System and method for supplementing circulation in a body

摘要

A system including a compressible element configured to compress a muscle in a limb of a user, a controller configured to control a sequence, rate or amount of compression of the compressible element, and a generator configured to move a working fluid to compress the compressible element as controlled by the controller. The sequence, rate or amount of compression of the compressible element is established to reduce an amount of effort expended by a heart of a user to move a volume of blood. Another system and a method are also disclosed.

主权项

1. A system comprising:
a compressible element configured to apply compression to a calf muscle in a limb of a user; a sensor to sense a heart rate of a heart of the user; a controller configured to control a sequence, rate or amount of the compression of the compressible element based on timing of a heartbeat during perambulatory motion; and a generator configured to move a working fluid to the compressible element as controlled by the controller to cause the compression, the working fluid is electric charge and the compressible element comprises material which constricts in response to the electric charge to cause the compressible element to apply the compression; wherein the sequence or rate of compression is established for the compressible element to apply the compression to the calf muscle between heart beats when the calf muscle is unflexed during the perambulatory motion to increase a supply of blood flow to the heart and to release the compression when the calf muscle is flexed during the perambulatory motion wherein the sequence or rate of compression of the compressible element is established to increase blood flow efficiency to be sustained through a peak output flow of the blood flow of the heart of the user during the perambulatory motion.