Patent ID: 8206414
Filing Date: 2012-06-26
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. A sequential lymphedema pump for treating a swollen body limb due to lymphedema and acute and chronic thrombophlebitis and for prevention of development of postoperative acute thrombophlebitis and subsequent pulmonary embolism by applying pressure to the entire limb, said pump comprising: a computer and software for management of all functions of said pump placed in the position on a patient's extremity and started, managing all functions limited as per manufacturers design and also the patient's physician restrictions, storing the data in the computer with the ability to report all such data and conditions outside of the limits imposed by the physician and the manufacturer through the telephone to either the physician and/or the service department of the manufacturer, a non-stretchable textile sheet enveloping the treated extremity, a plurality of sequentially connected compression chambers, each chamber separated slightly from each other and connected with a channel leading to the distributor and through it to said pump for inflation with air, said chambers varying from small, approximately three eights inches to an inch or larger in diameter for the wide parts of the treated extremity, and attached to the inner surface of said non-stretchable textile sheet, a glove or separate sleeve for the toes, said glove being attached to the main sleeve enveloping the treated extremity, said glove containing a plurality of sequentially connected circular compression chambers for fingers or toes, hooks and loops being attached on the external surface of the non-stretchable textile sheet for securing the position on the leg or arm and for determining the initial volume of the treated extremity, said compression chambers extending distally to proximately along said sheet, each individual chamber having a separate channel leading to a distributor for air and through it to said pump as the source of pressure for inflation of said chambers, an aerobic pump as the pressure sensing means, a distributor for directing the air into each individual compression chamber sequentially and starting at the most distal chamber and ending each cycle of pumping to the most proximal chamber and then starting a new pumping cycle, manometers for measuring the pressure in the compression chambers, reporting these numbers to the managing computer, a detector for the moisture at the extremity, a plurality of the limb activity sensor means, an aerobic source pump and distributor for ventilation of the treated extremity, a commercially available blood pressure apparatus for measuring the patient's blood pressure, and a commercially available telephone for contacting the physician when restriction of the physician and said pump operation is outside of operational limits as well as when mechanical conditions of said pump requires that service department of the pump manufacturer is notified.