Personalized tourniquet methods and apparatus
First Claim
1. An apparatus for regulating tourniquet cuff pressure based on a personalized tourniquet pressure (PTP), comprising:
- a dual-purpose tourniquet cuff having an inflatable bladder adapted to encircle a portion of a patient;
a sensor module having a pulsation sensor communicating pneumatically with the inflatable bladder of the dual-purpose cuff for sensing and characterizing pressure pulsations indicative of a distal occlusion pressure (DOP), thereby to identify a minimum pressure at which penetration of blood past the cuff is stopped;
a PTP estimator responsive to the pulsation sensor for producing an estimate of a PTP, wherein the estimate of the PTP is a function of the DOP;
an effector module communicating pneumatically with the inflatable bladder of the dual-purpose cuff for maintaining pressure in the bladder near the PTP; and
a controller selectively operating the inflatable bladder in conjunction with the sensor module and the effector module.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed are methods and apparatus for regulating tourniquet cuff pressure based on a personalized tourniquet pressure (PTP) to facilitate safe performance of surgical and medical procedures. The apparatus includes a dual-purpose tourniquet cuff adapted to encircle a region of a patient to provide both a sensor during a first time period and an effector during a second time period. An effector module communicates pneumatically with an inflatable bladder of the cuff for maintaining pressure in the bladder near a PTP during the second time period to safely stop penetration of arterial blood past the cuff. A pulsation sensor that communicates pneumatically with the inflatable bladder during the first time period senses and characterizes pressure pulsations that are indicative of penetration of arterial blood into the region of a patient encircled by the cuff. A PTP estimator is responsive to the pulsation sensor for producing an estimate of the PTP, such that the estimate of the PTP is a function of the sensed pulsations.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. An apparatus for regulating tourniquet cuff pressure based on a personalized tourniquet pressure (PTP), comprising:
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a dual-purpose tourniquet cuff having an inflatable bladder adapted to encircle a portion of a patient; a sensor module having a pulsation sensor communicating pneumatically with the inflatable bladder of the dual-purpose cuff for sensing and characterizing pressure pulsations indicative of a distal occlusion pressure (DOP), thereby to identify a minimum pressure at which penetration of blood past the cuff is stopped; a PTP estimator responsive to the pulsation sensor for producing an estimate of a PTP, wherein the estimate of the PTP is a function of the DOP; an effector module communicating pneumatically with the inflatable bladder of the dual-purpose cuff for maintaining pressure in the bladder near the PTP; and a controller selectively operating the inflatable bladder in conjunction with the sensor module and the effector module. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An apparatus for regulating tourniquet cuff pressure based on a personalized tourniquet pressure (PTP), comprising:
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a sensor module for estimating a distal occlusion pressure (DOP) by determining an estimated DOP equal to a minimum pressure at which penetration of blood past an applied tourniquet cuff is stopped, and measuring a first pulsation characteristic associated with the DOP; a controller for establishing a PTP by determining a second pressure that is greater than the DOP and that corresponds to a second pulsation characteristic that differs by a percentage from the first pulsation characteristic associated with the DOP; and an effector module operable during a time period for maintaining pressure in an applied tourniquet cuff near the PTP. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. An apparatus for regulating tourniquet cuff pressure based on a personalized tourniquet pressure (PTP), comprising:
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a dual-purpose tourniquet cuff having a bladder and configured to be applied to a patient at a desired location; a controller operable during a first time period for; estimating a minimum pressure at which penetration of blood past the applied tourniquet cuff is stopped by analyzing pressure pulsations in the bladder of the cuff that are associated with selected pressures in the bladder, thereby to identify a distal occlusion pressure (DOP) at the location and a first pulsation characteristic associated with the DOP; establishing a PTP by determining a second pressure that is greater than the DOP and that corresponds to a second pulsation characteristic that differs by a percentage from the first pulsation characteristic associated with the DOP; and maintaining pressure in the bladder of the dual-purpose tourniquet cuff near the PTP during a second time period. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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16. A method for regulating tourniquet cuff pressure based on a personalized tourniquet pressure (PTP), comprising:
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estimating a distal occlusion pressure (DOP) by determining a minimum pressure at which penetration of blood past an applied tourniquet cuff is stopped; measuring a first pulsation characteristic associated with the DOP; establishing a PTP by determining a second pressure that is greater than the DOP and that corresponds to a second pulsation characteristic that differs by a percentage from the first pulsation characteristic associated with the DOP; and during a procedure time period, maintaining pressure in the applied tourniquet cuff near the PTP. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method for regulating tourniquet cuff pressure based on a personalized tourniquet pressure (PTP), comprising:
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during a first time period, estimating a distal occlusion pressure (DOP) by determining a minimum pressure at which penetration of blood past an applied tourniquet cuff is stopped, measuring a first pulsation characteristic associated with the DOP, establishing a PTP by determining a second pressure that is greater than the DOP and that corresponds to a second pulsation characteristic that differs by a predetermined percentage from the first pulsation characteristic associated with the DOP; and during a second time period, regulating the cuff pressure to maintain a procedure pulsation characteristic near the second pulsation characteristic. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method for regulating tourniquet cuff pressure based on a personalized tourniquet pressure (PTP), comprising the steps of:
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applying a tourniquet cuff having a bladder to a patient at a location; during a first time period; estimating a minimum pressure at which penetration of blood past the applied tourniquet cuff is stopped by analyzing pressure pulsations in the bladder of the cuff that are associated with selected pressures in the bladder, thereby to identify a distal occlusion pressure (DOP) at the location; establishing a PTP by determining a second pressure that is greater than the DOP and that corresponds to a second pulsation characteristic that differs by a percentage from a first pulsation characteristic associated with the DOP; and during a second time period maintaining pressure in the bladder of the applied tourniquet cuff near the PTP. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification