COMPRESSION APPARATUS AND SYSTEMS FOR CIRCULATORY-RELATED DISORDERS
A garment for providing circulatory-related disorder therapy includes a skin contacting layer, a backing layer, and a coupling. The backing layer is coupled to the skin contacting layer such that the skin contacting layer and the backing layer form a plurality of macro-chambers. A first one of the plurality of macro-chambers is partitioned into a plurality of micro-chambers. Each of the plurality of micro-chambers is in direct fluid communication with at least one other of the plurality of micro-chambers. The coupling is coupled to the backing layer and is configured to supply pressurized air directly into the first macro-chamber such that the pressurized air is delivered to a first one of the plurality of micro-chambers of the first macro-chamber.
1 - 105 . (canceled)
106 . A system for providing compression therapy to a user with a circulatory-related disorder, the system comprising:
a compression garment having a set of pneumatic chambers;
a compression pressure generator coupled to the compression garment such that the compression pressure generator is configured to pressurize at least a portion of the set of pneumatic chambers;
a sensor coupled to the compression garment and being configured to generate sensor data associated with a characteristic of the compression garment or of the user; and
a controller, including one or more processors, configured to:
cause the compression pressure generator to generate a first pneumatic waveform of pressure within one or more pneumatic chambers of the set of pneumatic chambers during an initial period;
receive at least a portion of the sensor data from the sensor during the testing initial period;
determine a parameter of a condition of the circulatory-related disorder of the user based at least in part on the received at least a portion of the sensor data; and
cause the compression pressure generator to generate a second pneumatic waveform of pressure within one or more pneumatic chambers of the set of pneumatic chambers during a subsequent period based at least in part on the determined parameter.
107 . The system of claim 106 , wherein the second pneumatic waveform of pressure is different than the first pneumatic waveform of pressure.
108 . The system of claim 106 , further comprising a set of valves configured to aid the compression pressure generator in selectively pressurizing respective ones of the set of pneumatic chambers.
109 . The system of claim 108 , wherein the controller is further configured to selectively control operation of the set of valves corresponding to pneumatic chambers in different zones of the compression garment.
110 . A method for providing compression therapy to a user of a compression garment with a circulatory-related disorder, the method comprising:
controlling operation of a compression pressure generator to generate a pneumatic waveform in one or more pneumatic chambers of a set of pneumatic chambers of a compression garment during an initial period;
receiving a signal from a sensor during the initial period, the signal being indicative of a characteristic attributable to the compression garment or to the user;
determining a parameter representing a condition of the circulatory-related disorder of the user of the compression garment based at least in part on the received signal; and
generating a control signal to operate the compression pressure generator to generate pneumatic pressure in one or more pneumatic chambers of the set of pneumatic chambers of the compression garment during a subsequent period based at least in part on the determined parameter.
111 . The method of claim 110 , further comprising changing the operation of the compression pressure generator based on the control signal.
112 . The method of claim 111 , further comprising changing a pressure setting of the compression pressure generator based on the control signal.
113 . The method of claim 111 , further comprising changing a time setting of the compression pressure generator based on the control signal.
114 . The method of claim 111 , further comprising repeating an operation period based on the generated control signal.
115 . The method of claim 111 , further comprising discontinuing an operation period based on the generated control signal.
116 . The method of claim 110 , further comprising comparing the characteristic to one or more thresholds.
117 . The method of claim 116 , further comprising generating a message based at least in part on the comparison.
118 - 223 . (canceled)
224 . The system of claim 106 , wherein the sensor is configured to generate sensor data associated with a characteristic of the user only.
225 . The system of claim 106 , wherein the sensor is configured to generate sensor data associated with a characteristic of the compression garment and the user.
226 . The system of claim 106 , the characteristic is at least one of temperature, bioimpedance, pressure, and flow rate.
227 . The system of claim 106 , wherein the determined parameter is pneumatic impedance or pneumatic resistance.
228 . The system of claim 106 , wherein the controller is further configured to selectively control operation of a set of valves corresponding to pneumatic chambers in different zones of the compression garment, and wherein the parameter represents a condition of the circulatory-related disorder discretely for the different zones of the compression garment.
229 . The method of claim 110 , wherein the signal is indicative of a characteristic attributable to the user only.
230 . The method of claim 110 , wherein the signal is indicative of a characteristic attributable to the compression garment and the user.
231 . The method of claim 110 , wherein the characteristic is at least one of temperature, bioimpedance, pressure, and flow rate.
232 . The method of claim 110 , wherein the determined parameter is pneumatic impedance or pneumatic resistance.
233 . The method of claim 110 , further comprising selectively controlling operation of a set of valves corresponding to pneumatic chambers in different zones of the compression garment, wherein the parameter represents a condition of the circulatory-related disorder discretely for the different zones of the compression garment.