GB2110539A

GB2110539A - Surgical dressing

Info

Publication number: GB2110539A
Application number: GB08211172A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Coates
Original assignee: Colgate Palmolive Co
Current assignee: Colgate Palmolive Co
Priority date: 1978-09-28
Filing date: 1982-04-16
Publication date: 1983-06-22
Also published as: GB2035092A; FR2437203A1; FR2437203B1; GR71661B; NL7907203A; CH643133A5; GB2035092B; CA1177633A; DE2938360A1; PT70239A; IE48950B1; IT1120594B; AT385183B; GB2110539B; ES254648U; IE791853L; ATA629979A; BR7906189A; DK405279A; IT7950402A0

Abstract

A surgical dressing (10) comprising, a liquid pervious top sheet (14), a backing sheet (16) of fluid pervious material, an absorbent pad (12) intermediate the top and backing sheets, the backing sheet (16) also having a pair of opposed end sections (48) extending past the end edges (42) of the top sheet and having a coating of adhesive (50) on the front surface of at least the end sections, and a pair of release sheets (52) covering the adhesive on the end sections. <IMAGE>

Description

1

SPECIFICATION Surgical dressings

The present invention relates to surgical dressings.

The typical manner of dressing a wound subsequent to surgery, such as in the abdominal region, is as follows. First, a primary dressing, such as a gauze sponge is placed by the attendant over the wound. Next, an absorbent dressing, termed a secondary dressing, is placed over the primary dressing, and is secured in place. In use, body fluids pass through the primary dressing into the secondary dressing for absorption and retention therein.

Although such a dressing procedure has been used for many years, the prior secondary dressings do not provide an adequate barrier against passage of liquid completely through the secondary dressing, particularly if pressure is applied to the secondary dressing during use.

Once liquid passes completely through the secondary dressing, termed "liquid strike through", the liquid provides a ready path for passage of bacteria through the dressing to the wound with possible deleterious results to the patient. However, it is not sufficient to merely place a liquid impervious barrier over the dressing to prevent "strike through-, since the dressing must have the capability of passing water vapour and gas through the dressing to permit the wound to breathe and promote healing, and usual liquid impervious barriers prevent such breathing. Also, prior dressings have required an excessive amount of time for the application to the patient, resulting in convenience to the hospital personnel. 100 A feature of the present invention is to provide a surgical dressing of simplified construction.

The surgical dressing according to the present invention comprises, a liquid pervious top sheet, having a pair of opposed dnd edges, a backing sheet of liquid pervious material having a pair of end sections extending past the end edges of the top sheet, an absorbent pad intermediate the backing and top sheets, an adhesive on a front surface of the end sections and a pair of release sheets releasably attached to the adhesive on the said end sections. The adhesive on the front surface of the end sections is preferably a pressure-sensitive adhesive.

The top sheets and the backing sheet preferably 115 comprise non woven materials. The pad preferably comprises cellulose fibres.

The liquid repellent adhesive on the backing sheet facing the pad provides a liquid repellent barrier for liquids received in the pad and minimizes the possibility of - liquid strike through" of body fluids during the use of the absorbent device. The adhesive is also breathable to permit passage of air therethrough and to promote healing of the patient's wound.

The coated backing sheet is also substantially impervious to passage of bacteria therethrough. Thus, a dressing in accordance with this invention minimizes the possibility of contamination.by GB 2 110 539 A 1 bacteria to the patient's wound.

An advantage of the invention is that the adhesive contacts and stabilizes the pad when wetted during use.

In a preferred embodiment of an article according to the invention, removable release sheets are provided on the end sections of the backing sheet to permit convenient attachment of the dressing to the patient through use of the end sections. 75 A further advantage of the present invention is that surgical dressings may be constructed in a simplified and inexpensive manner. The invention may be put into practice in a number of ways and one embodiment will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Figure 1 is a back plan view of a surgical dressing in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 is a front plan view of the dressing of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 1; and Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figures 1 to 4 show a surgical dressing generally designated 10 having an absorbent pad 12, a liquid pervious top sheet 14, and a backing sheet 16 of liquid pervious material. The pad 12 has a front surface 18, a back surface 20, a pair of side edges 22, and a pair of end edges 24 connecting the side edges 22. The pad 12 may be constructed from any suitable material, such as a mass of loosely formed cellulose fibres formed by comminuting wood pulp, termed wood fluff in the a rt.

The front or top sheet 14 has a front surface 26 for facing the patient during use of the dressing, and a back surface 28 facing the pad 12. The top sheet 14 also has a pair of opposed side edges 30 defining side margins 32 (see Figure 4) extending past the side edges 22 of the pad 12, and a pair of opposed end edges 34 connecting the side edges 30 and defining a pair of opposed end margins 36 extending past the end edges 24 of the pad 12.

The top sheet 14 may be made of a polyesterrayon non-woven material, such as micrexed Novonette (Registered Trade Mark) SP 117, available from The Kendall Company, Boston, Massachusetts.

