Connector system for a negative pressure wound therapy system

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a connector device for a negative pressure wound therapy system having a connector housing, a fluid outlet connected to the connector housing, an air feeding port and an air filter and coupling means. The fluid outlet is adapted to be connected to a negative pressure source. The connector device is adapted to be engaged with a wound side connector of a wound side assembly by means of the coupling means. The wound side assembly includes a fluid removing conduit and an air supplying conduit, wherein a portion of each one of the fluid removing conduit and the air supplying conduit is connected to the wound side connector. The connector device when engaged with the wound side connector, the fluid removing conduit is fluidly connected to the fluid outlet and the air supplying conduit is fluidly connected to the air feeding port such that air ambient of the connector device can be fed to the air supplying conduit via the air feeding port and the air filter.

1 - 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . A connector device for a negative pressure wound therapy system, said connector device comprising:
 a connector housing configured to couple to a wound side connector of a wound side assembly, the connector housing comprising:
 an air filter housing; and 
 an air inlet opening in fluid communication with the air filter housing; and 
   an air filter within the air filter housing,   wherein:
 the connector device further comprises a fluid outlet, said fluid outlet adapted to be fluidly coupled to a negative pressure source, 
 said wound side assembly comprising a fluid removing conduit and an air supplying conduit, 
 a portion of each one of said fluid removing conduit and said air supplying conduit being connected to said wound side connector, said connector device being such that when said connector device is engaged with said wound side connector,
 said fluid removing conduit is fluidly connected to said fluid outlet and, 
 said air supplying conduit is fluidly connected to said air inlet opening such that air ambient of said connector device can be fed to said air supplying conduit via said air filter and said air inlet opening. 
 
   
     
     
         21 . The connector device of  claim 20 , wherein said air inlet opening is arranged at a radial distance from said fluid outlet. 
     
     
         22 . The connector device of  claim 20 , wherein said opposing connector housing coupling side of said connector device is adapted to couple to the wound side connector of a wound side assembly so that, when the opposing connector housing coupling side is engaged with the wound side connector of the wound side assembly, at least a portion of the wound side connector of the wound side assembly extends past the opposing connector housing coupling side of the connector housing in a direction toward the connector housing device side of the connector housing. 
     
     
         23 . The connector device according to  claim 20 , wherein said air filter is at least partly located within said connector housing so that maximum 2 cm of said air filter protrudes outside said connector housing. 
     
     
         24 . The connector device according to  claim 20 , further comprising a fluid conduit connected to said fluid outlet. 
     
     
         25 . The connector device according to  claim 20 , wherein said air filter is configured to provide an air leakage of between 0.5 ml/min to 70 ml/min at a pressure of 120 mmHg. 
     
     
         26 . The connector device according to  claim 20 , wherein said connector device is adapted to form a snap-on, threaded, luer-lock, or bayonet engagement, with said wound side connector. 
     
     
         27 . The connector device of  claim 20 , wherein the air filter housing and the fluid outlet extend parallel to each other. 
     
     
         28 . The connector device of  claim 20 , wherein the air filter housing has, in cross section, in planes perpendicular to an axis of extension of the air filter housing, a rectangular outer profile. 
     
     
         29 . The connector device of  claim 20 , wherein the air inlet opening is a first inlet opening, wherein the connector housing comprises at least one additional air inlet opening. 
     
     
         30 . A branched connector device comprising a branched conduit which in turn comprises a first and a second branch portion, said branched connector device further comprising the connector device according to  claim 20 , wherein said first branch portion is connected to said fluid outlet of said connector device. 
     
     
         31 . The branched connector device according to  claim 30 , wherein said branched connector device comprises a second connector device comprising a second connector housing and second coupling means and a second fluid outlet connected to said second connector housing, said second branch portion being connected to said second fluid outlet. 
     
     
         32 . The branched connector device according to  claim 31 , wherein said second connector device comprises a second air inlet. 
     
     
         33 . The branched connector device according to  claim 32 , further comprising a second conduit connected to said second air feeding port. 
     
     
         34 . A method comprising:
 providing the connector device according to  claim 20 ; and   connecting the connector device by means of said coupling means with the wound side connector of the wound side assembly, said wound fluid side assembly comprising the fluid removing conduit and the air supplying conduit, a portion of each one of said fluid removing conduit and said air supplying conduit being connected to said wound side connector.   
     
     
         35 . The method according to  claim 34 , further comprising applying suction to a suction interface via said fluid outlet and said fluid removing conduit. 
     
     
         36 . A negative pressure wound therapy system, comprising:
 negative pressure source,   a wound cover member having a suction interface,
 a wound side assembly connected to the suction interface, the wound side assembly comprising: 
 a fluid removing conduit, 
 an air supplying conduit, and
 a wound side connector connected to the fluid removing conduit and the air supplying conduit, and 
 
   a connector device as in  claim 20 , wherein:   the fluid outlet is connected to the negative pressure source,   the connector device is adapted to be connected to the wound side connector at the connector housing coupling side,   the coupling means is adapted to engage with the wound side connector to:
 fluidly connect the fluid removing conduit to the fluid outlet, and 
 fluidly connect the air supplying conduit to the air inlet opening to allow air ambient to be supplied at a controlled air leakage rate to the air supplying conduit through the air filter. 
   
     
     
         37 . The system according to  claim 36 , wherein:
 the negative pressure source comprises a pump and battery,   the pump is arranged to have a suction capacity of up to 1.0 liter/min, and   the air leakage rate through the air filter is selected to be in the range of 1 to 5 ml/min.   
     
     
         38 . The system according to  claim 36 , wherein:
 the negative pressure source comprises a pump and battery,   the pump is arranged to have a suction capacity of 1-5 liter/min, and   the air leakage rate through the air filter is selected to be in the range of 10 to 30 ml/min.   
     
     
         39 . The system according to  claim 36 , wherein the air leakage rate through the air filter is selected to be between 0.5 to 70 ml/min at a pressure of 120 mmHg.