Pressure applicator devices particularly useful for non-invasive detection of medical conditions
First Claim
1. A device for application to a body part of a patient to detect a change in the physical condition of the patient;
- said device comprising a probe including;
a housing defining a compartment closed at one end and open at the opposite end for receiving the distal end of the patient'"'"'s body part including its terminal-most extremity;
pressurizing means for applying a static pressure field substantially uniformly around the distal end of the patient'"'"'s body part, when received in said compartment, including its terminal-most extremity, which static pressure field is of a predetermined magnitude sufficient to substantially prevent distention of the venous vasculature, uncontrolled venous backflow, and retrognade shockwave propogation into said distal end, and to partially unload the wall tension of, but not to occlude, the arteries in said distal end when at heart level or below;
and a sensor for sensing changes in said distal end of the patient'"'"'s body part related to changes in volume thereof due to changes in instantaneous blood volume related to arterial blood volume therein;
characterized in that said pressurizing means for applying said static pressure substantially uniformly around the distal end of the patient'"'"'s body part, including its terminal-most extremity, is constituted of a medium wholly self-contained within said probe.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A probe for application to a body part particularly a finger of a patient to detect a change in the physical condition of the patient includes a housing defining a compartment closed at one end and open at the opposite end for receiving the distal end of the patient'"'"'s finger and means consituted of a medium wholly self-contained within the probe for applying a static pressure field substantially uniformly around the distal end of the patient'"'"'s finger, of a predetermined magnitude sufficient to substantially prevent distention of the venous vasculature, uncontrolled venous backflow, and retrognade shockwave propagation into the distal end, and to partially unload the wall tension of, but not to occlude, the arteries in the distal end when at heart level or below. A sensor senses changes in the distal end of the patient'"'"'s finger related to changes in arterial blood volume therein.
99 Citations
47 Claims
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1. A device for application to a body part of a patient to detect a change in the physical condition of the patient;
- said device comprising a probe including;
a housing defining a compartment closed at one end and open at the opposite end for receiving the distal end of the patient'"'"'s body part including its terminal-most extremity;
pressurizing means for applying a static pressure field substantially uniformly around the distal end of the patient'"'"'s body part, when received in said compartment, including its terminal-most extremity, which static pressure field is of a predetermined magnitude sufficient to substantially prevent distention of the venous vasculature, uncontrolled venous backflow, and retrognade shockwave propogation into said distal end, and to partially unload the wall tension of, but not to occlude, the arteries in said distal end when at heart level or below;
and a sensor for sensing changes in said distal end of the patient'"'"'s body part related to changes in volume thereof due to changes in instantaneous blood volume related to arterial blood volume therein;
characterized in that said pressurizing means for applying said static pressure substantially uniformly around the distal end of the patient'"'"'s body part, including its terminal-most extremity, is constituted of a medium wholly self-contained within said probe. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 25, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 36, 37, 39, 40, 41, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
- said device comprising a probe including;
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4. A device to be applied around a body part of a patient, comprising a probe including:
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a housing for application to the body part; and
pressurizing means for applying a static pressure field substantially uniformly around the body part;
said pressurizing means including;
an inner resilient membrane within said housing and defining therewith an inner chamber to be filled with a fluid for applying said static pressure via said membrane substantially uniformly around the distal end of the patient'"'"'s digit including its distal tip;
and an outer resilient membrane attached to said housing externally thereof and defining therewith an outer chamber communicating with said inner chamber via openings in said housing for enlarging the effective volume of said inner chamber such as to cause said inner membrane to apply substantially the same static pressure around the body part despite changes in volume thereof.
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22. A device for application to a body part of a patient to detect a change in the physical condition of the patient;
- said device comprising;
a first housing defining a first compartment closed at one end and open at the opposite end for receiving the distal end of the patient'"'"'s body part including its terminal-most extremity;
pressurizing means for applying a static pressure field substantially uniformly around the distal end of the patient'"'"'s body part, when received in said compartment, including its terminal-most extremity, which static pressure field is of a predetermined magnitude sufficient to substantially prevent distention of the venous vasculature, uncontrolled venous backflow, and retrognade shockwave propogation into said distal end, and to partially unload the wall tension of, but not to occlude, the arteries in said distal end when at heart level or below;
a sensor for sensing changes in said distal end of the patient'"'"'s body part related to changes in volume thereof due to changes in instantaneous blood volume related to arterial blood volume therein;
and a second housing separate and apart from said first housing and defining a second compartment having a fluid connection to said first compartment;
said sensor being located within said second housing in operative position with respect to said second compartment. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 26, 27)
- said device comprising;
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35. A device to be applied to a body part of a patient, comprising:
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a housing made of two sections hinged together to assume open and closed conditions;
a body of a resilient sponge material divided into two sections, each carried by one of said housing sections, and defining, in the closed condition of the two housing sections, a compartment for receiving the patient'"'"'s body part;
and fastening elements for fastening the two housing sections in their closed condition.
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38. A device for application to a body part of a patient to detect a change in the physical condition of the patient, said device comprising:
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a housing defining a compartment closed at one end and opend at the opposite end for receiving the distal end of the patient'"'"'s body part;
a first membrane defining a first chamber containing a pressurized fluid to apply a static pressure field to the patient'"'"'s body part when received within the housing;
a second membrane defining a second chamber communicating with said first chamber and of a volume such that the combined volumes of the two chambers maintain a relatively constant pressure despite changes in volume according to the Laplace Law;
and sensor elements in at least one of said chambers for sensing changes in said distal end of the patient'"'"'s body part related to changes in volume therein.
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42. The device according to claim 391 wherein said second membrane is of tubular ocnfiguration and is attached around the outer tip of the housing, which tip is formed with said openings providing communication between said first and second chambers.
Specification