High efficiency external counterpulsation apparatus and method for controlling same

An external counterpulsation apparatus for treating a patient, comprising:

• a balloon assembly adapted to be received about the lower extremities of the patient, said balloon assembly including a plurality of inflatable devices;
• a source of compressed fluid;
• a fluid reservoir interconnected with said source of compressed fluid for inflating said inflatable devices;
• and
• a fluid distribution assembly interconnected with said fluid reservoir for distributing compressed fluid from said source of compressed fluid to said inflatable devices;
• said fluid distribution assembly including a selectively operable inflation/deflation valve interconnected between each of said inflatable devices and said fluid reservoir, each of said inflation/deflation valves having a power operator thereon and being interconnected with said balloon assembly and separately operable such that each of said inflatable devices is separately sequentially inflatable and deflatable, each of said inflation/deflation valves having an input interconnected with said fluid reservoir, an inflation/deflation port interconnected with one of said inflatable devices, and a deflation exhaust port in fluid communication with the atmosphere, said deflation exhaust port being normally open so as to default to said normally open condition upon loss of power to said power operator, wherein each of said inflation/deflation valves is a rotary actuable valve.

An external counterpulsation apparatus for treating a patient, comprising:

• a balloon assembly adapted to be received about the lower extremities of the patient, said balloon assembly including a plurality of inflatable devices;
• a source of compressed fluid;
• a fluid reservoir interconnected with said source of compressed fluid for inflating said inflatable devices;
• and
• a fluid distribution assembly interconnected with said fluid reservoir for distributing compressed fluid from said source of compressed fluid to said inflatable devices;
• said fluid distribution assembly including a selectively operable inflation/deflation valve interconnected between each of said inflatable devices and said fluid reservoir, each of said inflation/deflation valves having a power operator thereon and being interconnected with said balloon assembly and separately operable such that each of said inflatable devices is separately sequentially inflatable and deflatable, each of said inflation/deflation valves having an input interconnected with said fluid reservoir, an inflation/deflation port interconnected with one of said inflatable devices, and a deflation exhaust port in fluid communication with the atmosphere, said deflation exhaust port being normally open so as to default to said normally open condition upon loss of power to said power operator, wherein each of said inflation/deflation valves is a rotary actuable butterfly valve.

An external counterpulsation apparatus for treating a patient, comprising:

• a balloon assembly adapted to be received about the lower extremities of the patient, said balloon assembly including a plurality of inflatable devices;
• a source of compressed fluid;
• a fluid reservoir interconnected with said source of compressed fluid for inflating said inflatable devices;
• and
• a fluid distribution assembly interconnected with said fluid reservoir for distributing compressed fluid from said source of compressed fluid to said inflatable devices;
• said fluid distribution assembly including a selectively operable inflation/deflation valve interconnected between each of said inflatable devices and said fluid reservoir, each of said inflation/deflation valves having a power operator thereon and being interconnected with said balloon assembly and separately operable such that each of said inflatable devices is separately sequentially inflatable and deflatable, each of said inflation/deflation valves having an input interconnected with said fluid reservoir, an inflation/deflation port interconnected with one of said inflatable devices, and a deflation exhaust port in fluid communication with the atmosphere, said deflation exhaust power being normally open so as to default to said normally open condition upon loss of power to said power operator;
• said source of compressed fluid including a compressor, said apparatus further including a power ramp-up device that upon startup of said apparatus converts electrical power to said compressor from 110/120 VAC 50/60 hz to three-phase 220 VAC at a variable frequency and increases the electrical power to a preselected full power level over a period of approximately three to approximately five seconds.

A method for monitoring the treatment of a patient who is receiving treatment from an external counterpulsation system, comprising the steps of:

• displaying an electrocardiogram (ECG) signal taken from the patient;
• displaying a plethysmograph waveform signal taken from the patient;
• and
• displaying a timing signal that is indicative of an inflation/deflation cycle of the external counterpulsation system.

A method for monitoring the treatment of a patient who is receiving treatment from an external counterpulsation system, comprising the steps of:

• displaying an electrocardiogram (ECG) signal taken from the patient;
• displaying a pressure signal indicative of the blood pressure of the patient;
• and
• displaying a timing signal that is indicative of an inflation/deflation cycle of the external counterpulsation system, said timing signal displaying a timing bar for each inflation/deflation cycle, wherein a leading edge of the timing bar corresponds to the initiation of inflation and a trailing edge of the timing bar corresponds to the initiation of deflation.