Thermal therapeutic method
First Claim
1. A therapeutic device for providing contrasting thermal treatments comprising:
- a. a flexible outer cover suitable for use at both hot and cold temperatures comprising;
A. a sac structure with one open end, having one face covered with an adhesive layer that can be used to temporarily attach said outer cover to the inside or the outside of a garment, at a location on the garment that is in close contact with the injured area of the body, when the garment is worn, wherein said cover has dimensions to form one or more compartments suitable for containing one or more heat or cold packs, wherein said adhesive layer is suitable for use at both hot and cold temperatures, and wherein said adhesive layer is covered with a release layer or is applied immediately before use;
orB. a piece of flexible substrate or a sac structure with one or more open sides, optionally having one or more extended peripheries, wherein said outer cover can be attached to the inside or the outside of a garment by the use of a plurality of safety pins, at a location on the garment that is in close contact with the injured area of the body, when the garment is worn, wherein each extended periphery has a width of at least about 1 centimeter, and wherein said cover has dimensions to form one or more compartments suitable for containing one or more heat or cold packs; and
b. at least one cold pack selected from;
resealable fluid impermeable plastic containers comprising an interlocking rib and groove sealing closure, optionally being a commercially available zipper bag, to contain ice or ice and water mixture;
a refrigeratable cooling gel pack;
or an endothermic chemical cold pack;
or at least one heat pack selected from;
microwavable gel bag;
flexible bag containing microwave-absorbing particulate matter;
water impermeable flexible bag containing chemical reactants which can be mixed to produce an exothermic heating mixture;
or air permeable flexible bag containing an oxygen activated, heat generating chemical composition; and
optionally, for B., either from about 1 to about 20 safety pins or from about 4 to about 12 safety pins;
said therapeutic device optionally being for use to be attached to the inside or outside of a garment at a location on the garment that is in close contact with an injured area of the body.
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Accused Products
Abstract
This invention relates primarily to a therapeutic method comprising the use of a flexible outer cover that allows quick and easy alternating insertions of separate heat and cold packs, and is attached using an adhesive layer or safety pins to a garment at a location on the garment that is in close contact with an injured area of the body when the garment is worm, to provide alternating cold and hot or hot and cold therapeutic treatments and to a contrasting thermal device comprising a flexible outer cover for use in this method, and an article of manufacture comprising said flexible outer cover and other optional elements to form said contrasting thermal device.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A therapeutic device for providing contrasting thermal treatments comprising:
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a. a flexible outer cover suitable for use at both hot and cold temperatures comprising; A. a sac structure with one open end, having one face covered with an adhesive layer that can be used to temporarily attach said outer cover to the inside or the outside of a garment, at a location on the garment that is in close contact with the injured area of the body, when the garment is worn, wherein said cover has dimensions to form one or more compartments suitable for containing one or more heat or cold packs, wherein said adhesive layer is suitable for use at both hot and cold temperatures, and wherein said adhesive layer is covered with a release layer or is applied immediately before use;
orB. a piece of flexible substrate or a sac structure with one or more open sides, optionally having one or more extended peripheries, wherein said outer cover can be attached to the inside or the outside of a garment by the use of a plurality of safety pins, at a location on the garment that is in close contact with the injured area of the body, when the garment is worn, wherein each extended periphery has a width of at least about 1 centimeter, and wherein said cover has dimensions to form one or more compartments suitable for containing one or more heat or cold packs; and b. at least one cold pack selected from;
resealable fluid impermeable plastic containers comprising an interlocking rib and groove sealing closure, optionally being a commercially available zipper bag, to contain ice or ice and water mixture;
a refrigeratable cooling gel pack;
or an endothermic chemical cold pack;
or at least one heat pack selected from;
microwavable gel bag;
flexible bag containing microwave-absorbing particulate matter;
water impermeable flexible bag containing chemical reactants which can be mixed to produce an exothermic heating mixture;
or air permeable flexible bag containing an oxygen activated, heat generating chemical composition; andoptionally, for B., either from about 1 to about 20 safety pins or from about 4 to about 12 safety pins;
said therapeutic device optionally being for use to be attached to the inside or outside of a garment at a location on the garment that is in close contact with an injured area of the body. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. An article of manufacture for use in a method treating an injured area of the body, wherein said method comprises the use of a contrasting thermal device to provide contrasting thermal treatments, wherein said device comprises a flexible outer cover suitable for use at both hot and cold temperatures comprising:
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A. a sac structure with one open end, having one face covered with an adhesive layer that can be used to temporarily attach said outer cover to the inside or the outside of a garment, at a location on the garment that is in close contact with the injured area of the body, when the garment is worn, wherein said cover has dimensions to form one or more compartments suitable for containing one or more heat or cold packs, wherein said adhesive layer is suitable for use at both hot and cold temperatures, and wherein said adhesive layer is covered with a release layer or is applied immediately before use;
orB. a piece of flexible substrate or a sac structure with one or more open sides, optionally having one or more extended peripheries, wherein said outer cover can be attached to the inside or the outside of a garment by the use of a plurality of safety pins, at a location on the garment that is in close contact with the injured area of the body, when the garment is worn, wherein each extended periphery has a width of at least about 1 centimeter, and wherein said cover has dimensions to form one or more compartments suitable for containing one or more heat or cold packs and wherein said method involves placing first at least one cold or heat pack in the outer cover followed by removal of the pack(s) and optionally replacing by at least one heat or cold pack;
wherein the article comprises either one or more outer covers A.; and
/or one or more outer covers B., and optionally a plurality of safety pins; and
at least one other element which is either (1) one or more cold packs, one or more heat packs, or (2) a set of instructions that tells a user how to use the cover to assemble a contrasting thermal device, and/or how to use the product properly, and/or to ensure that the user knows what benefits can be achieved, and/or how best to obtain these benefits, wherein the instructions are in one or more languages, and wherein the instructions are in words or words in combination with illustrative images and/or icons, said cover or covers, said cold packs and/or heat packs and/or said instructions are packaged together. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for treating an injured area of the body, wherein said method comprises the use of a contrasting thermal device comprising a flexible outer cover compatible with both heat and cold and capable of holding at least one separate heat or cold pack that is either:
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A. a sac structure with one open end, having one face covered with an adhesive layer that can be used to temporarily attach said outer cover to the inside or the outside of a garment, at a location on the garment that is in close contact with the injured area of the body, when the garment is worn, wherein said cover has dimensions to form one or more compartments suitable for containing one or more heat or cold packs, wherein said adhesive layer is suitable for use at both hot and cold temperatures, and wherein said adhesive layer is covered with a release layer or is applied immediately before use;
orB. a piece of flexible substrate or a sac structure with one or more open sides, optionally having one or more extended peripheries, wherein said outer cover can be attached to the inside or the outside of a garment by the use of a plurality of safety pins, at a location on the garment that is in close contact with the injured area of the body, when the garment is worn, wherein each extended periphery has a width of at least about 1 centimeter, and wherein said cover has dimensions to form one or more compartments suitable for containing one or more heat or cold packs, and wherein said method involves placing first at least one cold or heat pack in the outer cover followed by removal of the pack(s) and replacing by at least one heat or cold pack. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification