Compression device
AssigneeRecovery Force, LLC
InventorsMatthew W. Wyatt, Brian J. Stasey, Mark Gummin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wearable massage and/or compression device for applying controllable scrolling or intermittent sequential forces, such as compression forces, to the body and limbs of a user comprises an elongated fabric body sized to encircle a limb of a user, one or more shape-memory wires carried by the fabric body and configured to apply a compression pressure to the limb through the fabric body upon changing shape in response to a stimulus, and a micro-processor based controller for selectively actuating the one or more shape-changing elements to reduce the effective diameter of the device encircling the limb, to thereby apply pressure to the limb.
Claims31
A compression device for applying controllable compression to a portion of the anatomy of a user, comprising:
- a panel formed of a wearable material, the panel sized and configured to be applied to a portion of the anatomy of the user, the panel having opposite ends configured to oppose each other when the panel is applied to the portion of the anatomy;
- a plurality of shape memory wires supported by the panel between said opposite ends and configured to apply a compressive force to the portion of the anatomy of the user;
- a pre-tensioning apparatus connectable between said opposite ends when the panel is applied to the portion of the anatomy, the pre-tensioning apparatus operable to adjustably draw the opposite ends toward each other to thereby apply an adjustable initial tension to the panel and/or the plurality of shape-memory wires, wherein the pre-tensioning device includes:
- at least one connector affixed to one end of the panel and a corresponding mating connector adapted for releasable engagement to a corresponding one of said at least one connector;
- at least one rotary dial fastened to said opposite end of the panel;
- and
- one of the plurality of shape memory wires passing through said at least one rotary dial and one or more of said corresponding connector, said rotary dial configured to reduce the length of said one of the plurality of shape memory wires between said dial and said corresponding connector, whereby when the corresponding connector is engaged to a corresponding one of said at least one connector at least a portion of the panel adjacent said rotary dial is pre-tensioned;
- and
- a controller configured to selectively actuate one or more of the plurality of shape-memory wires to reduce the effective length of the wires and thus the panel about the portion of the anatomy, to thereby apply pressure to the portion of the anatomy of the user.
A compression device for applying controllable compression to a portion of the anatomy of a user, comprising:
- a panel formed of a wearable material, the panel sized and configured to be applied to a portion of the anatomy of the user, the panel having opposite ends configured to oppose each other when the panel is applied to the portion of the anatomy;
- a plurality of shape memory wires supported by the panel between said opposite ends and configured to apply a compressive force to the portion of the anatomy of the user;
- and
- a controller configured to selectively apply current to one or more of the plurality of shape-memory wires to reduce the effective length of the wires and thus the panel about the portion of the anatomy, to thereby apply pressure to the portion of the anatomy of the user,
- wherein the controller is configured to measure the length of a wire during actuation and is operable to shut off the current to a corresponding wire when the measured length reaches a threshold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.