WO2017190225A1

WO2017190225A1 - Device for delivering regulated hot and cold therapy

Info

Publication number: WO2017190225A1
Application number: PCT/CA2017/050270
Authority: WO
Inventors: John H. Saringer; Angel Leonardo GUERRERO; Jeffrey David SWITZER
Original assignee: Saringer Research Inc.
Priority date: 2016-05-06
Filing date: 2017-03-01
Publication date: 2017-11-09
Also published as: USD848008S1

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a device for delivering regulated hot therapy, cold therapy, and combinations of hot and cold therapy to an anatomical part. The device includes a housing having a slotted thermally conducive heat sink housing section and a planar housing section thermally isolated from each other, the heat sink housing section includes ventilation slots. The device includes a Peltier thermo module having a hot and cold side with the hot side being in thermal contact with the heat sink housing section and a cold side in contact with the planar housing section. A frameless fan is mounted in the heat sink housing section and located such that air is drawn into the slotted heat sink housing section and is forced out of the slotted housing section radially from the frameless fan. A control circuit is mounted in the housing and includes a temperature sensor for sensing a temperature of the heat sink. The control circuit is connected to the Peltier thermo module and the fan and is programmed to maintain a controlled temperature of the heat sink.

Description

DEVICE FOR DELIVERING REGULATED HOT AND COLD THERAPY

FIELD

The present invention relates to devices for cold and/or hot therapy and devices for cooling and/or heating adjacent areas on a person for therapeutic purposes.

BACKGROUND

Pain abatement research is a major area of study which goes

hand-in-hand with pain research itself. In many cases pain is a symptom of an underlying malady or trauma so the presence and nature of the pain in these cases is sometimes essential in aiding awareness and the diagnosis of the underlying illness. The abatement of pain has traditionally been effected using various external and internal treatments. Examples of external treatment include acupuncture, electro-shock treatment using transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), use of temperature such as application of hot or cold packs or topical application of cooling or heating formulations. Examples of internal, invasive treatments include drug treatments by oral administration or injection of freezing agents. Where feasible, the external physical methods of alleviating pain are preferable over the invasive, internal techniques for obvious reasons.

The application of hot or cold to localized pain such as muscle or tendon pain to reduce swelling has a long history. There are many devices for heating or cooling parts of the body. Hot water bottles and ice or cold packs are among the oldest and simplest devices for applying heat and cooling respectively. Another type of device is the heating blanket that uses electrical resistive heaters for heating. U.S. Pat. No. 4,094,357 discloses a heat transfer blanket which uses heat pipes coupled to heating/cooling systems. U.S. Pat. No. 5,269,369 teaches a body suit which utilizes a system of heat pipes to redistribute body heat for heating or cooling the person wearing the suit.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure provides a device for delivering regulated hot therapy, cold therapy, and combinations of hot and cold therapy to an anatomical part, comprising:

a) a housing comprising a thermally conducive heat sink housing section and a planar housing section thermally isolated from each other, said heat sink housing section including a plurality of ventilation slots;

b) a Peltier thermo module having spaced first and second planar surfaces, said heat sink housing section being in thermal contact with said first planar surface such that when power is applied to said Peltier thermo module said heat sink housing section is heated by said first surface of said Peltier thermo module and said second surface is cooled;

c) a frameless fan mounted in said heat sink housing section and located such that air is drawn into said heat sink housing section and is forced out of said heat sink housing section radially from said frameless fan such that excess heat from said heat sink housing section is ventilated out of said housing through said plurality of ventilation slots by said frameless fan; and

d) a control circuit mounted in said housing, said control circuit including a temperature sensor for sensing a temperature of said heat sink, said control circuit being connected to said Peltier thermo module and said fan, said control circuit being programmed to maintain a constant controlled temperature of the heat sink.

In an embodiment the planar housing section may be spaced from the second planar surface and is in thermal contact with the heat sink housing section, so that planar housing section is applied to and anatomical part heat is transmitted into the anatomical part.

In an embodiment, the planar housing section may be thermally isolated from the heat sink housing section and in thermal contact with the second surface of the thermo module so that when planar housing section is applied to an anatomical part the anatomical part is cooled. In this embodiment, the control circuit is programmed with instructions to run the frameless fan at its highest rotation rate to cool the heat sink housing section.

