A thermal control unit for controlling a patient's temperature includes a fluid outlet for delivering temperature-controlled fluid to a patient, a pump, first and second cooling units, and a controller that selectively enables and disables at least one of the cooling units based on one more factors, such as the temperature of the fluid. Alternatively or additionally, a variable speed fan is included in one or both of the cooling units that blows air over the condenser and the controller selectively controls the fan speed based on factors such as the temperature of the circulating fluid. The thermal control unit may be modified to accept a cartridge having its own cooling unit. When so modified, the controller communicates with a controller inside of the cartridge and coordinates control of the cartridge cooling unit and the cooling unit inside the thermal control unit that is external to the cartridge.

Methods and apparatus for an improved Contrast Therapy Device that delivers alternating heated and chilled temperature fluids to a contrast thermal therapy pad. Mitigation processes maintain water temperature in hot water tanks and cold water tanks in order to keep water temperatures in the respective tanks from drifting beyond a desired setpoint range when the system switches a therapy state from a cooling cycle to a heating cycle or from heating cycle to a cooling cycle. Thermal shock is reduced to the fluid tanks. Mitigation techniques include delaying actuation of a return path flow, such as via a diverting solenoid. Mitigating delay can be a static time delay based upon one or both of: a volume of water in a therapy pad and related volume and rate of flow; and meeting a threshold transition temperature for return fluid temperature.

A method for an eye treatment includes the steps of: providing guide elements made on the specific sites of a subject which comprise (1) a site that intersects a perpendicular line of medial malleolus and an extension line of medial margin on OS metatasale primam 1 and 2, (2) a pupil of a left or right eye, (3) ST 36 point of a left or right leg, and (4) SP point; and controlling a temperature of the guide elements to be a range from 40 to 50±5° C., thereby applying the thermal stimulus to the respective specific sites to increase a blood flow by 60% or more and promote secretion of a growth hormone in the subject.

A system and method for portably delivering a therapeutic dose of heat to the skin to relieve pain, reduce accommodation of thermal nerve receptors, promote healing, and deliver transcutaneous medications. The heating device is user programmable or preprogrammed to deliver according to a variety of cycles, patterns and algorithms. The cycles, patterns, and algorithms of the heat are programmable parameters, are under the user's control, and increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the device. The heating algorithms are designed to interact with an individual user's thermal nerve receptors and other tissue characteristics and to reduce the tendency of the receptors to accommodate to the external stimuli with back pain, muscular pain, dysmenorrhea, headaches, fibromyalgia, post-herpetic neuralgia, nerve injuries and neuropathies, and sprains and strain. The device can also be used in conjunction with existing medical devices such as Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulators (TENS) to increase the effectiveness of TENS devices.

The inventive concept refers to a system, a method, and a computer program for providing training for pain improvement. According to an exemplary embodiment, a training providing method for pain improvement includes requesting, by a computer, a temperature providing device to provide a first temperature to a first body point, requesting, by the computer, the temperature providing device to provide a second temperature to a second body point, requesting a user to select a temperature matched with a specific condition among the first temperature and the second temperature, and calculating a correct answer rate after performing a trial of distinguishing between the first temperature and the second temperature by a predetermined number.

A heating and/or cooling device for contact with a human body is provided having a power source outputting electrical energy, a temperature controller operably coupled to the power source configured to maintain a predetermined temperature parameter, and at least one heating and/or cooling module operably coupled to the temperature controller for selectively receiving the electrical energy and being responsive thereto to heat and/or cool the human body. The at least one heating and/or cooling module having a pair of electrodes spaced apart by a thermoelectric powder and an insulator at least partially surrounding the thermoelectric powder.

A system including apparatus and methods for sanitizing or otherwise reducing biologics present on thermal therapeutic treatment wraps used for treating athletes after workouts or games, physical therapy patients after injury, and hospital patients after surgery is disclosed. The system includes a storage cabinet with an internal conveyor system that exposes each wrap to periodic sanitization or other biologic reduction means, such as ultraviolet light. This prevents growth of bacteria and mold. In some embodiments, warm air is blown into the storage cabinet to assist with drying the wraps.

A wearable, compact therapeutic thermal control system includes a therapeutic component attached to the body of the patient, and a thermal control module is fluidically coupled to the therapeutic component. The thermal module includes a power supply; a controller; a wireless interface communicatively coupled to the controller; an electrothermal device, and electrical terminals communicatively coupled to the controller; a heatsink/fan subassembly thermally coupled to the first side of electrothermal device; a heat exchanger block thermally coupled to the second side of the electrothermal device; and a pump device configured to cause flow of a working fluid through the heat exchanger block and the therapeutic component. The electrothermal device has a first mode in which heat energy is removed from the working fluid via the heat exchanger block, and a second mode in which heat energy is supplied to the working fluid.

A system to provide physical therapy in the form of heating, cooling and/or percussion, comprising: a device that contains a battery, a motor, and a switch to turn the device on or off or put the device in heating mode or put the device in cooling mode or put the device in percussion mode; wherein the device contains a motor and a pushing rod that supply the movement that results in percussion of a removable heating/cooling attachment and a removable percussion attachment; wherein the front of the device connects to the removable heating/cooling attachment that contains an electronic component to control heating or cooling and a cooling fan; wherein the removable heating/cooling attachment can be used for heating or cooling; wherein a housing shell for the heating/cooling attachment is made of plastic, foam, or metal, or any combination of plastic, foam and metal; wherein the front part of the heating/cooling attachment is made of metal that has the capability to be in contact with human skin in order to provide either heating or cooling at fixed or adjusted degrees that are optimal for physical therapy and/or blood circulation; wherein the removable heating/cooling attachment can be replaced by the removable percussion attachment that is used for percussion; wherein the removable percussion attachment can be placed on the skin of a user in order to provide percussion at fixed or adjusted speeds that are optimal for physical therapy.

An embodiment of the present invention provides a medical cooling device including a cooling medium configured to cool a target region through thermal contact with the target region, a cooling generator configured to supply cooling energy to the cooling medium, and a cooling medium accommodating unit that has one surface to which the cooling generator is attached and that is configured to thermally connect the cooling medium to the cooling generator, wherein a center-of-cooling-power region is disposed in a region where the cooling medium and the cooling medium accommodating unit overlap and has a center of cooling power which is a center with respect to thermal conductivity of the center-of-cooling-power region, and a distance from a front end of the cooling medium to the center of cooling power is less than or equal to 30 mm.