Microporous nonadherent surgical dressing

Claim 2

The dressing of claim 2 wherein the outer and inner layers are bonded together by an adhesive tape applied around the edges of the dressing and folded over each of the outer and inner layers.

Claim 3

The dressing of claim 1, including an adhesive applied to the outside surface of the inner layer of the dressing, around the periphery thereof, to bond the dressing to a patient.

Claim 4

The dressing of claim 1 comprising in addition a biologically-active ingredient applied to one of the layers of the dressing.

Claim 5

A composite surgical dressing having a high degree of absorbency for body fluids exuded from a wound area, capable of preventing microbiological contamination of the wound area from without, and nonadherent to the wound during healing, comprising an outer microporous liquid-repellent glass fiber fabric fibrous layer having an effective maximum pore size not in excess of 0.5 micron, inhibiting passage of body fluids and passage of microorganisms in either direction therethrough, and having a voids volume of at least 50 percent, an inner macroporous fibrous layer, the body-contacting face of which is not wetted by body fluids and impregnated so as to coat the fibers thereof with a nonadherent physiologically inert liquid-repellent polymer thereby rendering the body-contacting face nonadherent to the wound, and bonding the fibers of the face together, and a highly absorbent intermediate layer between the outer and inner layers capable of absorbing body fluids passing through the inner macroporous layer.

Claim 6

The dressing of claim 6 wherein the glass fiber fabric has glass fibers embedded in the weave thereof.

Claim 7

The dressing of claim 6 wherein the glass fiber fabric is coated with a resinous material imparting liquid repellency to the fabric.

Claim 8

The dressing of claim 6 wherein the inner fibrous layer is a coarsely woven glass fiber fabric coated with a fluorocarbon resin imparting liquid repellency to the fabric and improving its resistance to adhesion to the body, while permitting the passage of fluids and air through the fabric.

Claim 9

The dressing of claim 6 wherein the outer layer is microporous glass fiber fabric impregnated with glass fibers and a fluorocarbon resin imparting liquid repellency to the fabric, the intermediate layer is a layer of absorbent cellulose fibers, and the inner layer is a macroporous glass fiber fabric having the body-contacting face impregnated with a fluorocarbon resin imparting liquid repellency to the fabric and improving its resistance to adhesion to the body, while permitting the passage of fluids and air through the fabric.

Claim 10

The dressing of claim 1 wherein the microporous layer has an effective maximum pore diameter of less than 0.2 micron.