US 5,891,065 AGranted

Mobile extremity pumping apparatus

AssigneeSpinal Cord Society

InventorsVikram Cariapa, Dean C. Jeutter, Shih-Kang Liang

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Abstract

The present invention is a vehicle having a mobile extremity pumping apparatus mounted thereon. The mobile extremity pumping apparatus comprises a control module, a driver module and one or more compression units. A two-layer bladder assembly is positioned between the inner layer and the outer shell comprising precompression and compression bladder layers. The precompression bladder layer extends longitudinally along the person's extremity with the individual bladders each wrapping around and arranged sequentially along the extremity. The precompression bladder layer is surrounded by a compression bladder layer mounted between the precompression bladder layer and the outer shell. A pump in the driver module compresses the media, which may be water, air, or similar media, and directs the compressed media to a manifold for distribution to each valve in the driver module. A control processor unit in the control module is connected to each valve in the driver module and further connected to each pressure sensor in the driver module to monitor the pressure in each bladder in the two-bladder layer assembly.

Claims28

Dependent claims

A mobile extremity pumping apparatus for a person having an extremity, the apparatus comprising:

a) a support structure for holding the person;
b) wheels rotatably attached to the support structure;
c) a driver portion attached to the support structure, the driver portion having a pump and a plurality of valves connected to the pump;
d) a control portion attached to the support structure, the control portion configured to control the pump and valves in the driver portion;
e) a compression unit configured to wrap around and engage the extremity, the compression unit comprising:
i) a precompression bladder layer in the compression unit proximate to the extremity, the precompression bladder layer having a plurality of bladders, such that each bladder has at least one adjacent bladder and wherein each bladder overlaps with an adjacent bladder in the precompression layer, the precompression bladder layer arranged for wrapping around and extending along the extremity, the bladders in the precompression bladder layer in communication with the pump, at least one of the plurality of valves in the driver portion connected for controlling at least one bladder in the precompression layer;
and
ii) a compression bladder layer having a plurality of bladders such that each bladder has at least one adjacent bladder and wherein each bladder overlays with an adjacent bladder, the compression bladder layer also arranged for wrapping around and extending along the extremity, the compression bladder layer positioned adjacent the precompression bladder layer to extend over the precompression bladder layer when the compression unit is wrapped around an extremity, at least one other of the plurality of valves in the driver portion connected for controlling at least one bladder in the compression bladder layer;
f) a compression media pumpable by the pump for pressurizing the bladders;
and
g) a power supply connected to the control portion and the driver portion.

8 more elements

A wheelchair mobility supporting a person having an extremity in combination with a mobile extremity pumping apparatus, the mobile extremity pumping apparatus comprising:

a) a wheelchair having a support structure and a plurality of wheels rotatably mounted on the support structure;
b) a control portion having a control processor unit, a plurality of outputs and a plurality of inputs, the control processor configured to detect signals at one of the plurality of inputs and turn one or more of the plurality of outputs on or off;
c) a driver portion comprising a pump connected to one of the plurality of outputs, a plurality of valves in fluid communication with the pump, each valve connected to a respective one of the plurality of outputs in the control portion, the control processor unit configured to control the valves;
d) a flexible compression unit for removably wrapping around the extremity, the compression unit extending from a proximal portion of the extremity to a distal portion of the extremity, the compression unit having a two-bladder layer assembly comprising:
i) a precompression bladder layer having a plurality of overlapping bladders arranged proximate to the extremity and supported in position to wrap around the extremity, the bladders arranged sequentially along the extremity from the distal portion to the proximal portion, each bladder having side portions, each side portion of each bladder overlapping with adjacent side portions of adjacent bladders, at least one valve in the driver portion connected to the bladders in the precompression bladder layer, a pressure sensor in communication with at least one bladder in the precompression bladder layer;
ii) a compression bladder layer having a plurality of bladders arranged sequentially along the precompression bladder layer from the distal portion of the extremity to the proximal portion of the extremity, each bladder in the compression bladder layer connected to a respective one of the plurality of valves in the driver portion;
d) a removable outer shell for wrapping around the compression unit;
e) an edema sensing portion for sensing edema;
and
f) circuitry in the control processor unit in communication with the edema sensing portion and configured to sequentially compress the bladders in the compression bladder layer.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.