Therapeutic cooling system
AssigneeRyan R Munson
InventorRyan Robert Munson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A therapeutic cooling system used to remove trapped heat from between a person and an object pressed against the person. Such objects would include: beds, chairs and protective clothing such as body armor. A thin bladder encapsulating a liquid placed between the person and heat trapping object absorbs heat produced by the person. Increased heat transferred to the liquid causes it to expand, become less dense and thus more buoyant than the cooler liquid in the bladder. Convection moves heated liquid upwards towards a thermoelectrically driven cooling unit. When the warmed liquid reaches the cooling unit thermoelectric devices pull heat from the liquid and push it in to a heat sink where is it can expelled from the system. The cooled liquid, now denser, flows back down the bladder by gravity.
Claims20
A passive flow therapeutic cooling system, comprising:
- a cooling unit comprising a thermoelectric module, wherein when electricity is applied the thermoelectric module produces a relatively cool first surface and relatively warm second surface;
- and
- a bladder comprising a plurality of channels in fluid communication with the cooling unit,
- wherein the cooling unit and the plurality of cooling channels form at least part of a cooling circuit,
- wherein when the thermoelectric module is disposed at a higher elevation than the bladder, when the bladder abuts a heat source, and when the cooling circuit comprises a cooling fluid comprising a boiling point above a temperature of the heat source and a freezing point below an ambient temperature, the cooling system forms a thermosyphon, and
- wherein in the cooling unit the first surface of the thermoelectric module draws heat from the cooling fluid, effective to cool the heat source.
A passive flow therapeutic cooling system, comprising:
- a cooling unit comprising a thermoelectric module, wherein the thermoelectric module utilizes the Peltier effect to transfer heat from one side of the thermoelectric module to another side of the thermoelectric module;
- a bladder comprising a plurality of cooling channels;
- a cooling fluid comprising a boiling point above a temperature of a heat source and a freezing point below an ambient temperature;
- wherein, when in an operating position where the thermoelectric module is elevated above the bladder and the bladder is adjacent a heat source, the cooling fluid absorbs heat from the heat source, expands, and flows upward through at least one of the cooling channels toward the cooling unit, and wherein the cooling unit cools the heated cooling fluid through the Peltier effect, and wherein the cooled cooling fluid flows downward through at least one of the cooling channels.
A passive flow therapeutic cooling system, comprising:
- a cooling unit comprising a thermoelectric module, wherein the thermoelectric module utilizes the Peltier effect to transfer heat from one side of the thermoelectric module to another side of the thermoelectric module;
- a bladder comprising a proximate manifold proximate the cooling unit, a distal manifold opposite the cooling unit, and a plurality of parallel cooling channels spanning the manifolds, the manifolds and plurality of cooling channels forming a flexible planar array;
- a cooling liquid that remains liquid at a temperature of a heat source and at an ambient temperature;
- wherein, when in an operating position where the thermoelectric module is elevated above the bladder and the bladder is adjacent a heat source, the cooling fluid absorbs heat from the heat source, expands, and flows upward through at least one of the cooling channels toward the cooling unit, and wherein the cooling unit cools the heated cooling fluid through the Peltier effect, and wherein the cooled cooling fluid flows downward through at least one of the cooling channels to the distal manifold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.