In an embodiment the heat sink housing section may include a section which is coplanar with the planar housing section and thermally isolated from it so that when the planar housing section and the coplanar section of the heat sink housing section is applied to an anatomical part the anatomical part is both heated and cooled.

In an embodiment the planar housing section and the heat sink housing section may be made of a unitary heat conductive section, one part of which is cooled and one part of which is heated. The unitary heat conductive section includes a predetermined pattern of separate slots configured to restrict flow of heat from the part which is heated to the part which is cooled, such that when heat and cold is applied to the unitary heat conductive section, a thermal gradient is produced across the unitary heat conduction section. The control circuit may be programmed with instructions to control the frameless fan so that when a temperature of the heat sink housing section exceeds a desired temperature setting, the frameless fan is turned on to maintain a constant controlled heat sink housing section temperature.

Alternatively, the control circuit may be programmed with instructions to power to the Peltier thermo module so that when a temperature of the heat sink housing section exceeds a desired temperature setting, the power to the Peltier thermo module is adjusted to maintain a constant controlled heat sink housing section temperature.

Alternatively, the control circuit may be programmed with instructions to, when a temperature of the heat sink housing section exceeds a desired temperature setting, control the fan so that the fan is turned on to maintain a constant controlled heat sink temperature, and to control the power to the Peltier thermo module which is adjusted to maintain a constant controlled heat sink housing section temperature.

The control circuit may include communication means for providing remote readout of the temperature of the device, and for remote control of the temperature of the device instead of the control circuit.

The control circuit may include a USB communication port for the communication means.

The device may include a cover support mounted on the heat sink housing section and including a slotted cover which fits over the cover support, and including an air filter sandwiched between the cover support and the cover.

In an embodiment there is provided a device for delivering regulated hot therapy, cold therapy, and combinations of hot and cold therapy to an anatomical part, comprising:

a) a housing comprising a thermally conducive heat sink housing section and first and second coplanar housing sections thermally isolated from each other and from said heat sink housing section, said heat sink housing section including a plurality of ventilation slots, said first coplanar housing section having a heater element embedded therein;

b) a Peltier thermo module having spaced first and second planar surfaces, said heat sink housing section being in thermal contact with said first planar surface and second coplanar housing section being in thermal contact with said second coplanar housing section such that when power is applied to said Peltier thermo module said heat sink housing section is heated by said first surface of said Peltier thermo module and said second coplanar housing section is cooled;

d) a control circuit mounted in said housing, said control circuit including a temperature sensor for sensing a temperature of said heat sink, said control circuit being connected to said Peltier thermo module, said heater element and said fan, said control circuit being programmed to provide independent control of a temperature of said first and second coplanar housing sections.

A further understanding of the functional and advantageous aspects of the present disclosure can be realized by reference to the following detailed description and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following is a description, by way of example only, of an apparatus for generating hot and/or cold therapy constructed in accordance with the present disclosure, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a device for delivering regulated hot and cold therapy;

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view of the device of Figure 1 taken along line 2-2 in Figure 3;

Figure 3 is a top view of the device of Figure 1 ;

Figure 4 is a side elevation view of the device of Figure 1 ;

Figure 5 is another side elevation view of the device of Figure 1 similar to Figure 4 but rotated 90°;

Figure 6 is a top view of one of the components of the device of Figure 1 ; Figure 7 is a disassembled view of the device of Figure 1 showing all the internal components;

Figure 7A shows a cross sectional view similar to Figure 2 showing air flow pattern of air being drawn into the device and being vented out of the device;

Figure 8 is a partial assembly view of the device of Figure 1 showing the addition of an air filter;

Figure 9 is a section view taken along the line B-B of Figure 10 of a device for delivering regulated hot and cold therapy in which the hot and cold surfaces form a complex array;

Figure 10 is a bottom view of the device of Figure 9; Figure 11 shows a disassembled view of an embodiment of the device configured to apply both hot and cold in a mixed pattern over a surface;

Figure 12 shows the device configured to provide a gradient of hot and cold over the contact surface; and

Figure 13 shows differently shaped thermo modules forming part of the present device.

Figures 14 and 15 show the device with two coplanar sections, one cooled by a thermo module while the second is heated with a resistive wire.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various embodiments and aspects of the device for delivering regulated hot and cold therapy will be described with reference to details discussed below. The following description and drawings are illustrative of the disclosure and are not to be construed as limiting the disclosure. The Figures are not to scale. Numerous specific details are described to provide a thorough understanding of various embodiments of the present disclosure. However, in certain instances, well-known or conventional details are not described in order to provide a concise discussion of embodiments of the present disclosure.

