Apparatus and method for monitoring pneumatic limb compression therapy

Apparatus for monitoring the delivery of pneumatic pressure waveforms through an inflatable sleeve positioned on a patients's limb in order to augment the flow of venous blood and thereby reduce the incidence of deep venous thrombosis and embolism in the limb, comprising:

• a sleeve adapted for positioning onto a patients's limb and to be cyclically pressurized to augment venous blood flow in the limb;
• pressure transducing means connectable to communicate pneumatically with the sleeve for producing for each pressurization cycle a sleeve pressure signal representing all of the changes in amplitude of the pressure in the sleeve over time and throughout the entire pressurization cycle so that the sleeve pressure signal defines a pressure waveform that is produced in the sleeve throughout each pressurization cycle;
• waveform parameter measurement means responsive to the sleeve pressure signal for measuring a parameter of the pressure waveforms that are produced during successive pressurization cycles and for producing a waveform parameter signal that is indicative of the measured waveform parameters, each one cycle of the succession of pressurization cycles producing a discrete pressure waveform in the sleeve;
• and
• interval determination means responsive to the waveform parameter signal for producing and recording an interval signal indicative of a time interval between at least two successive pressurization cycles of the sleeve during which the measured parameters that correspond to successive pressurization cycles fall within a predetermined range.