the tissue caused by natural movement of the skin proximate to the wound through the gel adhesive to the cover layer, thereby diverting and absorbing sheer forces that would interrupt the healing process or otherwise be transferred directly to the wound. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the step of applying the wound care device to the patient comprises applying the cover layer over the wound, whereby the cover layer forms a protective barrier over the wound. 
     
     
         28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . (canceled) 
     
     
         30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the cover layer is larger than the wound in at least one dimension; wherein the retraction forces generated by the memory of the cover layer decrease with distance from the margin of the device. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the cover layer is larger than the wound in all directions, and wherein the cover layer is stretchable in multiple directions, such that the memory of the material of the cover layer retracts along multiple axes toward said center point. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 24  including a step of selectively stretching the cover layer in desired directions to accommodate variations of the wound site and to selectively vary the forces exerted by the cover layer on selected areas of the wound, whereby, the forces can be greater in one area of the wound than in another area of the wound. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 24  comprising, prior to application of the wound care device to the patient, a step of selectively shaping the cover layer so that the cover layer will be uniquely loaded to accommodate the needs of the wound and to selectively control the forces applied by the wound care device to various portions of the wound. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 24  wherein, once adhered to the skin of a person, the memory of the cover layer remains under a continuous tension for the duration that it is worn. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35  wherein the wound care device remains in place on epidermis of the patient as a cover of a wound for extended periods of time. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 24  wherein said method relieves tension on the wound and the wound margins. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 24  comprising a step of adapting the wound care device for use in as negative wound pressure therapy, said step comprising:
 (a) connecting said cover layer to a vacuum source to place said wound under negative pressure; or 
 (b) applying a negative wound pressure therapy drape over the cover layer, with the cover layer device being applied to the patient and wherein the negative wound pressure therapy drape does not contact the patient's skin. 
 
     
     
         39 . (canceled) 
     
     
         40 . (canceled) 
     
     
         39 . ently Amended) The method of either  claim 38  wherein the layer of gel adhesive defines a window, such that the wound care device has an area free of gel adhesive; said window defining an area generally equal to, or greater than, an area of said wound; said step of applying the wound care device to the patient comprising positioning the wound care device such that said area free of gel adhesive is over the wound or wound dressing. 
     
     
         42 . (canceled) 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the wound care device substantially seals the wound from the ambient atmosphere, thereby reducing the need for dressing changes and promoting uninterrupted wound healing. 
     
     
         44 . A method of conducting negative pressure wound therapy comprising
 applying the wound cover of  claim 6  over a wound to be treated; and   subjecting the wound to a vacuum pressure.   
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 44  wherein said wound care device is applied directly over a wound, said method including a step of connecting said wound cover to a source of vacuum; or
 wherein when a negative wound pressure drape over said wound cover; said method includes connecting said negative wound pressure drape to a source of vacuum. 
 
     
     
         46 . (canceled) 
     
     
         47 . Use of the wound care device of  claim 6  as a scar therapy or scar-reduction device or as a negative wound pressure therapy drape . 
     
     
         48 . (canceled) 
     
     
         49 . A negative wound pressure assembly comprising wound cover and a negative pressure wound therapy drape; said wound cover comprising the wound care device of  claim 6 ; wherein said wound cover is larger in area than said negative pressure wound therapy drape; wherein in use, said wound cover is applied over a wound or wound dressing and said negative pressure wound therapy drape is adhered only to said wound cover, such that said negative pressure wound therapy drape does not contact skin of a patient. 
     
     
         50 . A method of making the sheet material of  claim 1  comprising:
 brushing or abrading a surface of the cover layer to cause the fibers to extend from said surface area available for bonding; 
 applying said binder to said surface of said cover layer such that said fibers extend into said binder to enable the binder to adhere to surfaces of the fibers; 
 applying said layer of gel adhesive over said binder whereby said layer of gel adhesive binds to said binder to be securely affixed to said cover layer.