Mechanical Negative Pressure Wound Therapy for Low Resource Settings

Lead Author Major

Alexis Albanese

Lead Author Status

Senior

Second Author Major

Ethan Hall

Second Author Status

Senior

Third Author Major

Alene Lai

Third Author Status

Senior

Fourth Author Major

Camryn Wong

Fourth Author Status

Senior

Format

SOECS Senior Project Demonstration

Faculty Mentor Name

Jeff Burmeister

Faculty Mentor Department

Bioengineering

Abstract/Artist Statement

Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is a wound healing method that involves inducing negative pressure on an injury in order to advance the rate of healing, with increasing market trends. NPWT has been shown to decrease infections and edema, limit blood pooling, remove excess fluid, and improve wound closure in specific wound types. Currently, NPWT devices are not widely accessible in low-resource settings since modern commercial options are typically expensive, single-use, and have electric power supplies. To combat these issues, ACE NPWT is a purely mechanical apparatus, serving as an alternative to motorized NPWT devices. A pump mechanism with two one-way valves is used to create constant negative pressure in the wound. Furthermore, ACE NPWT is intended to be a reusable and portable device that lowers cost and increases availability in areas with limited resources. Preliminary testing was conducted using a functional model on an artificial wound. Results demonstrated sustained negative pressure within the recommended range (-80 to -170 mmHg) for at least 48 hours. Overall, ACE NPWT is a portable, reusable, non-electric, and cost-effective alternative to those currently on the market and has the potential to increase the availability of negative pressure wound healing methods in low-resource settings.

Location

University of the Pacific, 3601 Pacific Ave., Stockton, CA 95211

Start Date

1-5-2021 8:00 AM

End Date

1-5-2021 5:00 PM

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May 1st, 8:00 AM May 1st, 5:00 PM

Mechanical Negative Pressure Wound Therapy for Low Resource Settings

University of the Pacific, 3601 Pacific Ave., Stockton, CA 95211

Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is a wound healing method that involves inducing negative pressure on an injury in order to advance the rate of healing, with increasing market trends. NPWT has been shown to decrease infections and edema, limit blood pooling, remove excess fluid, and improve wound closure in specific wound types. Currently, NPWT devices are not widely accessible in low-resource settings since modern commercial options are typically expensive, single-use, and have electric power supplies. To combat these issues, ACE NPWT is a purely mechanical apparatus, serving as an alternative to motorized NPWT devices. A pump mechanism with two one-way valves is used to create constant negative pressure in the wound. Furthermore, ACE NPWT is intended to be a reusable and portable device that lowers cost and increases availability in areas with limited resources. Preliminary testing was conducted using a functional model on an artificial wound. Results demonstrated sustained negative pressure within the recommended range (-80 to -170 mmHg) for at least 48 hours. Overall, ACE NPWT is a portable, reusable, non-electric, and cost-effective alternative to those currently on the market and has the potential to increase the availability of negative pressure wound healing methods in low-resource settings.