Vasocompression devices and methods of delivering vasocompression therapy to a patient undergoing chemotherapy treatment

A head covering for inducing vasocompression in the blood supply of a patient receiving chemotherapy, comprising:

• a shell having a front edge, a back edge, a top, a left side edge and a right side edge;
• an inflatable liner within the shell;
• a head covering retention system adapted to maintain the position of the shell and the inflatable liner relative to a head of the patient;
• a face covering coupled to the shell;
• and
• at least one pad support within the face covering.

A head covering for inducing vasocompression in the blood supply of a patient receiving chemotherapy, comprising:

• a shell having a front edge, a back edge, a top, a left side edge and a right side edge;
• at least one vasocompression element within the shell;
• a head covering retention system adapted to maintain the position of the shell and liner relative to a head of the patient;
• and
• a vasocompression counterforce structure coupled to the shell.

A head covering for inducing vasocompression in the blood supply of a patient receiving chemotherapy, comprising:

• a shell having a front edge, a back edge, a top, a left side edge and a right side edge;
• a liner within the shell shaped to at least partially accommodate the hair of the patient;
• at least one vasocompression element within the shell;
• a head covering retention system comprising:
• a submandibular rigid support extending from a left side of a mandible body around the mental protuberance to a right side of a mandible body;
• a cushion on submandibular rigid support;
• a front left support strap extending from the front edge of the shell to the submandibular rigid support;
• a front right support strap extending from the front edge of the shell to the submandibular rigid support;
• a left-side support strap extending from the left-side edge of the shell to the left end of the submandibular rigid support;
• a right-side support strap extending from the right-side edge of the shell to the right end of the submandibular rigid support.

A head covering for inducing vasocompression in the blood supply of a patient receiving chemotherapy, comprising:

• a cap having a front edge, a back edge, a top, a left side edge and a right side edge;
• a liner within the cap shaped to at least partially accommodate the hair of the patient;
• and
• at least one vasocompression element within the cap.

A method of inducing vasocompression in a cranial circulatory system of a patient receiving chemotherapy, comprising:

• placing a head covering about the head of the patient;
• at least partially inducing vasocompression in a portion of the cranial circulatory system of the patient using a vasocompression element of the head covering;
• inducing a counter force applied to the head covering sized and directed to offset at least some of the forces introduced to the head of the patient as a result of the at least partially inducing vasocompression step;
• initiating a chemotherapy session with the patient;
• concluding the chemotherapy session with the patient;
• and
• ceasing the step of at least partially inducing vasocompression in a portion of the cranial circulatory system of the patient when a period of time has elapsed after the step of concluding the chemotherapy session sufficient to partially mitigate an effect of chemotherapy induced alopecia in the patient.

A method for comfort wear of headgear to protect against hair loss during chemotherapy, the method comprising:

• placing a helmet with a facepiece attached to the helmet via a plurality of straps over a head and face of a user;
• adjusting the plurality of straps to make contact between a plurality of tiles on the facepiece and the face of the user;
• inflating a balloon liner of the helmet;
• adjusting one or more of:
• (i) a pressure from the contact between the plurality of tiles and the face of the user, (ii) a pressure from the inflated balloon liner of the helmet on the head of the user, and (iii) the plurality of straps, until vasocompression of a blood supply to hair follicles of the user is achieved;
• initiating a chemotherapy session with the user;
• and
• continuing to adjust for comfort of the user during the chemotherapy session, one or more of:
• the pressure from the contact between the plurality of tiles on the face and the user, the pressure from the inflated balloon liner of the helmet on the head of the user, and the plurality of straps.

A method for comfort wear of headgear to protect a user against hair loss during chemotherapy, the method comprising:

• placing a headband about the head of the user;
• placing a helmet with a facepiece and headband attached to the helmet via a plurality of straps over a head and face of the user so that the headband is between the helmet and the facepiece;
• adjusting the plurality of straps to make contact between one or more of:
• (i) a plurality of tiles on the facepiece and the face of the user, and (ii) the headband and a circumference of the head of the user;
• inflating a balloon liner of the helmet;
• adjusting one or more of:
• (i) a pressure from the contact between the plurality of tiles and the face of the user, (ii) a pressure from the inflated balloon liner of the helmet on the head of the user, and (iii) the plurality of straps, until vasocompression of a blood supply to hair follicles of the user is achieved;
• initiating a chemotherapy session with the user;
• and
• continuing to adjust for comfort of the user during the chemotherapy session, one or more of:
• the pressure from the contact between the plurality of tiles and the face of the user, the pressure from the inflated balloon liner of the helmet on the head of the user, and the plurality of straps.