Heating unit for therapeutic instrument

Abstract

A thermal output device for heating therapeutic ultrasound transducer heads. Typically, a plastic non-conductive housing or case is provided a cutout receptacle which houses a molded tray insert to accommodate insertion therein of various shapes and sizes of ultrasound head transducers. The case is either wall mountable or may safely rest on a horizontal table or shelf. No connection is made either functionally or operationally to the ultrasound unit when it is in operation. The heating element consists in an insulated nichrome wire-wafer type element which is fixed in the receptacle bottom or bed. The element is regulated by an on/off switch and a trimmer component to control heating of the element. Provision is made in the invention to handle various sized and shaped ultrasound transducer instruments. The heating element does not directly contact the patient or the ultrasound head, while it's output is maximized (for safety) at about 5 watts. A thermocouple feedback loop and a temperature display are provided as a higher end option in production of the invention.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.