Devices, systems and methods for treating and preventing venous insufficiency, thrombosis, orthostatic intolerance, and impaired lymphatic drainage
An apparatus for treating or preventing venous deficiency, thrombus development, orthostatic intolerance, lymphedema, and/or edema comprising a sleeve wearable on a limb of a user; an upper bracket and a lower bracket releasably couplable to the limb; an actuator coupled to one of the upper or lower brackets; a shaft coupled to the actuator and the other of the upper or lower brackets; a plurality of cams fixedly coupled to, and longitudinally spaced along, the shaft; and a respective plurality of flexible elements each coupled to one of the plurality of cams and to the sleeve. Rotational motion of the actuator about an axis of rotation causes the plurality of cams, via the respective plurality of flexible elements, to induce a peristaltic pressure wave in the limb.
1 . An apparatus for treating or preventing venous insufficiency,
thrombus development, or lymphedema comprising:
a sleeve wearable on a limb of a user;
an upper bracket and a lower bracket releasably coupling the sleeve to the limb;
an actuator coupled to one of the upper or lower brackets;
a shaft coupled to the actuator and the other of the upper or lower brackets;
at least three cams fixedly coupled to, and longitudinally spaced along, the shaft, each cam having a nose with a nose height measured from the shaft, a first nose height of a first cam being greater than a second nose height of a second cam, the nose of adjacent cams having different angular positions with respect to the shaft; and
a respective plurality of flexible elements, each coupled to one of the cams and to the sleeve, wherein rotational motion of the actuator about an axis of rotation causes the plurality of cams, via the respective plurality of flexible elements, to induce a peristaltic first pressure wave in the limb.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of cams is angularly indexed with respect to at least one other of the plurality of cams about the axis of rotation.
3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first cam is adjacent to the second cam along a longitudinal dimension of the shaft.
4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a direction of rotation of the actuator is reversible.
5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a rotation of the actuator in a first direction induces the first pressure wave in a cranial/proximal direction in the limb.
6 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein a rotation of the actuator in a second direction opposite the first direction induces the first pressure wave in a caudal/distal direction in the limb.
7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sleeve is conformable on the limb.
8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first pressure wave has a magnitude of between about 30 mmHg and 200 mmHg.
9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first pressure wave has a frequency of about 20 to 60 waves per minute.
10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the nose height and angular position of at least two cams induces a second pressure wave in the limb at the same time and different location as the first pressure wave.
11 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a power source that powers the actuator.
12 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the user is a human and the apparatus further treats of prevents lower extremity varicose veins, blood clot formation, orthostatic intolerance, for edema.
13 . A method of treating or preventing venous deficiency insufficiency, thrombus development, or lymphedema comprising:
applying a wearable device to a limb of a user, wherein the wearable device comprises:
a sleeve wearable on a limb of the user;
an upper bracket and a lower bracket releasably couplable to the limb; an actuator coupled to one of the upper or lower brackets;
a shaft coupled to the actuator and the other of the upper or lower brackets;
at least three cams fixedly coupled to, and longitudinally spaced along, the shaft, each cam having a nose with a nose height measured from the shaft, a first nose height of a first cam being greater than a second nose height of a second cam, the nose of adjacent cams having different angular positions with respect to the shaft; and
a respective plurality of flexible elements each coupled to one of the plurality of cams and to the sleeve, wherein rotational motion of the actuator about an axis of rotation causes the plurality of cams, via the respective plurality of flexible elements, to induce a peristaltic first pressure wave in the limb.
14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the first pressure wave has a magnitude of between about 30 mmHg and 200 mmHg.
15 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is adapted for use in an inflight phase of space travel to mitigate hemodynamic changes related to fluid shifts caused by exposure to an altered gravity environment.