Provisional Patent Application of
Rebecca A. Long for
TITLE: HOT/COLD THERAPY DEVICE
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS: None.
FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH: None.
SEQUENCE LISTING: None.
BACKGROUND
This invention relates to thermal therapy devices, specifically to devices used for medical treatment that are also temperature indicative. Heating and cooling packs are used for treating injuries and different types of treatment are recommended by medical personnel depending on the stage of healing of an injury. Immediately after an injury occurs, cold treatment is needed to reduce swelling. After initial cold treatment, warm treatment is needed to encourage blood flow back to the area of injury. Alternating hot and cold treatment facilitates nutrient circulation in the circulatory system and natural healing within the human body. Temperature monitoring of thermal treatment is essential for the elderly and disabled who cannot easily change heating or cooling packs themselves and/or may not be able to tell if a treatment becomes too severe (i.e. too hot or too cold) and has a negative impact on their condition. Thus, it is important to have the option of packs that are warm, cold, or a combination of both because of the advantages of various thermal treatment types. It is favorable to have a temperature monitoring system attached to ease the burden of the caretakers.

Temperature indicative thermal packs already exist. U.S. Pat. No. 4,325,254 to Svacina and James shows a temperature indicative hot pack. However, this invention has a temperaturemonitoring unit that is attached to a liquid permeable wall. Part of this monitoring unit is submerged in the heat retaining material providing thermal treatment while the exposed part indicates the sensed temperature. This hot pack safely encloses this monitoring unit so that the heated material is not exposed to the consumer. There is also a thermometer indicator that changes color to indicate if the hot pack is ready for use. Unlike the current invention, U.S. Pat.
No 4,325,254 lacks a means of communication to a third party, such as the user’s caretaker, and the option of having cold treatment. The current invention’s durability is increased because of its capacity to easily replace insertable hot and cold packs after wear.
Having compartments in a device to hold thermal packs are known to be helpful to provide treatment and flexibility. U.S. Pat. No. 5,020,711 to Kelley shows a holder for reusable hot/cold packs and its dimensions can change depending on the area of the body to be treated by joining these holders. However, unlike the current invention, a temperature sensor and monitoring unit is not present.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,440,159 to Edwards and Carey shows a multiuse therapy wrap that includes a pocket to receive a thermal gel pack. This wrap’s shape allows for flexible use at various sites on the body such as the neck, ankle, calf, knee, and thigh. The wrap includes long and short ears that can be connected using a hook and pile type connector to position the wrap when in use. Unlike the current invention, the size and shape of U.S. Pat. No. 6,440,159 is not adjustable. Published Patent Application No. 2009/0138064 A1 filed by Horn shows a garment containing a variety of pouches that can hold a thermal unit. Horn’s garment is intended for the back, torso, and/or abdomen areas and can apply compression to these areas while in use.

However, the current invention allows flexibility as to what part of the body can be thermally treated and is not limited to the torso area.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,927,316 B1 to Faires et al. show a garment comprised of an outer, pliable layer and an inner gel material lining that comes in contact with one’s skin when in use. The gel can provide hot or cold treatment and a controller modifies the temperature of the garment to match desired conditions based on a sensor attached to the garment. The controller does so by controlling the power to the thermal treatment layer. If the sensor reads a temperature that exceeds a threshold, the controller cuts off all power to the thermal treatment layer. The controller may be a microprocesssor, controller, and/or other circuitry with a power switch and power source. A display can also be included to show the sensor’s temperature readings. The maintenance of Faires’ invention may be higher than that of the current invention in the event of a leak due to the inseparable nature of the gel material and the garment itself and also because external power source is needed to provide hot or cold treatment. On the other hand, the current invention enables the user to easily remove any defective heating or cooling packs and does not rely on external power for the thermal treatment portion of the device.
U.S. Patent No. 7,909,861 B2 to Balachandran et al. shows a critical care thermal therapy system that includes remote temperature sensing and control. The circulated fluid’s temperature in the thermal therapy device, which is either a pad or blanket with a fluid flow network, is remotely sensed in Balachandran’s invention. A temperature sensor senses the user’s body temperature and remotely transmits the temperature to the temperature control module. The control module predicts how the body temperature will change and based on that calculation, the control module adjusts the fluid flow rate to keep the body temperature within an appropriate

rnage. Unlike the current invention, Balachandran’s invention utilized a circulating fluid to act as the medium delivering heat or absorbing heat and much more involved circuitry is used.

SUMMARY
An improved heating and cooling pack has the potential to monitor temperature. This invention is composed of pouches that can hold already available, inexpensive, reusuable heating and cooling packs. A microcontroller is electronically connected to temperature and pulse sensors on the heating and cooling pack to monitor any potentially dangerous conditions for the user. The microcontroller has the capability to collect data and alert another party via alarm, cellphone, or other wireless communication of the need for attention to the user.

