A treatment system delivers a breathing gas and frozen ice or other particles (FSP) to a bronchus of a lung of a patient in order to induce hypothermia. The breathing gas and the FSP are usually delivered through separate lumens. Clogging of an FSP lumen can be inhibited by heating and/or cooling of the lumen. The temperature of exhaled gases or a body temperature may be measured, and a controller can adjust the duration or rate at which the ice particles are delivered in order to control the patient's core temperature based on the measured temperature.

A self-contained heated wax treatment apparatus can include an outer shell and a rack disposed inside the outer shell. The rack can include a receptacle holder and at least one heater holder. A receptacle can be connected to the rack. A heater can be connected to the heater holder of the rack. Activation of the heater causes heat to flow to the receptacle.

An eye and eyelid cover includes a pair of spaced viewing windows between which, in use, a reservoir of hot water is contained, and a compartment within which a phase change material is contained, the phase change material being molten at the initial temperature of the hot water and solidifying during cooling of the hot water while a treatment procedure is being carried out.

The invention provides a device for application to the skin of a patient to facilitate intravenous access, e.g. via needles, syringes, cannulas or catheters, the device having an upper surface and a lower surface, wherein the lower surface is suitable for contacting the skin of the patient at the location of a vein to be accessed. The device comprises a heat patch, an organic nitrate vasodilator agent and an amino based anaesthetic agent which is an amino ester or amino amide. The device is configured and arranged such that in use the device can be activated by the application of pressure to the patch so as to initiate an exothermic chemical reaction in the heat patch which heats the patch to a temperature of from 50 to 55 degrees Celsius for a period of time of one minute or more. Further, the device is configured and arranged such that when the device is applied to the skin of the patient, with the lower surface contacting the skin of the patient, the vasodilator agent and the anaesthetic agent are released from the lower side of the device onto the patient's skin at the location of a vein to be accessed.

A thermal composite material and devices that incorporate the material control skin temperature within a specified range during standard cold therapy or heat therapy. The material and subsequent devices can also have a structural input-output feature to apply and measure a degree of compression. A primary use is as portable means for the immediate treatment of soft tissue injury. Secondary uses include use as portable means to aid temperature regulation in hot or cold environments for comfort or safety purposes.

Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure provide method and apparatus for effecting (e.g., lightening) an appearance of skin by cooling or freezing small separated surface regions of the skin to produce regions of local hypopigmentation. The width of the regions can be, for example, smaller than about 1 mm or 0.5 mm, and a distance between these frozen regions can be greater than about 3 times the width of the regions. An exemplary apparatus can be provided that includes a plurality of spatially-separated thermally conductive arrangements that can be affixed or otherwise coupled to a base. For example, the conductive arrangements can be regions of conductive material provided in or proximal to a thermal insulator, or thermally conductive protrusions affixed to the base. The conductive arrangements can be cooled and then contacted with the skin surface to produce the small regions of hypopigmentation.

A soft thermoformable elastomer with a phase change material exhibiting high latent heat of fusion. The compound provides elasticity, softness, formability, and heat over an extended duration and to facilitate prolonged skin contact at elevated temperatures. Used in combination with active ingredients the increased temperature and formability provides enhanced transdermal delivery through the skin. Thermoplastic elastomers may be manufactured by mixing together plasticizing oil, a triblock copolymer, a paraffinic substance and one or more additives, e.g., an antioxidant, an antimicrobial agent, and/or other additives to form a mixture which melted then cooled into the thermoplastic elastomer. During cooling, the thermoplastic elastomer may be molded or otherwise formed into any number of articles including, but not limited to, prosthetic liners, prosthetic sleeves, external breast prostheses, breast enhancement bladders, masks, wound dressing sheets, wound dressing pads, socks, gloves, malleolus pads, metatarsal pads, shoe insoles, urinary catheters, vascular catheters, and balloons for medical catheters both vascular as well as urinary. Active ingredients are preferably added to the cooling thermoplastic elastomer when the temperature is below 100 F. to prevent heat degradation and/or breakdown of vital proteins.

Anatomically contoured assistive devices, particularly for extremities such as the hand, are form fitting to the tissue to ensure targeted delivery of therapeutic treatment to specific tissue, remain stably affixed without pinching or binding, and allow for motion and use of the tissue while delivering targeted therapeutic treatment.

Self-heating apparatus and methodology for customizing a time-temperature profile thereof. The layered apparatus includes at least a layer of phase change material and a layer of air- or oxygen-activated material. When the air- or oxygen-activated material is activated, heat is released rapidly and is absorbed by the phase change material. The phase change material then releases the absorbed heat over a long period of time. Time-temperature profiles can be adjusted based on type, amount, and configuration of phase change and air-activated materials used. The apparatus and methodology allows rapid heat-up of times of a few minutes and lasts several hours at near constant tunable temperatures.

Mattress assemblies including at least one panel or layer including a preformed capsulate sheet including a plurality of cells, and a phase change material within at least a portion of the cells.