A therapeutic bra including a body portion having a front, a back, a first side, second side, a first cup, and a second cup; the front and the back are connected at the first and second sides, the first cup including a first opening for receiving a first nipple of a user therethrough; the second cup including a second opening for receiving a second nipple of the user therethrough; a flap coupled to the first cup and configured to selectively conceal or expose the first opening; a second flap coupled to the second cup and configured to selectively conceal or expose the second opening; and a first heating apparatus comprising a first heating loop operably connected to a power source and a controller disposed on the body portion; and first and second heating loops associated with the respective cup, the side, the front, and/or flap.

The present invention relates to a system (100) for controlling a temperature, the system (100) comprising: a temperature sensor module (10), which is configured to measure a temperature value; a microcontroller module (20), which is coupled to the temperature sensor module (10) and which is configured to generate AC heating pulse signals by separate sequential code steps based on the measured temperature value; a coupling module (30) which is coupled to the microcontroller module (20) and which is configured to transform the generated AC heating pulse signals into transformed AC heating pulse signals using a transfer function which is substantially zero for DC signal components; and a heating module (40) which is coupled to the coupling module (30) and which is configured to generate heat according to the transformed AC heating pulse signals.

An array of heating patches for placement on the skin, especially the skin of the face. Each patch has a heating circuit incorporated therein, and the patches are electrically connected to each other in series and/or parallel. Electrical energy, and optionally, digital information, may be supplied to the patches through one or more cables that originate in an appropriate electrical connector. Each patch has two layers; a disposable layer and a reusable layer.

The present invention is directed to a self regulating heater including a first layer made of a thin and flexible electrically insulating material. A second electrically conductive layer includes first and second buses spaced from each other. A third resistive layer electrically connects the first and second buses. The third layer has a higher electrical resistance than the second layer. The third layer experiences a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) effect when heated. A fourth interface layer directly connected to at least one of the second electrically conductive layer and the third resistive layer directly engages skin of a patient when the heater is attached to the patient. A combined thickness of the first layer, the second conductive layer, the third resistive layer and the fourth layer may be between 5 mil and 20 mil.

A portable heating apparatus includes a top layer and a bottom layer connected to the top layer to form a cavity. An electric heating element is disposed within the cavity, and a temperature-retaining component, such as a gel layer, is affixed within the cavity adjacent to the electric heating element and adjacent to the top layer. A power cord is in electrical communication with the electric heating element and connectable to a power source to provide power to the electric heating element, the power cord detachable from the portable heating apparatus. The temperature-retaining component is capable of retaining heat generated by the electric heating element and creating a generally uniform distribution of heat across the top layer.

A heating element includes an electrically insulating layer; resistive layer formed of a positive temperature coefficient material; and an electrically conductive layer disposed between the electrically insulating layer and the resistive layer and including a first bus and a second bus that is spaced apart from the first bus, the resistive layer electrically connecting the first bus and the second bus. The electrically insulating layer, the electrically conductive layer, and the resistive layer are stacked to form a lamination and the lamination having a thickness and a width and length extending orthogonal to the thickness. The lamination may have slits extending through the thickness thereof and along a portion of the length thereof. Terminals may be connected to the buses and arranged to provide a counter current flow pattern across the lamination. The lamination may be used in a warming device and in connection with a patient warming system.

A patient warming system includes a control unit coupled to one or more warming devices. The control unit may control application of power to the heating elements of the warming devices. The control unit may provide hardware and/or software approaches to monitor and detect an overtemperature situation and/or fault of a given warming device.

A therapeutic bra including a body portion having a front, a back, a first side, second side, a first cup, and a second cup; the front and the back are connected at the first and second sides, the first cup including a first opening for receiving a first nipple of a user therethrough; the second cup including a second opening for receiving a second nipple of the user therethrough; a flap coupled to the first cup and configured to selectively conceal or expose the first opening; a second flap coupled to the second cup and configured to selectively conceal or expose the second opening; and a first heating apparatus comprising a first heating loop operably connected to a power source and a controller disposed on the body portion; and first and second heating loops associated with the respective cup, the side, the front, and/or flap.

A measuring apparatus (1), for the contactless determination of a temperature (T) of an object (100), e.g., of a human, has an infrared camera (10) with a focus (11). A calibrating device (30) is connected to the infrared camera (10) via a data link. The calibrating device (30) has an outer shell (31) with an emissivity on the outside similar to that of the object (100). A temperature sensor (34) is arranged in the outer shell (31). Moreover, a method for contactless determination of a temperature (T) of an object (100) with the measuring apparatus (1) as well as a method for the operation of the measuring apparatus are provided.

The present invention is directed to a self regulating heater including a first layer made of a thin and flexible electrically insulating material. A second electrically conductive layer includes first and second buses spaced from each other. A third resistive layer electrically connects the first and second buses. The third layer has a higher electrical resistance than the second layer. The third layer experiences a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) effect when heated. A fourth interface layer directly connected to at least one of the second electrically conductive layer and the third resistive layer directly engages skin of a patient when the heater is attached to the patient. A combined thickness of the first layer, the second conductive layer, the third resistive layer and the fourth layer may be between 5 mil and 20 mil.