APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MONITORING PNEUMATIC LIMB COMPRESSION THERAPY

摘要

Apparatus for monitoring the application of a varying pressure to a limb from a sleeve positioned on the limb in order to augment the flow of venous blood and thus reduce the incidence of embolism and deep venous thrombosis in the limb comprises: transducing means for producing a sleeve pressure signal indicative of pressure applied by the sleeve to the limb; waveform parameter measurement means responsive to the sleeve pressure signal for measuring the value of a predetermined pressure waveform parameter and for producing a waveform parameter signal indicative of the measured value of the waveform parameter; and interval determination means responsive to the waveform parameter signal for producing an interval signal indicative of an interval between a first occurrence when the measured value of the waveform parameter is near a predetermined parameter level and the next occurrence when the measured value of the waveform parameter is near the predetermined parameter level.