Wearable Compression Garment with Integrated Thermal Chambers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cold and heat therapy devices often fail to provide uniform pressure and temperature to multiple soft tissue areas simultaneously, as they are designed for specific regions and can be difficult to apply and maintain, especially due to issues like ice packs leaking and not staying in place, and challenges in applying compression effectively.
Innovation Solution
A wearable device with an inner and outer part of different elastic properties, creating a compartment for hot or cold elements that provides compression and maintains them in place using handles and bands, allowing for unrestricted application over soft tissue groupings without additional securing means, ensuring precise anchoring of therapeutic modalities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional ice packs and heat therapy devices are used, then therapeutic effect is provided to specific areas, but they cannot treat multiple soft tissue areas simultaneously and require multiple separate devices
Solution Approach 1:
The wearable device integrates multiple therapeutic functions into a single unified system. The compression garment incorporates both cold therapy chambers (for icing) and hot therapy chambers (for heating) within the same wearable structure, allowing simultaneous treatment of multiple soft tissue areas. The device can be configured with different数量的 cold and hot chambers depending on the specific treatment needs, providing versatile therapeutic capability while eliminating the need for multiple separate devices.
2Temperature
If ice packs are used for cold therapy, then cooling effect is achieved, but they leak and wet clothing and do not stay in place
Solution Approach 1:
The device uses flexible, leak-proof chambers constructed from sealed polymer or plastic materials to contain ice or cold therapy substances. These flexible containers prevent leakage while allowing the chamber to conform to body contours. The chambers are integrated into the wearable compression garment structure, ensuring they remain securely positioned during movement and do not shift or fall out of place.
Solution Approach 2:
The cold therapy chamber is merged with the compression garment structure itself, rather than being a separate removable ice pack. The chamber is built-in and sealed within the garment layers, combining the cooling function with the compression and positioning functions of the wearable device. This integration ensures the ice remains contained and positioned correctly while providing continuous compression and cooling.
3Force
If compression is applied over therapeutic modalities, then compression benefit is provided, but it is difficult to apply and maintain therapeutic modalities in the desired position
Solution Approach 1:
The therapeutic modalities (cold and hot chambers) are pre-positioned and integrated into the compression garment during manufacturing. The chambers are strategically located to correspond with common treatment areas, and the compression zones are pre-configured to apply force directly over these chambers. This preliminary positioning eliminates the need for users to manually adjust or reposition therapeutic elements during application.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible, form-fitting nature of the wearable compression garment allows it to conform to body contours and maintain secure positioning of therapeutic chambers without requiring additional fastening mechanisms. The elastic and adaptable material ensures the chambers stay in place during movement while maintaining consistent compression force.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If protective material is placed between therapeutic modality and skin, then skin contact burns are prevented, but the therapeutic modality cannot directly touch the skin for effective treatment
Solution Approach 1:
A thin, flexible thermal interface layer is incorporated between the therapeutic chamber and the skin. This thin film or mesh material provides minimal thermal resistance while offering protective benefits. The layer is designed to be thermally conductive enough to allow effective temperature transfer for therapeutic purposes while providing a protective barrier that prevents direct contact burns and skin irritation.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective material between the therapeutic chamber and skin has locally optimized properties - it is thin and thermally conductive in areas requiring efficient heat transfer, while providing sufficient protection to prevent burns. The material's thermal properties are tailored to match the specific therapeutic requirements of different body regions.
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 wearable device enables effective, uniform treatment of multiple soft tissue areas by providing consistent compression and temperature, improving treatment efficacy by conforming to the body and stabilizing muscles, while allowing for easy positioning and movement without disturbing the therapeutic modality.
Implementation Method 1
the inner part has a first set of elastic properties and a first tubular shape such that the inner part is configured to fit snugly around a user's body part... the outer part has a second set of elastic properties and a second tubular shape
Implementation Method 2
the inner part has an inner part thickness configured to allow the inner part to exchange heat with the user's body part
Data Source
AI summary
A wearable device for at least one of icing, heating and compressing a user's body part is disclosed. The wearable device comprises an inner part and an outer part. The outer part is arranged with the inner part such that the outer part surrounds the inner part. A compartment is defined by the space between the outer part and the inner part and above the first attaching means. A compression force is provided by the second set of elastic properties compressing at least one of the hot element and the cold element against the user's body part thereby eliminating a second attaching means above the first attaching means within the compartment. At least one handle is in attachment with the outer part. The wearable device further comprises at least one band disposed on the outer part between the outer part upper end and outer part lower end.