Disposable, single-use thermal exchange component

• US 9,849,299 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2016
• Issued: 12/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Orthocor Medical, Inc. (Caerus Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Orthocor Medical, Inc. (Caerus Corp.)
• Inventors: Sham, Kin-Joe, Savela, Jared J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Matthews, Christine H
• Assistant Examiner(s): LANNU, JOSHUA DARYL DEANON
• Application Number:
  US15/207,258
• Publication Number:
  US 20160317828A1
• Time in Patent Office: 533 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0042 Knee
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0078 with a battery
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0096 with a thermometer
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/007 characterised by electric heating
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/034 Flameless
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/32 alternating or intermittent currents applying electric fields by inductive or capacitive coupling A61N1/40; microwave apparatus A61N5/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/002 in combination with another treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/004 specially adapted for a specific therapy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/006 for magnetic stimulation of nerve tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/02 using magnetic fields produced by coils, including single turn loops or electromagnets A61N2/12 takes precedence

Abstract

A disposable housing including a single-use thermal exchange component can be configured to be mechanically, removably coupled to a receptacle on a cuff positionable around a joint to provide temperature-based therapy to the joint.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a thermal exchange component;

a disposable housing configured to magnetically, removably couple the thermal exchange component to a receptacle on a cuff positionable about a joint; and

wherein the thermal exchange component is configured to provide temperature-based therapy to the joint, and wherein the disposable housing includes a conductor configured to magnetically, removably couple the disposable housing to a holder magnet coupled to the cuff.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the holder magnet includes first and second holder magnets, and

wherein the conductor is configured to magnetically, removably couple the disposable housing to the first and second holder magnets coupled to the cuff.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the conductor includes a housing magnet configured to magnetically, removably couple the disposable housing to the holder magnet coupled to the cuff.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the holder magnet includes first and second holder magnets, and

wherein the housing magnet includes first and second housing magnets configured to magnetically, removably couple the disposable housing to the first and second holder magnets, respectively.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the first and second housing magnets, when coupled to the first and second holder magnets, are configured to close an open electronic circuit on the cuff.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the conductor, when the disposable housing is coupled to the receptacle, the conductor is configured to close an open electronic circuit on the cuff.

8. The system of claim 1, including the cuff positionable about the joint and including the receptacle,

wherein the cuff includes an electromagnetic stimulator circuit configured to provide an electromagnetic field within the joint, and

wherein the disposable housing includes an activation circuit that, when coupled to the cuff, is configured to activate the electromagnetic stimulator circuit to provide the electromagnetic field within the joint.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the activation circuit includes a conductor configured to magnetically, removably couple the disposable housing to a holder magnet coupled to the cuff,

wherein the conductor, when coupled to the holder magnet, is configured to activate the electromagnetic stimulator circuit to provide the electromagnetic field within the joint.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the thermal exchange component includes a single-use thermal exchange component.

7. A method comprising:

magnetically, removably coupling a thermal exchange component to a receptacle on a cuff positionable about a joint using a disposable housing; and

providing temperature-based therapy to the joint using the thermal exchange component;

wherein the disposable housing includes a conductor, and

wherein magnetically, removably coupling the thermal exchange component to the receptacle on the cuff includes magnetically, removably coupling the conductor to a holder magnet coupled to the cuff.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein magnetically, removably coupling the conductor to the holder magnet includes closing an open electronic circuit on the cuff.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the holder magnet includes first and second holder magnets, and

wherein magnetically, removably coupling the conductor to the holder magnet includes magnetically, removably coupling the conductor to the first and second holder magnets coupled to the cuff.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the conductor includes a housing magnet, and

wherein magnetically, removably coupling the thermal exchange component to the receptacle on the cuff includes magnetically, removably coupling the housing magnet to the holder magnet coupled to the cuff.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the holder magnet includes first and second holder magnets,

wherein the housing magnet includes first and second housing magnets, and

wherein magnetically, removably coupling the thermal exchange component to the receptacle on the cuff includes magnetically, removably coupling the first and second housing magnets to the first and second holder magnets, respectively.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein magnetically, removably coupling the thermal exchange component to the receptacle on the cuff includes closing an open electronic circuit on the cuff.

16. The method of claim 7, wherein magnetically, removably coupling the conductor to the holder magnet includes closing an open electronic circuit on the cuff.

17. The method of claim 7, including the cuff positionable about the joint,

providing, using an electromagnetic stimulator circuit, an electromagnetic field within the joint, and

wherein magnetically, removably coupling the thermal exchange component to the receptacle on the cuff activates the electromagnetic stimulator circuit to provide the electromagnetic field within the joint.

18. The method of claim 7, wherein the thermal exchange component includes a single-use thermal exchange component.

19. A system comprising:

a thermal exchange component;

a cuff positionable about a joint, the cuff including a receptacle configured to receive the thermal exchange component;

a disposable housing configured to magnetically, removably couple the thermal exchange component to the receptacle on the cuff; and

wherein the thermal exchange component is configured to provide temperature-based therapy to the joint,

wherein the cuff includes an electromagnetic stimulator circuit configured to provide an electromagnetic field within the joint, and

wherein the disposable housing includes an activation circuit that, when coupled to the cuff, is configured to activate the electromagnetic stimulator circuit to provide the electromagnetic field within the joint.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the disposable housing includes a conductor configured to magnetically, removably couple the disposable housing to a holder magnet coupled to the cuff.