Chronic wound care is a significant burden on the healthcare system, affecting an estimated three to six million Americans, manifesting as ulcers associated with restricted blood flow, diabetes mellitus, or pressure [1]. Treatment is frequently unsuccessful, with only an estimated 25–50% of venous and diabetic ulcers closing after 20 weeks of treatment [2].
Debridement, the removal of necrotic tissue and foreign materials from the wounds, is a crucial component in the chronic wound care [3]. While there exist many debridement techniques, the search for new and more effective methods is ongoing [4].
The existing methods of debridement include surgical, the industry gold standard, as well as the mechanical, autolytic, enzymatic, and hydrosurgery (VersaJet™). The VersaJet™ uses a single high-speed jet directed parallel to the wound surface to remove soft necrotic tissue.
This paper presents the design of a debridement device that uses...
