System and method for deep vein thrombosis prevention and diagnosis

A system for diagnosing deep vein thrombosis in a body limb, comprising:

• a compression system for applying external pressure to a body limb;
• and
• a venous phasic flow monitoring system to detect a thrombosis in the body limb;
• said compression system including a pressure sleeve;
• said pressure sleeve including a first individually fillable cell, a second individually fillable cell, and a third individually fillable cell;
• said first individually fillable cell being configured to be located on the body limb proximal to a heart;
• said second individually fillable cell being configured to be located on the body limb distal to the heart;
• said third individually fillable cell being configured to be located on the body limb between said first individually fillable cell and said second individually fillable cell;
• said compression system including a first pneumatic pressure sensor to measure pneumatic pressure;
• said compression system including a second pneumatic pressure sensor to measure pneumatic pressure;
• said compression system performing a first operation and a second operation;
• said compression system, during said first operation, filling said first individually fillable cell to a predetermined pressure, said pressure of said first individually fillable cell being measured by said first pneumatic pressure sensor;
• said compression system, during said first operation, filling said second individually fillable cell while said compression system measures, using said second pneumatic pressure sensor, a pneumatic pressure change in said filled first individually fillable cell caused by a change in a volume of the body limb within said pressure sleeve and generating a first signal corresponding to changes in the pneumatic pressure in said filled first individually fillable cell, measured by said second pneumatic pressure sensor, caused by the change in the volume of the body limb within said pressure sleeve;
• said compression system, during said second operation, filling said first individually fillable cell and said second individually fillable cell to said predetermined pressure, said pressure of said first and second individually fillable cells being measured by said first pneumatic pressure sensor;
• said compression system, during said second operation, filling said third individually fillable cell while said compression system measures, using said second pneumatic pressure sensor, pneumatic pressure changes in said filled first individually fillable cell and said filled second individually fillable cell, measured by said second pneumatic pressure sensor, caused by a change in a volume of the body limb within said pressure sleeve and generating a second signal corresponding to changes in the pneumatic pressure in said filled first individually fillable cell and said filled second individually fillable cell caused by the change in the volume of the body limb within said pressure sleeve;
• said venous phasic flow monitoring system monitoring, over a period of time, said first signal and said second signal to determine a presence of deep vein thrombosis in the body limb based on changes, over the period of time, in said first signal and said second signal.

A method for diagnosing deep vein thrombosis in a body limb, comprising:

• (a) filling a first individually fillable cell of a pressure sleeve placed around the body limb to a predetermined pressure;
• (b) filling a second individually fillable cell of the pressure sleeve while measuring a pneumatic pressure change in the filled first individually fillable cell caused by a change in a volume of the body limb within the pressure sleeve and generating a venous phasic flow signal corresponding to changes in the pneumatic pressure in the filled first individually fillable cell caused by the change in the volume of the body limb within the pressure sleeve, the venous phasic flow signal being indicative of a venous phasic flow in the body limb;
• (c) monitoring the venous phasic flow signal over a time period to determine changes in the venous phasic flow signal over the time period;
• and
• (d) determining a presence of deep vein thrombosis in the body limb based on changes in the venous phasic flow signal over the time period.

A method for diagnosing and treating deep vein thrombosis in a body limb, comprising:

• (a) applying, using a pressure sleeve having a plurality of individually fillable cells, external pressure to a body limb to provide controlled therapeutic pressure to the body limb so as to induce venous flow;
• (b) filling a first individually fillable cell of the pressure sleeve placed around the body limb to a predetermined pressure;
• (c) filling a second individually fillable cell of the pressure sleeve while measuring a pneumatic pressure change in the filled first individually fillable cell caused by a change in a volume of the body limb within the pressure sleeve and generating a venous phasic flow signal corresponding to changes in the pneumatic pressure in the filled first individually fillable cell caused by the change in the volume of the body limb within the pressure sleeve, the venous phasic flow signal being indicative of a venous phasic flow in the body limb;
• (d) monitoring the venous phasic flow signal over a time period to determine changes in the venous phasic flow signal over the time period;
• (e) determining a presence of deep vein thrombosis in the body limb based on changes in the venous phasic flow signal over the time period;
• and
• (f) changing a characteristic of an application of the external pressure to the body limb when it is determined that a deep vein thrombosis is present in the body limb.