Negative/positive pressure, thermal energy therapy device
View Patent ↗A negative/positive pressure, thermal energy therapy device is described in this application. The present invention uses a conventional negative pressure, thermal energy device and/or an alternative embodiment thereof and adds a significant modification. The modification is that positive pressure, not just ambient pressure, is at least occasionally applied to the patient's body contained in the negative pressure, thermal energy device.
1. A negative pressure, thermal energy therapy device comprising:
an enclosure having an opening to receive a portion of a patient's body that contains a venous plexus area;
a vacuum system that creates a negative pressure in the enclosure, the negative pressure in the enclosure is sufficient to cause the patient's veins to vasodilate;
a positive pressure system that creates a positive pressure in the enclosure, the positive pressure in the enclosure is sufficient to (i) decrease the chance of a patient having edema, (ii) prevent the patient from having edema, and/or (iii) reverse the patient's edema, when the positive pressure is hyperbaric pressure the positive pressure is applied before, after, in-between, or combinations thereof of applications of negative pressure; and when the positive pressure is atmospheric pressure the positive pressure is applied in-between the applications of negative pressure;
a seal positioned at the enclosure's opening to retain the pressure in the enclosure;
a thermal energy system having a thermal energy contacting element wherein the patient's venous plexus area contacts the thermal energy contacting element; and
an inflatable heel care boot positioned inside of said enclosure and adapted to receive the portion of the patient's body, said inflatable heel care boot including a pressure chamber containing a fluid which does not come into contact with the portion of the patient's body.
2. The device of claim 1 wherein the seal is a soft seal.
3. The device of claim 1 wherein the enclosure receives a fluid and the fluid is air.
4. The device of claim 1 wherein the negative pressure modulates.
5. The device of claim 1 wherein the thermal energy contacting element is selected from the group consisting of a light source that radiates heat, a cold source that radiates coldness, a symmetric conductive design, conductive polymeric material, a convective fitting object positioned near the patient's venous plexus area, conductive beads extending from and interconnected to a conductive plate, warming or cooling blankets like an electric blanket and/or a conductive blanket, warm or cool water immersion elements, warming or cooling gas elements, a curved metal plate or a metal tube.
6. The device of claim 5 wherein the thermal energy transferred from the thermal energy contacting element is through a fluid system.
7. The device of claim 5 wherein the thermal energy transferred from the thermal energy contacting element is through a resistor system.
8. The device of claim 1 wherein the vacuum system and the positive pressure system are the same.
9. A negative pressure, thermal energy therapy device comprising:
an enclosure having an opening to receive a portion of a patient's body;
a vacuum system that creates a negative pressure in the enclosure, the negative pressure in the enclosure is sufficient to cause the patient's blood vessels to vasodilate;
a positive pressure system that creates a hyperbaric positive pressure in the enclosure;
a seal positioned at the enclosure's opening to retain the pressure in the enclosure;
a thermal energy system having a thermal energy contacting element that influences the temperature of the portion of the patient's body in the enclosure; and
an inflatable heel care boot positioned inside of said enclosure and adapted to receive the portion of the patient's body, said inflatable heel care boot including a pressure chamber containing a fluid which does not come into contact with the portion of the patient's body.
10. The device of claim 9 wherein the vacuum system and the positive pressure system are the same.
11. The device of claim 9 wherein the negative pressure modulates.
12. The device of claim 9 wherein the thermal energy is transferred from the thermal energy contacting element to the portion of the patient's body via a fluid.