A bad leg is a common, if not the most common, cause of hospital admission for diabetic patients over age 40.  Of the 246 million diabetics currently diagnosed globally, nearly 45% are expected to suffer from atherosclerosis after 20 years duration of the disease.  In addition, limb ischemia is observed in nearly 30% of all patients.  Revascularization is one surgical treatment method to stave off amputation.  This procedure uses the autologous vein to bypass the arterial blockage.  Although limb salvage rates are greater than 80% (depending on location of occlusion), the therapy also carries considerable risks as patients are immobile after the operation and mortality rates range from 0.97-2.0%. 

The lack of a popular non-invasive treatment method which could restore sufficient blood flow with minimal risk was the primary motivation of this research project.  Because of the paucity of health coverage for disease treatments, we also sought an affordable therapy for all classes of patients.  A review of alternative treatment methods which satisfied these criteria led to selection of Intermittent Pneumatic Compression (IPC) therapy.  In this therapy, a patient’s leg is placed in a boot insulated with air pockets that rapidly inflate and deflate, the purpose being to relax hardened arteries and improve leg blood inflow. 

The aim of this project was to design and prototype a portable, user-friendly, cost-effective IPC delivery system.