A mist generator improves sterility of blowers having controlled forced air for patient warmers and lifters. The mist generator has a main body including a top wall with an opening, that traverses into a chamber adapted to receive a disinfectant, side walls and a bottom wall. The main body further includes an inlet duct adapted for attachment to a first hose which, in turn, is adapted for attachment to an output opening of the blower for delivery into the chamber of forced air carrying misted disinfectant. The main body also includes an output duct adapted for attachment to a second hose which, in turn, is adapted for attachment to an inlet opening of the blower for delivery of disinfectant misted air through internal components of the blower. The mist generator improves sterility of the blower, thereby mitigating microbial contamination of patient warmers and lifters, and hospital environments.

A combination therapy pad that includes a first layer and a second layer operatively coupled to the first layer. A fiber-optic array is disposed between the first layer and the second layer. A third layer is operatively coupled to the first layer. The third layer includes a vacuum tube in fluid communication with a vacuum source and a therapeutic fluid tube in fluid communication with a therapeutic fluid source. The third layer provides at least one of vacuum therapy and therapeutic fluid treatment to a wound area.

A treatment pad for applying heat, cooling or an antiseptic fluid to a subject's body surface incorporates a heat transfer member or a wound treatment member that is adapted to be held in place by application of a vacuum pressure. The heat transfer member may comprise an electrical resistance wire arranged in a serpentine pattern within a housing or, alternatively, may comprise interconnected heat transmissive tubing through which either a heated or a cooled fluid may be made to pass. Alternatively, the pad may contain a gel that can be cooled in a refrigerator or heated in a microwave oven and held in place on the subject's body by application of a vacuum to the assembly. The wound treatment member may comprise a gaseous antiseptic delivery pad held in place on the patient's body by use of a vacuum.

The air flow system includes a hose member having an exterior flow tube and an interior flow tube, a distal connector, and a proximal connector. The air flow in the interior flow tube is separate from the exterior flow tube. Air flows from the exterior flow tube, through a flow chamber, around a treatment site of inflammation and back to the interior flow tube. The system for air circulation therapy also includes a body attachment device, an air pump supply, an air recovery unit, a temperature sensor, an air flow sensor, and a controller. The method includes inserting a body part with a treatment site within the flow chamberand sealing the flow chamber to the air flow system. Temperature regulated air flow is supplied to the treatment site in the flow chamber and collected from the flow chamber.

A mist generator improves the sterility of blowers having controlled forced air systems. In one embodiment, the mist generator has a chamber adapted to receive a disinfectant adapted for attachment to an output opening of a blower for delivery into the chamber of forced air carrying misted disinfectant. The main body also includes an output duct or aperture adapted for attachment to a second hose which, in turn, is adapted for attachment to an inlet opening of the blower for delivery of disinfectant misted air through internal components of the blower. Alternatively, there is used a disinfectant filter formed as a sterilizing grid having a screen coated with a soft porous surface material impregnated with a liquid disinfectant. The soft porous surface material releases said liquid disinfectant when forced air moves through the filter. In both embodiments, sterile water is introduced to take up residual disinfectant and the vapor captured in a dry filter or desiccant material and removed from the system. The mist generator improves the sterility of the blower to mitigate microbial contamination of forced air delivery systems.

An electronically controllable pillow is thermally regulated. At least one temperature sensor is configured to communicate temperature measurements. Temperature measurements comprise the internal temperature of a pillow. Temperature measurements are communicated to a processing unit. At least one presence sensor is configured to communicate presence measurements. Presence measurements are configured to indicate the presence of a user employing a pillow. Presence measurements are communicated to a processing unit. At least one transceiver is connected to a processing unit. A transceiver is configured to communicate with at least one remote device. At least one thermal element is activated, based at least in part on, temperature measurements and presence measurements over at least one period of time.

A heater, for an incubator for infants, has a housing structure with an upper housing surface and a lower housing surface, at least one air inlet for an inflowing air stream, at least one air outlet for an outflowing air stream, at least one fan impeller, at least one heating element and at least one heat transfer element. The upper housing surface and the lower housing surface delimit a flow space. The heat transfer element is a plate with a flat surface that is arranged horizontally during operation of the heater. An incubator for infants having such a heater is also provided.

The invention relates to a device for use in the thermal therapy treatment of a selected region of the body of a human or of an animal, in particular for use in the treatment of tissue damage after surgical interventions, of injuries, of inflammations and of chronic diseases of the rheumatic type, and in particular for assisting chemotherapeutic treatments, comprising a temperature control device which is provided in order to control a temperature of a temperature control fluid, and a heat transfer device which is arranged to transfer heat to the selected region of the body, wherein the temperature control device is connected, in a fluid conducting manner, to the heat transfer device, and is further arranged to temper the heat transfer device with a heat transferring temperature control fluid flowing through the heat transfer device, and with a control device which is connected to the temperature control device and to the heat transfer device, wherein the control device is arranged to control the temperature control device, in order to cause the heat transfer device to be at least partially at an approximately uniform temperature in the region of a contact surface between the heat transfer device and the selected region of the body to be temperature controlled. The invention further relates to a method of operating the device.

Methods and devices are disclosed herein that generally involve applying thermal therapy to tissue (e.g., localized cooling or heating of tissue), and in particular applying thermal therapy to the spinal canal, tissue disposed within the spinal canal, and/or nerve roots extending from the spinal canal. In some embodiments, tissue can be cooled or heated by implanting a malleable or deformable thermal device in proximity to the targeted tissue. The thermal device can be left in place following surgery to facilitate application of post-surgical thermal therapy. In some embodiments, the thermal device can be removed post-surgery in a minimally- or non-invasive manner. The thermal device can be connectionless or can include penetrable regions, pre-attached tubing, or detachable connectors to facilitate application of cooling or heating means to the device. Methods are disclosed for utilizing thermal devices and for carrying out various treatment regimens that involve cooling or heating tissue using such devices.

A combination therapy pad that includes a first layer and a second layer operatively coupled to the first layer. A fiber-optic array is disposed between the first layer and the second layer. A third layer is operatively coupled to the first layer. The third layer includes a vacuum tube in fluid communication with a vacuum source and a therapeutic fluid tube in fluid communication with a therapeutic fluid source. The third layer provides at least one of vacuum therapy and therapeutic fluid treatment to a wound area.