A Novel Manually Operated Compression Device for the Prevention of Deep Vein Thrombosis

Abstract

Deep Vein Thrombosis, a potentially fatal event, occurs when a blood clot forms within the deep veins of the body. This most frequently manifests in the lower extremities. The goal of this research was to build an inexpensive device that could apply therapeutic compressive pressure to the lower leg to aid in the prevention of deep vein thrombosis using only mechanical input from the user. Several different prototypes were designed and built with varying degrees of success. Characterization of the final prototype required calibration of pressure and force measurement sensors. Additionally, a mathematical model was developed in order to predict how changes in the design of the device, as well as differing sizes and shapes of lower legs, would impact the amount of applied pressure. The predictions of this mathematical model were found to be substantially larger when compared against empirical data. However, there is evidence to indicate that the final prototype could be minimally altered to apply ample therapeutic pressure.