Intermittent compression device

Claim 1

A device for applying compressive pressures against a patient's limb from a source of pressurized fluid, comprising: an elongated pressure sleeve for enclosing a length of the patient's limb, said sleeve having a plurality of separate closed fluid pressure chambers progressively arranged longitudinally along the sleeve from a lower portion of the limb to an upper portion of the limb proximal the patient's heart relative said lower portion; means for intermittently forming a pressure pulse from said source during periodic compression cycles; means for separately connecting said pulse to said chambers at the start of the compression cycles; means for developing progressively diminishing rates of pressure increases in progressively located upper chambers during the compression cycles to apply a compressive pressure gradient against the patient's limb by the sleeve which progressively decreases from said lower to upper limb portions; and means for intermittently connecting said chambers to an exhaust means during periodic decompression cycles between said compression cycles.

Claim 2

A device for applying compressive pressures against a patient's limb from a source of pressurized fluid, comprising: an elongated pressure sleeve for enclosing a length of the patient's limb, said sleeve having a plurality of separate closed fluid pressure chambers progressively arranged longitudinally along the sleeve from a lower portion of the limb to an upper portion of the limb proximal the patient's heart relative said lower portion; means for intermittently forming a pressure pulse from said source during periodic compression cycles; means for separately connecting said pulse to said chambers at the start of the compression cycles; means for developing progressively diminishing rates of pressure increases in progressively located upper chambers during the compression cycles to apply a compressive pressure gradient against the patient's limb by the sleeve which progressively decreases from said lower to upper limb portions; and means for intermittently connecting said chambers to an exhaust means during periodic decompression cycles between said compression cycles.

Claim 8

A device for applying compressive pressures against a patient's limb from a source of pressurized fluid, comprising: an elongated pressure sleeve for enclosing a length of the patient's limb, said sleeve having a plurality of separate fluid pressure chambers progressively arranged longitudinally along the sleeve from a lower portion of the limb to an upper portion of the limb proximal the patient's heart relative said lower portion; a manifold having an inlet port, a plurality of outlet ports associated with the separate chambers, and a plurality of flow control orifices communicating between said inlet port and separate outlet ports, said orifices having different effective sizes to vary the rate of fluid flow through different orifices; a plurality of conduits separately connecting said outlet ports to separate chambers in said sleeve, said conduits being arranged to connect progressively located upper chambers to control orifices of progressively decreasing effective size, whereby the rate of fluid flow from said inlet port to the lower chambers is greater than the rate of fluid flow into the upper chambers; control means for intermittently connecting said fluid source to said manifold inlet port for simultaneously inflating said chambers at varying rates during periodic compression cycles, whereby the sleeve applies a compressive pressure gradient against the patient's limb which progressively decreases from said lower to upper limb portions during the compression cycles; and means for intermittently connecting said manifold inlet port to an exhaust means during periodic decompression cycles between said compression cycles to simultaneously empty said chambers.

Claim 9

A device for applying compressive pressures against a patient's limb from a source of pressurized fluid, comprising: an elongated pressure sleeve for enclosing a length of the patient's limb, said sleeve having a plurality of separate fluid pressure chambers progressively arranged longitudinally along the sleeve from a lower portion of the limb to an upper portion of the limb proximal the patient's heart relative said lower portion; a manifold having an inlet port, a plurality of outlet ports associated with the separate chambers, and a plurality of flow control orifices communicating between said inlet port and separate outlet ports, said orifices having different effective sizes to vary the rate of fluid flow through different orifices; a plurality of conduits separately connecting said outlet ports to separate chambers in said sleeve, said conduits being arranged to connect progressively located upper chambers to control orifices of progressively decreasing effective size, whereby the rate of fluid flow from said inlet port to the lower chambers is greater than the rate of fluid flow into the upper chambers; control means for intermittently connecting said fluid source to said manifold inlet port for simultaneously inflating said chambers at varying rates during periodic compression cycles, whereby the sleeve applies a compressive pressure gradient against the patient's limb which progressively decreases from said lower to upper limb portions during the compression cycles; and means for intermittently connecting said manifold inlet port to an exhaust means during periodic decompression cycles between said compression cycles to simultaneously empty said chambers.

Claim 11

A device for applying compressive pressures against a patient's limb from a source of pressurized gas, comprising: an elongated pressure sleeve for enclosing a length of the patient's limb, said sleeve having a plurality of separate fluid pressure chambers progressively arranged longitudinally along the sleeve from a lower portion of the limb to an upper portion of the limb proximal the patient's heart relative said lower portion; first timer means energized by said source for determining the duration of an inflation cycle; means responsive to the first timer means for connecting the source to outlet port means at the start of an inflation cycle for inflation of the sleeve; means for reducing the effective pressure of said gas supplied from said source to the outlet port means; means for supplying said gas from the outlet port means to a plurality of said chambers in the sleeve; means for disconnecting said source from the outlet port means at the end of an inflation cycle; and second timer means energized by said source and responsive to the first timer means for determining the duration of a deflation cycle and for initiating the first timer means at the end of the deflation cycle.

Claim 12

A device for applying compressive pressures against a patient's limb from a source of pressurized gas, comprising: an elongated pressure sleeve for enclosing a length of the patient's limb, said sleeve having a plurality of separate fluid pressure chambers progressively arranged longitudinally along the sleeve from a lower portion of the limb to an upper portion of the limb proximal the patient's heart relative said lower portion; first timer means energized by said source for determining the duration of an inflation cycle; means responsive to the first timer means for connecting the source to outlet port means at the start of an inflation cycle for inflation of the sleeve; means for reducing the effective pressure of said gas supplied from said source to the outlet port means; means for supplying said gas from the outlet port means to a plurality of said chambers in the sleeve; means for disconnecting said source from the outlet port means at the end of an inflation cycle; and second timer means energized by said source and responsive to the first timer means for determining the duration of a deflation cycle and for initiating the first timer means at the end of the deflation cycle.