Pressure therapy apparatus

Claim 1

A pneumatic massage apparatus adapted for pressotherapy, which comprises: an inflatable sleeve, the sleeve including first and second longitudinal walls, and lateral partition walls extending between the first and second longitudinal walls and joined thereto, the first and second longitudinal walls being formed of a gas impermeable, non-elastic material, the partition walls being formed of a flexible, gas impermeable, non-elastic material, the partition walls and first and second longitudinal walls defining therebetween separate inflatable chambers, inflation means on said sleeve for individually inflating each of said chambers, adjacent chambers being separated by a respective one of the partition walls, the length of each of the partition walls being greater than the distance between the first and second longitudinal walls wherein the inflation of one of the chambers at a gas pressure P causes the partition walls to extend laterally and upon inflation of the next chamber at the same gas pressure P, the previously laterally extended partition wall laterally contracts due to the increased pressure in said next chamber thereby increasing the gas pressure in the previously inflated chamber.