Methods and apparatus for adjusting blood circulation
First Claim
1. A device for increasing blood flow and/or controlling body temperature in a mammal, comprising:
- a flexible body having one or more flexible walls that enclose at least a portion of an internal region, wherein at least a portion of the flexible body defines an outermost surface of a portion of the device that is disposed over the portion of the extremity;
an opening formed in the flexible body that is adapted to receive an extremity of a mammal and allow a portion of the extremity to be positioned within the internal region;
one or more thermal exchanging units that are in thermal communication with the internal region; and
a pump fluidly coupled to the internal region and configured to create a pressure below atmospheric pressure within the internal region causing atmospheric pressure external to the flexible body to urge at least a portion of the flexible body against the portion of the extremity disposed in the internal region,wherein the flexible body is configured to substantially conform to the shape of the portion of the extremity when the pump creates the pressure below atmospheric pressure within the internal region.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments of the invention include a method and a device for increasing blood flow and controlling the temperature of a mammal by applying a desired pressure to extremities of a mammal. The device generally includes one or more collapsible and pliant body elements, capable of expanding from a first volume into an expanded second volume so the device can receive a portion of an extremity of the mammal therein and then be reduced from the expanded second volume into a pressurized third volume to conformably enclose the portion of the extremity. One or more thermal exchange units can be positioned in the one or more collapsible and pliant body elements. Accordingly, the temperature of the extremity of a mammal can be regulated by providing a heated or cooled fluid medium or electric thermal energy to the one or more thermal exchange units. Next, by evacuating the region in which the extremity is enclosed the contact surface area between the extremity of a mammal and the one or more thermal exchange units is increased, due to the external atmospheric pressure acting on the pliant body elements against the skin of the extremity of the mammal. The application of pressure assures that sufficient contact and thermal heat transfer (heating or cooling) is provided to the extremity of the mammal.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. A device for increasing blood flow and/or controlling body temperature in a mammal, comprising:
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a flexible body having one or more flexible walls that enclose at least a portion of an internal region, wherein at least a portion of the flexible body defines an outermost surface of a portion of the device that is disposed over the portion of the extremity; an opening formed in the flexible body that is adapted to receive an extremity of a mammal and allow a portion of the extremity to be positioned within the internal region; one or more thermal exchanging units that are in thermal communication with the internal region; and a pump fluidly coupled to the internal region and configured to create a pressure below atmospheric pressure within the internal region causing atmospheric pressure external to the flexible body to urge at least a portion of the flexible body against the portion of the extremity disposed in the internal region, wherein the flexible body is configured to substantially conform to the shape of the portion of the extremity when the pump creates the pressure below atmospheric pressure within the internal region. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A device for increasing blood flow and/or controlling body temperature in a mammal, comprising:
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a flexible body having one or more flexible walls that enclose at least a portion of an internal region, wherein at least a portion of the flexible body defines an outermost surface of a portion of the device that is disposed over the portion of the extremity; an opening formed in the flexible body that is adapted to receive an extremity of a mammal and allow a portion of the extremity to be positioned within the internal region; one or more thermal exchanging units that are in thermal communication with the internal region, wherein the one or more thermal exchanging units are disposed between the one or more flexible walls and the internal region, and wherein a contact area is formed between the one or more thermal exchange units and the portion of the extremity that is less than about 410 square inches (0.264 m2) when the flexible body collapses against the portion of the extremity; and a pump fluidly coupled to the internal region and configured to create a pressure below atmospheric pressure within the internal region causing atmospheric pressure external to the flexible body to urge at least a portion of the flexible body against the portion of the extremity disposed in the internal region.
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18. A device for increasing blood flow and/or controlling body temperature in a mammal, comprising:
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a flexible body having one or more flexible walls that enclose at least a portion of an internal region, wherein at least a portion of the flexible body defines an outermost surface of a portion of the device that is disposed over the portion of the extremity, wherein the one or more flexible walls further comprise; one or more first flexible walls that enclose the at least a portion of the internal region; and one or more second flexible walls bonded or sealed to at least a portion of the one or more first flexible walls to form a second region that forms at least a portion of the one or more thermal exchanging units; an opening formed in the flexible body that is adapted to receive an extremity of a mammal and allow a portion of the extremity to be positioned within the internal region; one or more thermal exchanging units that are in thermal communication with the internal region; and a pump fluidly coupled to the internal region and configured to create a pressure below atmospheric pressure within the internal region causing atmospheric pressure external to the flexible body to urge at least a portion of the flexible body against the portion of the extremity disposed in the internal region.
