Controller for an extremity hyperbaric device

• US 20090126727A1
• Filed: 05/30/2008
• Published: 05/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AOTI, Inc.
• Original Assignee: AOTI, Inc.
• Inventors: Loori, Phillip, Hovorka, George
• Granted Patent: US 8,529,527 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/202.120
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 10/02 with artificial climate; with means to maintain a desired pressure, e.g. for germ-free rooms dust-free laboratory rooms B01L1/04; decompression arrangements B63C11/32; arrangements or adaptations in aircraft B64D13/00; air-conditioning in general F24F
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 10/023 Rooms for the treatment of patients at over- or under-pressure or at a variable pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 10/026 for hyperbaric oxygen therapy
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 9/0057 Suction suction kneading A61H7/008
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/0208 Oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 37/00 Other apparatus for introducing media into the body for reproduction or fertilisation A61B17/425; apparatus for iontophoresis or cataphoresis A61N1/30; Percutany, i.e. introducing medicines into the body by diffusion through the skin salt baths A61H33/04

Abstract

A controller is operable to selectively supply gas to, and evacuate gas from, regions of a hyperbaric wound treatment chamber. The controller operates to inflate a passage or rib of the device to provide that the device is made sufficiently rigid for inserting a limb therethrough, and inflate an inflatable cuff to create a seal against the limb. The controller also operates to evacuate ambient air trapped within the chamber, and optionally partially evacuate the passage or rib, after the seal is created by the inflatable cuff, and then introduce oxygen into the chamber, and optionally inflate the passage or rib. The cuff, when inflated and creating a seal against a limb, optionally is at least partially within the chamber, and the treatment gas is supplied to the chamber to maintain the seal of the cuff against the limb.

Claims

9. A method of operating a hyperbaric wound treatment device, wherein the device includes a chamber having an open end and an inflatable limb sleeve coupled to the chamber, the sleeve being positionable at least partially within the chamber at the open end, the method comprising:

inserting a limb through the sleeve and into the chamber at the open end; and

inflating the sleeve to an inflated condition when the limb is positioned within the sleeve, thereby sealing the sleeve about the limb.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the sleeve is positionable such that a portion of the limb is insertable through the sleeve and into the chamber without the portion of the limb contacting the sleeve.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the sleeve includes an outer wall and an inner wall defining an interior region therebetween, wherein the inflating includes supplying a gas under pressure to the interior region.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the inflating includes introducing a gas into the sleeve until at least a partial seal is formed between the limb and the sleeve.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

supplying a gas into the chamber at a pressure sufficient to cause a portion of the sleeve within the chamber to form at least a partial seal between the limb and the sleeve, wherein the sleeve is positioned at least partially within the chamber.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the sleeve includes an inner wall and an outer wall, wherein the outer wall has a thickness greater than a thickness of the inner wall, the method further comprising:

inflating the sleeve to cause stretching of the inner wall while the outer wall remains substantially non-stretched.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein, when the sleeve is inflated to the inflated condition, the method further comprising:

supplying a gas into the chamber at a pressure sufficient to have the pressure in the chamber exceed the pressure within the sleeve, whereby the pressure in the chamber causes the inner wall to form at least a partial seal against the limb.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the pressure within the sleeve is up to about 1 psi.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the inner and outer walls define respective inside and outside diameters, and wherein the inside diameter is reduced based on the inflating of the sleeve while the outside diameter is substantially unchanged.

18. A hyperbaric wound treatment device comprising:

a chamber having an open end; and

a means coupled to the chamber for receiving a limb of a patient therethrough, the means being inflatable from a first condition whereby the means is capable of receiving the limb to a second condition whereby the means forms at least a partial seal about the limb, the means being positionable at least partially within the chamber adjacent the open end of the chamber when in at least the second condition.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the means includes an inner wall and an outer wall, and wherein, when the means is in the second condition, the outer wall defines a portion of the chamber and the inner wall at least partially seals against the limb.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the inner wall is substantially more deformable than the outer wall.

