CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Application No. 15/384,196 filed on 19 December 2016, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein, in its entirety, by this reference.

BACKGROUND

[0002] The present disclosure generally pertains to skin care and is particularly directed to a device and method for caring for the skin of a person by micro-climate management of the skin, including wound care.

[0003] U.S. Patent No. 9,222,685 to Lachenbruch teaches that care of a particular region of the skin of a person is enhanced by micro-climate management of the particular region of the skin, such as by causing air to flow over the particular region of the skin in order to cool the particular region of the skin by evaporation. Air movement enables evaporative cooling. SUMMARY

[0004] Embodiments disclosed herein provide a device for caring for a particular region of the skin of a person by managing the micro-climate of the particular region of the skin and associated methods. In an embodiment, a method includes a receptacle including an outlet port and defining a chamber that extends from the outlet port to a sump that is defined by an impermeable portion of the receptacle and is disposed for receiving one end of a tube inserted through the outlet port, with the chamber being shaped to receive fluid drawn into the chamber through a permeable portion of the receptacle, wherein fluid can be drawn into the chamber by a vacuum applied at the sump. The receptacle is configured to receive a wicking material over at least some of the permeable portion of the receptacle and is also configured and dimensioned for locating at least some of the wicking material over at least a portion of a particular region of the skin, so that upon said location of the said wicking material, when a vacuum is applied at the sump, said at least a portion of the particular region of the skin is cooled by evaporative cooling when the particular region is moist.

[0005] Embodiments disclosed herein also provide a method of caring for a particular region of the skin of a person by managing the micro-climate of the particular region of the skin. The method includes applying to at least a portion of a particular region of the skin, a device comprising a receptacle including an outlet port and defining a chamber that extends from the outlet port to a sump that is defined by an impermeable portion of the receptacle and is disposed for receiving one end of a tube inserted through the outlet port, with the chamber being shaped to receive fluid drawn into the chamber through a permeable portion of the receptacle; wherein fluid can be drawn into the chamber by a vacuum applied at the sump; wherein a wicking material is received over at least some of the permeable portion of the receptacle, and the receptacle is configured and dimensioned for locating at least some of the wicking material over at least a portion of the particular region of the skin, so that upon said location of the wicking material, when a vacuum is applied at the sump, said at least a portion of the particular region of the skin is cooled by evaporation and wherein an impermeable layer covers at least a portion of the device that is not configured for locating the wicking material over said at least a portion of the particular region of the skin. The method includes applying a vacuum at the sump to cause air to be drawn from at least a portion of the particular region of the skin to thereby cool said at least a portion of the particular region by evaporative cooling when the particular region is moist.

[0006] A device according to one or more embodiments can be used for treating a wound in a particular region of the skin.

[0007] Embodiments disclosed herein provide a method of caring for a wound in a particular region of the skin of a person by managing the micro-climate of the particular region of the skin. The method includes applying to a wound in a particular region of the skin, a device comprising a receptacle including an outlet port and defining a chamber that extends from the outlet port to a sump that is defined by an impermeable portion of the receptacle and is disposed for receiving one end of a tube inserted through the outlet port, with the chamber being shaped to receive fluid drawn into the chamber through a permeable portion of the receptacle; wherein fluid can be drawn into the chamber by a vacuum applied at the sump; wherein a wicking material is received over at least some of the permeable portion of the receptacle, and the receptacle is configured and dimensioned for locating at least some of the wicking material over the wound in the particular region of the skin, so that upon said location of the wicking material, when a vacuum is applied at the sump, the wound in the particular region of the skin is cooled by evaporative cooling when the particular region is moist; and wherein an impermeable layer covers at least a portion of the device that is not configured for locating the wicking material over said at least a portion of the particular region of the skin. The method includes treating the wound in the particular region of the skin. Treating the wound includes irrigating the wound by inserting liquid into the chamber through an irrigation port in the receptacle and thence through the wicking material to the wound in the particular region of the skin. Treating the wound includes applying a vacuum at the sump to cause the wound to be cooled by evaporative cooling when the wound is moist and to cause the wound to be debrided.

