Apparatus for thermal therapy treatment of a selected region of the body of a human or of an animal and method of operating said apparatus

A device for use in a thermal therapy treatment of at least two selected regions of the body of a human or of an animal, and in particular for use in the treatment of tissue damage after surgical interventions, of injuries, of inflammations and of chronic diseases of a rheumatic type, and in particular for assisting chemotherapeutic treatments, comprising:

• a temperature control device which is provided in order to control a temperature of a temperature control liquid;
• at least two heat transfer units which are respectively arranged to transfer heat to the at least two selected regions of the body, wherein at least one of the heat transfer units comprises:
• a first flexible material layer having a first skin contact surface which is arranged to face at least partially towards the selected region of the body, and having a first temperature control fluid contact surface which faces away from the first skin contact surface,
• a second flexible material layer having a second temperature control fluid contact surface, which, between itself and the first temperature control fluid contact surface of the first flexible material layer, at least partially delimits one or more temperature control fluid chambers through which a heat transferring temperature control liquid can flow,
• wherein the first flexible material layer and the second flexible material layer together are folded over or are arranged to be folded over, in particular by hand, generally along a folding line or folding region so as to define a first heat transfer unit portion comprising or defining a first temperature control fluid chamber portion and a second heat transfer unit portion comprising or defining a second temperature control fluid chamber portion,
• wherein the heat transferring temperature control liquid is arranged to flow from the first temperature control fluid chamber portion to the second temperature control fluid chamber portion passing the folding line or folding region,
• wherein, in the folding region or at or near the folding line, the heat transfer unit comprises a stiffening material to counteract a reduction in the flow of the heat transferring temperature control fluid from the first temperature control fluid chamber portion to the second temperature control fluid chamber portion via the folding line or folding region when the first flexible material layer and the second flexible material layer together are folded over generally along the folding line or folding region, and
• wherein the stiffening material is inserted into at least one of the one or more temperature control fluid chambers through which a heat transferring temperature control liquid can flow, between the first flexible material layer and the second flexible material layer,
• wherein the temperature control device is connected, in a fluid conducting manner, to the at least two heat transfer units, and is further arranged to temper the at least two heat transfer units with the temperature control liquid fluid flowing through the at least two heat transfer units,
• wherein the at least two heat transfer units are connected in series so that the temperature control liquid fluid is arranged to flow in the following order:
• a) from the temperature control device to a first one of the at least two heat transfer units;
• b) through the first one of the at least two heat transfer units;
• c) from the first one of the at least two heat transfer units to a second one of the at least two heat transfer units;
• d) through the second one of the at least two heat transfer units;
• e) from the second one of the at least two heat transfer units back to the temperature control device.