초록 ▼

A family of reusable hot/cold therapeutic compress appliances for application to a large number of different treated areas on the body of a patient, each member of the family being dimensioned to receive an integral number of standardly sized and dimensioned pouches containing a heat absorbing mater

A family of reusable hot/cold therapeutic compress appliances for application to a large number of different treated areas on the body of a patient, each member of the family being dimensioned to receive an integral number of standardly sized and dimensioned pouches containing a heat absorbing material. Individual compress appliances of the family comprise at least one sealed pouch containing a heat absorbing material contained within a sleeve comprising a relatively heat-conductive patient-contact surface, an adjacent outer adherent surface, and an insulant disposed between the sealed pouch and the outer adherent layer to reduce heat transfer occurring away from the patient-contact surface. Attachment means associated with the sleeve are co-operatively configured so as to releasably adhere to any location on the outer adherent surface, allowing the patient using the compress appliance to select a location of adherence that may provide a safe and therapeutic compressive loading.

대표청구항 ▼

[ I claim:] [1.] A reusable hot/cold therapeutic compress appliance for one of heating and cooling a treated area of the body of a patient, said reusable hot/cold therapeutic compress appliance comprising:a) a sealed pouch comprising a strong flexible plastic material and containing a pliable heat a

[ I claim:] [1.] A reusable hot/cold therapeutic compress appliance for one of heating and cooling a treated area of the body of a patient, said reusable hot/cold therapeutic compress appliance comprising:a) a sealed pouch comprising a strong flexible plastic material and containing a pliable heat absorbing material, the mass, dimensions, and specific heat capacity of said sealed pouch containing said pliable heat absorbing material being selected such that at standard temperature and pressure (STP) said sealed pouch containing said heat absorbing material will maintain a temperature (over the range from about 0.degree. Celsius to about 60.degree. Celsius) within at least about 10.degree. Celsius for a time of at least about 20 minutes;b) a sleeve for containing said sealed pouch, said sleeve comprising:i) a relatively heat-conductive patient-contact surface for placement over the treated area selected to facilitate the maintenance of a relatively constant temperature gradient across said patient-contact surface,ii) an outer adherent surface adjacent the patient-contact surface,iii) and an insulant disposed between said outer adherent surface and said sealed pouch (contained within said sleeve) in order to reduce heat transfer between said sealed pouch and said outer adherent surface; and,c) attachment means associated with said sleeve, said attachment means being co-operatively configured so as to releasably adhere to any location on said outer adherent surface, whereby the patient using said compress appliance may select a location of adherence so as to provide a comfortable and therapeutic compressive loading to the treated area.