HOT/COLD TEMPERATURE TREATMENT APPARATUS

Abstract

Packs for providing heat or cold to a body part or parts. In some embodiments, packs comprising an outer flexible shell or skin housing or carrying a plurality of beads mixed in combination with a liquid or gel. In some embodiments, packs, which can be (or are) configured into various shapes, which contain beads in combination with a liquid or gel solution, which can be heated or cooled for application, thereafter, to a body part for providing hot or cold therapy to the body part.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A hot and cold temperature treatment pack comprising: a sealed pack shell comprised of one or more flexible walls configured so as to provide an interior compartment; a plurality of deformable beads carried in said interior compartment, each bead of said plurality of deformable beads consisting of a solid, spherical, one-piece gel body; a liquid or gel carried in said interior compartment; said plurality of deformable beads and said liquid or gel collectively comprising a heatable and chillable payload at least partially filling said interior compartment of said sealed pack shell, said heatable and chillable payload and said sealed pack shell together cooperatively comprising a treatment pack which is so configured so as to be capable of both being microwaved and frozen for providing heat and cold therapy; wherein said treatment pack is so configured to include a particular quantity of said deformable beads and a particular quantity of said liquid or gel, such that: when said treatment pack is heated, said treatment pack automatically remains at a heated temperature for between 17 and 30 minutes; and when said treatment pack is chilled, said treatment pack automatically remains at a cooled temperature for between 17 and 30 minutes; and wherein said liquid or gel carried in said interior compartment is in contact with said plurality of deformable beads and assists said plurality of deformable beads to have a fluid movement within said interior compartment of said treatment pack.

17. The treatment pack according to claim 16 wherein said deformable beads fill at least 60-95% of said interior compartment with the remaining percentage of said interior compartment being filled with said liquid or gel, but with some percentage of said interior compartment remaining unfilled such that the treatment pack is conformable when applied to particular body parts.

18. The treatment pack according to claim 17 wherein said liquid is water and said water or gel is present in a quantity to form a suspension.

19. The treatment pack according to claim 16 wherein said heatable and chillable payload includes at least one compound selected from the group consisting of glycerin, bicarbonate, and sorbitol.

20. The treatment pack according to claim 18 wherein said treatment pack is configured and filled to a particular level to conform to a body part selected from the group consisting of: a facial area, an ankle, a knee, a shoulder, an elbow, and a head.

21. The treatment pack according to claim 16 wherein said deformable beads are comprised of glycerin.

22. The treatment pack according to claim 16 wherein said interior compartment is filled 80-99% with said deformable beads and 1-20% with said liquid or gel.

23. The treatment pack according to claim 20 wherein said one or more flexible walls are comprised of polyvinyl chloride.

24. The treatment pack according to claim 23 further including a percentage of bicarbonate buffer solution added to said liquid or gel.

25. The treatment pack according to claim 16 wherein said treatment pack is repeatedly microwaveable and freezable.

26. A hot and cold temperature treatment pack comprising: a sealed pack shell comprised of one or more flexible walls configured so as to provide an interior compartment; a plurality of deformable beads carried in said interior compartment, each bead of said plurality of deformable beads consisting of a solid, spherical, one-piece gel body; a liquid or gel carried in said interior compartment; said plurality of deformable beads and said liquid or gel collectively comprising a heatable and chillable payload at least partially filling said interior compartment of said sealed pack shell, said heatable and chillable payload and said sealed pack shell together cooperatively comprising a treatment pack which is so configured so as to be capable of both being microwaved and frozen for providing heat and cold therapy; said treatment pack being configured and filled to a particular level to conform to a body part selected from the group consisting of: a facial area, an ankle, a knee, a shoulder, an elbow, and a head; said treatment pack being so configured to include a particular quantity of said deformable beads and a particular quantity of said liquid or gel, such that: when said treatment pack is heated, said treatment pack automatically remains at a heated temperature for delivering heat therapy; and when said treatment pack is chilled, said treatment pack automatically remains at a cooled temperature for delivering cold therapy; and wherein said liquid or gel carried in said interior compartment is in contact with said plurality of deformable beads and assists said plurality of deformable beads to have a fluid movement within said interior compartment of said treatment pack.

27. The treatment pack according to claim 26 wherein said deformable beads fill at least 60-95% of said interior compartment with the remaining percentage of said interior compartment being filled with said liquid or gel, but with some percentage of said interior compartment remaining unfilled such that the treatment pack is conformable when applied to said body part.

28. The treatment pack according to claim 27 wherein said liquid is water and said water or gel is present in a quantity to form a suspension.

29. The treatment pack according to claim 26 wherein said heatable and chillable payload includes at least one compound selected from the group consisting of glycerin, bicarbonate, and sorbitol.

