Wound closure product
Inventors
Wilke, Robert C. • Elliott, Daniel M. • Hoedeman, George M. • Berkey, John J. • Anderson, Paul J.
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-9463020-B2
Publication Date
2016-10-11
Expiration Date
Abstract
A wound closure system and a method of closing a wound are disclosed. The wound closure system includes a plurality of skin anchors mechanically attached to external skin tissue around a periphery of a wound, a line extending between the skin anchors, the line slidably engaged with each skin anchor, and a biasing member that provides tension on the line to draw all of the skin anchors toward the wound. The method of closing a wound includes the steps of attaching a plurality of skin anchors to external skin around a periphery of a wound, extending a line between the skin anchors around substantially the entire periphery of the wound, and providing tension to the line to draw the skin anchors toward the wound.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to a wound closure system that uses a plurality of skin anchors adapted to be attached to external skin tissue around a periphery of a wound. A line extends between each of the skin anchors without any portion of the line penetrating through the skin tissue, and a tensioning member separate from the line applies a pulling force on the line to draw all of the skin anchors toward each other while keeping the line taut.
The skin anchors include a tab defining a slot for receiving a portion of the line extending between each skin anchor. The line is configured to slide within the slot with respect to the tab as the skin anchors move toward each other, and the tensioning member defines a portion configured to engage the tab of one skin anchor to couple the tensioning member to the skin anchor for movement of the tensioning member with the skin anchor, with no portion of the tensioning member located inside the periphery of the wound when set up.
In certain configurations, the line extends in a shoe-lace configuration that crosses the wound at least twice when set up, while still not penetrating through the skin tissue. In further configurations, the tensioning member includes a spring that automatically applies a continuous pulling force to keep the line taut as the skin anchors move toward each other, and a housing can include a rotatable spool coupled to the spring with interengaging winding structures that slip relative to each other after the spring is fully wound to provide an indication.
Claims Coverage
The partial document contains three independent claims. Across these independent claims, the inventive features include non-penetrating skin anchors and line, a separate tensioning member outside the wound periphery, a slot-and-tab sliding engagement for maintaining line tautness as anchors move, and in some cases a spring-based continuous tensioning system and a winding/indication arrangement.
Non-penetrating line between skin anchors with separate tensioning member
A wound closure system comprising a plurality of skin anchors adapted to be attached to external skin tissue around a periphery of a wound, a line adapted to extend between each skin anchor without any portion of the line penetrating through the skin tissue, and a tensioning member separate from the line that applies a pulling force to draw all of the skin anchors toward each other while keeping the line taut between skin anchors as the skin anchors move toward each other, with no portion of the tensioning member located inside the periphery of the wound when set up.
Slot-and-tab sliding line engagement while anchors move together
Each skin anchor includes a tab defining a slot for receiving a portion of the line that extends between each of the skin anchors, wherein the line is configured to slide within the slot with respect to the tab as the skin anchors move toward each other, allowing the line to maintain tautness during movement toward each other.
Coupling separate tensioning member to anchor tab for movement
The tensioning member that is separate from the line defines a portion configured to engage the tab of one of the skin anchors for coupling the tensioning member to the skin anchor to allow for movement of the tensioning member with the skin anchor.
Shoe-lace configured line crossing wound at least twice
A wound closure system in which the line extends between each of the skin anchors in a shoe-lace configuration, including a portion adapted to cross the wound at least twice when the wound closure system is set up, while still extending between the skin anchors without any portion penetrating through the skin tissue and while using a separate tensioning member outside the wound periphery to draw the anchors toward each other and keep the line taut.
Spring-based automatic continuous pulling with housing spool winding and slip indication
A wound closure configuration in which the tensioning member is a spring adapted to automatically and continuously apply a pulling force to keep the line taut between skin anchors as the skin anchors move toward each other, where a housing includes a rotatable spool coupled to the spring wound to apply the continuous pulling force on the line, and mating winding structures slip relative to each other after the spring is fully wound to provide an indication.
Method of closing wound using anchors, non-penetrating line, and separate tensioning member
A method of closing a wound comprising attaching a plurality of skin anchors to external skin tissue around a periphery of a wound, extending a line between each of the skin anchors without any portion of the line penetrating through the skin tissue, providing a tensioning member separate from the line to apply a pulling force that draws all skin anchors toward each other while keeping the line taut as skin anchors move toward each other with no portion of the tensioning member located inside the periphery of the wound when set up, where each skin anchor includes a tab defining a slot receiving a portion of the line with sliding engagement as anchors move, and engaging the tab of one skin anchor with a portion of the tensioning member separate from the line for coupling to allow for movement with the skin anchor.
Across the independent claims, the core claim coverage is directed to a wound closure system using a plurality of skin anchors attached to external skin tissue around a wound periphery, a line that extends between anchors without penetrating the skin, a separate tensioning member located outside the wound periphery that pulls to draw anchors together and keep the line taut, and a tab-and-slot arrangement that allows the line to slide as anchors move. Dependent features further cover shoe-lace line crossing and spring-based continuous tensioning with a housing/spool winding and slip-based indication.
Stated Advantages
Facilitates drawing skin anchors toward each other while keeping the line taut as the skin anchors move toward each other.
Provides for a line that does not penetrate through the skin tissue.
Allows tensioning member coupling to an anchor tab to permit movement of the tensioning member with the skin anchor.
In certain configurations, provides automatic continuous pulling force to keep the line taut.
Provides an indication when the spring is fully wound via slipping of mating winding structures.
Documented Applications
Cosmetic stretching application described as a bald-spot.
Use with a negative pressure wound dressing apparatus.
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