Circulation enhancing apparatus
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
InventorGuy F. Cooper
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Blood circulation in an injured human foot is involuntarily promoted in a cuum over-pressure cycle and in synchronism with the human heart's systolic and diastolic pressure pulsations. In a preferred embodiment, the circulation enhancing apparatus comprises an air tight boot contoured to fit the injured human foot, a pressure modulator for providing over-pressure and vacuum pulses to the boot to enhance blood circulation through the injured foot and a control circuit which monitors the heart's systolic and diastolic pressure pulsations and provides electrical control signals to the pressure modulator to assure that the over-pressure and vacuum pulses are cyclic and in synchronism with the heart's systolic and diastolic pressure pulsations.
Claims19
A device for augmenting blood circulation in a patent's injured foot comprising:
- (a) an airtight boot adapted to encase said injured foot, said boot having an inlet outlet port;
- (b) means attached to a corresponding leg of said patient and having an output for monitoring the arterial blood pressure of said leg and for providing an electrical signal indicative of the arterial blood pressure of said leg;
- (c) means having an input and an inlet outlet port connected to the inlet outlet port of said airtight boot for cyclically supplying air to said boot to expel blood from said injured foot and then withdrawing air from said airtight boot to create a partial vacuum and thereby draw blood into said injured foot;
- and
- (d) circuit means for responding to the electrical signal provided by said monitoring means and thereby controlling the cycle by which said air supplying means supplies air to said boot and then withdraws air from said boot, said circuit means comprising:
- an integrating amplifier having an input connected to the electrical output of said monitoring means, and an output;
- a transistor having a base connected to the output of said integrating amplifier, an emitter and a collector;
- a first diode having an anode connected to the emitter of said transistor and a cathode;
- a second diode having a cathode connected to the emitter of said transistor and an anode;
- a first relay having a coil connected to the cathode of said first diode and a normally open contact connected to the input of said air supplying means;
- a second relay having a coil connected to the anode of said second diode and a normally open contact connected to the input of said air supplying means;
- a positive direct current voltage source connected to the collector of said transistor;
- and
- a negative direct current voltage source connected to the emitter of said transistor.
An apparatus for enhancing blood circulation in an injured human foot, said apparatus comprising:
- (a) an airtight boot adapted to encase the injured foot, said boot having an inlet outlet port located thereon;
- (b) a first transducer mounted on the inner surface of said boot, said first transducer having an electrical output;
- (c) a second transducer attached to a corresponding leg above said boot, said second transducer having an electrical output;
- (d) an integrating amplifier having an input connected to the electrical outputs of said first and second transducers, and an output;
- (e) a transistor having a base connected to the output of said integrating amplifier, an emitter and a collector;
- (g) a first diode having an anode connected to the emitter of said transistor and a cathode;
- (h) a second diode having a cathode connected to the emitter of said transistor and an anode;
- (i) a first relay having a coil connected to the cathode of said first diode and a normally open contact;
- (j) a second relay having a coil connected to the anode of said second diode and a normally open contact;
- (k) a positive direct current voltage source connected to the collector of said transistor;
- (1) a negative direct current voltage source connected to the emitter of said transistor
- (m) a first normally closed solenoid valve having an input, an output connected to the normally open contact of said first relay, an inlet port, and an outlet port;
- (n) a second normally closed solenoid valve having an input, an output connected to the normally open contact of said second relay, an inlet port, and an outlet port;
- (o) an alternating current voltage source connected to the inputs of said first and second solenoid valves;
- (p) a blower pump having an inlet port connected to the outlet port of said second solenoid valve and an outlet port connected to the inlet port of said first solenoid valve;
- and
- (q) a flexible hose having one end thereof connected to the inlet outlet port of said boot and the opposite end thereof connected to the outlet port of said first solenoid valve and the inlet port of said second valve.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.