As used herein, the terms "comprises" and "comprising" are to be construed as being inclusive and open ended, and not exclusive. Specifically, when used in the specification and claims, the terms "comprises" and

"comprising" and variations thereof mean the specified features, steps or components are included. These terms are not to be interpreted to exclude the presence of other features, steps or components. As used herein, the term "exemplary" means "serving as an example, instance, or illustration," and should not be construed as preferred or advantageous over other configurations disclosed herein.

As used herein, the terms "about" and "approximately" are meant to cover variations that may exist in the upper and lower limits of the ranges of values, such as variations in properties, parameters, and dimensions.

Referring to Figure 1 , there is shown generally at 10 a device for delivering regulated hot and cold therapy. Device 10, referred to as an

ICEotherm™ is a product designed to deliver regulated hot and cold therapy. Pucks 10 are shaped like a hockey puck measuring ~2" (50mm) in diameter and 1 " (25mm) thick. Multiple pucks may be used to treat a single site. They may be used singly and applied by a therapist, or used with straps or wraps designed to hold multiple pucks in place for the treatment of larger specific areas. Clinical protocols are developed by clinicians to treat areas that include, foot, knee, hip, wrist, elbow, shoulder, neck and lower back. Clinical applications include the treatment of pain or swelling.

Referring to Figure 7, the puck 10 includes a cover 12 which includes ventilation slots to allow air to be sucked in during operation, a cover support 14 on which cover 12 snap fits and an optional air filter 13 shown in Figure 8, which is sandwiched between 12 and 14. Puck 10 includes a heat sink 20, which is the main structural element to which all other components are attached, as well as a thermoelectric module 26 (or thermo module 26) which is a Peltier device which requires a DC power source to generate the spaced hot and cold surfaces. The power is applied to wires 42. Heat sink housing section 20 also includes slots to allow air to be vented during operation. A frameless fan 16 is mounted on the interior of the heat sink housing section 20 and is positioned or located within section 20 such that air is drawn into heat sink housing section 20 and is forced out of the heat sink housing section 20 radially from the frameless fan 16 such that excess heat from the heat sink housing section 20 is ventilated out of the housing section 20 through the plurality of ventilation slots by frameless fan 16. Figure 7A shows a cross sectional view similar to Figure 2 showing air flow pattern of air being drawn into the heat sink housing section 20 and being vented out of the slotted housing section 20 in the radial direction with respect to the frameless fan 16. A frameless fan is preferred because it allows for radial outflow of air from the fan versus axial through flow of a normal enclosed fan, and because the heat sink itself must be cooled through radial air flow. The combination of a frameless fan embedded within a heat sink that only allows for radial outflow leads to a very compact and efficient means of eliminating the waste heat in the device.

Fan 16 and PCB (Printed Circuit Board) controller 18 (control circuit) are bolted to heat sink housing section 20 as shown in Figure 7. Controller 18 includes a USB port 36 so it can be connected to an external power source. Heat sink 20 includes a slot 22 in the side wall and a plastic retainer 24 which friction fits into slot 22. When assembled the USB port 36 of controller 18 is inserted into retainer 24.

Referring to Figure 2, a hot plate 28, shown in the form of a ring, is either integral to or bonded to the bottom edge of heat sink 20 and a top surface of the Peltier device 26 bonded to the bottom surface of heat sink 20 and the top surface of a thermally conductive cold plate 30 is bonded to the bottom surface of Peltier device 26. As can be seen in the cross section of Figure 2, a small gap 40 exists between the peripheral edge of plate 30 and the inner peripheral edge of hot plate 28 so that cold plate 30 is thermally insulated from hot plate 28.

When pure DC (little or no AC ripple) is applied to the two wires 42, the plate 30 becomes cold and absorbs heat while the hot plate 28 becomes hot and emits heat. Much more heat is released versus cold by thermo module 26 so the thermo module will always need to reject excess heat.

