Ferris PolyMem Max Silver Non-Adhesive Dressing — Polymeric Membrane, Cleanse-Fill-Absorb-Moisten, 2 Sizes

This is not a foam dressing. PolyMem is a polymeric membrane dressing — a categorically different technology that continuously cleanses, fills, absorbs, and moistens the wound, relieves pain, reduces inflammation, and delivers reactive antimicrobial silver, all simultaneously, from a single dressing. Ferris PolyMem Max Silver Non-Adhesive is the high-exudate, silver-enhanced configuration of the PolyMem polymeric membrane dressing line. Its hydrophilic polyurethane matrix contains four active components — a mild surfactant cleanser, glycerin moisturizer, superabsorbent starch co-polymer, and small-particle ionic silver — that work individually and synergistically from the moment of application to support every phase of the wound healing process simultaneously. The MAX designation means a thicker PolyMem pad and high moisture vapor transmission rate (MVTR) film backing specifically engineered for wounds with heavier drainage or when extended wear time is needed. Non-adhesive construction — cut to size, apply directly to wound bed, secure with tape or secondary dressing. Sterile, latex-free. Two sizes: 4" x 4" (1045) and 8" x 8" (1088).

✔ Polymeric Membrane Technology — Not a Foam — Cleanse, Fill, Absorb & Moisten Simultaneously    ✔ Reactive Silver — Activates Based on Exudate & Bacteria Level    ✔ Surfactant Cleanser — Continuously Debrides Without Mechanical Disruption    ✔ Glycerin Moisturizer — Non-Adherent, Pain-Reducing, Moist Environment    ✔ MAX Configuration — Thicker Pad, High MVTR Film for Heavy Exudate    ✔ Non-Adherent — Atraumatic Removal, No Wound Bed Disruption

Product Details & Available Sizes

Indicated For — Wound Types

• Pressure ulcers / pressure injuries — all stages
• Venous leg ulcers
• Arterial ulcers
• Diabetic foot ulcers
• Infected wounds — silver provides broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity
• Wounds at high risk of infection or with high bioburden
• Acute wounds — traumatic wounds, lacerations, abrasions
• Post-operative surgical wounds
• First and second degree burns
• Painful wounds — PolyMem's pain-modulating mechanism provides documented pain relief
• Wounds requiring autolytic debridement — surfactant cleanser supports continuous debridement
• Palliative wounds — NPUAP recommends polymeric membrane dressings for palliative care exudate control, wound cleansing, and pain relief
• Moderate-to-heavily exuding wounds requiring extended wear time

PolyMem Is Not a Foam — The Polymeric Membrane Difference

Standard foam dressings are engineered to do one thing well: absorb. The polyurethane foam structure holds wound exudate in its open-cell matrix and provides a cushioning barrier over the wound surface. This is useful, but it is a passive function — the foam receives fluid that reaches it, holds it, and waits to be changed. It does not interact with the wound environment in any active way beyond absorption.

PolyMem is built on a fundamentally different premise. It is a polymeric membrane dressing — a category defined by the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (NPUAP) as distinct from foam dressings — whose hydrophilic polyurethane matrix contains four active components that continuously interact with the wound environment throughout the wear period:

