A small pressure sensor to ensure that the correct compression is maintained throughout surgery could be the key to reducing the incidence of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. The device to measure and apply pressures accurately is being developed in South Australia.
Prof John Arkwright (sitting) with Senior Research Associate Dr. Aaron Mohtar.
The intelligent intermittent pneumatic compression device’s defining feature is a small tape sensor that is placed between the patient’s skin and the pneumatic compression device to monitor the pressure placed on the leg during lower limb surgery.
Intermittent pneumatic compression is an established method of DVT prevention during and after surgery. The fluctuating pressure the device applies helps to promote circulation and lymphatic drainage and protect against deep vein thrombosis.
Flinders University’s Professor John Arkwright said the problem with existing intermittent pneumatic compression devices was that there was no way of easily measuring the exact amount of pressure on the limb to maximize effectiveness.
Arkwright last year started Arkwright Technologies–a company spun out of Flinders University–to commercialize a fiber-optic, pressure-sensing catheter he developed to record and characterize muscular activity inside the body to a level of detail previously not thought possible.
The Lead South Australia
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