Disposable Pneumatic Compression Wrap with Integrated Reusable Pump
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current DVT devices face challenges with portability, reusability, and disposability, leading to inconvenience, discomfort, and high operational costs for healthcare providers.
Innovation Solution
A portable, tubeless, and battery-operated intermittent pneumatic compression system that includes a reusable air pump and bladder enclosed in a disposable wrap, allowing for maximum mobility and cost-effective single-use wraps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional DVT devices use separate pumps connected by tubes to bladders, then compression therapy can be provided, but the devices present tripping hazards and lack true portability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the pump, bladder, and wrap into a single integrated unit. The pump is enclosed within the wrap structure, eliminating the need for external tubes and connections. This integration resolves the contradiction by providing true portability without sacrificing compression therapy functionality, while also eliminating tripping hazards associated with external tubing.
Solution Approach 2:
The pump is nested within the wrap structure, with the bladder integrated into the wrap layers. This nesting arrangement allows the pump to be housed within the wearable component, eliminating external connections and achieving true portability while maintaining all necessary compression functions.
2Ease of operation
If conventional devices use AC power sources and bulky components, then reliable compression can be provided, but patients cannot travel meaningfully
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the AC-powered mechanical pump system with a battery-operated pump. This substitution enables portable power delivery, allowing patients to travel freely without being constrained by electrical outlets, while still providing reliable compression therapy through the battery-powered pump mechanism.
3Measurement precision
If conventional systems obtain pressure readings at the inlet port, then pressure measurement is simple, but accurate pressure at remote parts of the bladder cannot be ensured
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a pressure sensor as an intermediary element positioned at the remote end of the bladder, far from the pump. This sensor directly measures the pressure at the target location, providing accurate readings of the actual compression pressure applied to the patient's limb, rather than inferring it from inlet port measurements.
4Ease of manufacture
If wraps are made reusable to reduce costs, then healthcare providers save on purchase costs, but significant reprocessing costs are incurred
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the DVT device into two distinct components: a reusable pump unit and a disposable wrap. The pump, which contains the expensive electronic and mechanical components, can be reused across multiple patients. The wrap, which contacts the patient's skin and is prone to contamination, is disposed of after single use. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by eliminating reprocessing costs while maintaining cost-effectiveness through pump reuse.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent designates the wrap as a disposable, single-use component that is discarded after one patient. This eliminates the need for costly reprocessing of the wrap while allowing the expensive pump to be reused. The disposable nature of the wrap simplifies infection control and maintains cost-effectiveness.
5Ease of operation
If conventional wraps include air bladders combined with donning features, then patients can wear the wrap for therapy, but the wrap cannot be easily disposed of or reused
Solution Approach 1:
The patent separates the donning features and bladder functionality into the disposable wrap component, while the pump remains a separate reusable unit. This segmentation allows the wrap to be designed as a single-use garment with integrated donning features, eliminating the complexity of making it reusable while maintaining ease of application and removal for patients.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively prevents DVT, enhances blood circulation, reduces pain and swelling, and lowers wound healing time, while providing a cost-effective solution for healthcare providers by reducing the need for reprocessing and maintaining high patient mobility.
Implementation Method 1
an air pump delivers air to a bladder through a first channel
Implementation Method 2
measures pressure at the most remote part of the bladder through a second channel to ensure that adequate pressure is being achieved
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention discloses a deep vein thrombosis (“DVT”) device that is portable, tubeless, and battery-operated, which ensures that the patient will have maximum mobility during recovery. The DVT device provides a pneumatically controlled bladder portion, which is actuated by an electronically controlled air pump, where the pump/bladder combination is enclosed in a “pocket” of a wrap or cuff during use. All pump, battery, and control components are protectively housed in a plastic case that is permanently attached to the bladder portion. Once the pump/bladder combination is placed in the “pocket” the wrap or cuff will be sealed. The wraps or cuffs are single use, disposable garments designed to provide an absorbent barrier during use, where the bladder portion and air pump remain clean during use and can be reused by the patient or hospital staff. Tabs or extensions may be used to secure the pump/bladder combination after insertion into the “pocket” of the wrap or cuff.