Since the thermo module 26 is thermally bonded to the heat sink 20 on the hot side and thermally bonded to the cold disc 30 on the cold side, heat is also conducted to the heat sink 20 where the excess heat is ventilated out of the puck 10 by the fan 16. The PCB control 18 with USB C plug 36 is mounted on the heat sink 20 and senses the temperature. When the temperature of the heat sink 20 exceeds the desired temperature setting, the fan 16 is turned on to maintain a constant controlled hot side temperature or alternatively, the power to the module 26 is regulated. Power (5 VDC) and two (2) way communications is supplied via the USB C plug 36. The USB C plug 36 also allows for two (2) way

communication so that the temperature setting of the puck 10 can be read from outside and also overridden so that an external controller can control the temperature of the puck 10. There is also an LED next to the plug 36 visible in slot 22 that indicates 1 ) Power, 2) Ready and 3) Fault.

In a non-limiting embodiment, the PCB controller 18 is circular, 37 mm in diameter, and receiving 5 VDC from the USB C plug. Also connected to the control board circuit 18 is the thermo module 26, the fan 16, an audible alarm, the above-mentioned LED and an independent thermal fuse. When 5 VDC power is applied to the board 18, the LED turns on low indicating that the puck 10 is powered. There is a temperature sensor on the board and a programmed default temperature, allowing for temperature settings ranging from 41 to 48°C increments. One setting turns the frameless fan 16 on high to provide maximum cooling of the heat sink 20 and disc 30. The control circuit 18 simply turns the fan 16 On and Off (or higher and lower) or alternatively, regulates the power to module 26 to maintain the set-point temperature. The fan 16 turns on Low when the set temperature is reached and turns on high when the set-point is exceeded by more than 0.5°C. If the temperature exceeds 1 °C over the set-point, then the LED flashes and an alarm sounds. A thermal fuse set to ~50°C will cut power to the puck 10 when triggered. There are two factory presets, one for maximum cooling and a second for 43°C. The first preset is set for pucks that deliver cold only while the second is for all other pucks having heat only or hot and cold. The presets are not user adjustable. These are the only two settings intended for safe consumer use. Other settings will need to be set from an external controller or by an authorized technician. The set-points can be read through the USB C plug and overridden.

When the preset temperature is reached, the LED shines brightly indicating that the puck is ready for use. If the set-point is exceeded by more than 1 °C then the LED flashes and an alarm sounds.

The pucks 10 can operate independently according to a specific default setting safe for consumer use, or be controlled externally through a controller that can override the standard puck settings and deliver a wider range of thermal settings and treatments under the control of a health care professional.

Figure 8 shows an optional air filter placed between cover 12 and cover support 14 preventing ingress of dust.

Thus, the present disclosure provides a therapeutic temperature treatment system which includes a treatment surface that may be hot, cold or hot and cold (thermal grill) or gradient hot to cold. The device 10 includes a thermal source of heat and cold built from a thermally conductive metal block 20, such as aluminum or copper, designed to absorb and transmit heat which is regulated to maintain a set temperature. On one side the block 20 absorbs heat from the thermoelectric module 26 and on the opposite side, has fan 16 cooled fins to dissipate excess heat and maintain a constant temperature set to +/- 1 °C within a range of 40 to 50°C.

Treatment surface 38 is comprised of the exposed sections of the ring shaped hot plate 28 and cold plate 30. While the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 7 has a single cooled surface 38 formed from disc 30, and an annular heated hot ring 28, it will be understood that many other patterned configurations may be realized using just one Peltier device 26. For example, Figures 9, 10 and 11 show a complex array of seven (7) circular projections 32, through hot plate 28, from cold plate 30, separated by insulating gaps 40.

The fan 16 is under control of temperature regulating circuit 18 that turns the fan 16 on and off, varies the fan speed, or regulates the power to the thermo module in order to maintain the temperature of the thermally conductive block 20 within a desired temperature range that is normally adjustable between 40 and 50 C within 1 -degree C or less. When the treatment is application of cold only the regulated hot surface is not required. The thermoelectric module 26, powered from a DC source, has its hot side connected to the thermally conductive metal block 20 and its cold side facing away from the center of the metal block 20.

