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Compression pump systemRelated Patent Categories: Pumps, Condition Responsive Control Of Pump Drive Motor, By Control Of Electric Or Magnetic Drive Motor, Responsive To Pump Fluid PressureCompression pump system description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060083623, Compression pump system. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
PRIORITY [0001] This application claims the priority under 35 USC .sctn.119 of Provisional Application 60/617,175 entitled "Compression Pump System" filed on Oct. 8, 2004 and having Mark Higgins and Preyas Shah as the inventors. Application 60/617,175 is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety but is not prior art. BACKGROUND [0002] Compression therapy is a recognized method for use in treatments with a goal to reduce extremity swelling or increase blood circulation. This therapy may be used to treat patients with indications of lymphedema (tissue swelling), venous disease, a potential for blood clotting, or a need for extra tissue oxygenation to stimulate healing. [0003] Lymphedema is an abnormal accumulation of protein-rich fluid in body tissues. This is caused by an impairment of the lymphatic system resulting in decreased ability to remove fluid from the tissues. This induces swelling and can also lead to skin changes, infection, and decreased wound healing. Lymphatic system impairment can be a congenital condition or result from damage by radiation, surgery, trauma, or infection. Those with lymphedema carry an increased risk of infection because protein-rich fluid accumulation creates an environment favorable to bacterial growth. In addition, there may be associated physical effects including tightness, pain, loss of dexterity, and hardening of the effected tissue. [0004] There are various methods currently employed to treat lymphedema that include medical and physical therapies. Available physical methods may include elevation or compression of the effected extremity with the goal of reducing fluid accumulation. Continuous sustained physical pressure (compression therapy) on an effected limb for a certain amount of time (e.g., approximately 30 minutes) has shown beneficial results to reduce swelling. Compression therapy is usually performed using compression bandages or sleeves. The bandages are typically tight wraps where the sleeves or garments are fitted to the extremity. The sleeve appliance can be elastic, include a series of adjustable straps, or use pneumatically filled chambers to provide pressure to the limb. Air pressure is applied to the various sleeve chambers in pneumatic systems, which in turn, apply pressure to the extremity. [0005] Compression pumps may be used to fill the sleeve chambers. One type of pump and sleeve is intended to apply a uniform pressure over the extremity. However, in order to replicate the lymphatic system it is desirable to have a pump and sleeve system that contains multiple chamber segments that are sequentially pressurized along the extremity, distally to proximally, thereby moving the accumulated fluid from the affected extremities back into the body where it can be naturally eliminated. Compression pump systems can inflate a single or multi chamber sleeve or sleeves (e.g., lymphedema pump sleeve) to apply gentle pressure to an extremity to force fluid back toward the body. [0006] Compression pump systems have resistance to air flow between the pump and the sleeve chamber caused by lengths of tubing, small valve orifice diameters, and inertia of a deflated sleeve chamber. The valves used in lymphedema compression pump systems are typically rotary motor drive type that have a fixed cycle time for each fill and deflate cycle. Alternatively, the system may use a manifold with solenoid valves that can be opened and closed by system electronics at any given time or designated pressure. In both cases, these valves typically have small orifices and cause some flow restrictions. These conditions create resistive backpressure buildup between a pump and regulating valve (or valve manifold). [0007] Typically a pressure sensor is placed at the values to feedback local pressure data to aid in pressure control. An airflow restriction of any kind between a pump and pressure sensor will cause the sensor to read a higher pressure than is behind it in the filling sleeve chamber. The pressure applied to the extremity in compression pump systems is very low, usually lower than 120 mmHg or 2 PSI. It is difficult to both rapidly reach and accurately maintain the low pressures required. Current methods used to achieve accurate pressure readings at the sleeve chamber can take 30 seconds or more to fill. [0008] One method currently employed to increase low-pressure accuracy is to use a low flow pump. This method uses a pump with a low flow rate to minimize the absolute backpressure created by restrictions in the system. Another method uses bleeder valve(s) at the sensor location. A bleeder valve is required at the entrance of every valve