Apparatus for improving muscle pump assisted blood flow, and a method for improving muscle pump assisted blood flow

摘要

Apparatus (1) for improving muscle pump assisted blood flow in a calf muscle (2) of a leg (3) of a subject comprises an actuator (8) for attaching to the calf muscle (2) for stimulating the calf muscle (2) for in turn stimulating muscle pump activity in the calf muscle (2). A muscle pump activity sensor (7) attached to the leg (3) of the subject adjacent the calf muscle (2), which may be provided by an accelerometer monitors the muscle pump activity. An averaging circuit (6) averages muscle pump activity over a predetermined time period, which is compared in a comparator (9) with a threshold value of desired activity stored in RAM (10). The output from the comparator (9) is fed to a controller (5) which activates the actuator (8) for stimulating muscle pump activity in the event that the average monitored muscle pump activity is less than the threshold value. A pulse sensor (12) monitors the pulse of the subject so that the actuator (8) is activated in synchronisation with the arterial pump of the subject.