[0008] In addition to cooling at least a portion of the particular region of the skin by evaporative cooling, the devices and methods disclosed herein prevent a vacuum from occurring at a portion of the skin of said person adjacent where said wicking material is so located while said vacuum is being applied, by applying to said at least a portion of the particular region of the skin during applying to at least a portion of a particular region of the skin, a device comprising a receptacle including an outlet port and defining a chamber that extends from the outlet port to a sump that is defined by an impermeable portion of the receptacle and is disposed for receiving one end of a tube inserted through the outlet port, with the chamber being shaped to receive fluid drawn into the chamber through a permeable portion of the receptacle; wherein fluid can be drawn into the chamber by a vacuum applied at the sump; wherein a wicking material is received over at least some of the permeable portion of the receptacle, and the receptacle is configured and dimensioned for locating at least some of the wicking material over at least a portion of the particular region of the skin, so that upon said location of the wicking material, when a vacuum is applied at the sump, at least a portion of the particular region of the skin is cooled by evaporative cooling when the particular region is moist; and wherein an impermeable layer covers at least a portion of the device that is not configured for locating the wicking material over said at least a portion of the particular region of the skin, the device in which at least one vent is disposed in a portion of one or more of the impermeable layer or the receptacle that is so disposed as to not contact the skin of the person while the wicking material is located over at least said portion of said particular region of the skin.

[0009] Features from any of the disclosed embodiments may be used in combination with one another, without limitation. In addition, other features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art through consideration of the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings. Additional features of the embodiments are described with reference to the detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0010] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an exemplary embodiment of a skin care device according to an embodiment, with an interior chamber being shown by dashed lines.

[0011] FIG. 1A is a schematic sectional end view of the receptacle shown in FIG. 1, taken along line la- la in FIG. 1, and further showing a tube received in the interior chamber through an outlet port and wicking material covering a portion of a receptacle.

[0012] FIG. IB is a schematic sectional side view of the receptacle shown in FIG. 1, taken along line lb- lb in FIG. 1, and further showing a tube received in the interior chamber through the outlet port and wicking material covering a portion of the receptacle.

[0013] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary use of the wicking material of a device according to an embodiment to care for a region where skin overlies skin.

[0014] FIG. 3 is a schematic partial sectional end view of another exemplary embodiment of a device according to an embodiment, further including an irrigation port and showing a syringe that can be used in combination with the irrigation port for irrigating a particular region of the skin.

[0015] FIG. 4 is a schematic partial-sectional side view of still another exemplary embodiment of a device according to an embodiment, further including a finger pocket.

[0016] These figures are not drawn to scale or to illustrate the shapes of the various components of the exemplary embodiments, but are drawn merely for the purpose of showing the relative placement of the various components.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] Referring to FIGS 1, 1A and IB, one exemplary embodiment of a skin care device 10 according to an embodiment includes a receptacle 11. The receptacle includes an outlet port 14 and defines a chamber 13 that extends from the outlet port 14 to a sump 15. The sump 15 is defined by an impermeable portion 12a of the receptacle 11 and is disposed for receiving one end of a tube 19 inserted through the outlet port 14. Preferably the tube 19 is so received in the chamber 13 that the open end of the tube 19 extends into the sump 15 and enables a sucking action in the sump 15, like the suction action provided when one sucks on a straw.

[0018] The chamber 13 is shaped to receive fluid drawn into the chamber 13 through a permeable portion 12b of the receptacle 11. Fluid can be drawn into the chamber 13 by a vacuum applied at the sump 15 by the tube 19. The chamber 13 can be any shape and typically is more flattened than circular. [0019] The receptacle 11 is configured to receive a wicking material 18 over at least some of the permeable portion 12b of the receptacle 11, and is also configured and dimensioned for locating at least some of the wicking material 18 over at least a portion of a particular region of the skin, so that upon such location of the wicking material 18, when a vacuum is applied at the sump 15, the particular region of the skin is cooled by evaporative cooling when the particular region is moist.

[0020] The wicking material 18 is selected from such exemplary materials as a fabric and a non-woven material (such as gauze) that defines a very large number of potential paths for air and liquid to pass without inhibiting the micro-climate management.

