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.

The cooling system cools a patient's tissue while applying suction to the skin and applying ultrasound waves to the tissue to reduce fat cells. The cooling applicator simultaneously provides suction, cooling, and ultrasound to the treatment area of the patient. The applicator connects to a suction to draw the tissue longitudinally into a cavity of the applicator. Cooling plates located laterally outward from the cavity cool the tissue during the treatment. A transducer located longitudinally above the cavity transmits ultrasound waves longitudinally downward into the cavity and the tissue. The ultrasound provides non-focused treatment such that the transducer transmits the ultrasound waves oriented horizontally and vertically longitudinally downward at the tissue. A treatment pad placed on the patient's skin directly contacts the patient such that the applicator does not directly contact the patient. The treatment pad is constructed from a fabric storing a glycerin gel, deionized water, and fructose.

The present disclosure provides a device and a method for cooling living tissues for a medical purpose and other purposes. The cooling device comprises: a container configured to accommodate a cooling medium and thermally coupled with the cooling medium by directly contacting the cooling medium; a cooling generator configured to be thermally coupled with the container by a direct contact and thereby to provide cooling energy to the cooling medium; and a heat sink dissipating heat from the cooling generator, the heat sing being configured to be spaced apart from the cooling generator and to be thermally coupled with the cooling generator without a direct contact with the cooling generator.

The invention relates to a system for acquiring the vital status of animals, which comprises at least one first device for acquiring vital functions, and at least one signal transmission means, wherein the first device has at least two first and/or second sensors arranged at a distance from each other. The components of the system for acquiring the vital status of animals can be detachably connected with each other by connectors.

The invention further relates to a method for determining the vital status of animals, wherein the vital functions are acquired by a first device with at least two first and/or second sensors arranged at a distance from each other, wherein the acquired data are transmitted by at least one signal transmission means to a data processing device, and there processed and evaluated, and from the data processing device to an external output device, which outputs the vital status of animals.

The present invention relates to methods and devices for the personalization of thermal treatment protocols. In particular, standard thermal treatment protocols are adapted and personalized based on individual-specific information, allowing more effective treatment protocols. Also systems for automated planning of the thermal treatment of an individual or a part thereof with individual-specific consideration are provided.

Selectively controllable apparatus for insertion into an ear canal, and related methods of use and operation for behavioral control. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a body configured for insertion into an ear canal. In one variant, the body includes one or more thermal mechanisms which enable selective increase or decrease of temperature of at least portions of the ear canal so as to implement behavioral control of the user, such as to mitigate cravings for food, alcohol, narcotics, or other potentially deleterious substances. In one variant, a mild nausea or pre-nausea condition is created within the user according to a time-temperature profile so as to induce the aforementioned behavioral modification.

The proposed device for a thermal treatment of a human user includes contact elements (plates) for contacts with a user's body connected to thermal sources electrically coupled to a power module and to a control module configured for thermal massage of the user's body. The thermal elements are located on the common base. Each element includes a thermo-conductive plate connected to a Peltier element. The elements have apertures for outward air flow and air fans connected to the power module and to the controller module. The elements' air fans are positioned in such a way that the air is directed through the thermos-conductive radiators in the direction to the apertures. A thermo-conductive plate of each of the thermal elements is connected to the thermos-conductive radiator. The Peltier elements are connected to the power module and to the controller module.

A system for laparoscopic thermal treatment of visceral fat includes an elongate cooling probe configured for placement through a trocar, the probe including an elongate shaft having a proximal end and a distal end and having a maximum transverse dimension, and an expandable endpiece having a proximal end and a distal end, and including a collapsed state configured for placement through a channel of the trocar and an expanded state, the expanded state having a maximum outer diameter, the maximum outer diameter at least about twice the maximum transverse dimension of the shaft, wherein the proximal end of the endpiece is sealingly coupled to the distal end of the shaft, and a heat exchanger coupled to the cooling probe and configured to remove heat from the endpiece such that adipose tissue placed in contact with the endpiece can be cooled to a temperature of between about 2° C. and about .sup.+1° C.

According to some embodiments, a method of treating a skin surface of a subject comprises heating a skin surface, abrading native skin tissue of a subject using a microdermabrasion device, wherein using the microdermabrasion device comprises moving the microdermabrasion device relative to the skin surface while simultaneously delivering at least one treatment fluid to the skin surface being treated and cooling the abraded skin surface.