PICO: Single Use Negative Pressure Wound Therapy

PICO represents a new way of treating patients who would benefit from the application of Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT). PICO consists of a small, portable pump with a lifespan of up to 7 days. The PICO pump generates an effective negative pressure of -80mmHg yet is small enough to fit discretely into a pocket.

·         The PICO pump is connected to a specially designed dressing which maintains the negative pressure across the wound bed.

·         Removes the exudate from the wound bed through absorbency and evaporation.

·         PICO is presented to provide a week (7 days) of therapy. In each carton there is one pump plus two AA lithium batteries and two separately packed dressings complete with fixation strips. This enables a dressing change to be carried out within the lifespan of the pump if this is clinically necessary.

·         At the end of the week, the pump and batteries may be recycled as non-clinical waste. Being single use, PICO can be kept on the shelf to allow easy access to the therapy when it's needed.

Which Dressing Size to Choose

Choose a size of dressing that, when applied, allows coverage of the wound whilst keeping the port away from the area of injury.

PICO Single Use Negative Pressure Wound Therapy system is indicated for patients who would benefit from a suction device (Negative Pressure Wound Therapy) as it may promote wound healing via removal of low to moderate levels of exudate and infectious materials.

PICO Single Use Negative Pressure Wound Therapy System is suitable for use in both a hospital and community setting.

·         Acute

·         Chronic

·         Flaps and grafts

·         Incision sites

·         Partial-thickness burns

·         Subacute and dehisced wounds

·         Traumatic

·         Ulcers (such as diabetic or pressure ulcers)

Use with Fillers

PICO is compatible with the standard fillers of foam and medicated gauze used with conventional NPWT if this is necessary.

Exudate Management

·         The PICO dressing has been uniquely designed to manage fluid in 2 ways . The first is absorption and the second is by transpiration of the moisture.

·         As fluid is removed from the wound bed, it first enters the airlock layer then is rapidly pulled away by the hydrophilic superabsorbent layer. This part of the dressing forms a gel which acts to hold the fluid securely away from the wound.

·         Once the gel forms underneath the film at the top of the dressing, the film starts to evaporate off the moisture and an equilibrium is established to balance the amount of fluid in the dressing at any one point in time. This action prevents the dressing becoming heavy on the patient.

How to Deal with an Air Leak/Low Pressure

·         Smooth the dressing and strips against the skin, it maybe that movement has caused the edge to lift a little.

·         Once this has been completed, press the orange button and the pump will try to re-establish the vacuum.

·         Whilst the pump is running the green light will flash. If the vacuum is successfully re-established the green light will continue to flash.

·         If air is still finding a way into the dressing, the amber leak light will start to flash after approximately 30 seconds. Repeat the smoothing motion and press the orange button until the leak is resolved.

How to Change the Batteries

·         Press the orange button to pause the therapy.

·         Remove the battery cover from the top of the pump and remove the old batteries.

·         Replace with 2 new AA lithium batteries. An indication of which way up each battery should be placed is indicated inside the battery compartment.

·         Replace the cover.

·         Press the orange button to start the therapy.