Patent ID: 8016779

Claim:
A sequential compression device for applying sequential compression treatment around a part of a patient's body, the device comprising: a wicking layer having a first face and a second face, the first face is adapted to be applied to skin of the patient such that the second face faces away from the skin, the wicking layer is adapted to move moisture; at least one bladder having a portion defining a compression region, the at least one bladder being constructed of bladder material generally overlying the second face of the wicking layer, the at least one bladder being formed from opposing flat faces of at least one sheet of the bladder material; and openings in the at least one sheet of bladder material of the bladder within the compression region; the wicking layer being joined to the bladder material, wherein a portion of the wicking layer is exposed to atmosphere from under the bladder material, the exposed portion of the wicking layer being within the compression region, the wicking layer being positioned on the device and adapted for moving the moisture from the skin of the patient to a location under the bladder openings; and the openings in said at least one bladder being sized and arranged to provide evaporation of the moisture while maintaining therapeutic compression to move blood out of the part of the patient's body; wherein each of the openings has a generally waterdrop shape including a wider end portion and a narrower end portion, the at least one bladder having first and second opposite longitudinal edges extending along its length, the openings being arranged so that a first set of the openings have wider end portions nearer the first longitudinal edge than the narrower end portions of the openings in the first set and a second set of openings have wider end portions nearer to the second longitudinal edge than the narrower end portions of the openings in the second set.