Apparatus and methods for isolating human body areas for localized cooling

• US 7,842,007 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2005
• Issued: 11/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Burrell E. Clawson, Richard A. Weiss
• Original Assignee: Burrell E. Clawson, Richard A. Weiss
• Inventors: Weiss, Richard A., Clawson, Burrell E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lucchesi; Nicholas D
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, WENG WAH
• Application Number:
  US11/587,866
• Publication Number:
  US 20070250140A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,041 Days
• Field of Search: 604/112, 604/113, 604/93.01, 604/500, 604/512, 604304-308, 604/179, 604/180, 604/291, 604/23, 604/26, 604/1, 607/104, 607/96, 607108-111, 128/849, 600/555, 600/362, 600/575, 606/22, 239/53
• US Class Current: 604/112
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0001 Body part
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0068 evaporating on the spot to be cooled
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/10 Cooling bags, e.g. ice-bags
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 19/00 Local anaesthesia syringes therefor A61M5/00; Hypothermia A61M5/42 takes precedence; cooling blood in a bypass of the arterial system A61M1/36
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/422 Desensitising skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/427 Locating point where body is to be pierced, e.g. vein location means using ultrasonic waves, injection site templates

Abstract

Apparatus (8) and methods are provided for facilitating medical procedures, such as providing injections to human or animal patients. The apparatus and methods mitigate against discomfort and/or pain often experienced by a patient receiving an injection for a therapeutic or a cosmetic purpose. The apparatus and methods are effective to isolate a surface area of a human or animal body, even an irregularly shaped surface area of a body, for enabling localized preparation of the skin, for example for localized cooling of the skin.

Claims

1. An apparatus for isolating an area of a human or animal body for localized cooling comprising:

a member comprising

a first layer including an absorbent first material and having a first surface, a substantially opposing second surface and a first through aperture extending between the first and second surfaces, the first through aperture being sized to allow an evaporative coolant to pass therethrough and come into contact with an area of a human or animal body when the first surface of the first layer is placed in proximity to the area of the human or animal body; and

a second layer including a second material, a second through aperture overlapping the first through aperture and one or more fingers extending into the second through aperture, the second layer being secured to the first layer and located in proximity to the second surface of the first layer, wherein the member is configured so that the first surface of the first layer is convex when the member is at rest.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the second through aperture substantially encompasses the first through aperture.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the second material is relatively less absorbent than the first material.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first material is a porous polymeric material.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the member is sufficiently flexible to conform to one or more irregularly shaped areas of a human or animal body.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the second through aperture has a configuration that facilitates applying increased pressure on the first layer to cause the first layer to conform to one or more irregularly shaped areas of a human or animal body.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first layer is heat bonded to the second layer.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the second layer includes structure effective to capture condensed evaporative coolant.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the structure comprises at least one of a plurality of ribs and a plurality of openings adjacent a periphery of the second layer.

10. An apparatus for isolating an area of a human or animal body for localized cooling comprising:

a member comprising

a first layer including an absorbent first material and having a first surface, a substantially opposing second surface and a first through aperture extending between the first and second surfaces, the first through aperture being sized to allow an evaporative coolant to pass therethrough and come into contact with an area of a human or animal body when the first surface of the first layer is placed in proximity to the area of the human or animal body; and

a second layer including a second material and a second through aperture overlapping the first through aperture, the second layer being secured to the first layer and located in proximity to the second surface of the first layer, wherein the second layer includes one or more fingers extending into the second through aperture.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the second through aperture substantially encompasses the first through aperture.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the second material is relatively less absorbent than the first material.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the member is sufficiently flexible to conform to one or more irregularly shaped areas of a human or animal body.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the second through aperture has a configuration that facilitates applying increased pressure on the first layer to cause the first layer to conform to one or more irregularly shaped areas of a human or animal body.

15. An apparatus for isolating an area of a human or animal body for localized cooling comprising:

a member comprising

a first layer including an absorbent first material and having a first surface, a substantially opposing second surface and a first through aperture extending between the first and second surfaces, the first through aperture being sized to allow an evaporative coolant to pass therethrough and come into contact with an area of a human or animal body when the first surface of the first layer is placed in proximity to the area of the human or animal body; and

a second layer including a second material and a second through aperture overlapping the first through aperture, the second layer being secured to the first layer and located in proximity to the second surface of the first layer, wherein the second layer includes a structure effective to capture condensed evaporative coolant, and the structure comprises at least one of a plurality of ribs and a plurality of openings adjacent a periphery of the second layer.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the second through aperture substantially encompasses the first through aperture.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the second material is relatively less absorbent than the first material.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the member is sufficiently flexible to conform to one or more irregularly shaped areas of a human or animal body.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the second through aperture has a configuration that facilitates applying increased pressure on the first layer to cause the first layer to conform to one or more irregularly shaped areas of a human or animal body.