Active Fluid Management®

Today’s Wound Clinic interviewed Geoff Haas, Senior Business Development Manager, Milliken Healthcare Products, LLC to discuss their technology, Active Fluid Management®. Today’s Wound Clinic (TWC): Please list the full name of your technology? Geoff Haas (GH): Active Fluid Management® is the full name of the technology, but it is commonly abbreviated as “AFM®”. The AFM abbreviation is used on all products, which incorporate this unique fluid management technology. TWC: What year was your technology created? GH: The technology was commercialized by Milliken Healthcare Products as SelectSilver® wound care dressings in 2007. Since that time, AFM technology has been employed in a variety of skin, wound, and burn care products. For instance, AFM Ag ASSIST dressings were launched in May of 2011 and AFM Ultra Ag Foam dressings were launched in October 2011. TWC: Describe the technology to our readers. GH: The proprietary Active Fluid Management technology wicks fluid through the dressing in one direction – away from or toward a wound – depending on which side of the dressing is placed toward the wound. From wet, macerated to dry, scaly wounds, AFM promotes a moist wound-healing environment. For wet or heavily exudating wounds, the AFM dressings actively wick exudate, bacteria, and harmful toxins away from the wound bed. Unlike competitive foam and alginate dressings that passively absorb exudate until they are full, the wicking action of AFM will not diminish over time. For drier wounds, AFM dressings can hold moisture near the skin to promote a moister environment. If needed, a moistened gauze pad or hydrogel can be applied to the dressing to further increase moisture levels. TWC: Describe how a wound care clinician would use your technology in the wound care center? GH: The AFM dressing portfolio will minimize maceration by effectively managing moderate to highly exudating wounds for up to seven days. Although the dressings can be changed daily (eg, inpatient settings), the wicking and antimicrobial properties allow the dressings to be used, undisturbed, for up to seven days by simply changing the inexpensive secondary dressings (eg, gauze, ABD pad) as required. TWC: Do your products come with any training or educational materials? GH: Milliken Healthcare Products provides product demonstrations as well as in servicing by local sales representatives. Instructions for use are printed directly on the dressing and a product pamphlet is included with all products. Additionally, pamphlets and application instructions can be viewed or downloaded from healthcare.milliken.com. TWC: Where is your technology available for purchase? GH: The AFM product portfolio is available nationwide through distributors, DME’s or directly from Milliken Healthcare Products, LLC 866-491-6556 (toll free). TWC: How did the idea for AFM come about? GH: The AFM technology was invented by a group of scientists at Milliken who recognized that the unique moisture management capability of these novel substrates could lead to a new way of thinking about and treating moderately to highly exudating chronic wounds. TWC: What do you feel makes AFM a valuable tool in the wound center? GH: The versatility of AFM makes the product portfolio a valuable addition to a wound care center. The Active Fluid Management family of dressings is engineered to:   • remove or add moisture at the wound bed   • be changed daily or left in place for up to seven days   • be used alone or in combination with other dressings (eg, skin substitutes)   • be used with or without compression   • be used on infected wounds or wounds at risk of infection. TWC: What makes AFM stand out from your competitor’s products? GH: No other competitive product contains this patent protected fluid management technology. All other competitive dressings rely on the passive absorption of exudate while AFM product actively wicks exudate through the AFM layer into a secondary dressing. TWC: What is something that our readers may not know about AFM? GH: Although the dressing is most often used to wick moisture away from a wound, the ingenuity of clinicians led to the discovery that AFM is extremely effective at pumping moisture towards a dry scaly wound to keep a wound and surrounding skin moist. TWC: How can readers find out more information? GH: By visiting healthcare.milliken.com or by calling (toll free) (866) 491-6556.