Equine Cold Therapy Boot with Circulating Coolant Pad
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for applying cryotherapy to equine laminitis are cumbersome, imprecise, and limited to a single leg for short durations, failing to effectively prevent the development of laminitis and provide simultaneous cooling to all four hooves.
Innovation Solution
A boot and pad assembly that circulates coolant through a shock-absorbing pad with heat transfer means, allowing for simultaneous cooling of all four hooves and optional reduced pressure application, ensuring extended use without overcooling the legs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If icing down the horse's leg is used for cryotherapy, then cooling effect is achieved, but the method is cumbersome and imprecise
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the cooling system into separate boot assemblies that can be independently applied to each hoof, with each boot containing its own coolant circulation system. This segmentation allows precise control of cooling to each foot while eliminating the cumbersome nature of traditional leg icing methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a boot assembly as an intermediary device between the coolant source and the hoof. The boot contains a shock-absorbing pad with embedded coolant circulation channels, serving as a mediator that delivers controlled cooling directly to the hoof while protecting the leg from overcooling.
2Reliability
If cryotherapy is applied to prevent laminitis, then disease prevention is improved, but current methods are limited to single leg and short duration
Solution Approach 1:
The boot assembly design allows simultaneous application to all four hooves of a horse, making the system universal and multi-functional. Each boot is self-contained with coolant circulation capability, enabling extended duration cooling across multiple limbs without the limitations of previous single-leg, short-duration methods.
3Reliability
If extended cooling is applied to hooves, then laminitis prevention is improved, but leg overcooling may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is designed to apply cooling locally and selectively to the hoof region only. The boot assembly confines the coolant circulation to the hoof area, providing intensive localized cooling for laminitis prevention while preventing harmful overcooling of the upper leg through spatial differentiation of the cooling effect.
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
The solution enables efficient, comfortable, and controlled cooling of equine hooves and legs, preventing laminitis development and enhancing performance by maintaining optimal blood flow and temperature reduction.
Implementation Method 1
a boot and pad assembly that circulates coolant through a shock-absorbing pad with heat transfer means
Implementation Method 2
recent research on the use of cryotherapy (or cold therapy) as a potential prophylactic
Implementation Method 3
the application of a vacuum to an injured member, especially together with cryotherapy, is also beneficial in increasing blood flow
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus for and methods of core cooling the blood of an equine animal. The apparatus is a flexible boot with an orthotic pad that has various features to allow for circulating coolant so the bottom hoof area of an equine can be cooled. Optionally the pad is designed to allow cooling under vacuum. In some aspects the apparatus also provides elements to facilitate cooling the lower leg of the equine in a way designed to allow coolant circulated through the boot pad to also be circulated through leg cooling elements while maintaining a controlled temperature against the leg surface. The invention is also a method of core cooling an animal utilizing the apparatus described.