Method for focused delivery of venous flow for artificial impluse compression of an anatomical foot pump

The method of treating a leg which is suspended in a raised position above the level of the body of a patient who must lie in bed, which method comprises the following sequence of steps:

• (a) transiently applying a first level of tourniquet pressure to the leg solely at a distal-calf location and along no other region of the leg;
• (b) retaining the applied tourniquet pressure for a preliminary period of time to enable blood to accumulate in the plantar veins of the leg;
• (c) thereafter relieving the retained tourniquet pressure and applying transient venous-pumping pressure to the plantar region of the leg, wherein the venous-pumping pressure peaks at a level in excess of the retained tourniquet pressure;
• (d) relieving the venous-pumping pressure;
• and
• (e) cyclically repeating steps (a) to (d) in a pattern wherein the application of venous-pumping pressure is rapid, wherein the application of tourniquet pressure is slower than said rapid inflation, and wherein the period of cyclical repetition is at least twice said preliminary period.

The method of treating a leg which is suspended in a raised position above the level of the body of a patient who must lie in bed, which method comprises the steps of:

• (a) transiently applying a first level of tourniquet pressure to the leg solely at a distal-calf location and along no other region of the leg;
• (b) retaining the applied tourniquet pressure for a preliminary period of time to enable blood to accumulate in the plantar veins of the leg;
• (c) thereafter applying transient venous-pumping pressure to the plantar region of the leg, wherein the venous-pumping pressure peaks at a level in excess of the retained transient tourniquet pressure;
• (d) relieving the tourniquet pressure at substantially the time of transiently applying the venous-pumping pressure;
• and
• (e) cyclically repeating steps (a) to (d) in a pattern wherein (i) the application of venous-pumping pressure is rapid, (ii) wherein the period of cyclical repetition is substantially greater than the period of applied venous-pumping pressure, and (iii) wherein a dwell period of relieved pressure is provided, and said dwell period is at least equal to the preliminary period of time, said dwell period being prior to recycled repetition of steps (a) to (d).

The method of minimizing development of a DVT region in an afflicted leg, which method comprises the steps of:

• (a) transiently applying a first level of tourniquet pressure to the leg solely at a location that is distal to the DVT region and along no other region of the leg;
• (b) applying transient venous-pumping pressure to the plantar region of the foot of the leg, wherein the venous-pumping pressure peaks at a level in excess of the transient tourniquet pressure;
• (c) relieving the venous-pumping pressure;
• (d) maintaining the tourniquet pressure until the venous-pumping pressure has been relieved to substantially the level of tourniquet pressure, and then relieving the tourniquet pressure;
• and
• (e) cyclically repeating steps (a) to (d) in a pattern wherein the application of transient venous-pumping pressure is relatively rapid and wherein the period of cyclical repetition is relatively great.

The method of minimizing development of a DVT region in an afflicted leg, which method comprises the steps of:

• (a) transiently applying a first level of tourniquet pressure to the leg at a location that is distal to the DVT region and along no other region of the leg;
• (b) applying transient venous-pumping pressure to the plantar region of the foot of the leg, wherein the venous-pumping pressure peaks at a level in excess of the transient tourniquet pressure;
• (c) relieving the venous-pumping pressure;
• (d) relieving the tourniquet pressure once the venous-pumping pressure has been relieved to a level below said first level;
• (e) cyclically repeating steps (a) to (d) in a pattern wherein the application of transient venous-pumping pressure is relatively rapid and wherein the period of cyclical repetition is relatively great;
• and
• (f) injecting a thrombolytic agent into a vein in the dorsum of the foot at least during an interval between steps (a) to (d) of each cycle.

The method of minimizing development of a DVT region in an afflicted leg, which method comprises the steps of:

• (a) as a preliminary step, installing a caval filter in the inferior vena cava;
• (b) transiently applying a first level of tourniquet pressure to the leg solely at a location that is distal to the DVT region and along no other portion of the leg;
• (c) applying transient venous-pumping pressure to the plantar region of the foot of the leg, wherein the venous-pumping pressure peaks at a level in excess of the transient tourniquet pressure;
• (d) relieving the venous-pumping pressure;
• (e) maintaining the tourniquet pressure until the venous-pumping pressure has been relieved to substantially the level of tourniquet pressure and then relieving the tourniquet pressure;
• and
• (f) cyclically repeating steps (a) to (e) in a pattern wherein the application of transient venous-pumping pressure is relatively rapid and wherein the period of cyclical repetition is relatively great.

The method of using inflatable tourniquet-cuff action applied only to the calf of a leg, wherein such use is in coordinated concurrence with inflatable foot-pump action at the plantar region of the leg, which method comprises the following sequence of steps:

• (a) transiently inflating the cuff to a first level of tourniquet-pressure action on superficial veins of the calf and along no other region of the leg;
• (b) transiently inflating the foot pump to a peak-pressure level of foot-pump action in excess of said first level;
• (c) relieving the foot-pump pressure;
• (d) relieving the cuff pressure, said tourniquet-cuff pressure acting for substantially the same amount of time as the foot-pump pressure;
• and
• (e) cyclically repeating steps (a) and (d) in a pattern wherein inflation of the foot pump is relatively rapid and wherein the period of cyclical repetition is relatively great.