inlet port and is individually calibrated to the required chamber pressures to limit the air pressure applied at that point. This method is inherently inefficient because there is always air being bled off during the fill-cycle that cannot be used to fill the sleeve chamber. An additional method uses a variable pump speed to slowly increase the pressure and airflow rate to the chamber being filled. Another technique is to start the pump with a limited power and gradually increase the power used. This technique may utilize a variable resistance to vary (e.g., increase) the applied RMS voltage. All of these methods require the pump to be on all of the time and have a slow fill rate. [0009] A compressor pump with higher pressure and airflow characteristics can be used to shorten the duration to fill a chamber to a desired pressure. However, higher throughput pumps can create a large pressure difference between the manifold and the sleeve chamber thereby limiting accuracy at the low-pressure settings. [0010] What is needed is a compression pump system that can reduce the time to fill the pressure chambers while also providing an accurate pressure reading. SUMMARY [0011] A compressor pump system is disclosed that can output a pressure and flow rate that will allow a chamber to be filled to a desired pressure in a fast and efficient manner. The compressor pump generates an output pressure that begins above a desired fill pressure and takes into account inherent restrictive backpressure in the system so as to provide an accurate measurement. A pump control device generates the output pressure by adjusting the time that the compressor pump is actually on. That is, for each timed duty cycle the pump may be non-operational for a portion of the time. The duty cycle time frame may be associated to a half alternating current (AC) power wave. An opto-isolator may be used to detect the start of each half wave by detecting a 0 volts (V) AC crossover point. A processor may be signaled of the start of the duty cycle and delay applying power to the compressor pump for a period of time after the detection start of the duty cycle. The longer that the application of power is delayed the less pressure that the pump will provide. [0012] The compressor pump may be utilized to sequentially fill individual chambers of a compression sleeve to different pressures. When the pressure within a sleeve reaches the desired pressure, the next chamber may begin to be filled. [0013] The compressor pump system may include a user interface to permit the user to set fill parameters. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0014] The features and advantages of the various embodiments will become apparent from the following detailed description in which: [0015] FIG. 1 illustrates an example compression pump system, according to one embodiment; [0016] FIG. 2 illustrates several examples of restrictions (backpressure) in a pump system affecting the pressure readings, according to one embodiment; and [0017] FIG. 3 illustrates an example functional diagram of a duty cycle control system utilized in a compression pump system, according to one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION [0018] FIG. 1 illustrates an example compression system 100. The system 100 includes a compression pump 110, a manifold 120 having a plurality of valves 130, a pressure sensor 140, a compression sleeve 150 having a plurality of chambers 160, and a vent valve 170. The compressor pump 110 outputs air at a desired pressure and flow rate. The compressor pump 110 supplies pressurized air to the manifold 120 via some connection medium (e.g., tubing). The manifold 120 utilizes the plurality of valves 130 to control which chamber 160 to provide the pressurized air. Each of the valves 130 is connected to a corresponding chamber 160 via some medium (e.g., tubing). The pressure sensor 140 measures the pressure associated with each chamber at the manifold 120. The valves 130 may be solenoid valves that can be turned on and off based on signals received (e.g., electronic signals). [0019] A processor may monitor the output from the pressure sensor 140 in relation to desired fill pressure values for the chambers 160 and control when the valves 130 should be turned on and off. For example, once the pressure sensor 140 determines that the appropriate pressure has been reached in one chamber 160, the corresponding valve 130 may be closed and the next valve 130 may be opened. Once all of the chambers 160 have been filled, the processor may signal all or a subset of the valves 130 to open and the vent valve 170 to operate so that chambers can be deflated. The vent valve 170 is used to expel the pressurized air out of the chambers 160 in the compression sleeve 150. Continue reading about Compression pump system... Full patent description for Compression pump system Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Compression pump system patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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