Cooling cap for the scalp

Abstract

A cover for a heat exchange cap, the cover being provided with one or more internal bands, the or each internal band being connected to one or more control elements located on the outside of the cover. The control element or control elements can be operated to increase or decrease the pressure applied by the or each internal band to the cover when the heat exchange cap is located on the skull of a patient and the cap cover is located on the heat exchange cap.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a scalp cooling cap for application to the head of a person receiving chemotherapy or similar treatment in which the patient may suffer from hair loss. Background Technology

[0002] Chemotherapy-induced alopecia (CIA) is widely recognized as one of the most distressing side effects of chemotherapy. Without treatment, CIA affects 3.5 million patients worldwide each year, including over 67,000 in the UK.

[0003] Cooling the patient's head during chemotherapy is known to reduce the degree and / or likelihood of hair loss through vasoconstriction. This cooling is achieved via a heat exchange cap comprising a layer of material defining channels through which a heat transfer fluid can flow. The heat exchange cap is securely held on the patient's head by a cap cover that applies pressure to ensure the cap remains as close to the scalp as possible, maintaining maximum contact to increase the amount of cooling to the patient's scalp. The cap cover has a mechanism that presses the heat exchange cap firmly against the scalp for improved contact and fit, allowing for a uniform fit, which is crucial for effective scalp cooling to reduce hair loss.

[0004] WO2020 / 097601 discloses a cap with one or two fastening mechanisms located on the outside of the cap. The fastening mechanism or each fastening mechanism includes a fastening line and some form of tightening device. Summary of the Invention

[0005] According to the present invention, a cover for a heat exchange cap is provided, the cover having one or more inner bands, the inner bands or each inner band being connected to one or more control elements located outside the cover, the control elements or these control elements being operable to increase or decrease the pressure applied to the cover by the inner bands or each inner band when the heat exchange cap is placed on the patient's skull and the cover is placed on the heat exchange cap.

[0006] Therefore, the internal fit of the cap can be dynamically adjusted via an external drawstring or other control element to secure the heat exchange cap tightly against the patient's scalp. Downward compression is achieved through an external fastening / pulling mechanism that controls the internal band, allowing the patient to apply downward pressure to the inner cooling cap closer to the scalp, thus improving fit and reducing contact variability.

[0007] When tightened, the inner cap, pressed closer to the scalp, leaves air space between the mechanism and the wearer's outer cap. This creates an air gap for insulation.

[0008] Preferably, the helmet is made of a soft, flexible material. More preferably, the helmet comprises three layers: an inner layer for biocompatibility, a middle layer for thermal insulation, and an outer layer for cleanability. The inner layer may be brushed nylon, the middle layer may be open-cell polyester polyurethane foam, and the outer layer may be polyurethane. For example, the outer layer may be made of PU biaxially oriented stretch fabric (flame-laminated).

[0009] Preferably, the belt is made of an elastic material.

[0010] The control element or multiple control elements may be in the form of a lasso buckle connected to the belt via an internal rope.

[0011] Preferably, the rope is made of a non-elastic material, such as nylon.

[0012] Preferably, the cover comprises two spaced-apart straps. More preferably, the two straps extend laterally above a center line extending longitudinally along the scalp.

[0013] Preferably, the cover includes straps that can be secured together below the chin. For example, the straps may be provided with hook and loop fastening elements to allow them to be secured together.

[0014] In another aspect of the invention, a cover configured for use with a heat exchange cap is provided, the cover having one or more inner bands connected to one or more control elements located outside the cover, the control elements being operable to increase or decrease the pressure applied by the cover and / or each inner band when the heat exchange cap is on the patient’s skull and the cover is on the heat exchange cap.

[0015] In another aspect of the invention, an apparatus is provided comprising a heat exchange cap and a cover for the heat exchange cap, the cover being provided with one or more inner bands, the inner bands or each inner band being connected to one or more control elements located outside the cover, the control elements or the control elements being operable to increase or decrease the pressure applied to the cover by the inner bands or each inner band when the heat exchange cap is placed on the patient’s skull and the cover is placed on the heat exchange cap. Attached Figure Description

[0016] The attached image is as follows: Figure 1 The interior of the cap according to the invention is shown; Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Front view of the cap; Figure 3 yes Figure 1 The cap is being adjusted by the patient in a rear perspective view; Figure 4 yes Figure 1 The cap is positioned on the front view of the patient's head; Figure 5 The diagram shows the straps and control elements on the patient's head when the main body of the cap is absent; Figure 6 It includes the patient's head. Figure 1 Exploded view of the hat cover; Figure 7 yes Figure 1 A side view of the cap in place on the patient's head; Figure 8 This is an exploded view of the straps and control elements on the patient's head when the main body of the cap is not present; Figure 9 yes Figure 1 A perspective view of the cap, showing the straps and control elements; and Figure 10 yes Figure 1 Another view of the cap's strap and control elements. Detailed Implementation

[0017] The present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0018] The cap 1 is intended for use with a heat exchange cap, which is applied to the head of a person receiving chemotherapy or similar treatment in which the patient may suffer from hair loss. The cap 1 includes an outer fabric in the form of a helmet-shaped heat insulation layer 3, which includes an inner nylon layer, a TPU foam intermediate layer, and an outer layer as a PU bi-directional elastic fabric (flame laminate).

