Device, system and method for intermittent displacement of blood to mitigate peripheral nerve neuropathy
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to devices, systems and methods adapted for implementing intermittent displacement of blood to mitigate peripheral nerve neuropathy such as that induced by chemotherapeutic agents (i.e., chemotherapy-induced neuropathy (CIN)) that are administered to a patient. Such devices, systems and methods advantageously provide for precise, uniform and controlled blood flow occluding (and optionally blood displacing) compression along irregular surfaces of an appendage of a patient. Such precise, uniform and controlled blood occluding compression is imparted upon the epidermal and dermis skin layers within the aforementioned areas of a patient's extremities to decrease the time that free nerve endings located in the epidermal and encapsulated nerve endings located in the dermis skin layers are exposed to nerve damaging chemotherapy chemicals, thereby substantially decreasing CIN caused by prolonged exposure to such chemicals.
1 . A system for treating peripheral nerves, comprising:
a compression exertion device including an interior space configured for having a body part positioned therein and an expansion cavity having at least one wall at least partially defining the interior space;
a tissue-treating material, wherein the tissue-treating material is in the form of one of a paste, a gel, and a cream, wherein the tissue-treating material is in the interior space; and
a pressure supply device configured for being connected to the compression exertion device to pressurize a compression-inducing medium within the expansion cavity for causing the compression exertion device to exert compressive pressure on the body part;
wherein:
the tissue-treating material provides electrically charged oxygen bubbles; and
the at least one wall of the compression exertion device includes an electrode for delivery of an electrical signal within the interior space to cause the electrically charged oxygen bubbles to be repelled away from the electrode.
2 . The system of claim 1 wherein the tissue-treating material includes at least one of dissolved oxygen and nano oxygen bubbles.
3 . The system of claim 1 wherein:
the pressure supply device includes a pressure controller operable for performing system-managed pressurization of the compression exertion device; and
said system-managed pressurization for causing at least one of a magnitude of the compressive pressure and a duration of time for said compressive pressure being exerted to at least one of occlude blood flow into at least one skin layer of the body part and reduce blood flow into the at least one skin layer.
4 . A system for treating peripheral nerves, comprising:
a compression exertion device including an interior space configured for having a body part positioned therein and an expansion cavity having at least one wall at least partially defining the interior space;
a compression inducing medium within the expansion cavity;
a tissue-treating material, wherein the tissue-treating material is in the form of one of a paste, a gel, and a cream, wherein the tissue-treating material is in the interior space; and
a pressure supply device connected to the compression exertion device to pressurize the compression-inducing medium for causing the compression exertion device to exert compressive pressure on the body part;
wherein the tissue-treating material being in the interior space, said pressurizing includes:
maintaining a current volume of the tissue-treating material, introduced into the compression exertion device by pressurized delivery through a flow inlet of the compression exertion device, under pressure within the interior space for at least one of a first designated period of time and until a level of oxygen in the tissue-treating material decreases below a prescribed threshold level;
removing, by flow through a flow outlet of the compression exertion device different than the flow inlet, at least a portion of the current volume of tissue-treating material from within the interior space; and
introducing into the compression exertion device, by pressurized delivery through the flow inlet, a replacement volume of tissue-treating material into the interior space after removing the at least a portion of the current volume of tissue-treating material to create a new volume of the tissue-treating material.
5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein:
the pressure supply device includes a pressure controller operable for performing system-managed pressurization of the compression exertion device; and
said pressurization is performed for causing at least one of a magnitude of the compressive pressure and a duration of time for said compressive pressure being exerted to at least one of occlude blood flow into at least one skin layer of the body part and reduce blood flow into the at least one skin layer.
6 . A peripheral nerve treatment system operable for:
exerting compressive pressure on a body part disposed within an interior space of a compression exertion device, wherein said exerting is performed for causing at least one of a magnitude of said compressive pressure and a duration of time for said compressive pressure being exerted to at least one of occlude blood flow into at least one skin layer of the body part and reduce blood flow into the at least one skin layer, wherein the compression exertion device includes an expansion cavity having at least one wall at least partially defining the interior space, wherein said exerting includes pressurizing an expansion cavity of the compression exertion device by delivery of a compression-inducing medium into the expansion cavity for causing the at least one wall to exert a compressive pressure on the body part, wherein a tissue-treating material is within the interior space on a surface of the at least one wall, wherein the compression exertion device is a prepackaged article having the tissue treating material applied onto the surface of the at least one wall, and wherein the tissue-treating material is one of a paste, a gel, and a cream;
wherein:
said exerting includes delivering at least a portion of the compression-inducing medium into the expansion cavity;
the expansion cavity is jointly defined by at least a first body and a second body;
the second body comprises the at least one wall; and
at least a portion of the at least one wall is a substrate that permits at least one constituent component of the at least one tissue-treating material to pass therethrough.
7 . The peripheral nerve treatment system of claim 6 wherein the compression-inducing medium one of is thermally conditioned to a temperature below a temperature of the body part and enhances penetration of oxygen into skin of the body part.