Wearable DVT Compression Controller with Motorized Wrap and Load Cell
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current deep vein thrombosis (DVT) compression devices are uncomfortable for extended wear, non-mobile, and prone to patient non-compliance, especially in home care settings, due to their pneumatic nature and requirement for a separate air pump, which can be cumbersome and difficult for elderly patients to manage.
Innovation Solution
A non-pneumatic compression device comprising a disposable wrap and a reusable controller that uses a DC motor and transmission to apply controlled compression, incorporating a load cell for tension measurement, accelerometer for mobility tracking, and RF chip for patient identification, ensuring proper use and mobility without the need for a separate air pump.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a pneumatic compression device with a separate air pump is used, then effective compression can be applied to prevent DVT, but the device becomes cumbersome and difficult for elderly patients to manage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the air pump, control circuitry, and compression cuff into a single integrated wearable unit. The pump motor is housed within the cuff assembly, eliminating the need for a separate floor-mounted pump unit. This integration allows the device to be portable and easily managed by patients while maintaining effective compression for DVT prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The wearable pump unit serves multiple functions: it compresses the limb to prevent DVT, monitors patient compliance through sensors, tracks mobility via accelerometer, and communicates with healthcare providers. This multi-functionality consolidates what would otherwise require separate devices into one unified system that is both effective and easy to manage.
2Reliability
If a large floor-mounted pump unit is used, then compression can be applied, but the device loses mobility and requires the patient to remain near a fixed location
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into a lightweight wearable cuff portion and an integrated compact pump unit. The pump motor is sized to fit within the cuff assembly, creating a distributed system that is portable rather than a single heavy floor-mounted unit. This segmentation enables mobility while maintaining compression functionality.
3Ease of operation
If the pneumatic hose between pump and cuff is made flexible, then mobility is improved, but the hose becomes an entanglement nuisance
Solution Approach 1:
The pump and cuff are merged into a single integrated unit, eliminating the pneumatic hose entirely. The pump motor is housed within the cuff assembly, with the compression mechanism operating internally. This eliminates the entanglement issue while maintaining full mobility for the patient.
4Ease of operation
If the DVT cuff is made comfortable for extended wear, then patient compliance improves, but monitoring patient compliance becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The device incorporates compliance sensors that detect whether the cuff is properly worn and functioning. These sensors provide feedback to the control circuitry, which monitors and records compliance data. The system can alert the patient or healthcare provider if compliance is insufficient, enabling comfortable extended wear while maintaining accurate compliance verification.
Solution Approach 2:
Compliance sensors act as intermediaries between the cuff and the monitoring system. These sensors detect wear status and transmission data to the control unit, which then verifies compliance. This intermediary mechanism allows the cuff to remain comfortable while enabling accurate compliance monitoring without direct patient reporting.
5Manufacturing precision
If the compression device requires a separate control unit, then compression control is precise, but the device complexity increases and ease of use decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The control circuitry is integrated directly into the wearable cuff unit, combining the compression control system with the compression mechanism in a single device. This eliminates the need for a separate floor-mounted control unit while maintaining precise compression control through the embedded control electronics and sensors.
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 device provides effective compression that enhances blood flow velocity by three times the baseline, ensuring DVT prevention while being comfortable, mobile, and ensuring patient compliance through monitoring and authentication features.
Implementation Method 1
a load cell at the interface between the wrap and the controller that is configured to measure a tension force generated as the wrap is tightened on the patient's limb
Implementation Method 2
The controller includes a DC motor and transmission to gear down the rotational output speed of the motor to a speed suitable for use in contracting the wrap
Implementation Method 3
The controller can include an accelerometer or position sensor to sense the physical position and movement of the patient
Data Source
AI summary
A compression device particularly suited for DVT prophylaxis includes a disposable wrap and a re-usable controller removably mounted on the wrap to apply a tensioning force to the wrap when it is encircling the limb of a patient. The wrap includes an RF chip with a unique identifier and the controller includes an RF sensor and processor to authenticate the wrap before commencing a compression cycle. A kiosk is provided for storing a plurality of wraps for use by patients and a plurality of controllers to be used with any of the wraps. The processor of each controller can control an electric motor in the controller to tighten and loosen the wrap according to a three-stage DVT prophylaxis protocol that produces an optimum blood flow velocity. An accelerometer and software/firmware in the controller can also measure and summarize patient activity while wearing the device.