USPTO Patent Grant for Reduced Pressure Therapy Apparatuses

ChangeBridge: Patent Grants - Medical Devices (A61M)

Published March 24th, 2026

Detected March 25th, 2026

Summary

The USPTO has granted a new patent (US12582762B2) for reduced pressure therapy apparatuses and methods of using them. The patent, assigned to Smith & Nephew PLC, covers specific pump assembly designs for wound therapy, including sterilization procedures.

View original document View source feed page

What changed

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued patent US12582762B2 for "Reduced pressure therapy apparatuses and methods of using same." This patent, assigned to Smith & Nephew PLC, details a pump assembly for reduced pressure wound therapy. Key features include a housing, flow pathway, valves, a pump with a one-way flow valve, a pressure sensor, a user-accessible controller, and a sterilization process for all internal and external components.

This patent grant signifies a new intellectual property right for the assignee in the medical device sector, specifically for wound care technology. While not a regulatory rule imposing obligations on other entities, it establishes exclusive rights for the patent holder. Companies operating in the reduced pressure therapy space should be aware of this patent to avoid potential infringement and to inform their own product development strategies.

Source document (simplified)

← USPTO Patent Grants

Reduced pressure therapy apparatuses and methods of using same

Grant US12582762B2 Kind: B2 Mar 24, 2026

Assignee

Smith & Nephew PLC

Inventors

Julie Allen, Sarah Jenny Collinson, Edward Yerbury Hartwell, Derek Nicolini

Abstract

Some embodiments comprise a pump assembly for reduced pressure wound therapy, comprising a housing, a flow pathway through the pump, one or more valves in communication with the flow pathway, a pump supported within or by the housing, and a one-way flow valve in fluid communication with the pump. The pump assembly can have a pressure sensor in communication with the flow pathway through the pump, and at least one switch or button supported by the housing, the at least one switch or button being accessible to a user and being in communication with the controller. The one-way flow valve can be configured to substantially prevent a flow of gas through the one-way flow valve in a direction of flow away from the pump. The pump assembly can have a controller supported within or by the housing, the controller being configured to control an operation of the pump. The pump has been sterilized following the assembly of the pump such that an inside and an outside of the housing, the flow pathway, the one or more valves, the pump, the controller, the battery compartment, and the at least one switch or button have been sterilized.

CPC Classifications

A61M 1/962 A61M 1/732 A61M 1/74 A61M 1/78 A61M 1/80 A61M 1/90 A61M 2205/15 A61M 2205/18 A61M 2205/3334 A61M 2205/3344 A61M 2205/8212 A61M 2209/06 A61M 1/912 A61M 1/966 A61M 2205/42