[0019] Integrated with layer 3 is a nylon strap 5, which is equipped with a hook and loop fastening element and allows the cap to be secured around the patient's head when the strap 5 is fastened together under the chin via element 7.

[0020] Positioned on the inner surface of adjacent layer 3 are two straps 9, elongated bands made of elastic material, which form part of a device for pressing the heat exchange cap against the patient's scalp to improve contact. The device also includes nylon cord loops 11 connected to each end of the straps 9. The nylon cord loops 11 are made of non-elastic nylon paracord, and each loop 11 is attached with a lasso stop 13 and a cord clip 15. The lasso stop 13 allows adjustment of the intensity of the downward force applied to the heat exchange cap, and the lasso clip 15 facilitates good tactile grip and provides visual guidance to the patient.

[0021] The lasso stop 13 extends from the rope loop 9 through the eyelet 17 in layer 3, so that the rope clip 15 is located outside layer 3. This arrangement of the strap (in use, the strap is located between the cap and the heat exchange cap) and the control element located outside the cap allow the patient to adjust the downward pressure applied to the heat exchange cap according to their satisfaction, thereby achieving a good fit and reducing contact variability.

[0022] Overall, the internal mechanism, including the band 9, is positioned to target specific areas of the scalp to improve contact during the cooling process. This mechanism is adjustable to target areas of the scalp that are difficult to cool. It tightens into place to achieve the best possible fit to the individual scalp shape.

[0023] The band can be positioned to extend laterally beyond the crown area of ​​the scalp. Such a band can pass between the apex of the scalp and the hairline area on the forehead.

[0024] The cord extending from the inner strap to the outside of the cap is made of non-elastic nylon paracord.

[0025] The aforementioned caps offer patient self-adjustment and provide control to suit their comfort throughout the treatment duration.

[0026] The external rope extending from the eyelet may have a first securing mechanism provided by a lasso buckle and a second securing mechanism provided by an integrated chin strap.

[0027] The shape of a patient's scalp can pose challenges to the fit of the heat exchange cap. Caps can be supplied in various sizes to accommodate differences in skull anthropometric measurements. However, the cap cover according to the invention reduces the number of different sizes of heat exchange caps required.

Claims

1. A cover for a heat exchange cap, the cover having one or more inner bands, the inner bands or each inner band being connected to one or more control elements located outside the cover, the control elements or the plurality of control elements being operable to increase or decrease the pressure applied to the cover by the inner bands or each inner band when the heat exchange cap is placed on a patient’s skull and the cover is placed on the heat exchange cap.

2. The cover according to claim 1, wherein, The hood includes a helmet made of soft, flexible material.

3. The cover according to claim 2, wherein, The helmet comprises an inner nylon layer, a TPU foam intermediate layer, and an outer polyurethane layer.

4. The cover according to claim 3, wherein, The outer layer is made of PU biaxial elastic fabric (flame-laminated).

5. The cover according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The belt is made of an elastic material.

6. The cover according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The control element or multiple control elements are connected to the strap's loop via an internal rope.

7. The cover according to claim 6, wherein, The rope is made of a non-elastic material.

8. The cover according to claim 7, wherein, The rope is made of nylon.

9. The cover according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, It has two spaced-apart strips.

10. The cover according to claim 9, wherein, The band extends laterally above the center line of the longitudinal extension of the scalp.

11. The cover according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The band is positioned to target areas of the scalp to improve contact during use of the heat exchange cap.

12. The cover according to claim 11, wherein, The control element can be operated to target hard-to-reach areas of the scalp.

13. The cover according to claim 11 or 12, wherein, The band is retractable to conform as closely as possible to the shape of an individual's scalp.

14. The cover according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein, The band is positioned to extend laterally beyond the coronal area of ​​the scalp.

15. The cover according to claim 14, wherein, The band passes between the apex of the scalp and the hairline area on the forehead.

16. The cover according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The cover includes straps that can be secured together below the chin.

17. The cover according to claim 16, wherein, The straps are equipped with hook and loop fastening elements to allow them to be secured together.

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