Embodiments of the invention include a method and a device for increasing blood flow and controlling the temperature of a mammal by applying a desired pressure to extremities of a mammal. The device generally includes a pliant body element that is adapted to receive a portion of an extremity of the mammal therein, and then apply a pressure to a portion of the extremity when a pressure is provided to a region in which the extremity is positioned within the pliant body element. By evacuating the region in which the extremity is enclosed, a contact surface area between the extremity of a mammal and the pliant body element is increased, due to the external atmospheric pressure acting on the pliant body element against the skin of the extremity of the mammal. The application of pressure assures that sufficient contact and thermal heat transfer (heating or cooling) is provided to the extremity of the mammal.

In combined methods for treating a patient using time-varying magnetic field, treatment methods combine various approaches for aesthetic treatment. A magnetic field generating device is placed proximate to a body region of the patient. The magnetic field generating device generates a time-varying magnetic field with a magnetic flux density in a range of 0.5 to 7 Tesla. The time-varying magnetic field is applied to the body region of the patient in order to cause a contraction of a muscle within the body region. A second therapy may be used by applying one or more of optical waves, radio frequency waves, mechanical waves, negative or positive pressure or heat to the body region of the patient.

The standalone mobile device (10) for muscle recovery by cryotherapy comprises: a container (11) of pressurised fluid; an expander (12) for reducing the pressure of the pressurised fluid, fluidically connected to the container and equipped with an outlet (20) for the expanded gas; a sheet (13) of thermally conductive material configured to rest on the skin of the user, and equipped with a heat exchanger radiator (14) positioned on the path of the expanded gas output from the gas expander.

Methods of operating a haptic actuator to apply physical and/or thermal sensations to a user to provide subjective symptom relief to a user are described. In some embodiments, a haptic actuator may be automatically activated when one or more detected user states are compared to one or more predetermined activation parameters to determine the user is experiencing an episode related to a condition of the user. In another embodiment, one or more operating parameters of a haptic actuator may be updated if the haptic actuator did not provided a desired amount of subjective symptom relief to a user during use. In yet another embodiment, a haptic actuator may create an event log based on activation events when the haptic actuator is used to provide symptom relief for a condition of the user.

A system and method for providing Thermal contrast therapy are presented. The system may comprise a fluid membrane barrier, a human interface device (HID), fluid tubing, a pump, and a reservoir. The system may be operable to apply any combination of heat, cold, and pressurized compression, light energy, acoustic energy, and vibratory energy to a therapy recipient for treating anal-prostate-perineal and vaginal areas, as well as podological and other extremities. The system may be operable to impart a desired therapy temperature to the human interface device and to expand a membrane containing a therapy fluid. The expanded membrane may conform to the contours of a therapy site. Operation of the human interface device may be controlled using a remote-control device. The therapy recipient may be able to control the temperature of the fluid or gel, as well as reception of light energy, acoustic energy and vibratory pulsing energy to assist in treatment of one or more conditions.

A cooling pack is provided that can both maintain the human body at a suitable, low temperature and ensure a sufficient usage time. The present invention, in one aspect thereof, is directed to a cooling pack that cools a human body. The cold storage layer includes: a freezing medium having a phase transition temperature specified in a range of temperature suitable to maintain the human body at low temperature; and a cold-storage-layer-packaging member containing the freezing medium therein. The buffer layer includes: an antifreeze medium flexible at the phase transition temperature of the freezing medium; and a buffer-layer-packaging member made of a flexible material and containing the antifreeze medium therein. The buffer layer has a prescribed thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, thermal effusivity, and heat transmission coefficient. The buffer layer is brought into contact with human skin to transfer heat between the human body and the cold storage layer.

The present invention relates generally to a warming apparatus such as but not limited to a sleeve with an attached tourniquet that allows for a method of warming human body parts and a method to induce vasodilation to produce the ease of venipuncture. The invention preferably induces vasodilation by applying heat to an area and then further where venipuncture or intravenous catheter insertion is desired, preferably constricting and compressing the veins by bringing them to the surface with the tourniquet.

A system that can be used to provide highly controlled thermal therapy and compression to both cool and heat a skin surface and a joint and surrounding tissue below the skin surface is provided. The system includes a joint conforming wrap; a power supply module for supply power to the joint conforming wrap and a cable operably coupling the wrap and the power supply module. The joint conforming wrap and power supply module include opposing thermoelectric modules. The joint conforming wrap is designed to provide heat transfer processes to the body of a patient to warm or cool the skin and a joint and surrounding tissue disposed under the skin.

Methods of operating a haptic actuator to apply physical and/or thermal sensations to a user to provide subjective symptom relief to a user are described. In some embodiments, a haptic actuator may be automatically activated when one or more detected user states are compared to one or more predetermined activation parameters to determine the user is experiencing an episode related to a condition of the user. In another embodiment, one or more operating parameters of a haptic actuator may be updated if the haptic actuator did not provided a desired amount of subjective symptom relief to a user during use. In yet another embodiment, a haptic actuator may create an event log based on activation events when the haptic actuator is used to provide symptom relief for a condition of the user.

A portable hydro-thermal therapy system for use with a vessel for containing water and method for use of the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, the portable hydro-thermal therapy system includes a mobile trailer having a platform to achieve point-to-point haulage thereof. A cool water supply device having inlet and outlet port is mounted on the platform. The cool water supply device includes a water circulation path from the inlet port to the outlet port, a water pump coupled to the water circulation path, and a refrigeration cycle contained within the cool water supply device. A thermostat and water pump may cooperate in combination to provide water between about 50 F. and about 55 F. The water circulation path is thermally proximate to the evaporator coil in order to cool the water being pumped through the water circulation path to and from the vessel by way of inlet and outlet tubing.