# US 2019/0167915 A1 · Topical cooling device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0167915 A1 - Document ID: US20190167915A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/205,457 - Filed: 2018-11-30 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-12-06 - Assignees: Becton, Dickinson and Company - Applicants: Becton, Dickinson and Company - Inventors: Christopher GILDEA; Amit Uday LIMAYE - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190167915A1 ## CPC - A61M 5/422: {Desensitising skin} - A61F 7/10: Cooling bags, e.g. ice-bags - A61F 2007/0052: {for treatment of skin or hair} - A61F 2007/0087: {Hand-held applicators} - A61F 2007/0215: {containing liquids other than water} - A61F 2007/0255: {with a reflective layer} - A61F 2007/0284: {Treatment of stings or bites} - A61F 2007/0285: {Local anaesthetic effect} - A61F 2007/108: {Cold packs, i.e. devices to be cooled or frozen in refrigerator or freezing compartment} - A61M 2205/3606: cooled - A61M 2205/3633: thermally insulated - A61M 2205/366: by liquid heat exchangers - A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)} - A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C) ## Abstract A topical cooling device for cooling and desensitizing the surface of the skin of a patient is provided that includes a thermally insulating container having at least one side wall, an open end and a closed end, and internal cavity. A thermally transmitting member is included for closing the open end of said container. A refrigerant medium is provided within the cavity of the container and in contact said thermally transmitting member for cooling the surface of the skin of a patient in contact with the thermally transmitting member. The refrigerant medium can be hypertonic aqueous sodium chloride solution. The thermally transmitting member can be flexible bladder that is received within the container where the refrigerant medium is thermally insulated by the container. A lid can be attached to the open end of the container to close the device until ready for use. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A topical cooling device for cooling a target area on a surface of the skin of a patient, comprising: a thermally insulated container having at least one side wall, an open end, a closed end, and internal cavity; a thermally transmitting member closing said open first end of said container, said thermally transmitting member having a skin contact area accessible through said open end; and a refrigerant medium within said cavity of said container and in contact said thermally transmitting member for cooling said thermally transmitting member and the surface of the skin of a patient in contact with said thermally transmitting member, said refrigerant medium contained within said container, ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The cooling device of claim 1, wherein said refrigerant medium comprises an aqueous salt solution. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The cooling device of claim 1, further comprising a thermally insulating lid closing said open end of said container and said thermally transmitting member. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The cooling device of claim 3, wherein said lid includes at least one thermally insulating layer. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The cooling device of claim 4, wherein said lid includes a heat reflecting surface on an inner surface of said lid. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The cooling device of claim 1, wherein said container includes an inner wail and an outer wall forming a gap between said inner wall and outer wall, and where said gap contains a thermally insulating medium. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The cooling device of claim 6, wherein said thermally insulating medium comprises air or an inert thermally insulating gas. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The cooling device of claim 6, wherein said thermally insulating medium comprises polymer foam. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The cooling device of claim 6, wherein said inner wall has an inner surface with a heating reflecting surface and said outer wall has an inner surface with a heat reflecting surface. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The cooling device of claim 1, wherein said thermally transmitting member comprises a sealed bladder enclosing said refrigerant medium, and where said bladder is received in said cavity of said container, and said skin contact area is formed on said bladder and projects from said open end of said container. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The cooling device of claim 10, further comprising a thermally conducting metal core received in a cavity of said bladder and spaced inwardly from a side wall, a bottom wall and skin contact area of said bladder, and where said thermally conducting core is surrounded by said refrigerant medium. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The cooling device of claim 11, wherein said thermally conducting core comprises a metal core having a substantially cylindrical shape complementing a shape of said container. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The cooling device of claim 10, wherein said bladder is movable within said container between a retracted position where said bladder is received completely within said container and an extended position where said skin contact area projects from said open end of said container. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The cooling device of claim 11, wherein said thermally conducting core is spaced inwardly from said contact area of said bladder. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The cooling device of claim 1, wherein said thermally transmitting member comprises a closure coupled to said open end of said container and has a substantially convex outer surface projecting from said open end of said container, and where said thermally transmitting member has surface area sufficient to contact the skin of a patient or provide a desensitizing, cooling and/or numbing effect to the skin to inhibit pain or discomfort to the patient during injection by a needle or cannula. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The topical cooling device of claim 1, wherein said thermally transmitting member comprises a closure closing said open first end of said container. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The topical cooling device of claim 16, wherein said thermally transmitting member is coupled to said side wall of said container retaining said refrigerant medium in said container. ### Claim 18 A topical cooling device for cooling the surface of the skin of a patient, comprising a container having a side wall, a bottom wall, and an open end; a flexible bladder received in an internal cavity of said container and having a skin contact portion projecting from said open end of said container, said flexible bladder having an internal cavity containing a refrigerant medium; and a removable lid coupled to said open end of said container. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The topical cooling device of claim 18, wherein said bladder is received within said container and thermally insulated by said container. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The topical cooling device of claim 19, wherein said bladder includes a contact portion projecting from said open end of said container. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) A method of cooling a target area of the skin and introducing a medical device into the skin, the method comprising contacting the skin contact surface of the bladder of the topical cooling device of claim 1 with the target area on the skin for sufficient time to desensitize the target area, and introducing the medical device into the target area of the skin. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, wherein the medical device comprises a catheter, needle, or cannula for delivering or removing a fluid to the patient. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, wherein the medical device comprises a delivery device, and said method further comprises introducing a substance to the patient by the delivery device. ### Claim 24 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, wherein the medical device comprises selected from the group consisting of a pen needle, infusion pump, syringe, patch pump, lancet, and catheter.