Apparatus and method for applying pressure waveforms to a limb

摘要

Apparatus for applying pressure to a patient's limb in order to augment veno us blood flow in the limb and for monitoring the applied pressure, includes supplying a gas at a varying supply pressure to an inflatable sleeve that fi ts onto a limb to apply a varying pressure to the limb beneath the sleeve when inflated with the gas. A pressure transducer measures the pressure of gas in the inflatable sleeve and produces a sleeve pressure signal indicative of th e estimated level of pressure. The apparatus measures the value of a predetermined pressure waveform parameter and produces a waveform parameter signal indicative of the measured value of the predetermined pressure wavefo rm parameter. An interval signal is produced as indicative of an interval betwe en a first occurrence when the measured value of the predetermined pressure waveform parameter is near a predetermined parameter level and the next occurrence when the measured value of the predetermined pressure waveform parameter is near the predetermined parameter level.