Disclosed are devices and methods for body temperature management using a heat transfer catheter carrying a heat transfer fluid to heat or cool a desired, focused portion of a patient's body. In accordance with certain aspects of the invention, the heat transfer catheter may include hollow nodes that have greater rigidity than the remainder of the catheter to aid in placement of the heat transfer catheter within and navigation of the desired portion of the patient's body. Methods of using such heat transfer catheter to effect temperature management of the patient's body are also disclosed.

A device and method to treat an overgrowth of yeast in a body cavity and inflammatory and/or hemorrhagic conditions of a body cavity. The device comprising a shell, removal means, and a freezable filler contained in a chamber within the shell. When the filler is frozen and the device inserted into the body cavity, the shell cools the body cavity to a temperature that inhibits the replication of yeast and provides relief to symptoms. An external cooling component extending from the shell provides cooling at the body cavity opening, An expandable bladder in the shell provides tamponade treatment for body cavity hemorrhaging.

A hemostasis promoting method and a hemostasis assisting tool are capable of promoting hemostasis on a puncture site. The hemostasis promoting method is a method of promoting hemostasis on a puncture site formed in a radial artery among the radial artery and an ulnar artery that are branched from a brachial artery in an arm and that extend parallel to each other. The hemostasis promoting method makes a temperature of a body surface around the radial artery higher than a temperature of a body surface around the ulnar artery such that the temperature of the radial artery will be higher than the temperature of the ulnar artery.

There is provided a device for insertion into a body cavity, the device includes an insertion member configured to be inserted into the body cavity, an expandable member coupled to the insertion member, the expandable member capable of being expanded to apply pressure onto tissue within the body cavity, a first member configured for storing a first endothermic reactant therein, and a second member configured for storing a second endothermic reactant therein. In particular, the first and second members are configured to, in a state of the device (e.g., compressed state), allow the first and second endothermic reactants to cooperate to effect an endothermic reaction to generate an endothermic product. Furthermore, the expandable member is configured to receive at least one of the first or second endothermic reactant and the endothermic product through a channel within the insertion member. There is also provided a method of fabricating a device for inserting into a body cavity.

A device and method to treat an overgrowth of yeast in a body cavity and inflammatory and/or hemorrhagic conditions of a body cavity. The device comprising a shell, removal means, and a freezable filler contained in a chamber within the shell. When the filler is frozen and the device inserted into the body cavity, the shell cools the body cavity to a temperature that inhibits the replication of yeast and provides relief to symptoms. An external cooling component extending from the shell provides cooling at the body cavity opening. An expandable bladder in the shell provides tamponade treatment for body cavity hemorrhaging.

A self-heating or self-cooling towel is disclosed that includes a moistened cloth material surrounding and attached to a flexible reaction vessel which comprises two compartments containing reactants which are separated by a frangible seal. Manipulating the disclosed towel ruptures the frangible seal, joining the compartments and mixing the reactants, and causing an exothermic or endothermic reaction. The reaction heats or cools the moistened cloth-like outer material and keeps it at an elevated or depressed temperature for a period of time, during which the towel article may be used for various personal care, cleaning, medical, therapeutic, and other purposes.

Methods of producing anesthesia or analgesia at an ocular tissue site are provided. Aspects of the methods include contacting the ocular tissue site with a cooling element having a temperature ranging from 0 to 30 C., such as 5 to 20 C. for an application time of 30 seconds or less so as to produce anesthesia or analgesia at the target tissue site. Also provided are devices that find use in practicing the methods.

There is described an apparatus for heating or cooling a material to be heated or to be cooled. The apparatus includes: a first compartment for containing the material to be heated or to be cooled; and a second compartment containing a phase change material, wherein the phase change material is either for generating heat to heat the first compartment or absorbing heat to cool the first compartment when undergoing a phase change. There are further described various different activating arrangements for activating a change of phase of the phase change material.

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 mask-type hydrogen supply device that is freely portable when carried by a user and with which it is possible to supply hydrogen to the areas around both eyes and the eyeballs while warming the eyelids, wherein the eye mask-type hydrogen supply device can be used continuously by replacing a hydrogen gas supply pack.