Surgical Bandage & Methods for Treating Open Wounds

Abstract

A surgical bandage for treating a wound that allows various fluids or fluid-like substances including cyanoacrylate adhesives to be applied. The surgical bandage has a wound treatment portion for being placed over a wound and a place for a flowable cyanoacrylate adhesive or any other fluid or fluid-like substance to be applied to the underlying would (laceration, surgical incision or other tissue separation). A source is used to apply the cyanoacrylate or other fluid to the wound treatment portion flowing through at least one opening of the wound treatment portion to the underlying wound and its surrounding area either by direct application or from a non-contact distance. The surgical bandage allows for direct visualization before, during, and after its application. The surgical bandage allows for removal of blood or any fluid that may be present in, on, or around the wound by blotting or wiping.

Description

PRIORITY [0001] This application claims priority from United States Provisional Application filed on 2 Dec. 2002 and assigned U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60 / 430,257, and United States Utility Application filed on 19 Mar. 2003 and assigned U.S. Utility application Ser. No. 10 / 392,143, all of which the contents thereof are incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates to surgical bandages, specifically to bandages that promote wound healing having both the means to approximate (or bring into apposition) the wound edges of a laceration or surgical incision under direct visualization and a means for directly applying medicines or other agents after the wound has been stabilized and closed. While the surgical bandage of the present invention holds the wound edges in close approximation, the structure of the surgical bandage allows substances, such as medicines (e.g., antibiotics, pain relieving medicines and agents that promote wou...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"The present invention provides a surgical bandage that allows for closure, stabilization, and dressing of an open wound, laceration, or surgical incision while promoting wound healing and allowing for visualization during and after placement. The bandage has a thin central segment that allows for direct visualization and easy application of substances. The bandage can be used with various adhesives or other tissue sealants. The detachment means can include perforations, pull tabs, creases, or flaps. The central segment has interstices that allow for the passage of medicines, agents, or adhesives. The bandage is designed to facilitate closure, stabilization, and dressing of the wound while promoting healing and preventing infection."

Problems solved by technology

Sutures (or stitches) have the advantage of strength in holding the wound edges in close approximation but are somewhat complicated and time-consuming to place.

Placement and removal of sutures may involve some pain and may require the use of local anesthetics.

There is the inconvenience of a second visit to a healthcare professional which is usually required to remove the sutures.

Tape is simple and fast to use to approximate wound edges and requires little expertise and only minimal experience.

However because the strength is dependent on adhesives that are pre-placed on the surface of the tape and are subject to losing their adhesive ability over time or with exposure to moisture, tape may not hold the wound edges close together for a long enough period of time to allow the natural wound healing process to occur.

Like sutures, placement of staples may be painful and require the use of local anesthetics.

Staples also involve the inconvenience of a second trip to have them removed by a healthcare professional.

In addition, both sutures and staples may leave a scar pattern that is cosmetically unattractive.

However, the bonding pad is thick and therefore, has the disadvantage of not allowing direct visualization of the wound and the adjacent areas before, during and after its application.

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