Compression gauge for therapeutic compression garments

Abstract

A method and apparatus for treating edema is disclosed. The method may include obtaining a compression garment comprising material having an end stretch. At least one gauge may be applied to the material. The compression garment may be applied to a patient. During the applying, the material may be stretched until the at least one gauge indicates that a proper amount of stretch has been reached. The at least one gauge may be tuned so that the material arrives at or near end stretch at substantially the same time that the at least one gauge indicates that the proper amount of stretch has been reached.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is: 
     
         1 . A method for treating edema, the method comprising:
 obtaining a compression garment comprising:
 material having an end stretch, and 
 at least one gauge applied to the material; 
   applying the compression garment to a patient;   stretching, during the applying, the material until the at least one gauge indicates that a proper amount of stretch has been reached; and   arriving, by the material during the stretching, at or near end stretch at substantially the same time that the at least one gauge indicates that the proper amount of stretch has been reached.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising applying, by the compression garment after the applying, therapeutic compression to the patient. 
     
     
         3 . The method of any of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one gauge is tuned to the end stretch. 
     
     
         4 . The method of any of  claim 3 , wherein the material comprises short stretch material. 
     
     
         5 . The method of any of  claim 4 , wherein end stretch corresponds to an elongation in the range of about 15% to about 100%. 
     
     
         6 . The method of any of  claim 5 , wherein the at least one gauge comprises a feature that forms a square to indicate when the proper amount of stretch has been reached. 
     
     
         7 . The method of any of  claim 6 , wherein the patient suffers from a sports injury and the therapeutic compression comprises 15-20 mmHg. 
     
     
         8 . The method of any of  claim 6 , wherein the patient is post operative and the therapeutic compression comprises 20-30 mmHg. 
     
     
         9 . The method of any of  claim 6 , wherein the patient suffers from Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) or mild lymphedema and the therapeutic compression comprises 20-30 mmHg. 
     
     
         10 . The method of any of  claim 6 , wherein the patient suffers from venous disease or significant lymphedema and the therapeutic compression comprises 30-40 mmHg. 
     
     
         11 . The method of any of  claim 6 , wherein the patient suffers from severe venous disease or severe lymphedema and the therapeutic compression comprises 40-50 mmHg. 
     
     
         12 . A system comprising:
 a compression garment comprising elastic material;   at least one gauge applied to the elastic material; and   the at least one gauge tuned to indicate when a proper amount of stretch in the elastic material has been reached.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the elastic material comprises short stretch material. 
     
     
         14 . The system of any of  claim 13 , wherein end stretch corresponds to an elongation in the range of about 15% to about 100%. 
     
     
         15 . The system of any of  claim 14 , wherein the elastic material forms a plurality of bands wrappable about the limb of a patient. 
     
     
         16 . The system of any of  claim 14 , wherein the elastic material forms a sheet wrappable about the limb of a patient. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the sheet comprises a plurality of tabs formed along an edge thereof. 
     
     
         18 . The system of any of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one gauge comprises a feature. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein:
 the proper amount of stretch is the end stretch of the elastic material; and   the feature forms a square at the same time the elastic material arrives at or near the end stretch.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one gauge comprises at least one of:
 a plurality of tactile objects connected to and extending from the elastic material; and   a limiter having slack therein when the elastic material is in a neutral or unstretched condition.