A blanket for venipuncture or cannulation on a patient's hand using forced air warming, including a non-air permeable outer layer and an air permeable inner layer the outer layer and inner layer defined to form an inflatable chamber, the inflatable chamber allowing egress of continuous forced warming air on the patient's hand; wherein in use, continuous forced warming air dilates and allows for visual identification of the patient's hand veins.

The invention relates to a vasodilation assembly for facilitating intravenous cannulation. The assembly comprises: (i) a flexible plastics sleeve (10); (ii) a heated air supply; and (iii) a conduit for conveying heated air from the air supply into the flexible plastics sleeve. The sleeve comprises an air inlet opening (12) for coupling to the conduit, and an opening (14) for accepting an appendage of a patient. The flexible plastics sleeve (10) is of a double-walled construction comprising transparent inner and outer sleeve layers (16, 18).

Apparatus and methods related to an underbody support for supporting a body of a being, such as during surgery to prevent contact pressure injuries. In certain embodiments, the underbody support may include one or more inflatable chambers enclosing a volume. At least one of the inflatable chambers may include one or more compression sensitive switches for monitoring the volume of the inflatable chamber, and the one or more compression sensitive switches may be located within the inflatable chamber. In some embodiments the one or more compression sensitive switches are sized to close when the said inflatable chamber is deflated to a desired residual volume.

Apparatus and methods are provided for treating a human condition by providing an appendage chamber having a thermal exchange member. Negative pressure may be applied to a human appendage when placed within the appendage chamber. Blood flowing through the arteriovenous anastomosis (AVA) of the appendage may be heated or cooled at the thermal exchange member for therapeutic application of thermal energy to adjust blood viscosity in the human to alleviate symptoms associated with a number of autoimmune, circulatory, neurological, lymphatic, and endocrinal maladies. A load sensor may be coupled to the thermal exchange member and configured to measure a force of the appendage applied to the thermal exchange member. In addition, a negative pressure sensor may measure pressure within the appendage chamber.

A unitary inlet port assembly for use as a closable air inlet port for an inflatable heating blanket or garment. The inlet port assembly has a port panel on the outside of blanket, having an inlet opening configured for receiving an air hose nozzle. A closure panel that is disposed within an interior portion of the inflatable heating blanket or garment, and is hinged an edge of the port panel. A latch extends from an outer-facing surface of the closure panel, to register with the inlet opening of the port panel when pivoted to a closed position. At the closed position, the outer-facing surface of the closure panel confronts and engages the inside surface of the port panel to close the air inlet port. The latch is configured to engage the annular rim of the port panel to hold the closure panel in the closed position.

A rapid contrast therapy system can provide cold, heat/hot/warm (hereafter referred to as hot), and/or rapid contrast therapy, which involves rapidly alternating between cold therapy and hot therapy. The system can circulate cold or hot fluid, such as water, through a hose, into a therapy wrap, and then back to the fluid reservoirs of the system. The system can utilize a vapor compression system or other chiller technology to cool the cold water reservoir, and immersion heaters can be used to heat the hot water reservoir.

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to the treatment of hypertension, diabetes, obesity, heart failure, end-stage renal disease, digestive disease, urological disease, cancers, tumors, pains, asthma, pulmonary arterial hypertension, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by delivering of an effective amount of formulations at desired temperature to target tissue. The formulations include gases, vapors, liquids, solutions, emulsions and suspensions of one or more ingredients. The temperature may enhance safety and efficacy of the formulations for the treatments. The amounts of the formulation and/or energy are effective to injury or damage the tissues to have a benefit of symptom relive.

A DVT and temperature therapy system. A temperature therapy blanket includes a fluid bladder for delivering hot and/or cold therapy to a patient. The temperature therapy blanket may also include an air bladder for providing compression. The DVT system functions independently of the temperature therapy. This Abstract is provided to comply with rules requiring an Abstract that allows a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain subject matter of the technical disclosure. This Abstract is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. 37 CFR 1.72(b).

Methods for treating fluid overload in a subject comprise shifting fluids directly and non-invasively from an interstitial compartment of the subject to skin of the subject through controlled local sweating. Methods of the invention allow for removal of excess fluid from the interstitial compartment of the subject and treat fluid overload in the subject. Sweat stimulation systems comprise a chamber and first and second relative humidity sensors. The chamber is sized to fit around a body part of a subject, comprises an inlet and an outlet, and is configured such that air flows through the chamber from the inlet to the outlet. The first relative humidity sensor is operably located inside the inlet, and the second relative humidity sensor is operably located proximate the outlet.

A system for cooling a head of a user to mitigate or prevent drug-induced hair-loss, including a hat, which includes an exterior layer, an interior layer, with an inflatable chamber therebetween, the inflatable chamber being functionally associated with an inflation pump. The hat includes a cooling assembly, reversibly attachable to the interior layer and including a housing defining pockets having cooling pads therein. Each cooling pad comprising a phase-changing-material adapted to obtain a temperature lower than 20 C. and to retain that temperature. A sensor is adapted to sense an environmental condition within the hat. A controller is adapted to receive input from the sensor, and to provide a notification when the sensed environmental condition is outside of a specific range. When the hat is donned by the user, the inflatable chamber is inflated sufficiently to ensure that the cooling assembly engages the scalp of the user.