Patent ID: 8034007

Claim:
A compression sleeve for being wrapped around a leg of a wearer, the sleeve comprising: adjacent flexible sleeve sections, at least one of the sleeve sections having an air bladder therein adapted to inflate for compressing a portion of the leg; a connecting section between the adjacent flexible sections, the connecting section defining a knee opening for receiving a knee of the patient and bridge members disposed on opposite sides of the knee opening between the adjacent flexible sleeve sections; a first rigid structural component secured to the sleeve and extending generally between the flexible sleeve sections to maintain a spacing of the adjacent sleeve sections lengthwise of the leg when the sleeve is wrapped around the leg, the first rigid structural component being disposed in the connecting section and attached to one of the bridge members, wherein the first rigid structural component comprises a bladder tube in fluid communication with one of the flexible sleeve sections having the air bladder, the bladder tube extending lengthwise along an axis of the bridge member; and a second rigid structural component secured at another of said bridge members on the opposite side of the knee opening.