Patent ID: 8758282

Claim:
A compression garment apparatus comprising: a compression garment including an inflatable therapeutic bladder and an inflatable support bladder, the compression garment being selectively positionable on a body part so the therapeutic bladder covers a target compression zone on the body part; and a pressurizer operatively connectable to the therapeutic bladder and the support bladder for selectively pressurizing the bladders by increasing gas pressure within the bladders, the pressurizer including: a sensor for sensing and generating signals representative of at least one physical characteristic selected from a group of characteristics consisting of an orientation of the body part, a motion of the body part, an acceleration of the body part, a motion of the garment relative to the target compression zone, a pressure in the therapeutic bladder, a pressure in the support bladder, a gas volume in the therapeutic bladder, and a gas volume in the support bladder; and a controller operatively connected to the sensor, the controller cyclically directing pressurized gas to the therapeutic bladder to provide intermittent compression therapy to the target compression zone on the body part and non-cyclically directing pressurized gas to the support bladder in response to signals received from the sensor representing the physical characteristic to maintain the therapeutic bladder in position with respect to the target compression zone.