Extremity compression device

A sleeve for applying compressive pressures against a patient's limb, comprising:

• a pair of flexible fluid impervious sheets;
• means for securing said sheets together and defining a plurality of laterally extending fluid chambers disposed longitudinally between lower and upper portions of the sleeve;
• means for releasably attaching said sleeve about the patient's limb with said chambers encircling a length of the limb;
• and
• valve means connecting each lower chamber to an adjoining upper chamber, said valve means preventing passage of fluid from the lower to upper adjoining chambers, and permitting passage of fluid from the upper to lower adjoining chambers responsive to a pressure in said lower adjoining chambers less than the pressure in said upper adjoining chambers.

A device for applying compressive pressures against a patient's limb from a source of pressurized fluid, comprising:

• an elongated pressure sleeve for enclosing a length of the patient's limb, said sleeve having a plurality of separate fluid pressure chambers progressively arranged longitudinally along the sleeve from a lower portion of the limb to an upper portion of the limb proximal the patient's heart relative said lower portion;
• means for sequentially initiating inflation of said chambers from said source through a lowermost chamber progressively from a lower to upper chamber in the sleeve during periodic inflation cycles, and for simultaneously inflating the initiated chambers during the inflation cycles while maintaining predetermined pressure difference between adjoining chambers and applying a compressive pressure gradient against the patient's limb which decreases upwardly along the sleeve;
• and
• means for deflating said chambers during periodic deflation cycles between said inflation cycles.

A device for applying compressive pressures against a patient's limb from a source of pressurized fluid, comprising:

• an elongated pressure sleeve for enclosing a length of the patient's limb, said sleeve having a plurality of separate fluid pressure chambers progressively arranged longitudinally along the sleeve from a lower portion of the limb to an upper portion of the limb proximal the patient's heart relative said lower portion, said sleeve comprising a pair of flexible fluid impervious sheets, means for connecting said sheets together defining said chambers extending laterally between said sheets, and means for releasably securing said sleeve about the patient's limb;
• means for filling said chambers from said source through a lowermost chamber during periodic compression cycles while applying a greater pressure in each inflated lower chamber than the pressure in any upper inflated chamber to apply a compressive pressure gradient against the patient's limb by the sleeve which progressively decreases from said lower to upper limb portions throughout the compression cycles;
• and
• means for emptying said chambers during periodic decompression cycles between said compression cycles.

A device for applying compressive pressures against a patient's limb from a source of pressurized fluid, comprising

• an elongated pressure sleeve for enclosing a length of the patient's limb, said sleeve having a plurality of separate fluid pressure chambers progressively arranged longitudinally along the sleeve from a lower portion of the limb to an upper portion of the limb proximal the patient's heart relative said lower portion, including one-way valve means connected between adjoining chambers, said valve means preventing passage of fluid from a lower chamber to an upper chamber in said adjoining chambers responsive to a pressure in said lower adjoining chamber greater than the pressure in said upper adjoining chamber, and permitting passage of fluid from said upper chamber to said lower chamber in said adjoining chambers responsive to a pressure in said lower adjoining chamber less than the pressure in said upper adjoining chamber;
• means for filling said chambers from said source during periodic compression cycles while applying a greater pressure in each lower chamber than the pressure in any upper chamber to apply a compressive pressure gradient against the patient's limb by the sleeve which progressively decreases from said lower to upper limb portions;
• and
• means for emptying said chambers during the periodic decompression cycles between said compression cycles, including fluid exhaust means, and means for connecting said exhaust means to a lower first chamber in said sleeve.

A sleeve for applying compressive pressures against a patient's limb, comprising:

• a pair of flexible fluid impervious sheets;
• means for securing said sheets together and defining a plurality of laterally extending fluid chambers disposed longitudinally between lower and upper portions of the sleeve;
• means for connecting adjoining chambers of the sleeve comprising, opening means of progressively decreasing effective size between progressively located upper chambers;
• and
• means for releasably attaching said sleeve about the patient's limb with said chambers encircling a length of the limb.