Flexible Thermal Pack With Segmented Fluid Passageways
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing thermal packs for cryotherapy fail to maintain a constant temperature effectively, leading to inefficiencies in therapeutic treatments due to rapid temperature changes and fluid flow restrictions when applied to body contours, which can cause discomfort and reduce treatment efficacy.
Innovation Solution
A flexible, heat-conductive bladder with a separator element to maintain fluid flow and a fluid control system that uses two tanks with temperature differential to ensure constant temperature fluid supply to the thermal pack, preventing temperature fluctuations and ensuring uninterrupted fluid flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the thermal pack is applied to body contours, then it conforms to the body shape, but fluid flow is restricted causing dead areas with poor temperature control
Solution Approach 1:
The bladder is divided into multiple fluid passageways instead of a single channel, ensuring that fluid can reach all areas of the thermal pack including those in folded or creased regions. This segmentation maintains temperature control reliability while preserving the ability to conform to body contours.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a third dimension by creating a multi-layered bladder structure with fluid passageways distributed throughout the volume. This allows fluid to flow through multiple planes and levels, preventing dead areas even when the pack is folded or creased against body contours.
2Device complexity
If simple fluid circulation is used, then device complexity is reduced, but temperature constancy cannot be maintained
Solution Approach 1:
A temperature sensor continuously monitors the fluid temperature and provides feedback to the control system. This feedback mechanism enables automatic adjustment of heating or cooling power to maintain constant temperature, achieving reliable temperature control without requiring complex manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically regulates its own temperature through the feedback control mechanism, adjusting heating or cooling based on real-time temperature measurements. This self-regulating capability maintains temperature constancy while keeping the overall device complexity manageable.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the pack is folded to fit body contours, then it adapts to the treatment area, but fluid flow is cut off causing loss of temperature control
Solution Approach 1:
The fluid circulation system is segmented into multiple independent passageways distributed throughout the bladder structure. This ensures that if some passageways are compressed or blocked due to folding, others remain open and functional, maintaining continuous fluid flow and temperature control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses flexible bladder material that can be folded and creased to fit body contours while incorporating internal fluid passageways that maintain their structural integrity and flow capacity. The flexible structure allows adaptation to treatment areas without compromising fluid flow continuity.
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 maintains a consistent temperature during therapeutic treatments, ensuring effective heat transfer and comfort by preventing fluid flow restrictions and temperature changes, thus enhancing the therapeutic outcome.
Implementation Method 1
A chilled or heated fluid medium can be caused to flow through the enclosure to provide a cooling or heated therapeutic treatment
Implementation Method 2
The therapeutic device takes the form of a heat conductive bladder that will conform to the various contours of the body
Data Source
AI summary
A thermal pack (10) and associated control system (32, 44) for the therapeutic treatment of a mammal. The pack (10) is made from a flexible, heat conductive, liquid impermeable material and has an inlet (18) through which fluid can be transferred into the pack (10), a passageway through which fluid can flow and an outlet (20) through which fluid may be removed from the pack (10). The passageway within the pack (10) also has a separator element (22) that forms a track (22, 24) along which the fluid can flow and keeps the walls of the pack (1) spaced apart so that the fluid flow is not restricted if the pack (10) is flexed in use.