Research Overview

Wounds, especially chronic wounds, are associated with clinical, social, and economic challenges. Wounds resulting from diabetes, injuries, and surgeries affect a significant population globally. According to an economic evaluation study on Medicare beneficiaries, 8.2 million people in the United States have at least one type of chronic wound. Amongst them, diabetic ulcers and surgical wounds are the most common and expensive wounds treated.

Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT), also known as vacuum-assisted closure therapy, applies negative pressure to the surface of wounds, continuously or intermittently. NPWT forms an integral part of advanced wound management. It is a multi-billion dollar industry on an upward trajectory due to its application in multiple wound types, aid in faster healing, and easier operation. Despite the many advantages, traditional NPWT devices or vacuum-assisted closure therapies have many drawbacks. Traditional devices require changing the canister once it is filled with body fluids, and sometimes it is difficult to maintain a specific vacuum due to leaks. This affects device effectiveness and may lead to external infection. Also, traditional NPWT devices offer a uniform approach to wound healing, which might not suit all patients, depending on the wound type and size and the patient’s health needs. Finally, the cost of NPWT devices is high, which discourages many healthcare facilities from using them.

The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the advanced wound management market, primarily because of medical supply chain problems across the globe. Additionally, conserving healthcare professionals’ time and energy is supercritical during pandemics. Recent innovations in NPWT devices focus on customized treatment for better clinical outcomes. These innovations are easy to use both in hospitals and at home. Frost & Sullivan expects that the introduction of innovative and customizable products will focus on patient convenience and support their restriction-free daily movement and routines. The introduction of innovative NPWT systems for home health care is imperative for addressing the changing market demand that enables saving healthcare professionals’ time and energy as well as the costs involved in routine hospitals visits.