30. The treatment pack according to claim 26 wherein said deformable beads are comprised of glycerin.

31. The treatment pack according to claim 26 wherein said interior compartment is filled 80-99% with said deformable beads and 1-20% with said liquid or gel.

32. The treatment pack according to claim 28 wherein said one or more flexible walls are comprised of polyvinyl chloride.

33. The treatment pack according to claim 32 further including a percentage of bicarbonate buffer solution added to said liquid or gel.

34. The treatment pack according to claim 26 wherein the percentage of said deformable beads and the percentage of said liquid or gel within said interior compartment are selected such that the time to heat or cold dissipation is 20 minutes.

35. The treatment pack according to claim 26 wherein said treatment pack is repeatedly microwaveable and freezable.

36. A hot and cold temperature treatment pack comprising: a sealed pack shell comprised of one or more flexible walls configured so as to provide an interior compartment for carrying a heatable and chillable payload; a plurality of deformable beads carried in said interior compartment, said plurality of deformable beads being spherical and comprised of a gel composition; a liquid carried in said interior compartment; wherein said interior compartment is filled with a particular quantity of said deformable beads and a particular quantity of said liquid in a first ratio, and wherein said interior compartment is filled with a particular ratio of solid deformable beads to hollow beads in a second ratio, said first and said second ratios being so tailored and utilized so as to obtain selected values of hot or cold temperature retention such that: a) when said treatment pack is heated, said treatment pack automatically remains at a heated temperature for between 17-30 minutes; and b) when said treatment pack is chilled, said treatment pack automatically remains at a cooled temperature for between 17-30 minutes; and wherein said treatment pack is both microwaveable and freezable to alternately provide hot and cold therapy.

37. A method of providing hot and cold temperature therapy to a body part comprising: in a first step: providing a sealed pack shell comprised of one or more flexible polyvinyl chloride walls configured so as to provide an interior compartment for carrying a heatable and chillable payload; providing a plurality of deformable beads in said interior compartment to at least partially fill said interior compartment; providing a liquid in said interior compartment to at least partially fill said interior compartment; wherein said plurality of deformable beads are spherical and wherein each bead of said plurality of deformable beads consists of a solid, one-piece gel body which, in combination with said liquid carried in said interior compartment, together comprise a filling means for filling said sealed pack shell so as to provide a treatment pack which is both microwaveable and freezable, and wherein said interior compartment is provided with a particular quantity of said deformable beads and a particular quantity of said liquid in a first ratio, and wherein a particular ratio of solid to hollow beads is provided in a second ratio, said first and said second ratios being so tailored and utilized so as to obtain therapeutically effective values of hot or cold temperature retention such that: when said treatment pack is heated, said treatment pack automatically remains at a heated temperature for between 17-30 minutes; and when said treatment pack is chilled, said treatment pack automatically remains at a cooled temperature for between 17-30 minutes; and in a second step: providing heat therapy to a body part by microwaving said treatment pack thereby heating said treatment pack, including said deformable beads and said liquid, to a heated temperature and thereafter applying said heated treatment pack to a body part; and before or after said heat therapy step, providing cold therapy to a body part by placing said treatment pack in a freezer, thereby cooling said treatment pack, including said deformable beads and said liquid, to a cooled temperature and thereafter applying said cooled treatment pack to a body part.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a temperature treatment pack according to the subject invention.

[0015] FIG. 2 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a temperature treatment pack according to the subject invention.

[0016] FIG. 3 illustrates a further alternative embodiment of a temperature treatment pack according to the subject invention.

[0017] FIG. 4 illustrates yet an additional embodiment of a temperature treatment pack according to the subject invention.

[0018] FIG. 5 illustrates a three-dimensional, cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a solid bead used in conjunction with certain embodiments of temperature treatment packs according to the subject invention.

[0019] FIG. 6 illustrates a three-dimensional, cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a hollow bead used in conjunction with certain embodiments of temperature treatment packs according to the subject invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN EMBODIMENTS

[0020] For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference is now made to the following description of various illustrative and non-limiting embodiments thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like reference numbers indicate like features.

[0021] Referring initially to FIGS. 1-4, various non-limiting embodiments of temperature treatment packs illustrative of one or more features of the subject invention are shown therein. In this regard, in FIG. 1, for example, an exemplar temperature treatment pack 1 is illustrated, configured in the shape of an eye mask (example alternative configurations are designated as 20, 30, and 40 in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, respectively, with all other parts or components being identically labelled), comprised of one or more flexible walls 5 formed into a flexible shell 3. Flexible shell 3, in turn, is configured to have an interior compartment 7 for carrying a heatable and chillable payload. In particular, the payload provided by the subject invention is comprised of a plurality of deformable beads 9 carried in interior compartment 7 mixed with or suspended in a liquid 11, also carried and/or contained in the interior compartment. Although, in the subject figures, some representative quantity of beads 9 are illustrated within the packs, it should be noted that the drawings are representative only and are not intended to illustrate a full or even desirable pack bead load.

