By Susan Taplinger
Read Time: 3 mins.
Welcome back to Features & Fundamentals — the series that examines essential healthcare products and the design details that influence real clinical performance.
Today’s focus: Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) systems and how they function in practice.
Overview
Wound management becomes more complex when injuries do not respond to routine dressings. Chronic, surgical, traumatic, and high-risk wounds often require therapies that actively regulate the wound environment rather than simply protect it.
Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) applies suction to a sealed dressing placed over a wound. It is commonly used when wounds produce significant drainage, heal slowly, or require closer management than standard dressings can provide.
What It Is
An NPWT system is a closed wound-care setup designed to apply suction across the wound surface while collecting fluid in a contained reservoir.
Core components typically include:
- A pump that generates suction
- Tubing that transfers pressure
- Dressings (foam, gauze, or specialty materials) that seal the wound area
- A canister or chamber that collects drainage
The dressings and adhesive drape form a seal over the wound. Once suction begins, the system distributes pressure across the wound surface.
What It Does
NPWT removes exudate — the fluid that leaks from wounds and can contain inflammatory cells, proteins, and debris. Excess exudate can slow healing if it accumulates, so removing it helps maintain a more balanced wound environment.
Suction also:
- Reduces swelling in surrounding tissue
- Promotes blood flow to the wound area
- Encourages formation of granulation tissue (new connective tissue and tiny blood vessels)
- Helps draw wound edges inward
Together, these effects support progressive healing.
Why It Matters
Complex wounds are increasing across care settings, particularly among aging populations and patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes and vascular disease. These wounds can:
- Produce heavy drainage
- Require close monitoring
- Deteriorate quickly if not managed effectively
NPWT stabilizes wounds between dressing changes, allowing clinicians to track healing and intervene earlier if complications develop.
For ambulatory patients, device size and portability matter. Smaller pumps allow therapy to continue during appointments, travel, and routine activities, which can support adherence to prescribed treatment.
How It’s Used
After cleaning and preparing the wound, clinicians place a foam or gauze dressing over the wound site. An adhesive drape seals the area, and tubing connects the dressing to the therapy unit.
During treatment:
- Suction is delivered at prescribed levels.
- Fluid is drawn into a collection chamber.
- Dressings remain in place for a scheduled wear time.
Some systems allow multiple therapy modes, such as continuous suction or alternating cycles, depending on treatment goals and wound characteristics.
Because therapy may remain in place for extended periods, consistent pressure delivery and seal integrity are important for maintaining intended conditions.
What to Consider
Design features can influence how well an NPWT system supports both clinical workflows and patient comfort.
Evaluation factors often include:
- Therapy control — Adjustable modes support different treatment protocols.
- Seal reliability — Effective adhesion helps maintain consistent pressure.
- Canister capacity — Reservoir size influences change frequency.
- Portability — Lightweight systems support patient mobility.
- Battery performance — Extended operation supports therapy during transport.
- Dressing conformability — Cut-to-fit materials adapt to wound contours.
- Tubing length — Longer tubing supports movement during treatment.
These characteristics affect usability, efficiency, and therapy continuity in real care environments.
These characteristics affect usability, efficiency, and therapy continuity in real care environments.
How It’s Trending
Use of negative pressure wound therapy continues to expand beyond acute-care settings into outpatient, long-term care, and home environments. This shift reflects growing emphasis on treatments that support consistent wound management across varied clinical workflows and patient routines.
Ongoing design refinement across the category has focused on portability, simplified setup, and adaptable configurations.
Stay tuned for more product insights in the Features & Fundamentals series.