FIGURE 1.
FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 3.
FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 5.
FIGURE 6.
FIGURE 7.

FIGURE 8.
FIGURE 9.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The accompanying drawings illustrate an embodiment of the invention:
FIG. 1 is a top view of the hot/cold therapy device with pouches attached, closed, and with inserted thermal packs.
FIG. 2 is a top view of the hot/cold therapy device with pouches attached, open, and with inserted thermal packs.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the hot/cold therapy device with pouches attached and thermal packs in the process of being inserted into the pouches.
FIG. 4 is a top view of a single, closed pouch.
FIG. 5 is a top view of the two distinct end pouches with elastic bands and mating fasteners attached.
FIG. 6 is a top view of the microcontroller that is attached to one of the end pouches.
FIG. 7 is a top view of hot, reusable, sodium acetate and cold, reusable, ammonium-nitrate packs that can be inserted into hot/cold therapy device.
FIG. 8 is a top view of two pouches with the interlocking attachments displayed.
FIG. 9 is a side view of the pouches and interlocking attachments.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a thermal pack, 40 , that is composed of a series of pouches 1 that contain a reusable, commercially-available hot or cold pack, 90 . On each pouch, 1 , there is a temperature sensor, 24 , that is connected to a microcontroller, 30 . The microcontroller is capable of collecting temperature data and alerting the user or user’s caretaker if the therapy device reaches a threshold conditions that are harmful to the user.
FIG. 1 shows the invention, generally designated as 40 or “thermal pack,” is not in use, lies flat on a surface, and is not being wrapped around a body part. When in use, the invention applies thermal treatment to a body, such as, for example, a human body.
Turning now to the details, device 40 is formed by adjoining several interchangeable pouches, 1 , as shown in FIG. 4 with two end heating pouches, 2 and 3 , as shown in FIG. 5. In the illustrated embodiment, pouches are attached to each other so that the pouches are parallel to one another. The number of interchangeable pouches 1 can be varied depending on the desired length of the heating/cooling device. If the user wants secure the thermal pack around a cylindrical part of the body, such as an arm, leg, torso, or neck, it is necessary to have two ending pouches 2 and 3 so that the two mating fasteners 20 and 70 can keep the pack secured when in use. Otherwise, the user can just lay the pouch on the portion of the body for which the user desires treatment. End pouches 2 and 3 are unique. Mating fasteners 20 and 70 can be hookand-loop fasteners (i.e. Velcro™). Other types of mating fasteners can include a zip fastener, a pair of buttons and button holes, and a mating pair of snap fasteners. Identical elastic bands 10 contain the mating fasteners and are attached to the end pouches 2 and 3 to provide flexibility and tightness to the user around the place of treatment. Each pouch 1, 2, and 3 has a flap 80 that may be folded over to close the opening through which the hot or cold pack is inserted. This

opening provides access to the cavity created by the two faces of the pouch 1 . When the flap 80 is opened, the hot and cold packs can be inserted within these two faces. These two faces refer to the one pouch face that is in contact with the user and the opposite pouch face that is not in contact with the user. Mating fasteners, one on the flap 50 and the other on the pouch 60 , can be mated to close the pouch and secure the hot or cold pack in place within the pouch. FIG. 1. shows the device with pouch flaps closed. FIG. 2. shows the device with pouch flaps open. FIG.
3. shows the device with pouch flaps open and hot/cold packs in the process of being inserted.
Each pouch has an opening for either a heating or cooling pack 90 and 94 , as shown in
FIG. 7, to be placed within them. The heating and cooling packs are inserted into the pouches via the opening 4 . The heating and cooling packs used are reusuable (sodium acetate heat packs or gel cold packs). Reusuable heating packs 90 contain a metal plate surrounded by a body of sodium acetate. These reusable heating packs are commercially available and are activated by applying pressure to the metal plate . An example of such a reusable heating pack is “Reusable
Heating Pack, 4 in. x 4in.”, Item #1392320 from Frey Scientific. The reusable cooling packs 94 contain ammonium nitrate and are activated by applying pressure as well. An example of such a reusable cooling pack is “InstaKool TM Pack” by Nortech Labs.
The pouches themselves may be made of any lightweight, durable, water-proof material
(e.g. polypropylene, fabric). The pouches will have thermally sealed edges to minimize any leaks from the reusable inserted thermal packs. They may be made of material conducive to retaining its temperature (e.g. polymer). The side of the pouches in contact with user is lined with fabric that is soft in texture but also prone to eliminate any moisture that may collect when a cold pack is in use.

