Heating and cooling device
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of Michigan
InventorsSridhar Lakshmanan, Michael William Putty
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A heating and/or cooling device for contact with a human body is provided having a power source outputting electrical energy, a temperature controller operably coupled to the power source configured to maintain a predetermined temperature parameter, and at least one heating and/or cooling module operably coupled to the temperature controller for selectively receiving the electrical energy and being responsive thereto to heat and/or cool the human body. The at least one heating and/or cooling module having a pair of electrodes spaced apart by a thermoelectric powder and an insulator at least partially surrounding the thermoelectric powder.
Claims16
A heating and/or cooling device for contact with a human body, the heating and/or cooling device comprising:
- a power source outputting electrical energy;
- a temperature controller operably coupled to the power source configured to maintain a predetermined temperature parameter by outputting regulated electrical energy;
- and
- at least one heating and/or cooling module operably coupled to the temperature controller for selectively receiving the regulated electrical energy and being responsive thereto to heat and/or cool the human body, the at least one heating and/or cooling module having:
- a pair of electrodes spaced apart by a filling, the filling is made of a powdered thermoelectric material comprising synthesized nano structures that remains thermoelectrically conductive to conduct the regulated electrical energy between the pair of electrodes;
- and
- an insulator electrically isolating the pair of electrodes, the insulator surrounding the filling and configured to provide environmental physical protection of the filling while remaining thermally conductive and electrically insulative.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.