Negative-pressure wound therapy dressing with zone of ambient pressure

Abstract

Disclosed embodiments may relate to dressings configured to provide negative-pressure wound therapy to a tissue site, while simultaneously shielding a portion of the tissue site from the negative pressure. For example, dressing assembly embodiments may comprise an outer dressing configured for applying negative-pressure wound therapy to a tissue site, and an underlying isolation patch configured for use under the outer dressing. The isolation patch may be configured to seal the portion of the tissue site so that it does not experience the negative pressure. Additionally disclosed are other apparatus, dressings, systems, and methods.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A dressing assembly, comprising:
 a negative-pressure dressing configured for application of negative pressure to a tissue site; and   a force-dissipating pad configured to resist appositional forces on a portion of the tissue site associated with the negative pressure within or underneath the negative-pressure dressing.   
     
     
         2 . The dressing assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the force-dissipating pad is further configured to be isolated from the negative pressure at the portion of the tissue site. 
     
     
         3 . The dressing assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the force-dissipating pad is configured to be coupled to a patch cover to isolate the portion of the tissue site from the negative pressure. 
     
     
         4 . The dressing assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the force-dissipating pad comprises a patch manifold, and wherein a patch over is configured to be coupled to an outward-facing side of the patch manifold. 
     
     
         5 . The dressing assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the patch cover is configured to form a seal over the patch manifold and around the portion of the tissue site such that the patch manifold and the portion of the tissue site are isolated from the negative pressure. 
     
     
         6 . The dressing assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the patch cover is configured to prevent fluid communication between the isolated portion of the tissue site and the negative pressure within or underneath the dressing. 
     
     
         7 . The dressing assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the patch manifold comprises foam. 
     
     
         8 . The dressing assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the force-dissipating pad comprises a gel layer. 
     
     
         9 . The dressing assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the gel layer is occlusive and configured to form a seal around the portion of the tissue site to isolate the portion of the tissue site from the negative pressure. 
     
     
         10 . The dressing assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the force-dissipating pad comprises a patch manifold having a thickness between 5 mm to 10 mm. 
     
     
         11 . The dressing assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising an isolation patch configured to isolate the portion of the tissue site from the negative pressure, the isolation patch including:
 the force-dissipating pad;   a patch cover configured to be disposed over the force-dissipating pad and to form a seal preventing fluid communication between the isolated portion of the tissue site and a remainder of the tissue site within or underneath the negative-pressure dressing; and   a vent configured to fluidly couple the isolated portion of the tissue site to an ambient environment; and   wherein the negative-pressure dressing comprises:
 a dressing manifold, and 
 a dressing cover configured to be disposed over the dressing manifold and to form a seal preventing fluid communication between the tissue site and the ambient environment. 
   
     
     
         12 . The dressing assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a vent in fluid communication between the portion of the tissue site and ambient environment. 
     
     
         13 . The dressing assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the vent further comprises a ventilation conduit with a proximal end fluidly coupled to the portion of the tissue site and a distal end configured to be located external to the negative-pressure dressing and fluidly coupled to the ambient environment. 
     
     
         14 . The dressing assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the vent is configured to pass through the negative-pressure dressing. 
     
     
         15 . The dressing assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the patch cover is occlusive with high MVTR. 
     
     
         16 . The dressing assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the negative-pressure dressing comprises:
 a dressing attachment device having a dressing treatment aperture;   a dressing manifold configured to be at least partially exposed to the tissue site through the dressing treatment aperture; and   a dressing cover configured to be disposed over the dressing manifold and coupled to the dressing attachment device around the dressing manifold.   
     
     
         17 . The dressing assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the negative-pressure dressing further comprises a dressing cover. 
     
     
         18 . The dressing assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the gel layer comprises TPE gel. 
     
     
         19 . The dressing assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the force-dissipating pad is configured to cover a nipple of a patient, and the negative-pressure dressing is configured to cover a breast of the patient. 
     
     
         20 . The dressing assembly of  claim 5 , further comprising a patch tissue contact layer coupled to the patch manifold and configured to allow fluid communication from the tissue site to the patch manifold.