From Textile Architecture to Experimental Validation in Textile-Based Wound Dressings: A Patent-Family Analysis (1992–2025)

This study traces technological change in textile-based wound dressings by examining fiber and surface architecture, the mechanisms generated by these structures, and the extent of experimental validation. A structured search in Lens.org used the phrase “wound dressing” in titles or abstracts, Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) class A61F13*, and four architecture-specific branches for nonwoven, knitted, woven, and electrospun/nanofiber systems. After cross-search deduplication, date filtering, Lens extended-family consolidation, and eligibility review, 115 extended patent families with earliest priority dates from 1992 to 2025 were included; 94 were core textile/fibrous families and 21 were retained hybrid/component families. Each family was coded for textile architecture, geometry–mechanism–function relations, intended wound-care functions, and the highest documented level of experimental validation. Electrospun/nanofiber systems represented 50.4% of the corpus, followed by nonwoven structures (36.5%), knitted structures (12.2%), and woven structures (0.9%). Exudate or fluid management was identified in 43 families, antimicrobial or infection-control functions in 26, and active-agent delivery or release in 22. The chronological distribution indicates integration rather than simple replacement: conventional textile structures continued to appear alongside nanofibrous, multilayer, gel-forming, directional-transport, and hybrid systems. Experimental validation remained limited. In 73.0% of families, no direct functional validation was identified or evidence was limited to structural/physical characterization; only 27.0% reached functional laboratory testing or a higher level, and 9.6% provided biological/in vitro or in vivo/clinical evidence. The resulting gap between claimed performance and functional, biological, or clinical evidence highlights the value of assessing wound-dressing patents through the actual technical role of textile architecture within a geometry–mechanism–function–validation framework.