The backing sheet 16 has a front surface 38 facing toward the pad 12, and a back surface 40 facing away from the patient during use of the dressing. The backing sheet 16 has a pair of opposed side edges 42 defining a pair of opposed side margins 44 extending. past the side edges 22 of the pad 12 (see Figure 4), and a pair of end edges 46 connecting the side edges 32 and defining a pair of opposed end sections 48 extending past both the end edges 24 of the pad and the end edges 34 of the top sheet 14, with the end section 48 extending substantially the width of the dressing (see Figure 3). The backing sheet 16 may suitably be constructed of the nonwoven material previously identified in connection 2 GB 2 110 539 A 2 with the top sheet 14.

The backing sheet 16 also has a layer or 60 coating of liquid repellent, breathable adhesive 50 substantially covering the front surface 38 of the backing sheet 16 including the front surface of the backing sheet end sections 48. A suitable adhesive of this type comprises an acrylic based 65 adhesive on a tape, such as Tenderskin No. 1596 (Registered Trade Mark) available from The Kendall Company, Boston, Massachusetts. Thus, the adhesive 50 forms a liquid repellent barrier over the back surface 20 of the pad 12 in order to minimize the possibility of -liquid strike through of body fluids during the use of the dressing, and provides a barrier against passage of bacteria to minimise the possibility of contamination to the patient's wound during the use of the dressing.

The adhesive and backing sheet 16 permit passage of air therethrough, such that the dressing allows the patient's skin to breathe promoting healing of the patient's wound. Further, the adhesive 50 may be used to bond the side margins 32 of the top sheet 14 to the side margins 44 of the backing sheet 16, in addition to the end margins 36 of the top sheet 14 to the inner portions of the backing sheet end sections 48. The adhesive 50 also contacts the back surface 20 of the pad 12 in order to stabilize the pad when it is wetted during use of the dressing.

As shown, the dressing has a pair of release sheets 52 of suitable type releasably attached to and covering the adhesive 50 on the backing sheet end sections 48. Thus, the release sheets 52 90 may be peeled from the end sections 48 of the backing sheet 16 to expose the underlying adhesive 50 and permit convenient securement of the dressing to the patient by the end sections 48 during placement of the dressing on the patient.

Thus, in accordance with the present invention, 95 the backing sheet 16 of the dressing has a suitable adhesive which provides a liquid repellent barrier for the dressing, and stabilizes the dressing pad during use. The adhesive on the backing sheet also may be utilized to secure the top and backing 100 sheets together, and the backing sheet end sections and associated adhesive provide a convenient medium for attaching the dressing to the patient during placement, thus eliminating the need for separate tape strips or securing devices. 105 It will also be apparent that a dressing in accordance with the present invention may be constructed in a simplified manner and at a reduced cost by merely spreading adhesive on the backing sheet and securing the components of the 110 dressing together.

Claims

1. A surgical dressing comprising, a liquid 115 pervious top sheet having a pair of opposed end edges, a backing sheet having a pair of opposed end edges, a backing sheet of liquid pervious material having a pair of end sections extending past the end edges of the top sheet, an absorbent pad intermediate the backing and top sheets, an adhesive on a front surface of the end sections, and a pair of release sheets releasably attached to the adhesive on the said end sections.

2. A dressing as claimed in claim 1, in which the end sections extend substantially the width of the dressing. 70

3. An article as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 in which the top sheet comprises a non woven material.

4. An article as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 in which the backing sheet comprises a non woven material.

5. An article as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the pad comprises cellulose fibres.

6. An article as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the adhesive contacts the back surface of the pad.

7. A surgical dressing as claimed in Claim 1 substantially as specifically described herein with reference to Figures 1 to 4.

Printed for Her Majesty's Stationery Office by the Courier Press, Leamington Spa, 1983. Published by the Patent Office 25 Southampton Buildings, London, WC2A lAY, from which copies may be obtained.

7. An article as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the adhesive comprises an acrylic based adhesive.

8. A surgical dressing substantially as specifically described herein with reference to Figures 1 to 4.

New claims or amendments to claims filed on 18 Oct. 1982.

Superseded claims 1 and 6.

New or amended claims:- 1.

1. A surgical dressing comprising, a liquid pervious top sheet having a pair of opposed end edges, a backing sheet of liquid pervious material having a pair of end sections extending past the end edges of the top sheet, an absorbent pad intermediate the backing and top sheets, an adhesive on a front surface of the end sections, and a pair of release sheets releasably attached to the adhesive on the said end sections, the said adhesive being liquid repellent and substantially impervious to passage of bacteria therethrough but breathable so as to permit passage of air therethrough, and covers substantially the whole of the surface of the backing sheet thereby contacting the back surface of the said pad.

2. A dressing as claimed in Claim 1, in which the end sections extend substantially the width of the dressing.

5. An article as claimed in any one of the i 1.

3 GB 2 110 539 A 3 preceding claims in which the pad comprises cellulose fibres.

6. An article as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the adhesive comprises an acrylic based adhesive.