US-20260124100-A1 - Controller For An Extremity Hyperbaric Device

US20260124100A1US 20260124100 A1US20260124100 A1US 20260124100A1US-20260124100-A1

Abstract

A controller is operable to selectively supply gas to, and evacuate gas from, regions of a hyperbaric wound treatment chamber. The controller operates to inflate a passage or rib of the device to provide that the device is made sufficiently rigid for inserting a limb therethrough, and inflate an inflatable cuff to create a seal against the limb. The controller also operates to evacuate ambient air trapped within the chamber, and optionally partially evacuate the passage or rib, after the seal is created by the inflatable cuff, and then introduce oxygen into the chamber, and optionally inflate the passage or rib. The cuff, when inflated and creating a seal against a limb, optionally is at least partially within the chamber, and the treatment gas is supplied to the chamber to maintain the seal of the cuff against the limb.

Inventors

Phillip Loori
George Hovorka

Assignees

AOTI, INC.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20260102

Claims (9)

1 . A method of operating a hyperbaric wound treatment device, wherein the device includes a chamber having an open end and an inflatable limb sleeve coupled to the chamber, the sleeve being positionable at least partially within the chamber at the open end, the method comprising: inserting a limb through the sleeve and into the chamber at the open end; and inflating the sleeve to an inflated condition when the limb is positioned within the sleeve, hereby sealing the sleeve about the limb.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sleeve is positionable such that a portion of the limb is insertable through the sleeve and into the chamber without the portion of the limb contacting the sleeve.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sleeve includes an outer wall and an inner wall defining an interior region therebetween, wherein the inflating includes supplying a gas under pressure to the interior region.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the inflating includes introducing a gas into the sleeve until at least a partial seal is formed between the limb and the sleeve.
5 . The method of claim 1 further comprising: supplying a gas into the chamber at a pressure sufficient to cause a portion of the sleeve within the chamber to form at least a partial seal between the limb and the sleeve, wherein the sleeve is positioned at least partially within the chamber.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sleeve includes an inner wall and an outer wall, wherein the outer wall has a thickness greater than a thickness of the inner wall, the method further comprising: inflating the sleeve to cause stretching of the inner wall while the outer wall remains substantially non-stretched.
7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein, when the sleeve is inflated to the inflated condition, the method further comprising: supplying a gas into the chamber at a pressure sufficient to have the pressure in the chamber exceed the pressure within the sleeve, whereby the pressure in the chamber causes the inner wall to form at least a partial seal against the limb.
8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the pressure within the sleeve is up to about 1 psi.
9 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the inner and outer walls define respective inside and outside diameters, and wherein the inside diameter is reduced based on the inflating of the sleeve while the outside diameter is substantially unchanged.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/574,177, filed on Sep. 18, 2019, which claims benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/968,683, filed Aug. 16, 2013, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,420,699, which is a division application of Ser. No. 12/156,466, filed May 30, 2008, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,529,527, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/932,708 filed May 31, 2007 and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/002,077 filed Nov. 6, 2007, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Hyperbaric chambers are devices which create sealed environments for the application of therapeutic gases to hasten healing of lesions or wounds on a patient's body. See U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,644, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. The introduction of pressurized oxygen into such an encapsulated environment promotes healing of various types of lesions and wounds. In particular, the treatment of lesions and wounds with hyperbaric chambers, in conjunction with various stimuli, promotes granulation, raises the capillary blood oxygen pressure and increases expression of angiogenesis related growth function VEGF, HB EGI and KGF, thereby stimulating leukocyte function necessary to suppress bacterial proliferation. The introduction of humidity into hyperbaric chambers can also produce positive results. When hyperbaric chambers were first introduced for healing lesions and wounds, they encompassed the entire body. As time progressed, hyperbaric chambers became more sophisticated and included multiple functions, and topical hyperbaric chambers also were developed, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,644. There still exists a need, however, for a hyperbaric wound treatment apparatus and method for treating a variety of wounds or lesions on a patient's body with high efficacy and a short treatment time. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a hyperbaric wound treatment device includes a chamber having an interior and an open end in communication therewith, and an inflatable limb sleeve coupled to the chamber and which can be positioned at least partially within the interior of the chamber adjacent the open end of the chamber. In one embodiment of the invention, a method of operating a hyperbaric wound treatment device includes inserting a limb through an inflatable limb sleeve and into an open end of a chamber of the device, where the sleeve is coupled to the chamber and can be positioned at least partially within the chamber at the open end. The method further includes inflating the sleeve to an inflated condition when the limb is positioned within the sleeve, thereby sealing the sleeve about the limb. In another embodiment, a hyperbaric wound treatment device includes a chamber having an open end, and a means coupled to the chamber for receiving a limb of a patient therethrough. The means is inflatable from a first condition whereby the means is capable of receiving the limb to a second condition whereby the means forms at least a partial seal about the limb. When in the second condition, the means can be positioned at least partially within the chamber adjacent the open end of the chamber. In a further embodiment, a hyperbaric wound treatment device for treatment of a limb of a patient includes a flexible chamber defining an interior adapted to receive a portion of a patient's limb to be treated therein, where the chamber has an open end in communication with the interior of the chamber. The device further includes an inflatable sleeve coupled to the chamber adjacent the open end, and the sleeve includes an outer wall spaced from an inner wall defining an interior region therebetween. At least a portion of the sleeve is extendable into the interior of the chamber adjacent the open end thereof. The sleeve is inflatable between a first condition whereby the patient's limb can be inserted through the sleeve into a portion of the interior of the chamber, and a second condition whereby the sleeve forms at least a partial seal about the patient's limb while received within the chamber. In another aspect of the invention, a controller for controlling a hyperbaric wound treatment device includes a gas conveyance assembly operable for creating a negative pressure, and a control device which is coupled to the gas conveyance assembly. The control device is operable to control the gas conveyance assembly for providing that a portion of the gas conveyance assembly is in fluid communication with the treatment device; and for creating a negative pressure within the treatment device by evacuating gas, such as ambient air, at least partially from within the treatment device. In one embodiment, a hyperbaric wound treatment control apparatus includes a means for creating a negative pressure within at least a portion of a hyperbaric wound treatment