Huntleigh Technology Limited

Nathan Webster

David Mark Hampson

Anne Somerville

A rotary valve for controlling air supply in an inflatable device comprises a first rotor () and the second rotor () driven by motor () with a drive pulley () fixed directly onto its drive spindle (). A toothed belt () driven by the drive pulley () engages with the toothed perimeter profile of the first rotor (), to rotate rotors () and () relative to a stator (). As the first and/or second rotor(s) are rotated, channels and ports on the airtight interfaces between the rotors () and the stator () are connected and disconnected as required by the desired inflation sequence, including all the ports sealed in one position or all the ports exhausting to atmosphere in another position. The valve can be used in conjunction with any type of inflating device, where complex porting or air routing is required, the valve achieving this in a simpler manner.

Rotary valve

A compression sleeve () has twelve inflatable cells () to be wrapped around a limb. The cells () are inflated to set pressures and duration by a fluid source. The cells () are numbered () to (), with () being at the toe, or the wrist, and () being at the thigh, or the shoulder. In use, the inflation sequence begins with a peristaltic wave at cell () and finishes at cell (). Then cell () is inflated and deflated 5 times, then cell () is inflated and deflated 5 times in the same way as cell (), followed by a single peristaltic wave beginning at cell () to cell (). This compression regime is repeated along the compression sleeve until cell () is inflated and deflated (5) times followed by a peristaltic wave from cell () to cell (). The described compression sequence is particularly useful for lymphatic drainage.

Growing community of inventors

Cardiff, United Kingdom

Nathan Webster