21. The device of claim 18, wherein the chamber comprises a collapsible bag having an opening at the open end and sized and shaped to receive a limb and wherein, in the second condition of the means with a limb received in the bag, the means at least partially seals against the limb at the opening of the bag.

22. A hyperbaric wound treatment device for treatment of a limb of a patient comprising:

a flexible chamber defining an interior adapted to receive a portion of a patient'"'"'s limb to be treated therein, wherein the chamber has an open end in communication with the interior of the chamber; and

an inflatable sleeve coupled to the chamber adjacent the open end, the sleeve including an outer wall spaced from an inner wall defining an interior region therebetween, the sleeve having at least a portion thereof extendable into the interior of the chamber adjacent the open end thereof, the sleeve being inflatable between a first condition whereby the patient'"'"'s limb is insertable through the sleeve into a portion of the interior of the chamber and a second condition whereby the sleeve forms at least a partial seal about the patient'"'"'s limb while received within the chamber.

23. A hyperbaric wound treatment apparatus comprising:

a chamber having an interior and an open end in communication therewith;

an inflatable limb sleeve configured for receiving a limb and coupled to the chamber, wherein the sleeve is positionable at least partially within the interior of the chamber adjacent the open end;

a gas conveyance assembly coupled to the sleeve and the interior of the chamber and for creating a negative pressure; and

a control device coupled to the gas conveyance assembly operable for controlling the gas assembly for;

inflating the sleeve to an inflated condition for at least partially sealing against the limb adjacent the open end of the chamber, with the sleeve at least partially within the interior of the chamber at the open end; and

creating a negative pressure within the interior of the chamber by evacuating gas from the interior of the chamber, after the inflating of the sleeve.

1. A hyperbaric wound treatment device comprising:

a chamber having an interior and an open end in communication therewith; and

an inflatable limb sleeve coupled to the chamber, wherein the sleeve is positionable at least partially within the interior of the chamber adjacent the open end of the chamber.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the limb sleeve is configured for receiving a limb, and for sealing against the limb adjacent the open end of the chamber when the sleeve is in an inflated condition.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the limb sleeve is configured for receiving a limb and includes an outer wall defining an outer diameter and an inner wall defining an inner diameter, and wherein, in an inflated condition with a limb received in the sleeve, the inner wall is in sealing contact with the limb and the outer wall defines a portion of the interior of the chamber.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the outer wall has a thickness greater than a thickness of the inner wall.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein, in the inflated condition of the sleeve, the inner diameter of the inner wall is less than its inner diameter prior to inflation of the sleeve to the inflated condition, and the outer diameter of the outer wall is substantially the same as its outer diameter prior to inflation of the sleeve to the inflated condition.

6. The device of claim 3, wherein, when the limb is received in the sleeve and the sleeve is in the inflated condition, a pressure within the sleeve is less than a pressure in the interior of the chamber.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the sleeve includes an outer wall and an inner wall forming an interior therebetween, and wherein the sleeve includes a valve through which a gas is conveyable into and out of the interior of the sleeve.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the chamber comprises a collapsible bag having an opening at the open end of the chamber and sized and shaped to receive a limb and wherein, in an inflated condition of the sleeve with a limb received in the bag, the sleeve is positioned at least partially within the bag for sealing against the limb.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the gas conveyance assembly is operable for supplying a treatment gas to the interior of the chamber from a treatment gas supply, following the evacuating of the interior of the chamber.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the treatment gas is supplied to the interior of the chamber to maintain the interior of the chamber at a pressure exceeding the pressure within the sleeve in the inflated condition.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the pressure maintained in the interior of the chamber exceeds the pressure within the sleeve in the inflated condition, such that the pressure in the interior of the chamber contributes to the sealing of the sleeve against the limb.

27. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the sleeve includes an outer wall defining an outer diameter and an inner wall defining an inner diameter, and wherein, in the inflated condition with the limb received in the sleeve, the inner wall is in sealing contact with the limb and the outer wall defines a portion of the interior of the chamber.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the outer wall has a thickness greater than a thickness of the inner wall.

29. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein, in the inflated condition of the sleeve, the inner diameter of the inner wall is less than the inner diameter of the inner wall prior to inflation of the sleeve to the inflated condition and the outer diameter of the outer wall is substantially the same as the outer diameter of the outer wall prior to inflation of the sleeve to the inflated condition.

30. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein, when the sleeve is in the inflated condition, a pressure within the sleeve is less than a pressure in the interior of the chamber.

31. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the sleeve includes an outer wall and an inner wall forming an interior therebetween, and wherein the gas conveyance assembly includes a valve means through which a gas is conveyable into and out of the interior of the sleeve and the chamber, respectively.

32. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the chamber comprises a collapsible bag having an opening at the open end of the chamber and sized and shaped to receive the limb and an inflatable rib for retaining the bag in a rigid state, wherein the control device is operable to control the gas conveyance assembly for:

inflating the rib at least partially before the inflating of the sleeve to the inflated condition.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the control device is operable to control the gas conveyance assembly for:

supplying a gas to the rib under pressure during or after the evacuation of gas from the interior of the chamber.

34. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the gas conveyance assembly includes at least one of a pump and a control valve.

35. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the control device is operable to control the gas conveyance assembly for:

supplying a gas from a gas source under pressure to the chamber, after the evacuating of the gas at least partially from the interior of the chamber.

28-1. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the outer wall has a thickness greater than a thickness of the inner wall.

36. A method of providing a treatment gas to a hyperbaric wound treatment device, wherein the device includes a chamber having an interior and an open end in communication therewith and an inflatable sleeve coupled to the chamber and positionable at least partially within the interior of the chamber adjacent the open end, the method comprising:

after inserting a limb through the sleeve and into the interior of the chamber, inflating the limb sleeve to an inflated condition for creating at least a partial seal between the limb and the sleeve adjacent the open end, with the sleeve at least partially within the interior of the chamber;

after creating the seal, evacuating at least partially gas from within the interior of the chamber; and

supplying a treatment gas to the interior of the chamber, following the evacuation of the gas from the interior of the chamber.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the chamber comprises a collapsible bag including an inflatable passageway for retaining the bag in a rigid state, the method further comprising:

evacuating gas at least partially from the inflatable passageway before supplying the treatment gas to the interior of the chamber.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the inflatable passageway is an inflatable rib.

39. The method of claim 36, wherein the treatment gas is supplied to the interior of the chamber to maintain the interior of the chamber at a pressure exceeding the pressure within the sleeve in the inflated condition.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the pressure maintained in the interior of the chamber exceeds the pressure within the sleeve in the inflated condition, such that the pressure in the interior of the chamber contributes to creating the seal between the sleeve and the limb.

41. The method of claim 36, wherein the sleeve includes an outer wall defining an outer diameter and an inner wall defining an inner diameter, and wherein, in the inflated condition with the limb received in the sleeve, the inner wall is in sealing contact with the limb and the outer wall defines a portion of the interior of the chamber.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the outer wall has a thickness greater than a thickness of the inner wall.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein, in the inflated condition of the sleeve, the inner diameter of the inner wall is less than the inner diameter of the inner wall prior to inflation of the sleeve to the inflated condition and the outer diameter of the outer wall is substantially the same as the outer diameter of the outer wall prior to inflation of the sleeve to the inflated condition.

44. The method of claim 36, wherein, when the sleeve is in the inflated condition, a pressure within the sleeve is less than a pressure in the interior of the chamber.

45. The method of claim 36, wherein the chamber comprises a collapsible bag having an opening at the open end of the chamber and sized and shaped to receive the limb and an inflatable rib for retaining the bag in a rigid state, the method further comprising:

inflating the rib at least partially before the limb is inserted through the sleeve and into the interior of the chamber.

46. The method of claim 36 further comprising:

supplying a gas to the rib under pressure during or after the evacuation of gas from the interior of the chamber.