Cooling/heating pad and system

Abstract

A medical pad 10 includes a thermal exchange layer capable of absorbing and/or releasing heat to a patient and an adhesive surface 16A disposed on a skin-contacting side of the thermal exchange layer for adhering the pad 10 to the skin of the patient. The thermal exchange layer may comprise a fluid containing layer 12 for containing a thermal exchange fluid 14 capable of absorbing thermal energy from and/or releasing thermal energy to the patient. The pad 10 may also include a conformable, thermally conductive layer 16 between the adhesive surface 16A and the fluid containing layer 12 and an insulating layer 18 on the non-skin contacting side of the fluid containing layer 12. In some arrangements, transverse members 24, 26 or dimples 624 on insulating base member 618 are provided to define tortuous fluid passageways in fluid containing layer 12. A fluid circulating system 40 including a pump 42 connected downstream from a fluid outlet 22 and a fluid reservoir 44 connected upstream from a fluid inlet 20 may be employed to circulate the fluid 14 though the fluid containing layer 12. The fluid 14 is drawn from a reservoir 44 into the fluid containing layer 12 through the inlet 20 and out of the fluid containing layer 12 through the outlet 22 under negative pressure by the pump 42. When the pad 10 is adhered by the adhesive surface 16A to the skin of the patient, thermal energy is exchangeable between the patient and the fluid 14 circulated within the fluid containing layer 14 to cool and/or warm the patient.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.