Pneumatic pump, housing and methods for medical purposes

• US 6,468,237 B1
• Filed: 04/23/1997
• Issued: 10/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Covidien AG (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Kinetic Concepts Incorporated (3M Company)
• Inventors: Lina, Cesar Z.
• Primary Examiner(s): Leubecker, John P.
• Application Number:
  US08/847,321
• Time in Patent Office: 2,008 Days
• Field of Search: 601/27, 601/84, 601/104, 601/148-156, 602/27, 602/23, 602/202
• US Class Current: 601/150
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/065 Looped bandages around the forefoot A61F13/068 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/085 Openable readjustable
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1697 Breathability of the material
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5051 hydraulically controlled
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5056 pneumatically controlled
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2205/12 Feet
• 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 multi-faceted pneumatic medical device including a pump unit, together with a housing therefor, that is adapted for cyclical compression of the human foot using an expandable fluid-tight bladder formed integral within a wrap that can be securely fastened onto the foot.

Claims

1. A medical apparatus for affecting blood circulation comprising:

a wrap comprising an inflatable bladder for applying pressure to a patient'"'"'s extremity when inflated;

a pressure source for inflating the bladder in said wrap;

a pressure sensor for sensing the pressure applied to the patient'"'"'s extremity and converting the sensed amount into a signal; and

a controller for receiving the signal from said pressure sensor to control the pressure applied to the patient'"'"'s extremity by said pressure source in cyclic inflation and deflation cycles, said controller being adapted for gradually increasing the pressure applied by said wrap over a series of successive inflation/deflation cycles.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 additionally comprising a line in fluid communication with said pressure source and the bladder in said wrap having at least one restrictor therein for restricting the flow of pressure to said pressure sensor.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the signal from said pressure sensor includes an analog voltage signal, and said pressure sensor further comprises an analog to digital conversion means for converting the analog voltage signal into a digital signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said control means comprises micro-controller and a plurality of solenoid valves controlled by said micro-controller to adjust the amount of pressure applied by said pressure source to said wrap.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said micro-controller reads the signal from said pressure sensor and opens and closes the solenoid valves in response to the read signal.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said controller further comprises an error detection means for determining when pressure applied by said pressure source is either too high or too low.

7. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said controller further comprises an operator console having programmable keys to enter user settings and memory means for storing said user settings to be processed by said micro-controller.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said operator console further comprises a liquid crystal display.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said memory means comprises an electronically erasable programmable read only memory.

10. A medical apparatus for cyclically applying pressure to a foot comprising:

a foot wrap formed from two sheets of flexible fabric having an inflatable bladder therein;

a connector opening into the inflatable bladder for connecting to a source of pressurized fluid;

said foot wrap having a first tab for releasably securing said foot wrap to a human foot about the arch and a second tab for releasably securing said foot wrap about the heel, the second tab being generally perpendicular to the first tab;

a source for supplying pressurized fluid to said inflatable bladder;

a sensor for sensing the pressure in said inflatable bladder; and

a controller in communication with said pressure sensor for adjusting the amount of pressure supplied to said bladder by said source based on pressures sensed by said pressure sensor.

11. The medical apparatus of claim 10 further comprising:

housing for releasably mounting said source on a foot board of a standard hospital bed, said housing comprising a pair of opposite mounting hooks having sloping surfaces for biasing the source toward said foot board and having knobs at the distal ends thereof for helping retain the hooks on the foot board; and

said hooks having a horizontal bearing surface for engaging the top of foot boards having smaller widths.

12. A medical apparatus for affecting the circulation of a patient'"'"'s body fluid comprising:

a wrap having an inflatable bladder for applying pressure to a patient'"'"'s extremity when inflated;

a source for supplying gas to said wrap;

an expansion chamber in fluid communication with said gas source;

a line in fluid communication with said expansion chamber and the bladder in said wrap;

a pressure sensing means including a pressure sensor connected to said line for sensing the amount of gas being supplied by said gas source upon opening a valve and converting the sensed pressure into a signal for controlling the valve; and

a controller operatively connected with said pressure sensing means to receive the signal therefrom to control the valve to adjust the amount of gas being supplied to the bladder in said wrap by said gas source in cyclic inflation and deflation cycles, said controller being adapted for gradually increasing the pressure applied by said wrap over a series of successive inflation/deflation cycles.

13. A method for affecting the circulation of body fluid in the extremity of a patient comprising the steps of:

applying a wrap to a patient'"'"'s extremity, the wrap comprising an inflatable bladder for applying pressure to the patient'"'"'s extremity;

supplying pressure to the wrap;

approximating the pressure in the bladder by delivering the pressure to the bladder through an expansion reservoir;

sensing the amount of pressure being supplied by the pressure source in the expansion reservoir; and

converting the sensed pressure in the expansion reservoir into a signal for controlling the pressure supplied to the wrap.

14. A method for affecting the circulation of body fluid in a patient comprising the steps of:

applying a wrap comprising an inflatable bladder for applying pressure to the body of a patient;

supplying pressure to the wrap in cycles of inflation and deflation of the bladder; and

sensing the pressure in an accumulator tank in fluid communication with the bladder upon opening of a valve in fluid communication with the bladder to deflate the bladder during each inflation/deflation cycle thereby verifying the decrease in the pressure during deflation of the bladder by sensing a decrease in the pressure in the accumulator tank.