Patent ID: 6589267
Filing Date: 2003-07-08
Classification: A61G,A61H

Abstract:
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 pneumatically actuable 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.