Compression sequenced thermal therapy system

• US 9,180,041 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2014
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/1998
• 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
• Application Number:
  US14/256,504
• Publication Number:
  US 20140228717A1
• Time in Patent Office: 571 Days
• Field of Search: 607/104, 607108-112, 607/114, 128/898
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 flowing in circuits A61F2007/0054, A61F2007/0059
• 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 method for contiguously providing compression therapy and thermal therapy to a patient, the method comprising:

providing a blanket having a fluid bladder and a plurality of air chambers;

securing the blanket around an appendage of a patient such that the fluid bladder is in thermal contact with the appendage and the plurality of air chambers are disposed outwardly of the fluid bladder relative to the appendage;

compressing the fluid bladder against the appendage at a first pressure when the plurality of air chambers are deflated;

thermally conditioning a heat-transfer fluid to a predetermined temperature using one or more thermoelectric coolers;

flowing the heat-transfer fluid through the fluid bladder to provide thermal therapy to the patient; and

selectively inflating and deflating each of the plurality of air chambers in a predetermined pattern to compress selective portions of the fluid bladder against the appendage at a second pressure greater than the first pressure while the thermally conditioned heat-transfer fluid is flowed therethrough.

2. The method of claim 1, and further comprising

repeating the selectively inflating and deflating to provide sequenced compression to the patient.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the selectively inflating and deflating comprises providing compressed gas to the plurality of air chambers in a predetermined pattern.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the selectively inflating and deflating comprises providing compressed gas to a first air chamber for a first predetermined time period before providing the compressed gas to a second air chamber for a second predetermined time period.

5. The method of claim 4, comprising providing the compressed gas to a third air chamber for a third predetermined time period after providing the compressed gas to the second air chamber for the second predetermined time period.

6. The method of claim 4, comprising providing the compressed gas to the first air chamber after providing the compressed gas to the third air chamber.

7. The method of claim 4, comprising releasing the compressed gas from the first air chamber before providing the compressed gas to the second air chamber.

8. The method of claim 4, comprising releasing the compressed gas from the first air chamber after providing the compressed gas to the second air chamber.