Reusable hot/cold temperature pack

• US 5,843,145 A
• Filed: 01/23/1996
• Issued: 12/01/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: DJO LLC (Enovis Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Dura*Kold Corporation
• Inventors: Brink, N. Keith
• Primary Examiner(s): Lacyk, John P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROLLINS, ROSILAND STACIE
• Application Number:
  US08/590,141
• Time in Patent Office: 1,043 Days
• Field of Search: 607/108-112, 607/114, 607/96, 607/104
• US Class Current: 607/114
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0098 ways of manufacturing heating or cooling devices for therapy
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0219 Gels
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0268 having a plurality of compartments being filled with a heat carrier
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/02 Compresses or poultices for effecting heating or cooling
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 20/02 using latent heat
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 2020/0008 the heat storage material being enclosed in plate-like or laminated elements, e.g. in plates having internal compartments

Abstract

A three component temperature pack, such as for use in a therapeutic hot/cold wrap applied to a human or animal, includes an outer casing, a gel contained within the casing, and one or more temperature cells contained within the casing with the gel. The gel provides heating or cooling after being charged by an external heating or cooling source, and yet it remains soft and flexible so that the pack is comfortable to a user. The one or more temperature cells provides heating or cooling to the gel even after the external heating or cooling source is removed, whereby the temperature pack provides prolonged heating or cooling. A method of manufacture provides for sequential controlled combining of three constituents of which a preferred gel is comprised, and it also provides for this in conjunction with filling and sealing the outer casing.

Claims

1. A temperature pack, comprising:

a flexible outer casing;

a gel contained inside said outer casing, said gel responsive both to heating and cooling externally applied to said temperature pack so that said gel becomes heated or cooled depending on whether heating or cooling is applied to said temperature pack and remains in a heated or cooled state during a prolonged continuous hot or cold therapy period after the externally applied heating or cooling is removed but remains in a gel state whereby said gel provides cushioning to said temperature pack even when said gel is heated or cooled; and

a temperature cell contained inside outer casing and disposed in said gel, said temperature cell having a fluid filled chamber wherein the fluid is also responsive both to the heating and cooling externally applied to said temperature pack so that said fluid becomes heated or cooled and remains in a heated or cooled state during the prolonged continuous hot or cold therapy period after the externally applied heating or cooling is removed such that at least the prolonged continuous cold therapy period is at least about two hours.

2. A temperature pack, comprising:

casing means for conforming to a portion of a human or animal body to which heat or cold therapy is to be applied; and

a gel contained inside said casing means, said gel responsive to heat or cold applied to said temperature pack so that said gel becomes heated or cooled but remains in a gel state for providing cushioning means to said temperature pack for cushioning the portion of a human or animal body to which said temperature pack is applied even when said gel is heated or cooled, said gel including a composition of water, propylene glycol and a superabsorbent polymer, wherein the water and propylene glycol are mixed in a ratio of about 13;

3 by volume of water to propylene glycol and this mixture is combined with the superabsorbent polymer in the ratio of about 192;

1 by volume of mixture to polymer.