DEVICE FOR APPLYING A PULSATING PRESSURE TO A LOCAL REGION OF THE BODY AND THE APPLICATIONS THEREOF

• US 20110021960A1
• Filed: 10/11/2010
• Published: 01/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Otivio AS
• Original Assignee: Otivio AS
• Inventors: Filtvedt, Marius, Rein, Erling Bekkestad
• Granted Patent: US 8,021,314 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 601/152
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0029 Arm or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0054 with a closed fluid circuit, e.g. hot water
• 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: 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 2201/02 heated or cooled
• 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 2201/0264 using heat exchanger, e.g. between fresh and used fluids
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/105 with means for delivering media, e.g. drugs or cosmetics
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5007 computer controlled
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2203/02 immersed in liquid
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2205/06 Arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2205/10 Leg
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 9/005 Pneumatic massage
• 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

The present invention generally relates to a device for applying a pulsating pressure to a local region of the body and applications thereof. The device may be used to increase the blood flow in a local region of the body, and in preferred embodiments provides a device for regulating the core body temperature of a patient.

Claims

1. A method for in situ or in transit adjustment of a core body temperature of a patient, the method comprising the steps of:

installing a sleeve comprising an absorbent material about a limb of the patient;

wetting the sleeve with a liquid;

inserting the limb having the wetted sleeve installed thereon into a pressure chamber such that the limb is substantially sealed from external conditions, wherein the pressure chamber comprises a substantially rigid casing and a heating/cooling element within the casing, and substantially all liquid in the interior of the pressure chamber is carried by the sleeve;

activating the heating/cooling element to selectively (a) increase a temperature within the pressure chamber to a heating temperature or (b) decrease the temperature within the pressure chamber to a cooling temperature; and

alternatingly introducing a negative pressure to the pressure chamber during a negative pressure period and releasing the negative pressure from the pressure chamber to restore the pressure chamber to approximately atmospheric pressure during an atmospheric pressure period.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of wetting the sleeve occurs after the step of installing the sleeve about the limb.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of wetting the sleeve comprises submerging the limb and the sleeve within a volume of the liquid.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of installing the sleeve and wetting the sleeve comprise ensuring that the sleeve is generally skin tight about the limb.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of alternatingly introducing and releasing the negative pressure within the pressure chamber comprises a closed-system process.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of alternatingly introducing and releasing the negative pressure comprises:

generating the negative pressure within a first chamber of a control unit connected to the pressure chamber during the atmospheric pressure period; and

fluidly connecting the first chamber of the control unit with the pressure chamber thereby transitioning to the negative pressure period,

wherein during the negative pressure period a second chamber of the control unit is maintained at a pressure greater than the negative pressure.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of releasing the negative pressure from the pressure chamber comprises disconnecting the pressure chamber from the first chamber and fluidly connecting the pressure chamber with the second chamber of the control unit thereby transitioning to the atmospheric pressure period.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein during the negative pressure period the second chamber of the control unit is maintained at a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of:

periodically releasing pressure from the second chamber of the control unit that has accumulated during the alternating introduction and release of the negative pressure, thereby preventing over-pressurization of the control unit.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of generating the negative pressure within the first chamber of the control unit comprises pumping a volume of air from the first chamber to the second chamber thereby increasing the pressure within the second chamber.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of activating the heating/cooling element comprises controlling the temperature within the pressure chamber with a temperature control unit coupled with a control unit connected to the pressure chamber.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the patient is a hypothermic patient, the step of activating the heating/cooling element comprising increasing the temperature within the pressure chamber to the heating temperature.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the negative pressure period is approximately 10 seconds in duration.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the atmospheric pressure period is approximately 7 seconds in duration.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the negative pressure period is approximately 10 seconds in duration and the atmospheric pressure period is approximately 7 seconds in duration.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the patient is unconscious and the step of inserting the limb includes preparing the limb for insertion.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the casing of the pressure chamber comprises wrist portion having a reduced size cross-sectional profile between hand and forearm portions having larger size cross-sectional profiles, the limb comprises an arm and a hand, and the step of preparing the limb for insertion includes straightening fingers of the hand for insertion beyond the wrist portion.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the heating temperature is greater than or equal to the core body temperature of the patient.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the heating temperature is between approximately 38.0°

C. and approximately 43.5°

C.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the heating temperature is approximately 43.0°

C.

21-67. -67. (canceled)