Abstract: A wetting device for wetting a catheter. The wetting device has an enclosure bounding the wetting device and enclosing a chamber, the enclosure having at least two wetting device apertures in a surface of the enclosure though which a catheter tube passes. The wetting device also has a port disposed through the enclosure thereof for loading wetting agent into the chamber.

Abstract: The present invention relates to packaging 10 for housing a medical device 100. The packaging 10 includes first and second sides 12, 14 sealed or otherwise secured around the periphery thereof to define a plurality of edges. An interaction region 24 is provided and defines a first point of contact for a user of the packaging 100. The packaging 10 also includes a tear-away region 28 which may be at least partially separated from the remainder of the packaging to form an open upper end of the packaging 10, in use. The tear-away region 28 includes an interaction point defining a second point of contact for a user of the packaging 10. A sealing arrangement including first and second sealing members 42, 44 provides a user-sealable seal between the first and second sides 12, 14 of the packaging 10.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are catheter assemblies (100) with a locator tip (134) proximal to the distal tip (112) of a catheter tube (110). The locator tip is sized to remain outside a female urethra and configured to allow the catheter tube to pass there through. As an example, the locator tip allows a woman using a urinary catheter to target her urethra without exposing the catheter tube to tissue until the urethra is located and insertion is initiated. This avoids infecting the urethra with a catheter tube that has been contaminated by bacteria around the urethra.

Abstract: An ostomy appliance having an appliance wall of flexible sheet material forming a cavity for containing a stomal output. The wall has a stomal inlet for receiving the stomal output and a gas vent for allowing the stomal gas to migrate out of the cavity. A filter arrangement is mounted to the appliance wall and has a filter channel extending from a filter channel inlet to a filter channel outlet. The filter channel inlet is located in the cavity for receiving the stomal output from the cavity and the filter channel outlet is mounted in communication with the gas vent for allowing stomal gas to migrate out of the filter channel to the gas vent. A separation element extends along the filter channel for maintaining the filter channel in an open configuration along part of the filter channel for allowing stomal gas to pass therethough.

Abstract: A wound dressing for pressure gradient wound therapy. The wound dressing includes a dressing body and an adhesive layer. The adhesive layer provides an adhesive region for providing a seal between the wound dressing and the periphery of a wound site, in use. Sensors are provided associated with the adhesive region, the sensors being configured to monitor one or more conditions indicative of a hermeticity of the seal between the wound dressing and the periphery of the wound site.

Abstract: A pressure gradient wound therapy apparatus (50) including a pump assembly (10). The pump assembly (10) includes a diaphragm (12) comprising a magnetic material (16), an electromagnetic actuator (18) switchable between two or more operational states and a valve arrangement (24) including an inlet valve (26) and an outlet valve (28) for the introduction and/or removal of fluid into a fluid chamber (30) of the pump assembly (10). The actuator (18) is configured to move the diaphragm (12) with respect to the actuator (18) between a first position corresponding to a first operational state of the actuator (18) and a second position corresponding to the second operational state of the actuator (18).

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a coupling assembly (12) for an ostomy appliance (10) comprising a clamp arrangement (60), a first coupling and a second coupling. The clamp arrangement (60) comprises a clamp ring (61) mounted to the first and/or second coupling and a clamp locked mounted to the clamp ring (61). The clamp ring (61) comprises an inner circumference (62) adjustable between clamped and unclamped configurations. In the clamped configuration the clamp ring (61) is for maintaining the first and second couplings (20, 40) in a coupled configuration. The clamp lock (80) is adjustable into a locked configuration to lock the clamp ring (61) in the clamped configuration. The clamp lock (80) comprises a clamp actuator (81) moveable radially relative to the inner circumference (62) to unlock the clamp lock (80) from the locked configuration.

Abstract: An ostomy appliance that has inner and outer walls of flexible sheet material joined together to define a cavity for containing a stomal output, the inner wall having an inlet for receiving the stomal output into the cavity, a retractable drain being slidably movable between an extended configuration for draining the stomal output from the cavity and a retracted configuration for storage of the drain, and a guide panel arranged on the inner wall or the outer wall, thereby defining a channel for receiving the retractable drain.

Abstract: A filter adaptor includes a body that defines an internal passageway disposed between an inlet and an outlet, the passageway configured to permit passage of a fluid in a first direction defined by the inlet and the outlet; and a filter disposed within the passageway and oriented to define a volumetric direction that is different than the first direction. Another filter adaptor includes a body that defines an internal passageway disposed between an inlet and an outlet, and a filter disposed within the passageway, wherein the filter comprises a gelling absorbent material that, when in a dry state, is permeable to gas and that, when contacted by an aqueous fluid, converts to a gel. Such filter adaptors may be used for negative pressure wound therapy, dressing, or as syringe filters.

Abstract: An ostomy appliance comprising a main body portion comprising an inner wall and an outer wall of flexible sheet material joined together to define a cavity for containing a stomal output; the inner wall comprising an inlet for receiving the stomal output into the cavity; the ostomy appliance further comprising an outer comfort layer overlying at least a portion of the outer wall; wherein the outer comfort layer comprise a first part and a second part which are joined to the outer wall so that the first part partially overlaps the second part in an overlap region, wherein the first part and the second part are separable from each other in the overlap region to form a window opening for viewing the cavity; wherein the overlap region is angled obliquely to a horizontal direction when the ostomy appliance is orientated as it would be in use.

Abstract: A urinary catheter wetting apparatus (121) has a chamber defined by a forward section (123) opposite to a rearward section (125) each having an aperture (143,153) of which are axially aligned. A catheter tube is connected to a connector (161), the latter of which spans the chamber and initially seals the two apertures. The connector is slideable through the first facial surface (129) of forward section and the second end wall (131) of the rearward section so the catheter tube can be drawn through the chamber. A wetting applicator (151) holding a wetting agent is disposed in the chamber. Upon use, the connector passes through the chamber, applying pressure to the wetting applicator, thereby releasing the wetting agent from the wetting applicator and onto the catheter tube as it follows the connector through the chamber.

Abstract: A dressing for negative pressure wound therapy includes an absorbent layer comprising a gelling absorbent material for absorbing exudate, a peripheral adhesive skin contact layer comprising a hydrocolloid adhesive and defining a window through which the absorbent layer is able to contact a wound, and a cover layer that is water impermeable and air permeable. The cover layer defines an aperture to be used with a pump assembly to provide negative pressure to a wound site.

Abstract: An antibacterial wound dressing is based on or derived from gel-forming fibers such as carboxymethyl cellulose or alginate fibers having silver ions linked thereto at some but not all of the exchangeable sites such that the distribution of silver ions over the exchangeable sites is substantially uniform. The silvered fibers for the wound dressing can be prepared by contacting an assembly of precursor gel-forming fibers having exchangeable sites under conditions which do not cause irreversible gelling of the fibers with an amount of a solution containing silver ions so as to link silver ions at some but not all of the exchangeable sites, the whole of the assembly of precursor gel-forming fibers being contacted essentially simultaneously with the entire solution containing silver ions.

Abstract: An antibacterial wound dressing is based on, or derived from, gel-forming fibres such as carboxymethyl cellulose or alginate fibres having silver ions linked thereto at some but not all of the exchangeable sites such that the distribution of silver ions over the exchangeable sites is substantially uniform. The silvered fibres for the wound dressing can be prepared by contacting an assembly of precursor gel-forming fibres having exchangeable sites under conditions which do not cause irreversible gelling of the fibres with an amount of a solution containing silver ions so as to link silver ions at some but not all of the exchangeable sites, the whole of the assembly of precursor gel-forming fibres being contacted essentially simultaneously with the entire solution containing silver ions.

Abstract: A wound dressing comprises a wound-contacting layer composed of a mixture of honey and a moisture-absorbing agent; a water-permeable fabric backing layer; and an intermediate layer comprising water-permeable fabric impregnated with a mixture of honey and a moisture-absorbing agent.

Abstract: A fabric comprises first and second webs of gel-forming fiber needled to the first and second sides respectively of a textile fiber scrim. Such fabrics find application as wound dressings, in particular for packing cavity wounds.

Abstract: Wound dressings in the form of a body-shaped component are composed of body-shaped cellulosic fabric which has been carboxymethylated at the woundcontacting surface. The body-shaped component composed of a fabric comprising a cellulosic material is subjected to a carboxymethylation process to carboxymethylate the cellulosic material at the wound-contacting surface.

Abstract: A method for the manufacture of a reinforced gel-forming fabric composite comprising a reinforcing layer and gel-forming fibre material is characterized in that the gel-forming fibre material in non-woven fabric form is needled into the reinforcing layer from one side so as to penetrate through the reinforcing layer and form a layer of gel-forming fibre material on both sides of the reinforcing layer. The resulting fabric finds use in a wound dressing.

Abstract: A method for the manufacture of a reinforced gel-forming fabric composite comprising a reinforcing layer and gel-forming fibre material is characterized in that the gel-forming fibre material in non-woven fabric form is needled into the reinforcing layer from one side so as to penetrate through the reinforcing layer and form a layer of gel-forming fibre material on both sides of the reinforcing layer. The resulting fabric finds use in a wound dressing.