Attached to each pouch on the side of the pouch in contact with the user, (all except the end pouch with the monitoring unit 30 ) is a temperature sensor 24 . An example of a temperature sensor is the “One Wire Digital Temperature Sensor – DS18B20” sold by Sparkfun®
Electronics. This sensor will be connected via a wire 25 to the monitoring unit 30 located on one of the end pouches.
Attached to one of the end pouches is a monitoring unit 30 . This monitoring unit may be a microprocessor, microcontroller, and/or circuitry. Connected to this monitor 30 are a temperature sensor 31 , pulse sensor 32 , a power source (i.e. batter) 33 , and a communication device 34 . Temperature sensors 24 are also to each pouch. Wires 25 connect the sensors 24 to the monitor 30 . The communication device is capable of either sending data from the sensors to a nearby computer wireless, or sending a text message or making a phone call when sensor data reaches a threshold value. Examples of what type of communication devices may be attached are wireless radio chips to send data wirelessly to a nearby computer, and cellular shields to send data to a cellphone. An example of a wireless radio chip is the XBee 1mW Chip Antenna –
Series 1 (802.11) sold by Sparkfun® Electronics. Examples of cellular module are the Cellular
Shield with SM5100B, which only requires a SIM card and an antenna to place phone calls or send text messages and the DroneCell manufactured by Narobo
(<http://dronecell.narobo.com/individuals/individuals.html>). Keypads can be connected to such devices so that the proper telephone number the user or user’s caretaker wishes the device to communicate with can be easily set up. A LCD display can also be connected to the monitoring unit to enhance user experience in when inputting telephone number and threshold values. The monitoring unit will have several modes. The different modes will be all hot, all cold, or alternating hot and cold. The different modes will program the monitoring unit to report alarms

at certain threshold values. Alerts may be programmed for when the therapy pack reached a temperature that harms the tissue that which it is in contact or is no longer effective treatment.
FIG. 8 depicts the interlocking mechanism that enable pouches to be connected. In this embodiment, 3 sets of hook and loop fasteners 4 and 5 are sewn onto each pouch side along which attachment will occur. Two of hook fasteners 5 are sewn on the bottom side of the pouch in the view shown in FIG. 8. One of the hook fasteners 5 is sewn on the top side of the pouch.
Analogously, one of the loop fasteners 4 is sewn on the bottom side of the pouch. This loop fastener mates with the hook fastener 5 that is sewn on the top side of the pouch. Similarly, two loop fasteners 4 are sewn on the top side of the pouch to mate with the two hook fasteners 5 that are sewn on the bottom side of the pouch. This alternating manner of where hook and loop fasteners are placed on the pouches ensure a stronger interlocking mechanism between adjacent pouches. The manner in which the hook and loop fasteners will join is shown in the side view depicted in FIG. 9.
To use this invention 40 , the user determines how many pouches 1 will be needed to cover the area needing treatment from the therapy device. Using the interlocking mechanism 4 and 5 , the user will adjoin the appropriate number of pouches. The user will choose the correct number and type of heating or cooling packs depending on the number of pouches chosen and the type of treatment desired (i.e. hot or cold). The user will activate the heating or cooling packs by applying pressure to them. To activate the hot packs, the user applies pressure to the metallic disk within each hot pack. To activate the cold packs, the user crushes the solid within each cold pack. Next, the user will insert the packs 90 and 94 into the pouches and secure them within by closing the flap 80 with mating fasteners 50 and 60 . The user will then turn on the
ON/OFF switch to “ON” on the monitoring unit. The user will choose the correct mode on the

monitoring unit and enter in a telephone number, if necessary, and threshold values for the alerts on the attached keypad. Finally, the thermal pack 40 will be secured on the desired area of treatment.

CLAIM
1.
A hot/cold therapy device for thermally treating body protions comprising: a number of pouches formed of a material having the properties of maintaining temperature of thermal packs inserted into said pouches; a series of temperature sensors to measure temperature of a portion of at least one of said article where it comes in contact with the user; a temperature monitoring unit that can collect data from sensors and indicate to user or user’s caretaker of device’s thermal conditions

PRIOR ART LIST
US 2007/0106237 A1, Carstens, Body conforming textile holder and sensing article (Electronics)
US 2005/6840955, Ein, Therapeutic apparatus (Electronics)
US 2011/7909862 B2, Balachandran et al. Critical care thermal therapy method and system
(Electronics)
US 2005/6927316 B1, Faries, Jr. et al. Thermal treatment garment and method of thermally treating body portions (Electronics)
US 1982/4325254, Savcina et al. Temperature indicative hotpack
US 1991/5020,711, Kelley, Pouch for reusable hot/cold packs for medical usage
US 2002, 6440159 B1, Edwards et al. Multiuse therapy wrap
US 2009/0138064 A1, Horn, Garment for providing back support and thermal therapy
US 2007/7264630 B1, Webb, Hot/cold therapy pack
US 1990/4972832, Trapini et al. Thermal pack holder
US 2005/6936018 B2, Chalek, Reuable/disposable thermal application and holder device
US 2007/7243509 B2, Trinh et al. Thermal therapeutic method
US 2011/0066218 A1, Geibel, Temperature therapy bag and wrap combination