Instrument for Measuring Wound Tension

Simple SummaryContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

This invention describes a medical instrument specifically designed to objectively measure wound tension (the force needed to hold wound edges together), particularly between two skin flaps during or after surgery. It consists of a two-lever or tweezer-like tool with integrated force measurement capabilities, allowing precise and rapid assessment of wound tension. The device is easy to use, cost-effective to manufacture, and provides more reliable, quantitative data compared to subjective manual assessment by surgeons.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Assessing wound tension during surgical procedures in human and veterinary medicine to prevent wound healing complications.
• Guiding surgeons in selecting appropriate wound closure techniques (e.g., when to use grafts or flaps) based on objective measurements.
• Post-surgical monitoring of wound tension to minimize risks of wound dehiscence and excessive scarring.
• Use in both surgical research and daily clinical practice to standardize wound tension assessment.
• Measuring the effect of patient movement (e.g., near joints) on wound tension during healing.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Provides objective, quantitative measurement of wound tension, reducing subjective interpretation by surgeons.
• Helps minimize wound healing complications such as dehiscence, infection, or excessive scarring.
• Enables better selection of wound closure methods, improving patient outcomes.
• Simple and cost-effective design makes it suitable for wide adoption in hospitals and clinics.
• Can be easily cleaned and sterilized, supporting repeated clinical use.
• Reduces reliance on highly experienced surgeons for tension assessment, potentially lowering overall surgical costs.
• Modular and adjustable design accommodates different wound sizes and anatomical locations.

Technical Classifications (CPCs)

Inventors & Applicants

Patent Abstract

The present invention relates to instruments and medical systems for measuring wound tension, in particular for measuring wound tension between two flaps of skin. In veterinary medicine and human medicine, wound-healing disorders are frequent complications in soft-tissue surgery. Wound tension, i.e. the tension between wound margins (comparable to a force that is needed to hold the wound margins together), is an important factor in whether wound-healing disorders develop. The question of whether this wound tension is low enough to ensure complication-free wound healing has to be (should be) assessed by a surgeon manually (i.e. in an imprecise and above all subjective manner), and, if excessive tension is present, suitable techniques for closing the wound have to be (should be) used, which may include grafts, local flaps or free flaps.