Applying thermal therapy to living tissue
OwnerPaul T. Kolen, Thomas D. Fordinventors
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Abstract
A thermal therapy device for applying temperature controlled therapy to a therapy site on a mammalian body, comprising: a therapy pad for applying a selected therapy temperature to the therapy site; a recirculating fluid loop comprising a fluid channel defined by the therapy pad; a pump for circulating fluid through the recirculating fluid loop; a thermal reservoir; a heat exchanger coupling the thermal reservoir with the recirculating fluid loop; and a control mechanism coupled to the heat exchanger for enabling adjustable control of therapy temperature. The heat exchanger selectively mixes fluid recirculating in the fluid loop with fluid from the thermal reservoir in an adjustable mixing ratio to achieve the selected therapy temperature at the therapy site.
Claims38
A thermal therapy device for applying temperature-controlled therapy to a therapy site on a mammalian body, comprising:
- a therapy pad for applying temperature-controlled therapy to the therapy site;
- a recirculation fluid loop comprising a fluid channel defined by said therapy pad;
- a thermal reservoir for containing fluid;
- a fluid exchanger coupling said thermal reservoir with said recirculation fluid loop, said fluid exchanger being constructed to exchange an adjustable amount of fluid in said recirculation fluid loop with thermal reservoir fluid.
A thermal therapy device for applying temperature controlled therapy to a therapy site on a mammalian body, comprising:
- a therapy pad for applying a selected therapy temperature to the therapy site;
- a recirculation fluid loop comprising a fluid channel defined by said therapy pad;
- a first pump for circulating fluid through said recirculating fluid loop;
- a first thermal reservoir;
- a heat exchanger coupling said thermal reservoir with said recirculating fluid loop, said heat exchanger comprising a second thermal reservoir and a second pump for delivering fluid from said first thermal reservoir to said second thermal reservoir, and further comprising an overflow fluid path for returning excess fluid in said second thermal reservoir to said first thermal reservoir;
- and
- a control mechanism coupled to said heat exchanger for enabling adjustable control of therapy temperature.
A thermal therapy device for applying temperature controlled therapy to a therapy site on a mammalian body, comprising:
- a therapy pad for applying a selected therapy temperature to the therapy site;
- a recirculating fluid loop comprising a fluid channel defined by said therapy pad;
- a thermal reservoir;
- and
- a fluid exchanger coupling said thermal reservoir with said recirculating fluid loop, said heat exchanger being constructed and arranged to selectively mix fluid recirculating in said fluid loop with fluid from said thermal reservoir in an adjustable mixing ratio to achieve the selected therapy temperature at the therapy site.
A thermal therapy device comprising:
- a reservoir for containing a fluid;
- a fluid line having an input for delivering fluid to a therapy pad and an output for receiving fluid from the therapy pad;
- a pump coupled to the fluid line for circulating fluid through the fluid line;
- and
- a fluid exchanger for exchanging a controlled amount of fluid in said fluid line with fluid from the reservoir to achieve a desired fluid temperature in the fluid line.
A thermal therapy device comprising:
- a reservoir for containing a fluid;
- a fluid line having an input for delivering fluid to a therapy pad and an output for receiving fluid from the therapy pad;
- a pump coupled to the fluid line for circulating fluid through the fluid line;
- and a fluid exchanger for mixing a controlled amount of fluid from the reservoir into the fluid line to achieve a desired fluid temperature in the fluid line, the fluid exchanger comprising a second pump.
A thermal therapy device for applying temperature-controlled therapy to a therapy site on a mammalian body, comprising:
- a therapy pad for applying temperature-controlled therapy to the therapy site;
- a recirculation fluid loop comprising a fluid channel defined by the therapy pad and containing recirculation fluid;
- a thermal reservoir constructed to contain fluid;
- a fluid exchanger coupling the thermal reservoir with the recirculation fluid loop, the fluid exchanger being constructed to exchange an adjustable amount of recirculation fluid returning from the therapy pad with a substantially equal amount of thermal reservoir fluid and to mix the unexchanged recirculation fluid returning from the therapy pad with the substantially equal amount of thermal reservoir fluid, wherein the unexchanged recirculation fluid and the substantially equal amount of thermal reservoir fluid are delivered to the therapy pad.
A thermal therapy device for applying temperature-controlled therapy to a therapy site on a mammalian body, comprising:
- a therapy pad including recirculation fluid for applying temperature-controlled therapy to the therapy site;
- a pump;
- a diverter valve;
- and
- a thermal reservoir constructed to contain fluid coupled to the pump;
- wherein fluid flows through a recirculation loop comprising the pump, the therapy pad, and the diverter valve and containing recirculation fluid, the diverter valve diverting from the recirculation loop an adjustable amount of recirculation fluid returning from the therapy pad, and the pump draws from the thermal reservoir and injects into the recirculation loop an amount of thermal reservoir fluid substantially equal to the amount of recirculation fluid diverted by the diverter valve, wherein non-diverted recirculation fluid returning from the therapy pad mixes with fluid drawn from the thermal reservoir and is delivered to the therapy pad.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.