Vascular compression system

A controller for use with a compression garment for imparting compression therapy on a body part of a person, the compression garment including at least one inflatable chamber and a port permitting inflation and deflation of the at least one inflatable chamber, the controller including:

• a source of pressurized gas operatively connectable in fluid communication with the at least one inflatable chamber of the compression garment, the source of pressurized gas being adapted for selectively pressurizing the at least one inflatable chamber by increasing gas pressure in the at least one inflatable chamber to provide compression therapy to the body part;
• and
• a control system operatively connected to the source of pressurized gas and adapted for controlling operation of the source of pressurized gas, the control system including a tangible storage medium having instructions for executing successive compression cycles to impart intermittent compression therapy to the body part, each compression cycle including an inflation phase during which the control system directs pressurized gas to the at least one inflatable chamber and a vent phase after the inflation phase during which the control system permits gas to vent from the at least one inflatable chamber, the control system having instructions to execute at least one of the inflation phases in accordance with the following steps:
• in a first step, increasing the gas pressure in the at least one inflatable chamber to no more than about 20 mmHg in no less than about 0.5 seconds;
• and
• in a second step after the first step, increasing the gas pressure in the at least one inflatable chamber to at least about 120 mmHg in no more than about 2 seconds.