JP2023100115A - Scalp cooling cap - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a scalp cooling cap capable of reducing the volume of a freezer by eliminating the need to freeze members other than cooling agents, and capable of uniformly and sufficiently cooling the whole scalp.SOLUTION: A scalp cooling cap 10 includes: a first cooling agent 1 arranged from the forehead to the occiput via the parietal part of the head, and foldable into a plurality of regions along the forehead to the occiput; the second and third cooling agents 2, 3 arranged on left and right sides of the head, respectively, and foldable into a plurality of regions; an elastic supporter 4 with first to third storage compartments for the first to third cooling agents, respectively; and a cap 5 that is insulating and flexible and covers the supporter 4 put on a head 100.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a scalp cooling cap that prevents hair loss on the head due to side effects of chemotherapy such as anticancer drug treatment.

As a side effect of chemotherapy such as anticancer drug therapy, it is known that hair matrix cells are adversely affected by the drug, resulting in hair loss. In particular, hair loss on the head causes mental distress to patients who are concerned about changes in appearance, and impairs their willingness to undergo chemotherapy.

Therefore, head-cooling caps have been proposed to cool the head in order to suppress blood flow to hair matrix cells by constricting blood vessels in the head and reduce metabolic activity to suppress the adverse effects of drugs ( For example, see Patent Document 1).

The head cooling cap described in Patent Document 1 is composed of a spacer, an undercap, a heat storage material, and a heat insulating material outward from the scalp surface side, and can be moved during cooling by eliminating the need for an external device. It is said that the head can be cooled for a certain period of time or longer.

The heat storage material of Patent Document 1 is considered to correspond to the cooling agent of the present invention.

Japanese Patent No. 6900094

However, in the head cooling cap described in Patent Document 1, a heat storage material is brought into contact with the outer surface of a non-deformable undercap formed of a thermosetting material so that it can be attached to the head. Therefore, if the heat storage material hardened by freezing is to be brought into contact with a wide range of the outer surface of the undercap after freezing, it is necessary to freeze the undercap with the heat storage material in close contact with the outer surface together with the heat storage material. A freezer volume is required that can also accommodate the non-deformable undercap when the heat storage material is frozen.

In addition, it is considered necessary to uniformly and sufficiently cool a wide area of the scalp in order to suppress hair loss on the head as a side effect of chemotherapy. However, the head cooling cap described in Patent Document 1 interposes a plurality of spacers between the scalp and the undercap during use. Therefore, the undercap cooled by the heat storage material does not come into direct contact with the scalp, and the heat storage material cannot be brought into close contact with a wide range of the scalp. It becomes necessary to maintain the heat storage material at an excessively low temperature.

It is an object of the present invention to store a cold insulator that does not freeze and solidify at a target temperature below freezing in a stretchable supporter and attach it to the head after freezing, thereby eliminating the need to freeze members other than the cold insulator. It is possible to reduce the volume of the freezer by using the above method, and the cooling agent can be brought into close contact with a wide range of the scalp, so that the entire scalp can be uniformly and sufficiently cooled without making the temperature of the cooling agent excessively low. To provide a cooling cap.

The scalp cooling cap of the present invention comprises a cooling agent, a supporter and a cap. The cooling agent is the first cooling agent that is placed from the forehead to the back of the head through the top of the head and does not freeze and solidify at a target temperature below freezing point, and the first cooling agent is placed on the left and right sides of the head. second and third refrigerants that are not frozen and solidified at a target temperature below freezing point. The supporter has stretchability and includes first to third storage portions for storing first to third ice packs, respectively. The cap has heat insulating properties and stretchability, and covers the supporter attached to the head.

In this configuration, only the first to third refrigerants are brought to a target temperature below freezing in the freezer. When the ice pack set to a target temperature below freezing is stored in the supporter and attached to the head, the first to third ice packs that have not been frozen and solidified are deformed according to the shape of the head inside the elastic supporter. , The ice pack is in close contact with the supporter across a wide range of the scalp. When the supporter and the head are covered with a heat-insulating and stretchable cap, the cooling temperature of the scalp by the cooling agent is maintained.

In this configuration, the first ice pack can be folded into a plurality of regions from the front to the back of the head, and the second and third ice packs can be folded into a plurality of regions. The supporter can be sandwiched between the first to third cooling agents in a wide range of the scalp to fit the various head shapes, and the cooling agents can be brought into closer contact.

Each of the first to third cooling agents can be composed of two layers, an inner layer arranged on the scalp side and an outer layer arranged on the outer side thereof. Adjustment of the cooling temperature and cooling time can be facilitated compared to the single layer configuration.

An elastic belt may be provided to secure the cap to the head. It is possible to prevent the cap from coming off the head and improve the adhesion of the supporter to the scalp.

According to this invention, it is possible to reduce the volume of the freezer by eliminating the need to freeze members other than the ice pack, and the ice pack stored in the stretchable supporter deforms according to the shape of the head, which varies from user to user. By doing so, the cooling agent can be brought into close contact with a wide range of the scalp, and the entire scalp can be uniformly and sufficiently cooled without making the temperature of the cooling agent excessively low.

FIG. 4 is a front end view of a portion located on the top of the head when using the scalp cooling cap according to the embodiment of the present invention; It is a top view of the 1st ice pack with which the same scalp cooling cap is provided. It is a top view of the 2nd ice pack with which the same scalp cooling cap is equipped. (A) and (B) are respectively a plan view and a bottom view of a supporter included in the scalp cooling cap. (A) and (B) are a top view and a bottom view, respectively, showing an assembled state of the supporter. (A) to (C) are respectively a plan view, a front view and a side view of a cap included in the same scalp cooling cap.

