Patent ID: 7896823

Claim:
A method of treating a wound or edema on a foot or lower body extremity, the method comprising: disposing the foot or lower body extremity in a sock-shaped garment wrappable on the foot or lower body extremity circumferentially, the garment comprising a supple air-impermeable layer, a supple air-porous layer being disposed at least partially between the air-impermeable layer and the foot or lower body extremity and further having a seal formed at a top of the garment removed from the foot, wherein the garment comprises a plurality of air pockets which are fluidly inter-coupled, the air-porous layer facilitating movement of the air interspaced between the foot or lower body extremity and the air-impermeable layer, the garment further comprising a wicking layer disposed at least partially between the air-impermeable layer and the foot or lower body extremity, the wicking layer wicking moisture away from the foot or lower body extremity; fluidly coupling a pump to the garment; and actuating the pump to intermittently remove air interspaced between the garment and the foot or lower body extremity such that the garment collapses from an open shape sized for receiving the foot or lower body extremity into a collapsed shape against the foot in an air-tight manner when the interspaced air is removed such that each successive air pocket farther from the foot exerts a relatively lower pressure upon the foot and/or a portion of a leg creating a pressure gradient.