In a non-limiting embodiment, the PCB control board 18 may be circular, 37 mm in diameter receiving 5 volts direct current (VDC) from the USB C plug 36. Also connected to the board 18 is the thermo module 26, the fan 16, an audible alarm, an LED and an independent thermal fuse. When 5 VDC power is applied to the board 18, the LED turns on low indicating that the puck 10 is powered. There is a temperature sensor on the board 18 and a default temperature setting which is programmed by a 4-way dip switch or equivalent, allowing for 16 default temperature settings ranging from 41 to 48 C in 0.5 C increments. The lowest setting 0000 turns the fan 16 on high to provide maximum cooling. The next setting 0001 is 41 °C, 0010 is 41 .5°C, 001 1 is 42°C, 0100 is 42.5°C all the way up to 1 1 1 1 (48°C). The control simply turns the fan On and Off (or higher and lower) to maintain the set-point temperature specified by the dip switches. The fan 16 turns on Low when the set temperature is reached and turns on high when the set-point is exceeded by more than 0.5°C. If the temperature exceeds 1 °C over the set-point, then the LED flashes and an alarm sounds. A thermal fuse set to ~50°C will cut power to the device 10 when triggered. There are two factory presets, 0000 for max cooling and 0101 for 43°C. 0000 is set for pucks that deliver cold only while 01 01 is for all other pucks having heat only or hot and cold. The dip switches are not user adjustable and require removal of the Cover to access the switch. These are the only two settings intended for safe consumer use. Other settings will need to be set from an external controller or by an authorized technician. The dip switch positions can be read through the USB C plug and overridden.

When the preset temperature is reached, the LED shines brightly indicating that the puck is ready for use. If the set-point is exceeded by more than 1 °C then the LED flashes and an alarm sounds. The USB C plug 36 has 16 pins not used for power. Four of these pins monitor the dip switch settings that can be forced High or Low externally to override the default settings and provide external control.

The treatment surface 38 may be in thermal contact with either or both of the cold side of the thermoelectric module 26 or the hot side to impart either heat (40 to 50°C) or cold or a combination of the two to the skin surface being treated.

Where the treatment surface is cold only, the treatment surface 38 is in thermal contact with the cold plate 30 thermally bonded to the thermoelectric module 26 and insulated from the heat sink 20 by gap 40.

Where the treatment surface is hot only, the treatment surface 38 is in thermal contact with the heat sink 20 through the hot plate 28 and insulated from the cold plate 30 of the puck 10. In an embodiment, the device may be constructed such that planar housing section 30 is spaced from the cold side of thermo module 26 by a gap and in thermal contact with heat sink housing section 20, for example the section 30 and heat sink housing section 20 may be formed of a unitary piece. In this embodiment the cold side of thermo module 26 is not utilized.

The device may be configured so that the treatment surface is both hot and cold such that it has areas of cold thermally connected with the cold side of the thermoelectric module and areas that are hot and thermally connected to the hot metal block to create a thermal grill. For example, device 10 seen in Figure 2 has a heated annular ring 28 in thermal contact with the heat sink housing section 20 which has a portion that is coplanar with planar housing section 38 so when contacted to an anatomical part both hot and cold are applied.

The treatment surface 38 may be configured to give a gradient temperature varying from cold in the center, for example the treatment surface may be thermally connected to the cold side of the thermoelectric module 26, and hot around the outside where it is thermally connected to the hot heat sink 20, and an area in between that is at a temperature intermediate to the cold and hot increasing in temperature closer to the hot metal block and decreasing in temperature closer to the cold central area.

Figure 12 shows a non-limiting example of such a configuration in which the planar housing section and the heat sink housing section are made of a unitary heat conductive element 60, one part 62 of which is cooled by being in thermal contact with the cold side of thermo module 26 and one part 64 of which is heated by being in thermal contact with heat sink housing section 20. Element 60 includes a predetermined pattern of separate slots 68 configured to restrict flow of heat from the part 64 which is heated to the part which is cooled 62, such that when heat and cold is applied to said unitary heat conductive element 60, a thermal gradient is produced across said unitary heat conduction section 60.

The treatment surface may have a gradient temperature varying from cold in one area of the treatment surface to hot around another area and the thermal conductivity between these two areas is varied, a desired pattern of heat and cold can be achieved.

When the treatment surface is cold only and there is no requirement for heat, the fan 16 is turned on to minimize the temperature of metal block of heat sink housing section 20 so as to enable the maximum amount of cooling of cold plate 30.

The thermoelectric module 26 can be of an irregular shape (square = normal) such as a donut to impart complex patterns of heat and cold to the treatment surface. Figure 13 shows differently shaped thermo modules 26a, 26b, 26c and 26d that may be used instead of the square module 26. These are example shapes and are not limiting as will be understood by those skilled in the art.