• Surfactant wound cleanser: A mild, non-toxic surfactant is embedded in the matrix and released continuously into the wound bed when activated by moisture. The surfactant reduces the interfacial tension between devitalized and dead tissue and the viable wound bed — breaking the bond that holds non-viable tissue in place and making it available for the body's own enzymatic debridement. This mechanism allows PolyMem to continuously debride without mechanical disruption, eliminating or significantly reducing the need for active wound bed cleansing at dressing changes. Because wound bed cleansing is itself a source of pain and tissue disruption, its elimination is a direct quality-of-life benefit for patients undergoing frequent dressing changes.
• Glycerin (glycerol) moisturizer: Glycerin is a hygroscopic agent that attracts and holds water molecules, maintaining a consistently moist wound surface. In PolyMem's matrix, glycerin serves two simultaneous functions: it prevents the wound surface from drying out and adhering to the dressing (the primary source of pain and tissue disruption during foam dressing removal), and it draws fresh wound fluid — carrying nutrients and growth factors — to the wound surface, supporting cellular activity and tissue regeneration. The glycerin component is directly responsible for PolyMem's documented non-adherence and its pain-modulating effect on dressing removal.
• Superabsorbent starch co-polymer: The superabsorbent component provides the fluid-handling capacity that manages wound exudate. Unlike foam, which simply holds fluid in an open-cell structure, the superabsorbent starch locks fluid into a gel form — it cannot be released back to the wound surface under pressure or repositioning. The starch co-polymer works in combination with the surfactant and glycerin to draw fluid upward from the wound bed (including bacteria, proteases, and harmful wound components) and lock it away from the wound surface, maintaining the clean, moist wound bed environment that supports healing.
• Small-particle ionic silver (Silver Max configuration): PolyMem Silver uses a reactive silver technology that distinguishes it from fixed-release silver dressings. The silver in PolyMem does not release at a constant predetermined rate — it activates in response to the wound environment. When exudate volume is high and bacterial load is elevated, more silver is released. When the wound is cleaner and drainage has reduced, less silver is released. This reactive mechanism is designed to maximize antimicrobial efficacy when it is most needed — during periods of active infection or high bioburden — while reducing unnecessary silver exposure when the wound is in a lower-risk state.

Pain Relief — PolyMem's Documented Nociceptive Effect

Pain relief is not a secondary benefit of PolyMem — it is a primary design objective and one of the most clinically documented properties of the polymeric membrane dressing category. PolyMem dressings have been shown in multiple peer-reviewed studies to reduce both procedural pain (pain experienced during dressing changes) and persistent wound pain (ongoing pain between dressing changes). The mechanism operates at two levels:

• Local pain reduction — non-adherence and moisture: The glycerin moisturizer prevents the dressing from bonding to the wound surface, eliminating the mechanical pain caused when adherent dressings tear newly forming tissue at removal. The continuous moist environment also prevents the nerve exposure and drying that causes persistent wound pain at the wound surface.
• Central pain modulation — nociceptor inhibition: Peer-reviewed research using rodent models has demonstrated that PolyMem's formulation inhibits the nociceptor (pain receptor) response both locally at the wound site and centrally in the nervous system — a mechanism that is unique to polymeric membrane dressings and not seen with standard foam, hydrocolloid, or alginate dressings. This central component explains why patients report pain relief that exceeds what would be expected from the local tissue effects alone, and why PolyMem is specifically recommended for painful wounds where pain management is a treatment priority alongside wound healing.

The MAX Configuration — What It Adds Over Standard PolyMem Silver

Standard PolyMem Silver dressings and PolyMem Max Silver dressings share the identical polymeric membrane matrix formulation — the same surfactant, glycerin, superabsorbent, and reactive silver technology. The MAX designation is specifically a fluid-handling upgrade, not a formula change:

• Thicker PolyMem pad: The matrix is built to a greater depth, providing more absorbent capacity per dressing for wounds with heavier drainage volumes. Appropriate when the standard PolyMem Silver reaches saturation before the optimal change interval or when the wound has recently been heavily exudating and frequent changes are disrupting healing.
• High MVTR film backing: The moisture vapor transmission rate of the backing film is optimized to handle the higher moisture load produced by heavily exuding wounds, allowing more aggressive vapor evaporation through the backing to prevent moisture buildup within the dressing that would otherwise contribute to maceration.
• Combined primary and secondary dressing use: The MAX configuration is thick enough and absorbent enough to function as a combined primary and secondary dressing on many wound types — eliminating the need for a separate secondary layer and simplifying the dressing regimen.

Choosing the Right Size

• 1045 — 4" x 4": Standard size for typical pressure ulcers, diabetic foot ulcers, venous ulcers, post-operative wounds, and most chronic wound presentations of average dimension. Cut to fit smaller wounds with sterile scissors while retaining all matrix benefits. Box of 8.
• 1088 — 8" x 8": For large wounds, extensive pressure injuries, large surgical sites, and any wound where the 4x4 would require overlapping multiple dressings or would not provide adequate coverage and absorption volume. Box of 5.

Not sure which size fits your wound? Call 1-866-218-0902 — Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm EST

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Questions about PolyMem Max Silver or any of our advanced wound dressings? Call 1-866-218-0902 — our team is ready to help.