[0021] In this exemplary embodiment of the skin care device 10, the permeable portion 12b of the receptacle 11 includes a web of spun plastic material having a plurality (e.g., a very large number such as greater than 100) of small openings (e.g., 1 μιη or larger openings). In some embodiments, the permeable web of spun plastic material is a sheet that is configured to define the cross-section of the chamber 13 by flexing and folding over the sheet so that opposing sides of the sheet are held closely together, or meet (as shown at 16). The opposing sides of the permeable web can be held together by adhesive bands, or by other means, such as glue, or by compression that is created when some article, such as wicking material 18 (FIG. IB), is wrapped around the sheet. In some other embodiments, the opposing edges of the permeable web do not meet.

[0022] Although the chamber 13 is illustrated as having a rectangular cross-section in FIGS. 1 A and 3, the permeable portion 12b of the receptacle 11 preferably is configured to define a chamber 13 having some other cross-sectional shape, such as whatever cross- sectional shape is adequate to receive a tube 19, such as the chamber between two opposing receptacles of a folded-over sheet of flexible spun plastic material.

[0023] In some embodiments, in which the wicking material 18 is received to cover at least some of the permeable portion 12b of the receptacle 11, the skin care device 10 also includes an impermeable layer 20. The impermeable layer 20 is not disposed on the side of the wicking material 18 that is disposed for placement against at least a portion of a particular exposed region of the skin. The impermeable layer 20 covers at least a portion of the device 10 that is not configured for locating the wicking material 18 over a portion of the particular region of the skin. The impermeable layer 20 helps to decrease loss of vacuum and to prevent liquids from leaking out of the skin care device 10 and soaking the patient and/or the user's clothes, while still permitting air flow through the uncovered portion of the wicking material 18.

[0024] FIG. 1A shows the wicking material 18 as being received by the permeable portion 12b of the receptacle 11 fully around the cross-sectional periphery of the permeable portion 12b of the receptacle 11. In some embodiments in which the receptacle 11 is not configured for receiving the wicking material 18 fully around the cross-sectional periphery of the permeable portion 12b of the receptacle 11, the permeable portion 12b of the receptacle 11 is also not necessarily disposed around the cross-sectional periphery of the chamber 13.

[0025] In some embodiments, the impermeable portion 12a of the receptacle 11 merges with the impermeable layer 20, and the permeable portion 12b of the receptacle 11 is not necessarily disposed beneath the impermeable layer 20 (unlike such as shown in FIG. IB), whereby the impermeable layer 20 defines a portion of the longitudinal extension of the chamber 13.

[0026] An impermeable layer 20 is not necessary when caring for such regions of the skin where skin overlies skin, such as within a skin fold, under the person's breasts, under the person's abdominal pannus, within the person's axillae, or in a portion of the person's groin area, because body folds of skin in these regions prevent loss of vacuum; whereby the wicking material is adequate to provide evaporative cooling when the vacuum is applied.

[0027] At least one vent is disposed in a portion of the impermeable layer 20 and/or a portion of the receptacle 11 that is so disposed as to not contact the skin of the person while the wicking material 18 is located over said at least a portion of the particular region of the skin as to promote the drawing of air from at least such portion of the particular region of the skin and to prevent a vacuum from occurring at a portion of the skin where the wicking material 18 is so located while a vacuum is applied.

[0028] In the exemplary embodiment described herein with reference to FIGS. 1, 1A and IB, at least one vent is provided by holes 22 in the impermeable layer 20.

[0029] In some embodiments, at least one vent can be provided by the impermeable layer 20 not covering the wicking material 18 at the location of the vent, such as at the end of the receptacle 11 that includes the outlet port 14, since the wicking material 18 is naturally vented. A vent cannot be located in the vicinity of the sump 15. Otherwise, the location of the vent may be at any portion of the impermeable layer 20 or receptacle 11 distal from the sump 15.

[0030] In some embodiments, at least one vent can be disposed in an impermeable portion of the receptacle 11 that is not configured to receive the wicking material 18 or to contact the skin while the skin care device 10 is being used to care for the skin.