[0022] Beads 9 are preferably comprised of glycerin and may—but are not required to—contain one or more binders such as sorbitol. Other materials for forming such beads may, of course, be employed (e.g., preferably gel-type materials but other soft materials with heat and cold retention properties can be utilized). Shell 3 and its walls 5 are preferably formed from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) but other flexible, durable materials to form such walls and/or shell can be used.

[0023] Beads 9 may be solid in configuration such as the bead depicted as 9s in FIG. 5 or, in the alternative, may be hollow such as bead 9h depicted in FIG. 6. Moreover, mixtures of hollow and solid beads can be employed. Notably, tailoring the ratio of solid to hollow beads may done to obtain different values (or times) of heat or cold retention by the temperature treatment packs described herein. Similarly, the ratio of beads 9 to liquid 11 can be tailored or varied to purposefully select temperature retention times so that the temperature treatment packs cool (from a heated temperature) or warm (from a chilled temperature) in or within a desirable time frame such as corresponding to therapeutically effective time frames.

[0024] In preferred embodiments of the apparatus described herein, the packs are particularly configured such as to be conformable (substantially or entirely) to the skin and/or various body curves and angles. In further preferred embodiments, beads 9, due to their softness or deformability, aid in the conformable nature of the packs.

[0025] In still other preferred embodiments, the packs are purposely configured, using a particular combination or ratio of beads to liquid (e.g., water) or gel (and/or with the beads being comprised of a particular composition, such as glycerin) such that the approximate time of heat or cold dissipation is approximately equal to a time equal to (or at least approximating) a doctor recommended temperature therapy. For example, certain particularly efficacious pack configurations are specifically tailored so that when they are heated or cooled, the packs return to a temperature approximating either a room or body temperature in approximately 20 minutes (or, for example, between 17 and 30 minutes). Configured as such, actual timing by a user or patient of temperature treatments is not needed (but is still recommended for safety) because the hot or cold properties of the packs will dissipate at or by the conventional and/or doctor recommended time automatically (at which point, the treatment can be switched to the opposite temperature treatment, or repeated, or simply discontinued). That is, using such tailored configurations, the user or patient will receive the correct time application of the heat or cold temperature treatment but without the need to specifically time the treatment (which allows for more relaxation during treatment, for example).

[0026] In at least one such configuration, a pack is provided in which the beads fill the majority of the enclosed pack (e.g., 60-95%) with the remaining space being filled with water or gel (but with some room left within the pack, so that the pack is flexible and/or bendable, and/or deformable and the like). In certain embodiments, the liquid (e.g., water) or gel is used as a suspension. In certain embodiments using water, a bicarbonate buffer solution is added or employed. In at least one other example of such a configuration, the packs include beads filling approximately 80-99 percent of the interior pack area in combination with liquid or gel filling approximately 1-20% of the pack.

Example (Non-Limiting) Methods of Using the Packs for Heat Therapy

[0027] Wrap the pack with a damp cloth or paper towel. Microwave for 15 seconds. Since microwaves vary in power, you may microwave your pack for additional 5 second intervals until a desired temperature is reached. Adjust to comfort by placing a thin clean cloth or paper towel between the pack and the skin if necessary. It is recommended to apply the pack for 20 minutes (or as directed by your doctor), and then remove from the treatment area for 40-45 minutes (or as directed by your doctor). Packs can be reapplied after being warmed again.

[0028] For Cold Therapy:

[0029] Place your pack flat in freezer for at least 2 hours. Adjust to comfort by placing a thin clean cloth or paper towel between the pack and the skin if necessary. It is recommended to apply the pack for 20 minutes (or as directed by your doctor), and then remove it from the treatment area for 40-45 minutes (or as directed by your doctor). For better results, return the pack to the freezer after every use. The cold pack can be reapplied after being cooled again.

[0030] Pack Care:

[0031] When stored in the freezer, do not place any heavy objects on top of the pack. After use, the packs can be cleaned with a mild soap, detergent or alcohol.

[0032] Once given the above disclosure, many other features, modifications, and improvements will become apparent to the skilled artisan. Such features, modifications, and improvements are therefore considered to be part of this invention, without limitation imposed by the example embodiments described herein. Moreover, any word, term, phrase, feature, example, embodiment, or part or combination thereof, as used to describe or exemplify embodiments herein, unless unequivocally set forth as expressly uniquely defined or otherwise unequivocally set forth as limiting, is not intended to impart a narrowing scope to the invention in contravention of the ordinary meaning of the claim terms by which the scope of the patent property rights shall otherwise be determined: