US 10,492,943 B2Granted

Polymers, thermochromic agents, and/or hydrogel compositions and apparatus, including products embodying the same, and methods and processes for making same

AssigneesShanghai Chuangshi Industry Group Co., Ltd., Hygenic Intangible Property Holding Co.

InventorsLitao Fan, Yong You, Yunguang Pan, Dongjia He, Rocco Mango

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Abstract

Polymers, hydrogels, and thermochromic agents, including products embodying them, methods of using them, and processes for making them. In certain embodiments, temperature therapy packs which utilize thermochromic agents integrated into solid, semi-solid, or liquid hydrogels. In preferred (but optional) embodiments, the thermochromic agents are integrated into the composition used as the temperature exchange material of the therapy pack. In certain other embodiments, methods of using the thermochromic integrated temperature exchange materials, or processes for manufacturing such thermochromic integrated temperature exchange materials and/or methods or processes for manufacturing or using thermal packs embodying such materials. In certain particularly preferred embodiments, novel polymer compositions and/or processes for making polymers, which improve product durability or longevity and/or which improve use cycles or usage times.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A temperature therapy pack for providing hot and cold temperature therapy to a body part, and which displays color to indicate different therapy pack temperatures, comprising:

a visually transparent temperature therapy pack enclosure;
a first thermochromic agent having properties selected to display a first color X within a baseline temperature range T1 inclusive of room temperature, which de-colors above a temperature T2;
a second thermochromic agent having properties selected to display a second color Y below a temperature T3 which is below said baseline temperature range T1, which de-colors above said temperature T3;
a pack fill material being combined with said first and said second thermochromic agents to collectively comprise a reversible thermochromic, thermal exchange material, said reversible thermochromic, thermal exchange material being enclosed in said visually transparent temperature therapy pack enclosure;
said temperature therapy pack being so configured such that when it is heated or cooled, said thermal exchange material retains heat or cold, respectively, so that said temperature therapy pack can be applied to a body part of a user to provide hot or cold temperature therapy;
and
wherein when said thermal exchange material of said temperature therapy pack is measurable at a temperature within said temperature range T1, said temperature therapy pack displays said first color X;
when said thermal exchange material of said temperature therapy pack is measurable at a temperature above said temperature T2, said first and said second thermochromic agents each de-color;
and when said thermal exchange material of said temperature therapy pack is measurable at a temperature below said temperature T3, said first color X and said second color Y, of said first and second thermochromic agents, respectively, each simultaneously display and thereby spectrally combine such that said temperature therapy pack displays a third color Z, which is a result of the spectral combination of colors X and Y;
and
wherein said thermal exchange material comprises, by mass fraction:
a polymer in the amount of approximately 5%-40%;
said first thermochromic agent in the amount of approximately 1%-3.5%;
said second thermochromic agent in the amount of approximately 1%-3.5%;
a dispersing agent in the amount of approximately 1.5%-33%;
a dispersing auxiliary in the amount of approximately 1.5%-35%;
a solvent in the amount of approximately 5%-30%;
and
wherein said polymer comprises at least one of the following components:
polyacrylic acid polymer, natural polymer, and cellulose derivatives.

17 more elements

A temperature therapy pack for providing hot and cold temperature therapy to a body part, and which displays color to indicate different therapy pack temperatures, comprising:

a visually transparent temperature therapy pack enclosure;
a first thermochromic agent;
a second thermochromic agent;
a pack fill material being combined with said first and said second thermochromic agents to collectively comprise a reversible thermochromic, thermal exchange material, said reversible thermochromic, thermal exchange material being enclosed in said visually transparent temperature therapy pack enclosure;
said temperature therapy pack being so configured such that when it is heated or cooled, said thermal exchange material retains heat or cold, respectively, so that said temperature therapy pack can be applied to a body part of a user to provide hot or cold temperature therapy;
and
said first and said second thermochromic agents being particularly configured and selected such that when said thermal exchange material of said temperature therapy pack is measurable at a temperature within a temperature range T1, said temperature therapy pack displays a first color A;
when said thermal exchange material of said temperature therapy pack is measurable at a temperature above said temperature range T1, said temperature therapy pack displays a second color B;
and when said thermal exchange material of said temperature therapy pack is measurable at a temperature below said temperature range T1, said temperature therapy pack displays a third color C;
and
wherein one of said first, second, or third colors A, B, or C respectively is a color obtained through the spectral combination of the other two colors, such that three temperature therapy pack display colors are obtained utilizing only two thermochromic agents;
and
wherein said thermal exchange material comprises, by mass fraction:
a polymer in the amount of approximately 5%-40%;
said first thermochromic agent in the amount of approximately 1%-3.5%;
said second thermochromic agent in the amount of approximately 1%-3.5%;
a dispersing agent in the amount of approximately 1.5%-33%;
a dispersing auxiliary in the amount of approximately 1.5%-35%;
a solvent in the amount of approximately 5%-30%;
and
wherein said polymer comprises at least one of the following components:
polyacrylic acid polymer, natural polymer, and cellulose derivatives.

19 more elements

A temperature therapy pack comprising:

a temperature exchange material enclosed in a temperature therapy pack enclosure for providing temperature therapy to a user, the temperature exchange material being combined with a thermochromic agent, said combination of said temperature exchange material and said thermochromic agent comprising a reversible thermochromic, therapeutic material comprising, by mass fraction:
a polymer in the amount of 5%-40%;
a thermochromic powder in the amount of 1%-7%;
a dispersing agent in the amount of 1.5%-33%;
a dispersing auxiliary in the amount of 1.5%-35%;
a solvent in the amount of 5%-30%;
and
wherein said polymer comprises at least one of the following components:
polyacrylic acid polymer, natural polymer, and cellulose derivatives.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/986,790Filed 22 May 2018
Priority: WO PCT/CN2018/0779162 Mar 2018
Published: US 2019/0269548 A15 Sep 2019
Granted: 3 Dec 2019
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification31 codes

A61F 7/02
Heating or cooling appliances for medical or therapeutic treatment of the human body: compresses or poultices for effecting heating or cooling
C08K 3/30
Use of inorganic substances as compounding ingredients: sulfur-, selenium- or tellurium-containing compounds
C08K 5/0041
Organic ingredients according to more than one of the "one dot" groups of C08K5/01 - C08K5/59: optical brightening agents, organic pigments
C08K 5/14
Oxygen-containing compounds: peroxides