Thermal therapy systems, devices, and methods of using the same disclosed. A localized hypothermia of the pancreas with a delivery and placement procedure in the stomach of a patient comprising a cooling balloon system is disclosed that can be used for the treatment of pancreatitis in a patient. The cooling balloon system can have mechanisms for affecting the pancreas without impacting or inducing hypothermia in the patient in a systemic fashion. The localized hypothermia system can have a simplified delivery system and can be intended to reduce patient discomfort while reducing the metabolic activity of the inflamed pancreas of the patient.

Continuous core body temperature measurements are made during hypothermic operations, where the core body temperature of the patient is lowered to reduce swelling. Caregivers monitor the patient's core body temperature to prevent damage that can occur to the patient if the patient's core body temperature becomes too low. To accurately determine the core body temperature of the patient, a temperature monitoring system measures the temperature at or near the surface of the patient and through at least a portion of a thermal block at multiple locations.

A cooling device for removing heat from subcutaneous lipid-rich cells of a subject having skin is provided. The cooling device includes a plurality of cooling elements movable relative to each other to conform to the contour's of the subject's skin. The cooling elements have a plurality of controllable thermoelectric coolers. The cooling elements can be controlled to provide a time-varying cooling profile in a predetermined sequence, can be controlled to provide a spatial cooling profile in a selected pattern, or can be adjusted to maintain constant process parameters, or can be controlled to provide a combination thereof.

Disclosed is an article consisting of at least two sheets stacked and welded to define a paving including at least three tiles, each having at least three sides and vertices, arranged to define a plane, the tiles being adjacent and connected to each other by at least one of the sides, the tiles including at least one compartment including at least a material absorbent to an aqueous medium or a filler material, the tiles being closed and connected to each other by at least one weld. The weld includes a frangible line with a series of weakening welds and junction points or a pre-cut bordered to either side with a mix weld, the mix weld being broadened close to the vertex of each tile so the corner of the tiles is reinforced by an enlarged weld surface area. Also disclosed are a production method and a device.

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.

A device comprising a casing; at least one vibratory source; at least one power source; at least one switch to actuate the vibratory source; electrical communication between the vibratory source, the power source, and the switch; and an optional thermal element for modulating the temperature of a contacted area of a surface. Also disclosed herein are methods for using the disclosed device.

A cryoprotectant for use with a treatment device for improved removal of heat from subcutaneous lipid-rich cells of a subject having skin is provided. The cryoprotectant is a non-freezing liquid, gel, or paste for allowing pre-cooling of the treatment device below 0? C. while preventing the formation of ice thereon. The cryoprotectant may also prevent freezing of the treatment device to the skin or ice from forming from moisture seeping out from the skin. The cryoprotectant may further be hygroscopic, thermally conductive, and biocompatible.

One variation of a system includes a garment insert: configured to be worn across a dermal surface; including a textile panel defining a grid receptacle; and including a grid structure arranged within the grid receptacle and defining an array of apertures. The system further includes a cooling unit including a heatsink structure: defining a base section defining an inner surface configured to contact the dermal surface; and defining a set of heatsink columns extending from the base section, opposite the inner surface, and configured to seat extending through the array of apertures. The cooling unit: is configured to wick moisture from the dermal surface toward surfaces of the set of heatsink columns; and includes a polymer frame, bonded to the heatsink structure about the base section, configured to abut surfaces of the base section to surfaces of the grid receptacle to flexibly retain the cooling unit within the grid receptacle.

The invention relates to a medical plaster (1) with a layer (2) of textile fabric or plastic, an adhesive layer (5), and an absorbent dressing layer (3). To permit individual dosing of an active substance and/or a physical cooling effect, it is proposed that the fabric or plastic layer (2) has an opening (4) in the area of the dressing layer (3), such that the dressing layer (3) is exposed and accessible in the area of the opening (4). The invention moreover comprises a medical kit (100) with the plaster, and a hood that has the plaster (1) as an integral part.

A device that is used to reduce the pain of a needle stick to a person, the device having a casing containing a vibratory device and a temperature reducing device, and a method for using the device to reduce the pain of a needle stick by applying both thermal and vibration analgesia to a subject during a needle stick.