Cold therapy system

• US 5,476,489 A
• Filed: 01/28/1994
• Issued: 12/19/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cincinnati Sub-Zero Products Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Seabrook Medical Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Koewler, Danial E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sykes, Angela D.
• Application Number:
  US08/188,962
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: 607/96, 607/108-112, 607/114
• US Class Current: 607/104
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0056 for cooling
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/10 Cooling bags, e.g. ice-bags

Abstract

A cold therapy system for appyling a cooling pad to an area of the body of the user. The system comprises a portable insulated cooler with a lid. A reservoir bag of plyable waterproof material is locatable within said cooler and has a closable open top for the introduction of water and ice into the bag. A multispeed pump is located in a housing affixed to the exterior of the cooler. The pump has an inlet operatively connected to an outlet tubing flange affixed to the bag. The pump has an outlet operatively connected to an insulated delivery tube connected to an inlet of the pad. The outlet of the pad is connected by an insulated return tube to an inlet flange of the reservoir bag. A portion of the insulation of one of the delivery and return tubes, is retractable to expose a segment of its respective tube containing a liquid crystal temperature indicator for determining the temperature of the fluid flowing through the system.

Claims

1. A cold therapy system for cooling an area of the user'"'"'s body, the system comprising a portable reservoir for water and ice, said reservoir comprising a portable cooler made of insulative material and having a bottom, side walls and an openable lid, said reservoir having an inlet port and an outlet port, a pump, said pump having an inlet and an outlet, a waterproof pad, an inlet and an outlet for said pad, a water path through said pad connecting said pad inlet and said pad outlet, means connecting said reservoir outlet to said pump inlet, a delivery tube connecting said pump outlet and said pad inlet, a return tube connecting said pad outlet and said reservoir inlet, a housing for said pump, said pump being mounted within said housing, said pump housing being affixed to an exterior surface of one of said reservoir walls, whereby the water and ice of said reservoir is insulated from heat generated by said pump by the insulative wall of the reservoir to which the pump housing is affixed.

2. The system claimed in claim 1 wherein said delivery and return tubes are insulated, a liquid crystal temperature indicator located within one of said insulated delivery and return tubes, said insulation of said one of said tubes containing said temperature indicator being shiftable between a normal position covering said portion of said last mentioned tube containing said temperature indicator and a retracted position exposing said temperature indicator to view.

3. The system claimed in claim 2 wherein said liquid crystal temperature indicator is located within said return tube.

4. The system claimed in claim 1 including a variable-speed electric motor comprising a part of said pump, a control circuit and a four-position switch for said pump motor, said switch having a motor-stop position and three motor-on positions for high, medium and low motor speeds, whereby to control the rate of water flow through said system and thus the temperature of said pad.

5. The system claimed in claim 1 wherein said pump is wrapped with foam material within said pump housing for heat and noise insulation and is supported within said housing primarily by said connections to said pump inlet and said pump outlet.