Pneumatic massage apparatus for treatment of edema and method for massaging patient's body with the apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016242984-A1
Application number	US-201514627475-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 20, 2015
Priority date	Feb 20, 2015
Publication date	Aug 25, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A pneumatic massage apparatus making it possible to perform even more efficient drainage is provided.
The pneumatic massage apparatus includes a massage device to be fitted to wrap around at least one of an arm or leg of a patient and having a plurality of air chambers disposed in series in a proximal direction from a distal position of the at least one of an arm and a leg toward the center of the patient's body when the massage device is fitted around the at least one of a arm and a leg, and a compressed air control unit configured to supply compressed air into the plurality of air chambers to pressurize them, and discharge compressed air from the plurality air chambers to depressurize them. The compressed air control unit is configured to depressurize the pressurized air chambers in such a manner that, of any pair of mutually adjacent air chambers, a proximal air chamber of the pair first starts to be depressurized, and then a distal air chamber of the pair starts to be depressurized.

First claim

1 . A pneumatic massage apparatus comprising:
a massage device to be fitted to wrap around at least one of an arm and a leg of a patient and having a plurality of air chambers disposed in series in a proximal direction from a distal position of the at least one of an arm and a leg toward a center of a body of the patient when the massage device is fitted around the at least one of an arm and a leg; and a compressed air control unit configured to supply compressed air into the plurality of air chambers to pressurize them, and discharge compressed air from the plurality air chambers to depressurize them; the compressed air control unit being configured to depressurize the pressurized air chambers in such a manner that, of any pair of mutually adjacent ones of the air chambers, a proximal air chamber of the pair first starts to be depressurized, and then a distal air chamber of the pair starts to be depressurized.

2 . The pneumatic massage apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the compressed air control unit is configured to start depressurizing at least one of the pressurized air chambers except a distal end air chamber disposed at a distal-most position of the pressurized air chambers before depressurization of the distal end air chamber.

3 . The pneumatic massage apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the compressed air control unit is configured such that, when the pressurized air chambers are numbered sequentially in the proximal direction so that the distal end air chamber is given number one, even-numbered air chambers first start to be depressurized in descending order of numbers given thereto, and then odd-numbered air chambers start to be depressurized in descending order of numbers given thereto.

4 . The pneumatic massage apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the compressed air control unit is configured such that, when the pressurized air chambers are numbered sequentially in the proximal direction so that the distal end air chamber is given number one, odd-numbered air chambers first start to be depressurized in descending order of numbers given thereto, and then even-numbered air chambers start to be depressurized in descending order of numbers given thereto.

5 . The pneumatic massage apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the compressed air control unit is configured such that, when the pressurized air chambers are numbered sequentially in the proximal direction so that the distal end air chamber is given number one, the air chambers start to be depressurized in descending order of numbers given thereto.

6 . The pneumatic massage apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the compressed air control unit is configured such that, when the air chambers are numbered sequentially in the proximal direction so that the distal end air chamber is given number one, the air chambers start to be pressurized in ascending order of numbers given thereto.

7 . The pneumatic massage apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the compressed air control unit is configured to start pressurizing the plurality of air chambers simultaneously.

8 . The pneumatic massage apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of air chambers are disposed so that mutually adjacent ones of the air chambers overlap each other.

9 . The pneumatic massage apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the compressed air control unit is configured to maintain a pressurized state of each pressurized air chamber for a predetermined period of time after completion of pressurization of the air chamber.

10 . The pneumatic massage apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the compressed air control unit is configured such that, when the air chambers are numbered sequentially in the proximal direction so that the distal end air chamber is given number one, the air chambers start to be pressurized in ascending order of numbers given thereto.

11 . The pneumatic massage apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the compressed air control unit is configured to start pressurizing the plurality of air chambers simultaneously.

12 . The pneumatic massage apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of air chambers are disposed so that mutually adjacent ones of the air chambers overlap each other.

13 . The pneumatic massage apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the compressed air control unit is configured to depressurize each of the pressurized air chambers after a predetermined period of time after completion of pressurization of the air chamber by the compressed air control unit to maintain a pressurized state of the pressurized air chamber.

14 . The pneumatic massage apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the compressed air control unit is configured such that, when the air chambers are numbered sequentially in the proximal direction so that the distal end air chamber is given number one, the air chambers start to be pressurized in ascending order of numbers given thereto.

15 . The pneumatic massage apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the compressed air control unit is configured to start pressurizing the plurality of air chambers simultaneously.

16 . The pneumatic massage apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of air chambers are disposed so that mutually adjacent ones of the air chambers overlap each other.

17 . The pneumatic massage apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the compressed air control unit is configured to depressurize each of the pressurized air chambers after a predetermined period of time after completion of pressurization of the air chamber by the compressed air control unit to maintain a pressurized state of the pressurized air chamber.

18 . A method for massaging at least one of an arm and a leg of a patient, the method comprising:
providing a massage device to be fitted to wrap around at least one of an arm and a leg of a patient and having a plurality of air chambers disposed in series in a proximal direction from a distal position of the at least one of an arm and a leg toward a center of a body of the patient when the massage device is fitted around the at least one of an arm and a leg; and a compressed air control unit configured to supply compressed air into the plurality of air chambers to pressurize them, and discharge compressed air from the plurality air chambers to depressurize them; wrapping the massage device around the at least one of an arm and a leg; pressurizing the air chambers with the compressed air control unit; and depressurizing the pressurized air chambers with the compressed air control unit in such a manner that, of any pair of mutually adjacent ones of the air chambers, a proximal air chamber of the pair first starts to be depressurized, and then a distal air chamber of the pair starts to be depressurized.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein in the step of depressurizing the pressurized air chambers, at least one of the pressurized air chambers except a distal end air chamber disposed at a distal-most position of the pressurized air chambers starts to be depressurized before depressurization of the distal end air chamber.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein in the step of depressurizing the pressurized air chambers, when the pressurized air chambers are numbered sequentially in the proximal direction so that the distal end air chamber is given number one, even-numbered air chambers first start to be depressurized in descending order of numbers given thereto, and then odd-numbered air chambers start to be depressurized in descending order of numbers given thereto.

Assignees

• Nitto Kohki Co

Inventors

• Takagi Norikazu
• Nakao Haruki
• Maegawa Jiro

Classifications

• A61H2209/00

  Devices for avoiding blood stagnation, e.g. Deep Vein Thrombosis [DVT] devices · CPC title

• A61H9/0078

  with intermittent or alternately inflated bladders or cuffs (mattresses for preventing bed-sores with alternated pressurized chambers A61G7/05776) · CPC title

• A61H1/006

  Apparatus for applying pressure or blows for compressive stressing of a part of the skeletal structure, e.g. for preventing or alleviating osteoporosis · CPC title

• A61H2201/5056

  pneumatically controlled · CPC title

• A61H9/0092

  Cuffs therefor · CPC title