Cold Therapy System with Removable Ice Conduit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cold therapy systems face challenges in efficiently cooling and delivering fluid to cold therapy temperatures, as conventional methods like ice baths are cumbersome and mains water is often not cold enough for effective physical therapy.
Innovation Solution
A cold therapy system with a housing and heat exchange device that uses a conduit to channel fluid over a removable ice pack, optimizing heat transfer through adjustable ice pack configurations and flow management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional ice baths are used for cold therapy, then cooling effect is achieved, but the system becomes cumbersome and requires large amounts of ice
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the cooling function into separate components: a removable ice pack that can be independently replaced, a conduit system that directs fluid flow, and a housing that contains the components. This segmentation allows the ice pack to be easily replaced without affecting other system components, reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The ice pack is extracted as a separate, removable component from the main system. This allows the ice pack to be independently manufactured, replaced, and optimized without redesigning the entire cooling system, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining effective cooling.
2Ease of operation
If mains water is used directly for cold therapy, then convenience is improved, but the water temperature is not sufficiently cold for effective therapy
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces an intermediary cooling mechanism where cold water from the mains supply flows over an ice pack in the conduit. This intermediary process transfers additional coldness from the ice pack to the mains water, achieving therapeutic temperatures while maintaining the convenience of using mains water supply.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the temperature parameter of the mains water by facilitating heat exchange with the ice pack. The water temperature is reduced from typical mains supply temperature to therapeutic cold temperatures through controlled contact with the ice pack surface.
3Productivity
If ice packs are designed with large surface area for heat exchange, then cooling efficiency is improved, but space requirements and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The ice pack is designed with a curved, cylindrical shape that allows it to fit within the conduit while maximizing surface area contact with the flowing water. The curved geometry enables efficient heat exchange without requiring excessive volume, as the cylindrical form provides high surface-area-to-volume ratio.
Solution Approach 2:
The ice pack design utilizes the third dimension by creating a three-dimensional cylindrical shape that fits within the conduit. This dimensional approach allows the ice pack to maximize surface area for heat exchange along the length of the conduit without increasing lateral space requirements.
4Strength
If ice packs are made solid and dense for durability, then strength is improved, but heat transfer efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The ice pack incorporates a porous or cellular internal structure that maintains overall structural strength while creating numerous internal surfaces for heat exchange. The porous architecture provides mechanical integrity similar to solid ice while dramatically increasing the surface area available for thermal contact with the flowing water.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Efficiently cools fluid by up to 5°C, allowing continuous delivery of cooled fluid for extended periods with minimal ice degradation, optimizing heat transfer and space usage.
Implementation Method 1
a heat exchange device comprising a body of ice, the conduit being disposed in a fluid flow path between the inlet and the outlet such that, in use, the fluid flows from said inlet over the outer circumference of said body of ice before delivery to said outlet
Implementation Method 2
efficiently cool and deliver a flow of fluid, received from a source and cooled to cold therapy temperatures (below 15°C) as it flows through the system
Data Source
Figure 1A~1C
Figure 2A~2C
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A cold therapy system comprising a housing 10 having an inlet 12 for receiving fluid from a source and an outlet 14 for delivering cooled fluid, the housing defining a chamber comprising or defining at least one conduit 20 for removably receiving a heat exchange device 30 comprising a body of ice, the conduit 20 being disposed in a fluid flow path between the inlet 12 and the outlet 14 such that, in use, the fluid flows from said inlet 12 over the outer circumference of said body of ice 30 before delivery to said outlet 14.