A portable, hydraulic extremity pump apparatus for treatment of edema is disclosed. The apparatus consists of a flexible compression unit that wraps around an individual's extremity. The compression unity has a plurality of prefill bladders each containing a separate compression bladder. The bladders are connected to a hydraulic pump through valves. Pressure sensors are connected to prefill bladders. The valves, the pump and the pressure sensors are all connected to a programmable control processor to operate the valves and pump and to monitor the bladder pressures. The valves to the prefill bladders are closed at an appropriate pressurization and the pump is shut down to mold the compression unit around the extremity. The occurrence of edema may then be detected by the monitoring of the pressure in the prefill bladders. Upon detecting an increase in pressure, indicating edema, the control processor activates the pump and opens the valves connected to the compression bladders in a sequential manner to create a sequential pressurization and a wave of compression moving proximally on the extremity. The pressure sensors and control processor continue to monitor the pressures after each wave of compression.

A medical wrap for the promotion of diabetic and like wound healing generally comprises a multi-layered sheet structure for removable application to a patient's foot, said sheet structure having interposed therein an integral bladder; an inlet for fluid inflation of said bladder; and said sheet structure being adapted and said bladder being shaped to produce a non-shearing compressive force in the area of the patient's first and fifth metatarsal heads upon fluid inflation of said bladder. The multi-layered sheet structure may comprise a first sheet and a second sheet, said first sheet forming the exterior of said structure and said second sheet forming the interior of said structure, said second sheet being more extensible than said first sheet. A padding layer of ester foam, or the like, may also be incorporated into each sheet.

The present invention is a vehicle having a mobile extremity pumping apparatus mounted thereon. The mobile extremity pumping apparatus comprises a control module, a driver module and one or more compression units. A two-layer bladder assembly is positioned between the inner layer and the outer shell comprising precompression and compression bladder layers. The precompression bladder layer extends longitudinally along the person's extremity with the individual bladders each wrapping around and arranged sequentially along the extremity. The precompression bladder layer is surrounded by a compression bladder layer mounted between the precompression bladder layer and the outer shell. A pump in the driver module compresses the media, which may be water, air, or similar media, and directs the compressed media to a manifold for distribution to each valve in the driver module. A control processor unit in the control module is connected to each valve in the driver module and further connected to each pressure sensor in the driver module to monitor the pressure in each bladder in the two-bladder layer assembly.

An apparatus for treating edema by applying pressure to a patient's limb includes a sleeve that is surroundingly engageable with the limb, and the sleeve includes a plurality of flexible open-ended cells for holding respective individually inflatable replaceable bladders. Also, a fluid pump is in fluid communication with each of the bladders. The apparatus also includes a plurality of electrically-operated bladder valves, and each valve is disposed between the pump and a respective one of the bladders for selectively establishing a respective pathway for fluid communication between the pump and the associated bladder. A computer individually controls each valve to variably pressurize the bladders in a variable sequence. The computer also includes means for determining the girth of the limb being treated, and to periodically monitor the apparatus for fluid leaks.

This invention relates to a novel perineometer for domestic use and a method of using the same. More particularly, this invention pertains to a novel perineometer which can be used by a woman at home or in a non-medically controlled environment. Its use is specific to the rehabilitation of pelvic floor muscles by pelvic muscle exercises (PME) particularly following childbirth, to strengthen pelvic floor muscles to pre-childbirth condition, thereby reducing risk of future urinary incontinence. A perineometer for enabling a woman to conduct pelvic muscle exercises under domestic conditions comprising: (a) a generator for generating pneumatic pressure in the perineometer; (b) a flexible pneumatically inflatable hollow bulb connected pneumatically to the manual pneumatic pressure generator (a); and (c) and a support connected to the pneumatic pressure generator (a) or bulb (b), said support supporting a microprocessor, a source of direct electrical current, an electronic pneumatic pressure sensor, a manually manipulatable memory switch electronically connected to the microprocessor, an on-off switch for controlling the transmission of electrical current from an electricity storage means and the microprocessor, and an electronic digital readout display enabling a woman using the perineometer to monitor the effectiveness of her pelvic floor muscle strengthening exercises by reference to the electronic digital readout display.