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19. A device for increasing blood flow and/or controlling body temperature in a mammal, comprising:
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a flexible body having one or more flexible walls wherein the one or more flexible walls further comprise; one or more first flexible walls that enclose at least a portion of an internal region; and one or more second flexible walls bonded or sealed to at least a portion of the one or more first flexible walls to form a second region that forms at least a portion of one or more thermal exchanging units, wherein the one or more thermal exchanging units are in thermal communication with the internal region, and wherein bonding or sealing the one or more second flexible walls to the one or more first flexible walls comprises forming a plurality of dimple type connections between the one or more second flexible walls and the one or more first flexible walls; an opening formed in the flexible body that is adapted to receive an extremity of a mammal and allow a portion of the extremity to be positioned within the internal region; and a pump fluidly coupled to the internal region and configured to create a pressure below atmospheric pressure within the internal region causing atmospheric pressure external to the flexible body to urge at least a portion of the flexible body against the portion of the extremity disposed in the internal region.
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20. A device for increasing blood flow and/or controlling body temperature in a mammal, comprising:
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a flexible body having one or more flexible walls wherein the one or more flexible walls further comprise; one or more first flexible walls that enclose at least a portion of an internal region; and one or more second flexible walls bonded or sealed to at least a portion of the one or more first flexible walls to form a second region that forms at least a portion of one or more thermal exchanging units, wherein the one or more thermal exchanging units are in thermal communication with the internal region; an opening formed in the flexible body that is adapted to receive an extremity of a mammal and allow a portion of the extremity to be positioned within the internal region; a pump fluidly coupled to the internal region and configured to create a pressure below atmospheric pressure within the internal region causing atmospheric pressure external to the flexible body to urge at least a portion of the flexible body against the portion of the extremity disposed in the internal region; a fluid supply line having a supply end, wherein the supply end is positioned to deliver a fluid to a fluid plenum formed in one of the one or more thermal exchanging units; a fluid return line having a return end, wherein the return end is positioned to receive at least a portion of the fluid from the fluid plenum; and a separating feature formed by bonding or sealing a portion of the one or more second flexible walls to at least a portion of the one or more first flexible walls, wherein the separating feature is in fluid communication with the fluid plenum and is disposed between the supply end and the return end.
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21. A device for increasing blood flow and/or controlling body temperature in a mammal, comprising:
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a flexible body having one or more first flexible walls that enclose at least a portion of an internal region, wherein a first portion of the one or more first flexible walls and a second portion of the one or more first flexible walls are bonded or sealed together to form the internal region; an opening formed in the flexible body that is adapted to receive an extremity of the mammal and allow a portion of the extremity to be positioned within the internal region; one or more thermal exchanging units that are in thermal communication with the internal region, wherein the one or more thermal exchanging units are formed by bonding or sealing one or more second flexible walls to at least a portion of the one or more first flexible walls; and a pump fluidly coupled to the internal region and configured to create a pressure below atmospheric pressure within the internal region causing atmospheric pressure external to the flexible body to urge at least a portion of the flexible body against the portion of the extremity disposed in the internal region. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A device for increasing blood flow and/or controlling body temperature in a mammal, comprising:
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a flexible body having a fluid plenum formed by bonding or sealing two layers of a collapsible and pliant material together, wherein the flexible body also comprises an internal region that is defined by bonding or sealing one or more portions of the two layers together, and wherein the fluid plenum forms at least a portion of one or more thermal exchanging units that are in thermal communication with the internal region; an opening formed in the flexible body that is adapted to receive an extremity of the mammal and allow a portion of the extremity to be positioned within the internal region; and a pump fluidly coupled to the internal region and configured to create a pressure below atmospheric pressure within the internal region causing atmospheric pressure external to the flexible body to urge at least a portion of the flexible body against the portion of the extremity disposed in the internal region. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A device for increasing blood flow and/or controlling body temperature in a mammal, wherein the device consists essentially of:
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a flexible body that has an external surface, and is configured to enclose a portion of an extremity of a mammal, wherein the flexible body comprises; a fluid plenum formed by bonding or sealing two layers of a collapsible and pliant material together; an internal region that is defined by bonding or sealing one or more portions of the two layers together, wherein the fluid plenum forms at least a portion of one or more thermal exchanging units that are in thermal communication with the internal region; and an opening formed in the flexible body that is adapted to receive the portion of the extremity and allow the portion of the extremity to be positioned within the internal region; and a control unit that comprises; a pump fluidly coupled to the internal region and configured to create a pressure below atmospheric pressure within the internal region causing atmospheric pressure external to the flexible body to urge at least a portion of the flexible body against the portion of the extremity disposed in the internal region. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36)
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Specification