Localized heat transfer device
AssigneeLake Shore Medical Development Partners Ltd.
InventorMark G. Fontenot
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention provides systems for topically heating or cooling an animal or human body, and more particularly concerns a modular system in which a heating or cooling liquid is circulated in a hermetically sealed flow path between a heating or cooling device and a heating or cooling pad. In a preferred embodiment, the flow path includes a cassette which is reversibly engageable with a pump and a heating or cooling unit located in a housing.
Claims26
A device for effecting heat transfer to or from selected regions of the body, comprising:
- a) a housing having a pump and a heat exchanger operably mounted therein;
- b) a connectionless closed loop applicator module which includes;
- i) a pad defining at least one flow passage therein;
- ii) a conduit joined in fluid communicating relationship to the pad so as to enable circulation of a fluid through the flow passages of the pad and the conduit;
- iii) a cassette joined in fluid communicating relationship to the conduit, the cassette having means for interfacing with the heat exchanger in such manner as to enable selective transfer of heat to or form the heat exchanger to or from a fluid within the cassette and means for operably interfacing with the pump in such manner as to enable the pump to pump fluid through the applicator module;
- and
- c) means for reversibly engaging the cassette with the housing.
A connectionless closed loop applicator module adapted to be used in a heat transfer device, said device having a housing having a pump and a heat exchanger operably mounted therein, said applicator module comprising:
- a) a pad for application to a selected region of the body, said pad defining at least one flow passage therein;
- b) a conduit jointed in fluid communicating relationship to the pad;
- and
- c) a cassette joined in fluid communicating relationship to the conduit, the cassette adapted to interface with the heat exchanger in such manner as to enable selective transfer of heat to or from the heat exchanger to or from a fluid within the cassette and further adapted to interface with the pump in such a manner as to enable the pump to pump fluid through the applicator module.
A thermiatric apparatus for topically treating an animal or human body, which comprises:
- a) an applicator defining an internal flow passage and adapted to be placed on an animal or human body;
- a cassette defining a liquid flow channel;
- and a first tubular member integrally interconnecting one end of the flow channel to a first end of the flow passage, and a second tubular member interconnecting the other end of the flow channel to a second end of the flow passage, to define a closed end, hermetic conduit which includes the passage, the flow channel and both tubular members;
- and
- b) a housing containing a thermal transfer member capable of transferring heat from a warm member to a cooler member, and a pump, the housing adapted to retractably receive the cassette so as to engage the pump with the flow channel and juxtapose the flow channel and the thermal transfer member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.