Apparatuses and methods for treating neurological and/or neuropsychiatric disorders are by application of thermal energy to the patient's forehead region, for example, by maintaining a target temperature or temperature range to the forehead of a patient for a time period. In particular, described herein are regional brain cooling mechanisms to treat neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety, and autism.

Methods, systems and devices for reducing anxiety, including increasing relaxation and/or calm. In some variations these methods may include reducing anxiety, increase relaxation and/or calm by non-invasive temperature regulation of the frontal cortex prior to and/or during sleep. The subject may have an anxiety disorder, or may not have a diagnosed anxiety disorder.

Aspects of embodiments pertain to a perineal protection device for reducing the risk or preventing perineal tear during birth. The device may comprise a reinforcement shield that is releasably connectable to a female perineum of a subject, the reinforcement shield having a surface geometry substantially corresponding to an underlying perineal muscle structure and being configured to reduce deformation of the perineum during childbirth. Optionally, the perineal protection device further comprises a fastener arrangement for releasably securing the reinforcement shield to the female perineum. The fastener arrangement may comprise a support pad that is adhesively engageable with the subject and/or straps for strapping the reinforcement shield to the subject.

Disclosed herein is a medical pad for exchanging thermal energy between a targeted temperature management (TTM) fluid and a patient. The pad can include a central pad and a plurality of extension pads coupled with the central pad, where the extension pads extend away from right and left lateral sides of the central pad and where each of the central pad and the plurality of extension pads includes a fluid containing layer configured for circulation of a TTM fluid therein. A method can include removing a portion of the hydrogel liner and placing a remaining portion of the hydrogel liner between the hydrogel layer and the patient. The method can also include rotating and folding one or more of the extension pads to defeat the thermal energy exchange of the rotated and folded extension pads.

A thermal control unit for controlling a patient's temperature includes a fluid outlet for delivering temperature-controlled fluid to a patient, a pump, a heat exchanger, and a controller that automatically pauses thermal treatment of the patient prior the patient reaching a target temperature. During the pause, the controller assesses a reaction of the patient and changes a temperature of the fluid only inside the thermal control unit if the patient is likely to reach the target temperature without further thermal treatment. However, if the patient is unlikely to reach the target temperature without further thermal treatment, the controller restarts the thermal treatment. The controller may pause thermal treatment again prior to reaching the target temperature and assess the patient's reaction. In some embodiments, the controller may selectively include and exclude a fluid reservoir in a circulation channel within the thermal control unit.

A cold/hot compress strip device with a quick replaceable compress strip and an efficient cold/hot switch includes a host machine and a flexible compress strip fixable to an affected part on a human body surface, and the host machine can pump the cooled cold water from its container into the compress strip and circulate the cold water in the compress strip for cold compress, or can quickly discharge the cold water in the compress strip, and drive a heating film on the compress strip to generate heat for hot compress, so as to achieve an efficient cold/hot switch, and the compress strip can be replaced quickly as needed. The application of the cold/hot compress strip device is very simple and practical.

A patient temperature control system for automated temperature control according to a programmed protocol. In one aspect, at least one programmed protocol may be established for each of a plurality of patient thermal therapy phases. In turn, the temperature of a thermal exchange medium may be controlled upon the programmed protocol during each of the phases. A plurality of programmed protocols may be established, wherein a selected protocol may be utilized for automated temperature control during patient thermal therapy. The protocol may include a target patient temperature and/or a set duration for one or more of the phase of thermal therapy. The protocol may be user-definable and modifiable during therapy. In a multiphase configuration, automatic termination and initiation of successive phases may be selectively established by a user, based on target patient temperature data and/or set duration data on a phase-specific basis.

A pressure injuries therapeutic support surface is illustrated. The surface comprises an integrated system designed for a concurrent physical and psychoneuroimmunological approach over a user, wherein the system comprises one or a plurality of independent fluid-filled main chambers, made of waterproof, flexible, extendable, and elastic material and at least two accessory chambers connected to each main chamber with at least with two free-flow conduits. The system is managed through a powered mechatronic array with its own hardware and software based on microcontrollers for the simultaneous operation of specific multidisciplinary devices.

A thermal pad system is disclosed in which two or more thermal pads can be connected together to cover a larger region of the body than a single pad, and the joining is done in such a way that there is substantially no gap between the volumes of thermal material in each pad on the side of the pads that is applied to the user's body. Each thermal pad is substantially flat, and includes a fringe portion around a volume of thermal material, wherein the two sides are joined together to create a liquid barrier. A joining clip is used to connect two thermal pads together by lifting the fringe portions along corresponding edges of the two pads away from the side of the pads to be applied to the body, and the joining clip is configured to not just hold the fringe portion sections together, but also to urge the two volume portions together under the joined fringe portion sections.

Disclosed are systems, pads, and methods for targeted temperature management. A pad can include a multilayered pad body, a pad inlet connector, and a pad outlet connector. The pad body can include a plurality of separable longitudinal portions, wherein each longitudinal portion of the longitudinal portions includes a conduit, a patient-interfacing layer over the conduit, and an insulation layer over the conduit opposite the patient-interfacing layer. The conduit can be configured to convey a temperature-controlled fluid as a supply fluid from a hydraulic system or convey a return fluid back to the hydraulic system. The patient-interfacing layer can include a thermally conductive medium configured for placement on a patient’s body. The insulation layer can include an insulative foam. The pad inlet connector can be configured for charging the pad with the supply fluid while the pad outlet connector can be configured for discharging the return fluid from the pad.