Medical inflatable cuff appliance

Medical apparatus for treatment of a DVT or the like condition in a patient's leg, comprising a single inflatable cuff adapted for application to the calf at a location distal to the DVT, first means for transiently inflating said cuff to a first pressure level sufficient to induce local tourniquet-pressure action on the calf, an inflatable foot-pump adapted for application of inflation pressure primarily at the plantar region between the ball and heel of the foot, second means for transiently inflating said foot-pump to a peak pressure in excess of said first pressure level, and cyclically operable control means for coordinated inflation/deflation cyclical operation of said first and second means, said control means including separate means of pressure-fluid supply only to said single inflatable cuff and to said inflatable foot-pump, and said control means being for sequential operation of only said single inflatable cuff and said inflatable foot pump in each cyclical operation such that:

• (a) initially, via said first means, said cuff is supplied with pressure fluid to transiently retain tourniquet-pressure action on the calf;
• (b) via said second means, said foot-pump is transiently inflated to said peak pressure in the circumstance of said tourniquet-pressure action on the calf, and said foot-pump is relieved of inflation pressure after achievement of said peak pressure;
• and
• (c) via said first means, cuff pressure is relieved from tourniquet action in selectively timed relation to inflation and at least commencement of relief of foot-pump pressure;
• said control means providing a cycle-completing interval of time between said control operations via said first and second means prior to control-means re-initiation of the next-succeeding cyclical operation, wherein successive cycles recur at a periodic interval which is in the range of 15 to 60 seconds.

Medical apparatus for treatment of a DVT or the like condition in a patient's leg, comprising an inflatable cuff adapted for application to the calf at a location distal to the DVT, first means for transiently inflating said cuff to a first pressure level sufficient to induce local tourniquet-pressure action on the calf, an inflatable foot-pump adapted for application of inflation pressure primarily at the plantar region between the ball and heel of the foot, second means for transiently inflating said foot-pump to a peak pressure in excess of said first pressure level, and cyclically operable control means for coordinated inflation/deflation cyclical operation of said first and second means, said control means including separate means of pressure-fluid supply to said inflatable cuff and to said inflatable foot-pump, and said control means being for sequential operation in each cyclical operation such that:

• (a) initially, via said first means, said cuff is supplied with pressure fluid to transiently retain tourniquet-pressure action on the calf;
• (b) via said second means, said foot-pump is transiently inflated to said peak pressure in the circumstance of said tourniquet-pressure action on the calf, and said foot-pump is relieved of inflation pressure after achievement of said peak pressure;
• said control means including pressure responsive means connected for response to the difference between cuff pressure and instantaneous foot-pump pressure for initiating deflation of said cuff upon detected reduction of instantaneous foot-pump pressure to the instantaneous level of cuff pressure;
• and
• said control means providing a cycle-completing interval of time between said control operations via said first and second means prior to control-means re-initiation of the next-succeeding cyclical operation, wherein successive cycles recur at a periodic interval which is in the range of 15 to 60 seconds.

Medical appliance for therapeutically and/or prophylactically treating a blood-circulation abnormality in a patient's leg, comprising an inflatable cuff adapted for application to the calf, first means for transiently inflating said cuff to a first pressure level sufficient to induce local tourniquet-pressure action on the calf, an inflatable foot-pump adapted for application of inflation pressure primarily at the plantar region between the ball and heel of the foot, second means for transiently inflating said foot pump to a peak pressure in excess of said first pressure level, and cyclically operable control means for coordinated inflation/deflation cyclical operation of said first and second means, said control means including separate means of pressure-fluid supply to said inflatable cuff and to said inflatable foot-pump, and said control means being for sequential operation in each cyclical operation such that:

• (a) initially, via said first means, said cuff is supplied with pressure fluid to transiently retain tourniquet-pressure action on the calf;
• (b) via said second means, said foot-pump is transiently inflated to said peak pressure in the circumstance of said tourniquet-pressure action on the calf, and said foot-pump is relieved of inflation pressure after achievement of said peak pressure;
• said control means including pressure-responsive means connected for response to the difference between cuff pressure and instantaneous foot-pump pressure for initiating deflation of said cuff upon detected reduction of instantaneous foot-pump pressure to the instantaneous level of cuff pressure;
• and
• said control means providing a cycle-completing interval of time between said control operations via said first and second means prior to control-means re-initiation of the next-succeeding cyclical operation, wherein successive cycles recur at a periodic interval which is in the range of 15 to 60 seconds.