Using hydrophilic polyurethane laparotomy sponges

Claim 1

A method for removing internal body fluids from surgical incisions which comprises contacting internal body fluids with a sterile hydrophilic sponge adapted for medical usage comprising a thin flexible hydrophilic polyurethane foam, a. the surface of said foam being non-abrasive towards internal body organs exposed during surgery, b. said foam containing at least one zone of intercommunicating pores extending inwardly from a surface of the foam, c. said pores being of sufficiently small dimension to insure retention of body fluids therein substantially by capillarity, d. the surface of said pore zone being substantially free from obstructions which inhibit flow of fluids into the pores, e. substantially all of the internal surfaces of said pores being hydrophilic and substantially non-foaming when the sponge is moistened, f. the polyurethane foam being crushed to possess dead fold characteristics whereby when once placed in position, the foam does not resiliently return by elastic memory to a different position, and g. the sponge being stored in sterile condition in a strippable package and just before use, the package is stripped open to release the sponge in sterile condition, and the sponge is then aseptically transferred to contacting relationship with raw body tissues, whereby substantial amounts of internal body fluids based on the dry weight of the sponge are absorbed by the sponge and removed from their environment upon contact of said internal fluids with said pore zone, and then removing said sponge containing said absorbed fluids from the body environment.

Claim 2

A method for removing internal body fluids from surgical incisions which comprises contacting internal body fluids with a sterile hydrophilic sponge adapted for medical usage comprising a thin flexible hydrophilic polyurethane foam, a. the surface of said foam being non-abrasive towards internal body organs exposed during surgery, b. said foam containing at least one zone of intercommunicating pores extending inwardly from a surface of the foam, c. said pores being of sufficiently small dimension to insure retention of body fluids therein substantially by capillarity, d. the surface of said pore zone being substantially free from obstructions which inhibit flow of fluids into the pores, e. substantially all of the internal surfaces of said pores being hydrophilic and substantially non-foaming when the sponge is moistened, f. the polyurethane foam being crushed to possess dead fold characteristics whereby when once placed in position, the foam does not resiliently return by elastic memory to a different position, and g. the sponge being stored in sterile condition in a strippable package and just before use, the package is stripped open to release the sponge in sterile condition, and the sponge is then aseptically transferred to contacting relationship with raw body tissues, whereby substantial amounts of internal body fluids based on the dry weight of the sponge are absorbed by the sponge and removed from their environment upon contact of said internal fluids with said pore zone, and then removing said sponge containing said absorbed fluids from the body environment.