Cold pack

Abstract

A cold pack that includes an enclosure having a powdered solute and a liquid sealed inside the enclosure. The powdered solute and the liquid are segregated within the enclosure by a membrane. Rupturing the membrane mixes the liquid with the powdered solute to produce an endothermic solution within the enclosure. Substantially all of the powdered solute rapidly dissolves within the liquid such that the cold pack quickly reaches its cooling temperature. In another aspect, the cold pack includes an absorbent core within the enclosure. The absorbent core retains the endothermic solution such that the absorbent core spreads the endothermic solution throughout the enclosure. Spreading the endothermic solution throughout the enclosure produces a uniform cooling temperature throughout the cold pack.

Description

FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a cold pack and more particularly to a cold pack that transfers heat from a human body when the cold pack is placed on or near the human body. BACKGROUND [0002] A variety of cooling methods are used to treat symptoms such as swelling, inflammation and muscle pain. One known cooling method includes placing ice within a cloth and / or bag and then positioning the ice bag / cloth near an injured portion of the body. [0003] One concern with using ice relates to the rate that heat is transferred from the body because skin damage can result if heat is transferred too quickly from the skin. In addition, as ice melts it loses it capacity to perform cooling. Therefore, ice typically can not be used to perform cooling when an injured patient is located far from refrigeration units where ice needs to be stored to remain frozen. [0004] Another cooling method utilizes a cold pack that generates cooling via an endothermic chemical reaction which takes pla...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008] The present invention relates to a cold pack that is capable of generating an endothermic reaction within the cold pack. The endothermic reaction occurs by mixing an solute with a liquid to form an endothermic solution. The endothermic solution is formed more quickly within the cold pack such that the cold pack rapidly reaches its cooling temperature. In addition, the quickly-formed endothermic solution can be efficiently distributed throughout the cold pack to provide a uniform cooling temperature throughout the entire cold pack.

Problems solved by technology

One concern with using ice relates to the rate that heat is transferred from the body because skin damage can result if heat is transferred too quickly from the skin.

In addition, as ice melts it loses it capacity to perform cooling.

Therefore, ice typically can not be used to perform cooling when an injured patient is located far from refrigeration units where ice needs to be stored to remain frozen.

One concern with such endothermic cold packs is that the solute is in pellet form, which sometimes does not adequately dissolve in to solution when the liquid and endothermic pellets are mixed together within the enclosure.

When the pellets dissolve too slowly (or not at all), the endothermic reaction within the solution occurs more slowly and less efficiently than would otherwise be possible if all the endothermic pellets dissolved quickly in the liquid.

The localization of the solution within the enclosure results in temperature differences within the cold pack.

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