Magnetic wound closure device and method of use

摘要

A wound closure device using magnets to draw skin together without using stitches. When two skin adhering magnets are placed on opposite sides of a wound in a polar opposite configuration, the magnets attract each other, thus drawing the skin underneath the magnets together. Each device has a magnet, an insulation layer that separates the magnet from an absorbent layer that absorbs wound secretions, a polymer layer having a plurality of holes that allow drainage of potential build-up secretions away from the absorbent layer, and an adhesive layer on the bottom that allows the device to adhere to the patient's skin. The device may be enclosed within a polymer casing that use flexible magnets, or a plurality of segmented magnets to help align the device along a non-linear (curved) wound.

主权项

1. A magnetic wound closure device comprising:
i) a magnet; ii) an insulation layer adjacent to said magnet; iii) an absorbent layer adjacent to said insulation layer; iv) a polymer layer adjacent to said insulation layer, said polymer layer having a plurality of holes capable of draining wound secretions to or from said absorbent layer; and, v) an adhesive layer adjacent to a bottom surface of said polymer layer, said adhesive layer capable of adhering to a patient's skin, vi) a polymer enclosure containing at least said magnet, said insulation layer, and said absorbent layer; wherein the magnet is an elongated flexible magnetic strip capable of flexing both vertically and horizontally, and wherein the elongated flexible magnetic strip is capable of flexing around a curve of a wound edge; whereby a first and second magnetic wound closure device oriented in opposite polarity to each other, and adhered to skin on opposite sides of a wound, functions to reapproximate wound edges when the first and second magnet wound closure devices attract each other, thereby drawing edges of the wound together to improve wound healing.