Patent Document ID: 9138194
Application ID: 13871878
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A method for use of an apparatus for obtaining an image of a patient for determining a region of interest comprising venous compression adjacent to a compressing muscle flexed by the patient at a location in the patient downstream of an affected muscle relative to venous return flow in the vein compressed by the compressing muscle, the method comprising: supporting a patient with respect to an imaging device on a patient support member, wherein at least a portion of the patient including the region of interest comprising venous compression adjacent to the compressing muscle flexed by the patient at the location in the patient downstream of the affected muscle relative to venous return flow in the vein compressed by the compressing muscle and a plurality of fiducial markings disposed on the patient support member relative to the portion of the patient are positionable in an imaging field of the imaging device; and obtaining the image of the portion of the patient including the region of interest comprising venous compression adjacent to the compressing muscle flexed by the patient at the location in the patient downstream of the affected muscle relative to venous return flow in the vein compressed by the compressing muscle while the patient exerts a force by flexing the compressing muscle within the portion of the patient, wherein the force is opposed by a first anchor and the anchor is maintained in a fixed position relative to the patient support member during exertion of the force by the patient, and wherein the plurality of fiducial markings are apparent in the image and provide a reference in the image between the fiducial markings and the region of interest comprising venous compression adjacent to the compressing muscle flexed by the patient at the location in the patient downstream of the affected muscle relative to venous return flow in the vein compressed by the compressing muscle; determining the location of the region of interest comprising venous compression adjacent to the compressing muscle flexed by the patient at the location in the patient downstream of the affected muscle relative to venous return flow in the vein compressed by the compressing muscle in the portion of the patient relative to the fiducial markings based on the image.