Compression sequenced thermal therapy system

• US 8,753,383 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2010
• Issued: 06/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Thermotek Incorporated
• Original Assignee: The Thermotek Incorporated
• Inventors: Parish, Overton L., Balachandran, Niran, Quisenberry, Tony, Havis, Clark R.
• Primary Examiner(s): ROANE, AARON F
• Application Number:
  US12/730,060
• Publication Number:
  US 20110077723A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,547 Days
• Field of Search: 607/104, 607108-112, 607/114
• US Class Current: 607/108
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0001 Body part
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0022 Abdomen
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0025 Higher part of back
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/003 Shoulder
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0034 Lower arm
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0035 Wrist
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/004 Hip
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0042 Knee
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0044 Ankle
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0054 with a closed fluid circuit, e.g. hot water
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0076 remote from the spot to be heated or cooled
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0091 inflatable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0273 with openings in the walls between the compartments serving as passageways for the filler
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0296 Intervals of heating alternated with intervals of cooling
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/34 Pressure pads filled with air or liquid valves specially adapted for medical use A61M39/00; connection of valves to inflatable elastic bodies B60C29/00; valves per se F16K
• 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 7/007 characterised by electric heating
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/0097 Blankets with active heating or cooling sources warming mats A61F7/08
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/02 Compresses or poultices for effecting heating or cooling
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 1/008 Apparatus for applying pressure or blows almost perpendicular to the body or limb axis, e.g. chiropractic devices for repositioning vertebrae, correcting deformation
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0207 : heated
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0214 : cooled
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0242 : by a fluid circulating in the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/025 : by direct air flow on the patient's body
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0264 : using heat exchanger, e.g. between fresh and used fluids
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0285 : with Peltier elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/165 : Wearable interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2205/062 : Shoulders
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2205/065 : Hands
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2205/081 : Back
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2205/088 : Hip
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2205/102 : Knee
• 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 sequential compression and temperature therapy blanket with a plurality of air chambers is disclosed. The air chambers are filled and released by a valve assembly that may be separate from or integrated within the blanket. The temperature therapy blanket includes a fluid bladder for delivering hot and/or cold therapy to a patient. The temperature therapy blanket may also include an air bladder for providing compression.

Claims

1. A system for providing therapy to a patient, the system comprising:

a thermal therapy and compression blanket comprising;

at least one fluid bladder disposed about and thermally exposed to a portion of an appendage of a patient; and

a plurality of air chambers disposed outwardly of the at least one fluid bladder relative to the appendage of the patient;

a control unit that thermally conditions a heat-transfer fluid to a predetermined temperature for delivery to the at least one fluid bladder and that selectively provides compressed gas at predetermined times and in a predetermined pattern to the plurality of air chambers to cause compression of the at least one fluid bladder against the patient; and

wherein compressed gas is directed by the control unit to a first air chamber of the plurality of air chambers for a first predetermined time before the compressed gas is directed by the control unit to a second air chamber of the plurality of air chambers for a second predetermined time.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the control unit comprises a heat-transfer assembly having thermoelectric coolers for actively thermally conditioning the heat-transfer fluid.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the control unit conducts the thermally conditioned heat-transfer fluid through the at least one fluid bladder and, contiguous thereto, provide compressed gas in the predetermined pattern.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the control unit is programmable and selectively provides compressed gas to each of the plurality of air chambers in a user-programmable pattern.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the control unit provides compressed gas to a third air chamber of the plurality of air chambers for a third predetermined time after providing compressed gas the second air chamber.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the control unit re-provides compressed gas to the first air chamber after providing compressed gas to the third air chamber.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the control unit releases the compressed gas from the first air chamber before providing compressed gas to the second air chamber.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the control unit releases the compressed gas from the first air chamber after providing compressed gas to the second air chamber.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the control unit comprises:

a reservoir for housing at least a portion of the heat-transfer fluid;

a three-point junction having three branches;

a first branch of the three branches for receiving the heat-transfer fluid from the reservoir;

a second branch of the three branches for receiving the heat-transfer fluid from the at least one fluid bladder; and

a third branch of the three branches for delivering the heat-transfer fluid to the at least one fluid bladder.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the heat-transfer fluid is circulated through the second branch, the third branch, and the at least one fluid bladder via a closed-loop fluid circuit.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein heat-transfer fluid may be added or removed from the closed-loop fluid circuit via the first branch.

12. A system for providing therapy to a patient, the system comprising:

a blanket comprising;

at least one fluid bladder disposed about and thermally exposed to a patient; and

a plurality of air chambers disposed outwardly from the at least one fluid bladder relative to the patient;

a control unit coupled to the at least one fluid bladder and the plurality of air chambers, the control unit thermally conditioning a heat-transfer fluid to a user-selectable temperature for delivery to the at least one bladder and, contiguous thereto, selectively providing compressed gas at a predetermined pressure to each of the plurality of air chambers in a user-selectable pattern;

the plurality of air chambers having at least a first air chamber and a second air chamber;

wherein the control unit directs compressed gas to the first air chamber for a first predetermined time before directing compressed gas to the second air chamber; and

wherein the control unit directs compressed gas to the second air chamber for a second predetermined time before directing compressed gas to the third air chamber.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the control unit directs compressed gas to the first air chamber after directing compressed gas to a third air chamber of the plurality of air chambers for a third predetermined time.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the control unit releases the compressed gas from the first air chamber after the first predetermined time.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the control unit releases the compressed gas from the first air chamber after providing compressed gas to the second air chamber.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the control unit is programmable and contiguously flows the heat-transfer fluid through the fluid bladder at a user-programmable temperature while at the same time directs compressed gas to one or more of the plurality of air chambers in a user-programmable pattern.

17. The system of claim 12 and further comprising:

a heat-transfer assembly having thermoelectric coolers for actively thermally conditioning the heat-transfer fluid.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the control unit comprises:

a reservoir for housing at least a portion of the heat-transfer fluid;

a three-point junction having three branches;

a first branch of the three branches that receives the heat-transfer fluid from the reservoir;

a second branch of the three branches that receives the heat-transfer fluid from the at least one fluid bladder; and

a third branch of the three branches that delivers the heat-transfer fluid to the at least one fluid bladder.