METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR INCREASING BLOOD FLOW IN A BODY PART

摘要

An enclosure is dimensioned to enclose an affected area of a body part plus a small margin around which a releasable seal is attached to make the enclosure substantially airtight around the body part without contacting the area to be treated. A port in the enclosure is attached to tubing for connection of a pump for forcing air under pressure into the enclosure. In the preferred embodiment, the enclosure is an inflatable plastic bag. The compression provided by the air pressure is applied uniformly to the body part to increase blood flow within the body part without physically contacting the affected area of the body part. In one embodiment, the pump is a combination air and vacuum pump so that pressures within the enclosure may be cycled between high and low pressures.