[0031] In some embodiments, each vent is provided by a hole 22 having a diameter of about two millimeters. The size and shape of the holes 22 may be different in other embodiments. In some embodiments, the at least one vent may be other than circular, such as a slit. The at least one vent need be of such shape and size as to prevent a vacuum from occurring at a portion of the skin of a person or an animal that is adjacent where the wicking material 18 is placed while air is flowing through the wicking material 18.

[0032] The vents may be exposed to the air when using the device 10 to care for those regions of the skin where skin overlies skin where an impermeable layer is unnecessary, as described above. For example, when the wicking material 18 is disposed under a breast 21, as shown in FIG 2, a vent is provided by exposure of the wicking material 18 on at least one side of the breast 21.

[0033] Referring to FIG. 3, in another exemplary embodiment, the skin care device 10' also includes an irrigation port 26. In some embodiments, the irrigation port 26 may be disposed between the wicking material 18 and impermeable layer 20.

[0034] A tube 27 extending from a syringe 28 is inserted into the irrigation port 26 and a wound in the particular region of the skin is irrigated by using the syringe to insert liquid into the chamber 13 through the irrigation port 26 and thence through the wicking material 18 to the particular region of the skin. When the particular region of the skin includes a wound, the wound can be mechanically debrided by applying a vacuum at the sump to cause dead tissue and fluid to be wicked from the wound by the wicking material 18' and to be drawn into the sump though the permeable portion 12b of the receptacle and to be carried from the sump through the received tube 19.

[0035] Such irrigation can cleanse a wound in the particular region of the skin at which the wicking material 18 is applied. Such irrigation can also provide medications and beneficial enzymes to such particular region and also provide liquid to enable evaporative cooling and to moisturize the skin.

[0036] Referring to FIG. 4, another exemplary embodiment of a skin care device 30, according to an embodiment includes a receptacle. The device 30 includes a permeable portion 32 and an impermeable portion 33, wicking material 34 covering a portion of the permeable portion 32 and a finger pocket 35 disposed adjacent a portion of the wicking material 34 that is disposed for location over at least a portion of the particular region of the skin. The finger pocket 35 is configured for being fitted over a finger 36. The device 30 also includes an outlet port 37 and defines a chamber 38 that extends from the outlet port 37 to a sump 39. The sump 39 is defined by portion of the impermeable portion 33 of the receptacle, and is disposed for receiving one end of a tube 41 inserted through the outlet port 37. Preferably the tube 41 is so received in the chamber 38 that the open end of the tube 41 extends into the sump 39 and enables a sucking action in the sump 39.

[0037] A vacuum is applied to the sump while the finger pocket 35 is being used.

[0038] Also, the particular region of the skin can be irrigated by use of a syringe (not shown) inserted into an irrigation port (such as shown at 26 in FIG. 3, while the finger pocket 35 is being used.

[0039] A surgeon or a nurse can insert a finger 36 into the finger pocket 35; and use the inserted finger 36 to position the device 30 while irrigating a particular region of the skin with a syringe to thereby keep the particular region of the skin clean and thus enable better visibility of the particular region of the skin during surgery or while irrigating a wound.

[0040] When a finger 36 is inserted in the finger pocket 35 during surgery, operating team personnel can use the finger pocket 35 to positon the wicking material 32 over a hole in a perforated organ in order to remove blood and other fluid from the hole in the perforated organ.

[0041] The device 30 is used to cool the portion of the particular region of the skin to which the wicking material 34 is applied by evaporative cooling when the particular region is moist by applying a vacuum at the sump 39.

[0042] The device 30 also can be used to care for those regions of the skin where skin overlies skin, as described above.

[0043] Examples of use of various embodiments include caring for skin that is impaired by injury or disease, and to remove undesired moisture from wounds or other particular regions of the skin, such as between folds of skin or under breasts. For such moisture removal uses, the skin care device preferably does not include an impermeable barrier that would inhibit the flow of moisture through the chamber. [0044] The benefits specifically stated herein do not necessarily apply to every conceivable embodiment. Further, such stated benefits are only examples and should not be construed as the only benefits of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0045] While the above description contains many specificities, these specificities are not to be construed as limitations on the scope of this disclosure, but rather as examples of the preferred embodiments described herein. Other variations are possible and the scope of the invention should be determined not by the embodiments described herein but rather by the claims and their legal equivalents.