Thermal Pad With Granular Body for Conformable Heat Transfer
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional thermal pads or blankets used for temperature control often require adhesive layers or significant weight to maintain contact with the patient's body, which can be uncomfortable and pose issues.
Innovation Solution
A thermal management device with a contact surface that conforms to the body using a granular material, such as metal, sand, or silica, which is thermally conductive or insulative, distributed to apply a uniform load and facilitate heat transfer without adhesives or excessive weight, and optionally includes a fluid conduit and removable inserts for enhanced conformability and thermal conductivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If adhesive layers are applied to maintain contact between the pad and patient, then thermal transmission is improved, but patient comfort deteriorates and skin irritation may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the adhesive layer entirely from the thermal pad design. Instead of using adhesives to maintain contact, the invention uses a weighted body that conforms to the patient's body contours through gravity and weight distribution, eliminating the harmful adhesive component while maintaining thermal transmission through direct contact.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the pad by incorporating a weighted body with specific weight range (5-12 lbs) and density characteristics. This weight parameter enables the pad to conform to body contours and maintain contact pressure without adhesives, achieving both thermal transmission and patient comfort simultaneously.
2Shape
If heavy weight is added to make the pad conform to the patient's body, then contact conformity is improved, but patient comfort deteriorates due to excessive weight
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the weight parameter to a specific range (5-12 lbs) that provides sufficient conformity without excessive burden. This parameter optimization allows the pad to conform to body contours effectively while maintaining patient comfort, avoiding the extremes of both too light (poor conformity) and too heavy (discomfort).
Solution Approach 2:
The patent distributes weight locally through a weighted body that conforms to specific body contours. The weight is strategically positioned and distributed to provide adequate pressure and conformity at critical contact areas while minimizing overall burden on the patient, achieving local quality improvement without global weight penalty.
3Temperature
If adhesive layers are used to maintain contact, then thermal transmission is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the adhesive layer from the device structure. By eliminating this component, the overall device complexity is reduced while thermal transmission is maintained through the weighted body's direct contact mechanism. This simplification removes the need for adhesive application, storage, and quality control processes.
4Shape
If granular material is added to assist conformability, then contact conformity is improved, but device weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses composite construction combining a weighted body with granular material (such as metal beads, sand, or ceramic particles) enclosed in a flexible pouch. This composite structure provides enhanced conformability through the granular material's ability to flow and adapt to body contours while the overall weight remains controlled within the 5-12 lbs range through careful material selection and quantity optimization.
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 device effectively transmits thermal energy to the body while conforming to its surface topography without discomfort, providing efficient temperature management without the need for adhesives or heavy weights, with adjustable thickness and weight distribution for improved patient comfort.
Implementation Method 1
The device body is configured to conform to the person's body wherein the contact surface contacts the person's body and follows a surface topography of the person's body
Implementation Method 2
provides a thermally conductive surface for transmitting thermal energy from the fluid flowing through the fluid conduit to the person's body
Implementation Method 3
the layer of thermally conductive material assists the device body to conform to the person's body
Data Source
AI summary
A temperature management device for warming or cooling a person's body includes a device body, which has a fluid conduit for flowing fluid through the device body. The device body includes a contact surface to face and contact the person's body on which the device body is applied and is configured to conform to the person's body wherein the contact surface contacts the person's body and follows a surface topography of the person's body, and further provides a thermally conductive surface for transmitting thermal energy from the fluid flowing through the fluid conduit to the person's body.