A method and apparatus in accordance with a particular embodiment of the present invention includes applying adhesive onto skin of a human subject. An applicator is then brought into contact with the adhesive such the adhesive is disposed between the applicator and the subject's skin. The applicator is activated to cool a tissue region via the subject's skin, via the heat-transfer surface of the applicator, and via the adhesive. While the tissue region cools, the adhesive also cools, thereby reversibly strengthening adhesion between the subject's skin and the heat-transfer surface and forming a strong bond therebetween. The strengthened adhesion inhibits any movement of the applicator relative to the skin. After cooling the tissue region, the adhesive is warmed, thereby weakening the adhesion which allows the heat-transfer surface of the applicator to be easily separated from the skin.

A thermal pack comprising one or more sacks, a body of thermal material enclosed in the sacks, and first and a second sack edge joined to form a seam line wherein the first edge and the second edge have intersecting directions with an angle that is less than 180 degrees whereby the one or more sacks conforms to a three-dimensional surface.

A thermal pack comprises a first and second plastic sheets that form a sack. The sack contains a flowable thermal material and further includes a plurality of joint lines within the sack that are in contact with the thermal material.

A heat sealed cold pack with a plurality of broken boarder pockets for both holding a substance with a high heat of fusion, such as gel refrigerant consistently throughout the cold pack and allowing the gel refrigerant to migrate throughout the gel pack. The volume of each pocket is variable in response to flexibility and cooling capacity. A two container system that integrates the cold pack.

A method and apparatus in accordance with a particular embodiment of the present invention includes applying adhesive onto skin of a human subject. An applicator is then brought into contact with the adhesive such the adhesive is disposed between the applicator and the subject's skin. The applicator is activated to cool a tissue region via the subject's skin, via the heat-transfer surface of the applicator, and via the adhesive. While the tissue region cools, the adhesive also cools, thereby reversibly strengthening adhesion between the subject's skin and the heat-transfer surface and forming a strong bond therebetween. The strengthened adhesion inhibits any movement of the applicator relative to the skin. After cooling the tissue region, the adhesive is warmed, thereby weakening the adhesion which allows the heat-transfer surface of the applicator to be easily separated from the skin.