METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR THERMAL AND COMPRESSION THERAPY RELATIVE TO THE PREVENTION OF DEEP VEIN THROMBOSIS

• US 20090069731A1
• Filed: 09/19/2008
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Thermotek Incorporated
• Original Assignee: The Thermotek Incorporated
• Inventors: Balachandran, Niran, Quisenberry, Tony, Parish, Overton L., McSpadden, Sam K.
• Granted Patent: US 8,778,005 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 601/150
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0039 Leg or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0043 Lower leg, calf
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0044 Ankle
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0045 Foot
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0056 for cooling
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0075 using a Peltier element, e.g. near the spot to be heated or cooled
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0091 inflatable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/00 Heating or cooling appliances for medical or therapeutic treatment of the human body heating or cooling means in connection with bedsteads or mattresses A47C21/00 ; massage, therapeutic baths A61H; hyperthermia using electric or magnetic fields or ultrasound A61N; electric heating elements H05B
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/0085 Devices for generating hot or cold treatment fluids
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 1/006 Apparatus for applying pressure or blows for compressive stressing of a part of the skeletal structure, e.g. for preventing or alleviating osteoporosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/165 Wearable interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5071 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5082 Temperature sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2205/106 for the lower legs
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2209/00 Devices for avoiding blood stagnation, e.g. Deep Vein Thrombosis [DVT] devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 9/0078 with intermittent or alternately inflated bladders or cuffs mattresses for preventing bed-sores with alternated pressurized chambers A61G7/05776

Abstract

A control unit coupled to a thermal therapy device, a compression therapy device and DVT therapy devices is provided. The thermal therapy device includes a fluid bladder for delivering hot and/or cold therapy to a patient. The compression therapy device includes an gas bladder for providing compression to a patient. The DVT therapy devices provide pulsed compression in coordination with the compression therapy device.

Claims

1. A system for addressing deep-vein-thrombosis (DVT) in a patient utilizing compression therapy, the system comprising:

a control unit adapted to thermally condition a heat-transfer liquid to a predetermined temperature and to provide compressed gas at one or more predetermined pressures;

a thermal therapy pad adapted for the flow of the heat-transfer liquid therethrough and being coupled to the control unit;

a compression therapy device having a bladder and adapted to be disposed outwardly of the thermal therapy pad and being coupled to the control unit for receiving at least a portion of the compressed gas to fill the bladder and adapted to compress the thermal therapy pad against a first portion of a first extremity of the patient;

a first DVT compression device coupled to the control unit and adapted to receive a first pulse of compressed gas from the control unit, the first DVT compression device adapted for securement to and compression of a second portion of the first extremity of the patient;

a second DVT compression device coupled to the control unit and adapted to receive a second pulse of compressed gas from the control unit, the second DVT compression device adapted for securement to and compression of a portion of a second extremity of the patient;

wherein the control unit provides the first pulse only when the compressed gas is not being applied to the compression therapy device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the thermal therapy pad and the compression therapy device are integrated into a single device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein compressed gas is provided to the first DVT compression device during the first pulse for a user-specified length of time and compressed gas is provided to the second DVT compression device during the second pulse for a user-specified length of time.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the control unit is adapted to provide the compressed gas to the compression therapy device, the first DVT compression device, and the second DVT compression device at one or more user-specified pressures.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the second portion of the first extremity of the patient is a first foot of the patient and the portion of the second extremity of the patient is a second foot of the patient.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the second portion of the first extremity of the patient is a first calf of the patient and the portion of the second extremity of the patient is a second calf of the patient.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the first extremity of the patient is a knee of the patient.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the control unit is adapted to provide compressed gas to three or more bladders disposed within the compression therapy device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the control unit is adapted to cycle through the following:

provide a pulse of compressed gas to a first bladder of the compression therapy device;

provide a pulse of compressed gas to a second bladder of the compression therapy device; and

provide a pulse of compressed gas to a third bladder of the compression therapy device.

10. A system for addressing deep-vein-thrombosis (DVT) in a patient utilizing compression therapy, the system comprising:

a control unit for thermally conditioning a heat-transfer liquid to a predetermined temperature and providing compressed gas at a predetermined pressure in a select order;

a thermal compression therapy device coupled to the control unit and adapted for securement to the patient and to receive both at least a portion of the heat-transfer liquid and at least a portion of the compressed gas to compress the thermal therapy device against a first portion of a first extremity of the patient;

a first DVT compression device coupled to the control unit and adapted for securement to the patient and to receive a first pulse of compressed gas from the control unit to compress a second portion of the first extremity of the patient;

a second DVT compression device coupled to the control unit for securement to the patient and receipt of a second pulse of compressed gas from the control unit to compress a portion of a second extremity of the patient;

wherein the control unit provides the first pulse to the first DVT compression device only when the compressed gas is not being applied to the thermal compression therapy device.

11. The system of claim 11, wherein the thermal therapy device and the compression therapy device are integrated into a single device adapted for application to the knee of the patient.

12. A method for addressing aspects of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in a patient utilizing compression applied to the patient, the method comprising:

providing a control unit adapted to thermally condition a heat transfer fluid to a temperature within a range of about 37°

F. and about 105°

F., and adapted to provide compressed gas at a pressure of at least 25 mmHg greater than an ambient atmospheric pressure;

providing a thermal compression device for securement to the patient and adapted to receive at least a portion of the heat transfer fluid and at least a portion of the compressed gas from the control unit;

providing first and second DVT compression devices for securement to the patient, each being adapted to receive at least a portion of the compressed gas from the control unit;

coupling the thermal compression device, the first DVT compression device, and the second DVT compression device to the control unit; and

programming the control unit to coordinate the distribution of the compressed gas between the thermal compression device and the first and the second DVT compression devices so that the thermal compression device does not receive compressed gas at the same time the first DVT compression device receives compressed gas.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first and the second DVT compression devices are secured to a left ankle and a right ankle of the patient.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the thermal compression device is secured to a knee of the patient.

15. The method of claim 12 and further comprising:

monitoring a condition of the patient in at least partial dependence on the compressed gas being provided to the thermal compression device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the compressed gas provided to the thermal compression device is varied based on the conditioned monitored.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the heat transfer fluid is heated from about 49°

F. to about 105°

F. and applied to a skin area of the patient.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the heat transfer fluid is cooled from about 105°

F. to about 49°

F. and applied to a skin area of the patient.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the heat transfer fluid is cooled from an ambient temperature of about 77°

F. to a temperature of about 37°

F. within a 90 minute period.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the control unit is adapted to provide the compressed gas at a pressure in the range of about 0 to about 120 mm Hg.