Figures 14 and 15 show a hot treatment surface section 70 as a resistive element thermally insulated by an insulator 71. In Figure 14 the insulator 71 insulates 70 from the cold plate 30, while in Figure 15 the thermal insulator 71 insulates hot treatment surface section 70 from both the cold plate 30 as well as the heat sink 20. The advantage of the embodiments of Figures 14 and 15 is that the heat sink 20 can be regulated independently to enable optimum controlled cooling of the cold plate 30 while heat to the hot treatment surface 70 is separately supplied and controlled electrically.

Thus, the present disclosure provides a puck shaped device designed to deliver regulated hot and cold therapy. In an embodiment they are shaped like a puck measuring ~2" (50mm) in diameter and 1 " (25mm) thick. Multiple pucks may be used to treat a single site. They may be used singly and applied by a therapist, or used with straps or wraps designed to hold multiple pucks in place for the treatment of larger specific areas. The pucks can operate independently according to a specific default setting safe for consumer use, or controlled externally through a controller than can override the standard puck settings and deliver a wider range of thermal settings and treatments under the control of a health care professional.

The foregoing description of the preferred embodiments of the invention has been presented to illustrate the principles of the invention and not to limit the invention to the particular embodiment illustrated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by all of the embodiments encompassed within the following claims and their equivalents.

Claims

THEREFORE, WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1 . A device for delivering regulated hot therapy, cold therapy, and combinations of hot and cold therapy to an anatomical part, comprising:

2. The device according to claim 1 wherein said planar housing section is spaced from said second planar surface and is in thermal contact with said heat sink housing section, and wherein when said planar housing section is applied to and anatomical part heat is transmitted into said anatomical part.

3. The device according to claim 1 wherein said planar housing section is thermally isolated from said heat sink housing section and in thermal contact with said second surface of said thermo module, and wherein when said planar housing section is applied to an anatomical part the anatomical part is cooled.

4. The device according to claim 1 wherein said heat sink housing section includes a section which is coplanar with said planar housing section and thermally isolated from it, and wherein when said planar housing section and coplanar section of said heat sink housing section is applied to an anatomical part the anatomical part is both heated and cooled.

5. The device according to claim 1 wherein said planar housing section and said heat sink housing section are made of a unitary heat conductive section, one part of which is cooled and one part of which is heated, including a predetermined pattern of separate slots configured to restrict flow of heat from the part which is heated to the part which is cooled, such that when heat and cold is applied to said unitary heat conductive section, a thermal gradient is produced across said unitary heat conduction section.

6. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein said control circuit is programmed with instructions to control said frameless fan so that when a temperature of said heat sink housing section exceeds a desired temperature setting, said frameless fan is turned on to maintain a constant controlled heat sink housing section temperature.

7. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein said control circuit is programmed with instructions to power to said Peltier thermo module so that when a temperature of said heat sink housing section exceeds a desired temperature setting, the power to said Peltier thermo module is adjusted to maintain a constant controlled heat sink housing section temperature.

8. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein said control circuit is programmed with instructions to, when a temperature of said heat sink housing section exceeds a desired temperature setting, control said fan so that said fan is turned on to maintain a constant controlled heat sink temperature, and to control the power to said Peltier thermo module which is adjusted to maintain a constant controlled heat sink housing section temperature.

9. The device according to claim 3 wherein said control circuit is

programmed with instructions to run the frameless fan at its highest rotation rate to cool said heat sink housing section.

10. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 9 wherein said control circuit includes communication means for providing remote readout of the temperature of the device, and for remote control of the temperature of the device instead of the control circuit.

1 1 . The device according to any one of claims 1 to 10 wherein said control circuit includes a USB communication port for said communication means.

12. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 1 1 including a cover support mounted on said heat sink housing section and including a slotted cover which fits over said cover support, and including an air filter sandwiched between said cover support and said cover.

13. A device for delivering regulated hot therapy, cold therapy, and combinations of hot and cold therapy to an anatomical part, comprising:

14. The device according to claim 13 wherein said control circuit is programmed with instructions to run the frameless fan and thermo module in order to deliver regulated cooling and said control circuit is programmed to also control said heating element such that both heating and cooling are

independently regulated.