The method of prophylactically or therapeutically treating a leg for a known or potential DVT condition, which method comprises the following sequence of steps:

• (a) transiently applying a first level of tourniquet pressure to the leg solely at a distal-calf location and along no other region of the leg;
• (b) applying transient venous-pumping pressure to the plantar region of the leg, wherein the venous-pumping pressure peaks at a level in excess of the transient tourniquet pressure;
• (c) relieving the venous-pumping pressure;
• said tourniquet pressure acting for substantially the same amount of time as the venous-pumping pressure at the plantar region of the leg;
• (d) relieving the tourniquet pressure;
• and
• (e) cyclically repeating steps (a) to (d) in a pattern wherein the application of transient venous-pumping pressure is relatively rapid and wherein the period of cyclical repetition is relatively great.

The method of treating a leg which is suspended in a raised position above the level of the body of a patient who must lie in bed, which method comprises the steps of:

• (a) transiently applying a first level of tourniquet pressure to the leg solely at a distal-calf location and along no other region of the leg;
• (b) retaining the applied tourniquet pressure for a period of time to enable blood to accumulate in the plantar veins of the leg;
• (c) thereafter applying transient venous-pumping pressure to the plantar region of the leg, wherein the venous-pumping pressure peaks at a level in excess of the retained transient tourniquet pressure;
• (d) relieving the venous-pumping pressure and the retained tourniquet pressure, said tourniquet pressure acting not only for said preliminary period of time but also for substantially the same amount of time as the venous-pumping pressure;
• and
• (e) cyclically repeating steps (a) to (d) in a pattern wherein (i) the application of venous-pumping pressure is relatively rapid, (ii) wherein the period of cyclical repetition is relatively great, and (iii) wherein a dwell period of relieved pressure is provided, and said dwell period is at least equal to the preliminary period of time, said dwell period being prior to recycled repetition of steps (a) to (d).

The method of stimulating venous-return flow in a human leg while preferentially enhancing such flow in deep veins of the leg, with concomitant restriction of such flow in superficial veins of the leg, which method comprises the steps of:

• (a) transiently applying a first level of tourniquet pressure to a calf region of the leg and along no other region of the leg;
• (b) applying transient venous-pumping pressure to the plantar region of the foot of the leg, wherein the venous-pumping pressure peaks at a level in excess of the transient tourniquet pressure;
• (c) relieving the venous-pumping pressure;
• (d) relieving the tourniquet pressure once the venous-pumping pressure has been relieved to a level below said first level;
• (e) cyclically repeating steps (a) to (d) in a pattern wherein the application of transient venous-pumping pressure is relatively rapid and wherein the period of cyclical repetition is relatively great;
• and
• (f) injecting the thrombolytic agent into a vein in the dorsum of the foot at least during an interval between step (d) of one cycle and step (a) of the next succeeding cycle.

The method of stimulating venous-return flow in a human leg while preferentially enhancing such flow in deep veins of the leg, with the concomitant restriction of such flow in superficial veins of the leg, which method comprises the steps of:

• (a) transiently applying a first level of tourniquet pressure solely to a calf region of the leg and along no other region of the leg;
• (b) applying transient venous-pumping pressure to the plantar region of the foot of the leg, wherein the venous-pumping pressure peaks at a level in excess of the transient tourniquet pressure;
• (c) relieving the venous-pumping pressure;
• (d) relieving the tourniquet pressure once the venous-pumping pressure has been relieved to a level below said first level, the tourniquet pressure acting for substantially the same amount of time as the venous-pumping pressure at the plantar region of the foot;
• and
• (e) cyclically repeating steps (a) to (d) in a pattern wherein the application of transient venous-pumping pressure is relatively rapid and wherein the period of cyclical repetition is relatively great.

The method of treating a traumatized region of a human leg wherein the trauma exists at a location proximal to the distal calf, said method comprising the steps of applying inflatable tourniquet-cuff action only to the distal calf and in a coordinated program of inflatable foot-pump action at the plantar region of the leg, said program comprising the steps of:

• (a) transiently inflating the cuff to a first level of tourniquet-pressure action on superficial veins of the distal calf;
• (b) transiently inflating the foot-pump to a peak-pressure level of foot-pump action in excess of said first level;
• (c) relieving the foot-pump pressure;
• (d) relieving the cuff pressure;
• (e) cyclically repeating steps (a) to (d) in a pattern wherein inflation of the foot-pump is relatively rapid and wherein the period of cyclical repetition is relatively great;
• and
• (f) injecting a thrombolytic agent into a vein in the foot at least during an interval between step (d) of one cycle and step (a) of the next succeeding cycle.