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Publication Number
US-9402763-B2
Publication Date
2016-08-02
Expiration Date
Abstract
A cold therapy system includes (i) a cooling bath structured to chill and hold chilled water; (ii) a pump positioned and arranged to pump the chilled water; (iii) a to-pad line positioned and arranged to hold chilled water pumped by the pump from the cooling bath; (iv) a from-pad line positioned and arranged to hold water returning to the cooling bath; and (v) a therapy pad in fluid communication with the to- and from-pad lines, the therapy pad including a patient-contacting chamber that is in heat exchange communication with a chilled-water chamber residing outside of the patient-contacting chamber when the therapy pad is donned.
Core Innovation
The disclosed invention provides a cold therapy system that includes a cooling bath for chilling and holding chilled water and a pump arranged to pump the chilled water. The system further includes a to-pad line configured to hold chilled water pumped from the cooling bath and a from-pad line configured to hold water returning to the cooling bath. A therapy pad is provided in fluid communication with the to- and from-pad lines, with the therapy pad including a patient-contacting chamber and a chilled-water chamber residing outside of the patient-contacting chamber when the therapy pad is donned, the patient-contacting chamber in fluid communication and heat exchange communication with the chilled-water chamber.
The therapy pad is described as a wrapable three-layer heat-exchanging therapy pad in which the outer layer and the middle heat exchange layer form a chilled-water chamber, while the inner layer and the middle heat exchange layer form a patient-contacting chamber in fluid communication with the chilled-water chamber. Sealed layers and a middle heat exchange layer structure provide a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet in sealed communication, respectively, with the chilled-water chamber and the patient-contacting chamber. The pad supports countercurrent heat exchanger heat transfer communication, with flowpaths configured by the sealed layer construction and an aperture in the middle heat exchange layer to communicate flowpath ends.
The system also includes control and quantitative relationships aimed at managing temperature consistency across the pad. Fixed or variable flow restrictor control is described for temperature management, including a flow restrictor in the from-pad line and a manually variable flow restrictor placed at the cooling-bath end of the from-pad line. A pad-volume-to-flow ratio is described, including that the volume of the therapy pad when inflated has a ratio to the volume of liquid pumped through the therapy pad over one minute of at least 1:1 and narrowed in refinement to about 1:1 to about 2.5:1.
Claims Coverage
The independent claim set includes three independent claims, each directed to distinct aspects: a cold therapy system with separate patient-contacting and chilled-water chambers in heat exchange communication, a cold therapy system with a pad-volume-to-pumped-liquid ratio of at least 1:1 and countercurrent heat exchange, and a therapy pad construction with sealed outer/inner/middle layers forming chilled-water and patient-contacting chambers via sealed inlet and outlet communication.
Cold therapy system with separate patient-contacting and chilled-water chambers in heat exchange communication
A cold therapy system comprising a cooling bath structured to chill and hold chilled water; a pump positioned and arranged to pump the chilled water; a to-pad line positioned and arranged to hold chilled water pumped by the pump from the cooling bath; a from-pad line positioned and arranged to hold water returning to the cooling bath; and a therapy pad in fluid communication with the to- and from-pad lines, the therapy pad including a patient-contacting chamber and a chilled-water chamber residing outside of the patient-contacting chamber when the therapy pad is donned, the patient-contacting chamber in fluid communication and heat exchange communication with the chilled-water chamber.
Cold therapy system with at least 1:1 pad-volume-to-one-minute pumped-liquid ratio
A cold therapy system comprising a cooling bath structured to chill and hold chilled water; a pump positioned and arranged to pump the chilled water; a to-pad line positioned and arranged to hold chilled water pumped by the pump from the cooling bath; a from-pad line positioned and arranged to hold water returning to the cooling bath; and a therapy pad in fluid communication with the to- and from-pad lines, the therapy pad including a patient-contacting chamber and a chilled-water chamber, the patient-contacting chamber in fluid communication and heat exchange communication with the chilled-water chamber, the volume of the therapy pad when inflated having a ratio to a volume of liquid that is pumped by the pump through the therapy pad over one minute of at least 1:1.
Therapy pad with sealed outer/inner/middle layers forming chilled-water and patient-contacting chambers
A therapy pad for a cold therapy system comprising an outer layer, an inner layer, a middle heat exchange layer, a liquid inlet, and a liquid outlet, wherein the layers are sealed together such that the outer layer and the middle heat exchange layer form a chilled-water chamber, the inner layer and the middle heat exchange layer form a patient-contacting chamber in fluid communication with the chilled-water chamber, the liquid inlet is in sealed communication with the chilled-water chamber, and the liquid outlet is in sealed communication with the patient-contacting chamber.
Across the independent claims, the invention is centered on a pump-driven chilled-water cold therapy system with a therapy pad that separates a patient-contacting chamber from an externally residing chilled-water chamber in heat exchange communication, a pad-volume-to-one-minute pumped-liquid ratio of at least 1:1, and a therapy pad construction using sealed outer/inner/middle layers to form the chilled-water and patient-contacting chambers with sealed inlet and outlet communication.
Stated Advantages
Substantially uniform pad surface temperatures within a therapeutic range.
Safe consistency across the pad.
Documented Applications
Cold therapy using a cold therapy system with a wrapable heat-exchanging therapy pad having a patient-contacting chamber in heat exchange communication with a chilled-water chamber.
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