Reusable therapeutic device

An applicator for therapeutical treatment of portions of an animal or human body combining protective and insulative means with heating and cooling means comprising:

• an array of noncommunicating chambers spaced from each other and formed by means of a broadside of a first flexible, nonelastic, liquid impervious sheet securely engaged to a broadside of a second flexible, nonelastic, liquid impervious sheet, having affixed in proximity of an end of a broadside of said securely engaged sheets a component of a complimentary back-to-back releasable fastening means;
• a plurality of flexible, elastic, liquid impervious packets containing a thermoresponsive mixture with one of the packets individually and snugly enclosed within one of the chambers;
• a sheet of flexible, resilient material juxtaposed to one broadside of said securely engaged sheets;
• a backing sheet of supple fabric material with one broadside thereof affixed to the other broadside of the sheet of flexible, resilient material;
• and
• an outer covering sheet of flexible, nonelastic, liquid impervious material with one broadside thereof affixed to the other broadside of said backing sheet, said covering sheet having affixed in proximity of an end of a broadside thereof a component of a complimentary back-to-back releasable fastening means while having affixed in proximity of an opposite end of the broadside thereof the other component of said fastening means.

A method for therapeutically heating or cooling portions of an animal or human body comprising:

• providing an array of noncommunicating chambers spaced from each other and formed by means of a broadside of a first flexible, nonelastic, liquid impervious sheet securely engaged to a broadside of a second flexible, nonelastic, liquid impervious sheet, having affixed in proximity of an end of a broadside of said securely engaged sheets a component of a complimentary back-to-back releasable fastening means;
• enclosing a plurality of flexible, elastic, liquid impervious packets containing a thermoresponsive mixture with one of the packets individually and snugly enclosed within one of the chambers;
• affixing to a sheet of flexible, resilient material in proximity of an end of a broadside thereof, the other component of the complimentary back-to-back releasable fastening means, said other component being positioned opposite to the component affixed to said securely engaged sheets;
• securing a backing sheet of supple fabric material with one broadside thereof affixed to the other broadside of the sheet of flexible, resilient material;
• providing an outer covering sheet of flexible, nonelastic, liquid impervious material with one broadside thereof affixed to the other broadside of said backing sheet, said covering sheet having affixed in proximity of an end of a broadside thereof a component of a complimentary back-to-back releasable fastening means while having affixed in proximity of an opposite end of the broadside thereof the other component of said fastening means;
• subjecting the array of noncommunicating spaced chambers with said packets containing a thermoresponsive mixture enclosed therein to a predetermined temperature environment;
• and
• juxtaposing the array of noncommunicating spaced chambers with said packets containing a thermoresponsive mixture having a predetermined temperature with the portion of an animal or human body to be treated.