Methods and devices for manipulating the temperature of a surface are generally provided. The present disclosure relates to a device including one or more heating and/or cooling elements, or other suitable thermal adjustment apparatus(es), placed near a surface, such as the skin of a user. The device may be configured to generate one or more (optionally alternating) thermal profiles at the surface, which may include a series of thermal pulses and/or essentially continuous or semi-continuous thermal input, which may vary over time. Such thermal profiles, when suitably applied, may provide enhanced thermal sensations for a user which, in some cases, may provide the user with a more pleasurable thermal experience than would otherwise be the case without the generation of the thermal profiles. In some embodiments, an alternating thermal profile may include an average frequency, an oscillation window, and/or an average temperature, each of which may be adjustable.

A dry eye treatment device and method including a pliable thermal pack engageable upon a first side of a vibration ring is provided. The vibration ring has a second side adapted for positioning on the face of a user to communicate vibration to the eyelids of a user from the vibration ring, and heat or cold from a bulging portion of the thermal pack communicating through a pair of openings in the vibration ring. A cover forming a cavity on the face of the user to house the vibration ring and the thermal pack may also be employed.

A foot warming assembly to receive and heat a person's feet has a housing that consists of a bottom wall and a perimeter wall. The perimeter wall is attached to the bottom wall and extends upwards to define an upper edge. A dividing wall is attached to the perimeter wall between the bottom wall and the upper edge and divides the area inside the housing into a compartment below and an upper portion above the dividing wall. A heating element is positioned within the compartment. A controller is electrically coupled to the heating element to turn the heating element on or off. A power supply is in electrical communication with the controller and the heating element to supply electrical power to the heating element. When the controller is turned on, the heating element warms the sand in the upper portion and the sand warms a person's feet.

An assembly for preventing and treating skin dermatitis includes an air flow conditioning module positioned in the output air flow increasing or decreasing the temperature of the generated air flow as received from the fan responsive to a received control signal, a temperature sensor positioned in the output air flow sensing a current temperature of the output air flow as conditioned by the air flow conditioning module, an air flow conditioning control module is coupled to the air flow conditioning module and the temperature sensor for generating the control signal, and air flow conditioning control module that has a definable temperature range of the output airflow and for receiving the sensed current temperature from the temperature sensor, comparing the current temperature to the defined temperature range, and generating the control signal to provide the generated air flow at the nozzle is within the defined temperature range.

A baby space warmer system includes a baby space warmer having a heating element and/or a power source disposed in a housing and a controller that is operable to control the heating element and/or power source. The controller may control the heating element to warm to a warming temperature, switch to maintaining a maintenance temperature, and then cease heating. The controller may control the heating element in this way using regulation of voltage and/or one or more components, such as one or more timers, thermostats, thermometers, and so on. In some implementations, a baby space warmer system may include a warming container configured to contain the baby space warmer, concentrate heat generated by the baby space warmer to speed heating of the baby space warmer to the warming temperature, retain heat generated by the baby space warmer to maintain the heating temperature and/or the maintenance temperature, and so on.

The present invention is directed to personal heating devices, known as heated packs. Heated packs of the invention include a frame and a heating assembly disposed within the frame. The heating assembly may include a heating panel, an intelligent circuit, and a battery. In certain embodiments, one or more sides of the frame include a material configured to absorb heat or release heat in response to the energy outputted by the heating assembly. In further embodiments, the intelligent circuit is configured to change the temperature of the heating pack based a sensory input received by a user.

A temperature regulation system for regulating the temperature of a portion of a body, in particular of a user's body.

The system comprises one humidity sensor for measuring humidity in the vicinity of the portion of a body, one temperature adjustment element for providing heat to a portion of the body, a memory unit for storing one threshold humidity related value (H.sub.thresh) and one reference user information related values (t.sub.ref, θ.sub.ref), a controlling unit in communication with the humidity sensor, with the memory unit and with the temperature adjustment element, and configured to determine one instant user information related value (t.sub.inst, θ.sub.inst), perform a comparison between one instant user information related value (tin.sub.ct, θ.sub.inst) and one triggering user information related value (t.sub.trig, θ.sub.trig) based on said reference user information related value (t.sub.ref, θ.sub.ref), activate the temperature adjustment element to provide heat to a portion of the body depending on the result of said comparison.

The controlling unit is further configured to receive one instant humidity (H.sub.inst) measured in the vicinity of the portion of the body from the humidity sensor, perform a comparison between said instant humidity related value (H.sub.inst) and one triggering humidity related value (H.sub.trig) based on said threshold humidity related value (H.sub.thresh), and to set the one triggering user information related value (t.sub.trig, θ.sub.trig) to a value lower than said reference user information related value (t.sub.ref, θ.sub.ref) when the instant humidity related value (H.sub.inst) is greater or equal to said threshold humidity related value (H.sub.thresh).

An interactive enthalpy exchange system for infant care includes a pouch for receiving an infant, and a heat source arranged in the pouch. The heat source includes a first heat source and a second heat source different from the first heat source. Control circuitry is operatively coupled to the heat source, the control circuitry configured to control interactive enthalpy between the first heat source and the second heat source to maintain a temperature within the pouch at a prescribed temperature.

Wearable heat transfer devices and associated systems and methods are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a representative heat transfer device can comprise (i) thermoelectric components each having a first side and a second side, (ii) a heat transfer system having a heat exchanger and an array of fluid distribution networks, in which individual fluid distribution networks are thermally coupled to the second side of a corresponding one of the thermoelectric components and fluidically coupled to the heat exchanger, and (iii) a flexible support unit coupled to the first sides of the thermoelectric components and extending at least between individual thermoelectric components, wherein the flexible support unit is a heat spreader configured to enhance heat transfer from a target area.

In one instance, a recovery system to assist an athlete with recovery is presented that includes a battery-operated, flexible wrap that applies heat and optionally pneumatic pressure while utilizing both conductive and radiant heat in varying proportions according to a desired pattern. Optionally, at least one pneumatic bladder on the flexible wrap applies the pneumatic pressure to the user. The recovery system has a control unit that ramps the temperature applied before leveling at a target temperature. Other systems and devices are presented.