Wearable Limb Wrap Cooling With Fluid Bladder Pressure Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling technologies for preventing chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) are bulky, cumbersome, and do not cater for use during chemotherapy administration, leading to inefficiencies and patient discomfort, while current methods fail to achieve optimal limb hypothermia for neuroprotection.
Innovation Solution
A compression wrap with a fluid bladder design featuring multiple flaps and cavities for air and liquid, allowing for temperature-controlled pressure application, enabling efficient and portable limb cooling with adjustable pressure cycles and graduated cooling rates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If ice packs or gel packs are used for limb cooling, then cooling effect is achieved, but temperature control is unstable due to phase change during melting
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state parameter of the coolant from solid (ice packs) to liquid (circulating coolant), eliminating phase change issues. The liquid coolant system maintains stable temperature control without the melting phase transition that causes temperature fluctuations in ice packs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the passive mechanical ice pack system with an active liquid circulation system using a pump and heat exchanger. This substitution enables precise temperature control and eliminates the reliability issues associated with phase change in solid ice packs.
2Temperature
If frozen gloves are used for cryotherapy, then cooling is delivered, but operator-friendliness and subject comfort are poor, limiting application period
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible wrap with a fluid bladder that conforms to the subject's limb, providing comfortable and easy-to-apply cooling. This flexible design replaces the rigid frozen gloves, improving both operator-friendliness and subject comfort while maintaining effective cooling delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a liquid coolant as an intermediary between the cooling system and the subject's skin. This liquid medium provides uniform, controllable cooling without the extreme cold contact issues of frozen gloves, enhancing comfort and ease of operation.
3Speed
If vapour compression technology is used for cooling, then continuous-controlled coolant flow is achieved, but device weight increases and subject mobility is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the heavy vapour compression components from the wearable device and places them in an external mobile cart. Only the lightweight fluid bladder and tubing remain on the subject, maintaining controlled coolant flow while minimizing weight and preserving subject mobility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent separates the cooling system into two dimensions: a lightweight wearable component (fluid bladder) that contacts the subject, and a mobile external component (cart with pump and reservoir) that provides the cooling function. This dimensional separation achieves controlled coolant flow without restricting subject mobility.
4Ease of operation
If intermittent cooling schedule (30 minutes cooling, 30 minutes rewarming) is used, then subject tolerability is improved, but efficacy is reduced due to rebound blood flow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic, adjustable cooling cycles through the control system, allowing customization of cooling duration and intensity. This enables optimized protocols that maintain neuroprotection efficacy while ensuring subject tolerability, avoiding the fixed intermittent schedule's rebound effect.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates temperature sensors and control systems that provide feedback on limb temperature and blood flow. This feedback mechanism allows real-time adjustment of cooling parameters to prevent rebound blood flow while maintaining subject comfort, improving both efficacy and tolerability.
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 wrap provides effective limb hypothermia, enhancing patient tolerance and duration of cooling, while allowing for cannulation and monitoring, thus addressing the limitations of existing technologies in preventing CIPN during chemotherapy.
Implementation Method 1
a liquid cavity (404) configured to contact a subject's skin and circulate a coolant through the arm
Implementation Method 2
an air cavity (402) positioned above the liquid cavity (404), wherein air may be injected into and released from the air cavity to provide cyclical pressure on the subject
Data Source
AI summary
A compression wrap and method for temperature-controlled application of pressure on an arm of a subject, comprising a fluid bladder comprising a first element comprising two or more first flaps; a second element comprising one or more digital flaps; and a third element comprising two or more second flaps, wherein the first element and the third element are connected along a first edge and the second element is connected to the first element and the third element along a second edge.