Pneumatic compression and functional electric stimulation device and method using the same
AssigneeKinetic Concepts, Inc.
InventorDavid M. Tumey
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A device and method for stimulating blood flow velocity in a leg of the body for the prevention of Deep Vein Thrombosis in an effective and relatively painless manner which, in one case, includes an apparatus for compressing a foot in a manner to drive a substantial amount of blood from veins of the foot therein into blood vessels of the leg and an apparatus operably associated with the compressing apparatus for electrically stimulating leg muscles as the driven blood from the foot passes therethrough such that the muscles drivingly enhance blood flow velocity.
Claims14
A device for stimulating blood flow velocity in a leg of the body, which includes:
- means for compressing a foot in a manner to drive a substantial mount of blood from veins of the foot therein into blood vessels of the leg;
- and
- means operably associated with the compressing means for electrically stimulating leg muscles as the driven blood from the foot passes therethrough such that the muscles drivingly enhance blood flow velocity.
A method of preventing DVT, which includes the steps of:
- (a) compressing about the dorsal and sole of the foot at a first predetermined point when veins of the foot are filled with blood to provide a compressive force great enough to drive a substantial amount of blood from the veins to deep veins and superficial veins of the leg;
- and
- (b) electrically stimulating leg muscles surrounding the superficial and deep veins in the leg when the blood from the foot passed therethrough.
A method for preventing Deep Vein Thrombosis in a leg of a patient, which includes the steps of
- (a) positioning a charged electrical stimulating device adjacent the leg;
- and
- (b) electrically discharging said stimulating device in a manner to cause pulsatile contractions in a leg wherein each said contraction is characterized to include a relatively rapid impulse onset and relatively short duration.
A method for stimulating muscle contraction in a patient for the purpose of increasing blood flow and preventing Deep Vein Thrombosis, which includes the steps of:
- (a) sensing motor neural impulses;
- (b) synthesizing said sensed impulses to produce an electrical waveform corresponding thereto;
- and
- (c) employing said waveform into a computer based charged electrical stimulating device to cause a discharge of said electrical stimulating device which stimulates a contraction of a leg muscle of a patient emulating said motor neural impulses and wherein said contractions are further characterized to include a relatively rapid onset and relatively short duration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.