Fluid-Cell Compression Garment Pressure Control Across Positions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing compression garments struggle to maintain a consistent target pressure on body regions regardless of the user's position or posture, affecting the quality and effectiveness of compression therapy.
Innovation Solution
The system employs a target pressure and an adjustable manifold pressure, monitored by a single pressure sensor, to ensure consistent pressure delivery across fluid cells, along with a graphical user interface and wireless communication for intuitive control and configuration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single pressure sensor is used in the manifold to monitor pressure during fluid delivery, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision may be affected due to pressure fluctuations during active delivery
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the manifold pressure setpoint based on the delivery phase. During active fluid delivery, the target manifold pressure is set higher to compensate for expected pressure drops. When delivery stops, the target pressure is reduced to match the lower steady-state pressure. This dynamic adaptation allows a single sensor to achieve accurate measurements throughout the cycle.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-establishes two different target pressure values for the manifold before delivery begins. The higher target pressure is prepared in advance for the delivery phase, and the lower target is prepared for the steady state. This preliminary configuration enables rapid switching between pressure regimes without complex real-time calculations.
2Reliability
If target pressure is maintained regardless of user position, then compression therapy consistency is improved, but the system cannot adapt to position-induced pressure variations
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback from the pressure sensor to continuously monitor actual fluid cell pressure. When the measured pressure deviates from the target pressure (which is selected based on detected user position), the pump adjusts fluid delivery to correct the deviation. This closed-loop control ensures consistent therapeutic pressure is maintained despite position-induced variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the target pressure parameter based on detected user position. When a user is detected to be in a position that causes pressure variations (such as sitting on the garment), the system selects an appropriate target pressure from multiple predefined values to compensate for the position effect, thereby maintaining therapeutic effectiveness.
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
Ensures consistent compression therapy delivery across varying user positions and garments, providing an intuitive interface for configuration and monitoring, enhancing therapy effectiveness and user experience.
Implementation Method 1
a pump operably coupled to the manifold to deliver fluid to the at least one fluid cell
Implementation Method 2
a single pressure sensor located in a manifold configured to distribute the fluid to one fluid cell at-at-time of a plurality of fluid cells
Data Source
AI summary
Compression garment systems and methods may deliver fluid to one or more fluid cells using a target pressure and an adjustable manifold pressure that may be adjusted to, for example, deliver an amount of fluid to the one or more fluid cells to achieve the desired target pressure. Further, the compression garment systems and methods may provide a graphical user interface depicting a human-shaped graphical element and a compression therapy graphical indication about the human-shaped graphical element. The compression therapy graphical indication may indicate, or show, where on the human-shaped graphical element the compression therapy may be delivered to. Still further, the compression garment systems and methods may include or use a communication interface to determine or identify a compression garment to be used therewith. The identity of the compression garment can be used to configure compression therapy for the compression garment.