Method for measuring tourniquet limb occlusion pressure
First Claim
1. A method of determining for a patient an occlusion pressure of a limb to which an inflatable and deflatable cuff is attached to encircle the limb;
- comprising steps of;
connecting to the cuff a tourniquet instrument that includes a sensor for sensing a level of pressure in the cuff;
regulating pressure in the cuff by directing through a port in the cuff a flow of fluid into and out of the cuff;
detecting an arterial pulsation of blood flow past the cuff and producing a blood flow signal indicative of the blood flow;
using a controller for responding to the detection of the arterial pulsation by suspending regulation of the pressure in the cuff for a measurement time period; and
forsensing a level of pressure in the cuff during the measurement time period thereby to provide a cuff pressure signal indicative of the sensed level of pressure in the cuff during the measurement time period; and
forincreasing the cuff pressure level in response to the blood flow signal and cuff pressure signal until blood flow indicated by the blood flow signal decreases to a level less than a minimum detection threshold thereby to produce a limb occlusion pressure value that is a based upon pressure in the cuff sensed during the measurement time period.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Improved tourniquet apparatus for measuring a patient'"'"'s limb occlusion pressure includes an inflatable tourniquet cuff for encircling a limb at a location and to which a tourniquet instrument is releasably connectable. The instrument includes pressure sensing for producing a cuff pressure signal indicative of the level of pressure in the cuff, a pressure regulation mechanism communicating with the cuff and responsive to the cuff pressure signal for moving fluid into and out of the cuff, thereby regulating the pressure in the cuff, a blood flow transducer for producing a blood flow signal indicative of blood flow past the cuff, and limb occlusion pressure means responsive to the blood flow signal and the cuff pressure signal for increasing the cuff pressure level until blood flow indicated by the blood flow signal decreases to a level less than a minimum detection threshold, and then suspending fluid movement into and out of the cuff to produce a limb occlusion pressure value that is indicative of a pressure in the cuff when the fluid motion is suspended.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. A method of determining for a patient an occlusion pressure of a limb to which an inflatable and deflatable cuff is attached to encircle the limb;
- comprising steps of;
connecting to the cuff a tourniquet instrument that includes a sensor for sensing a level of pressure in the cuff; regulating pressure in the cuff by directing through a port in the cuff a flow of fluid into and out of the cuff; detecting an arterial pulsation of blood flow past the cuff and producing a blood flow signal indicative of the blood flow; using a controller for responding to the detection of the arterial pulsation by suspending regulation of the pressure in the cuff for a measurement time period; and
forsensing a level of pressure in the cuff during the measurement time period thereby to provide a cuff pressure signal indicative of the sensed level of pressure in the cuff during the measurement time period; and
forincreasing the cuff pressure level in response to the blood flow signal and cuff pressure signal until blood flow indicated by the blood flow signal decreases to a level less than a minimum detection threshold thereby to produce a limb occlusion pressure value that is a based upon pressure in the cuff sensed during the measurement time period. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
- comprising steps of;
Specification