Hereinafter, scalp cooling caps according to embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following description.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the scalp cooling cap 10 includes a first cooling agent 1 , a second cooling agent 2 , a third cooling agent 3 , a supporter 4 and a cap 5 . The first cooling agent 1, the second cooling agent 2, and the third cooling agent 3 are respectively arranged on the head 100 side, the first inner member 11, the second inner member 21, and the third inner member 31, and the outer side thereof. It is composed of a first outer member 12, a second outer member 22 and a third outer member 32 which are arranged.

The supporter 4 stores the first ice pack 1 in the first storage section 41 facing from the forehead to the back of the head through the top of the head, and the second storage section 42 and the third storage section 42 facing the left and right temporal regions. The second cooling agent 2 and the third cooling agent 3 are stored in the storage portions 43, respectively. The supporter 4 is attached to the head 100 in a state in which the first cooling agent 1, the second cooling agent 2 and the third cooling agent 3 are accommodated.

The cap 5 covers the supporter 4 attached to the head 100 . The cap 5 has a vertical belt 57 and a horizontal belt 58 . The vertical belt 57 is arranged so as to vertically wind the head 100 from the top of the head via the lower jaw. The horizontal belt 58 is arranged so as to laterally wind the head 100 from the forehead through the temporal and occipital regions. With the supporter 4 covered with the cap 5, the space between the head 100 and the supporter 4 and the space between the supporter 4 and the cap almost disappear by pressing with fingers and tightening the vertical belt 57 and the horizontal belt 58. do.

As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the first cold insulator 1 consists of a first inner member 11 and a first outer member 12 . The first inner member 11 is, for example, a rectangular flat wrapper made of polyethylene film with a length of 420 mm and a width of 140 mm. configured as separate as possible. In each of the regions 111 to 113, for example, greases, bead polymers, urea, thickeners, preservatives, etc. that do not freeze and solidify at the target temperature are stored in a freezer at -18°C to -25°C for about 48 hours. At that time, the contents adjusted at a rate that maintains the target temperature of about -5°C without freezing and solidifying are stored.

The first outer member 12 is, for example, a rectangular flattened wrapper made of polyethylene film having a length of 400 mm and a width of 100 mm. configured as separate as possible. Each of the regions 121 to 125 is frozen and solidified when, for example, water, urea, sodium polyacrylate, preservative, etc. are stored in a freezer at -18°C to -25°C for about 48 hours. The contents adjusted to maintain the target temperature of about -7°C are stored.

The first cold insulator 1 does not necessarily have to be composed of two layers, the first inner member 11 and the first outer member 12, and may be composed of a single layer or three or more layers. In addition, the size and the number of regions of the first inner member 11 and the first outer member 12 can be appropriately changed according to the composition of the respective contents and the cooling temperature and cooling time of the scalp.

As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the second ice pack 2 consists of a second inner member 21 and a second outer member 22 . The second inner member 21 is, for example, a flat wrapping bag having a substantially semicircular planar shape made of polyethylene film with a base of 240 mm, and is foldably separated into two regions 211 and 212 along the vertical direction. is configured as In each of the regions 211 and 212, for example, greases, bead polymers, urea, thickeners, preservatives, etc. that do not freeze and solidify at the target temperature are stored in a freezer at −18° C. to −25° C. for about 48 hours. At that time, the contents adjusted at a rate that maintains the target temperature of about -5°C without freezing and solidifying are stored.

The second outer member 22 is, for example, a flat wrapping bag having a substantially semicircular planar shape and made of a polyethylene film having a base of 240 mm. For example, the second outer member 22 is stored in a freezer at -18°C to -25°C for about 48 hours with water, alcohol, sodium polyacrylate, antiseptic, etc., in a state where it does not freeze and solidify. Contents adjusted to maintain a target temperature of about 0°C are stored.

The second cold insulator 2 does not necessarily have to be composed of two layers, the second inner member 21 and the second outer member 22, and may be composed of a single layer or three or more layers. In addition, the shape, size, number of regions, and division direction of the second inner member 21 and the second outer member 22 can be appropriately changed according to the composition of the contents of each member, as well as the cooling temperature and cooling time of the scalp.

The third cold insulator 3 composed of the third inner member 31 and the third outer member 32 is configured similarly to the second cold insulator 2 .

As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the supporter 4 is, for example, a sewn product made of stretchable fabric such as polyester. The supporter 4 includes a first storage portion 41 that stores the first ice pack 1 and faces the head 100 from the forehead to the back of the head via the top of the head, the second ice pack 2 and the third cold pack, respectively. A second storage part 42 and a third storage part 43 that store the agent 3 and face the left temporal region and the right temporal region of the head 100 are provided.

The first storage part 41 has an opening 411 that is covered with a lid 412 so as to be openable and closable on the outer surface side that does not face the head. The first cold insulator 1 is stored in the first storage section 41 through the opening 411 in a state in which the first outer member 12 is placed on the first inner member 11 . The opening 411 is provided only in the central portion in the longitudinal direction, and a closing member such as a hook-and-loop fastener is provided between the opening 411 and the lid 412 to prevent the first ice pack 1 from falling out of the first storage portion 41. can also

The second storage portion 42 and the third storage portion 43 have an opening 421 and an opening 431, respectively. The second cold insulator 2 and the third cold insulator 3 are arranged in the state that the second inner member 21 and the third inner member 31 are placed on the second outer member 22 and the third outer member 32, respectively, and the openings 421 and 431 are formed. It is housed in the second housing portion 42 and the third housing portion 43 from above.

A hook-and-loop fastener 44 and a hook-and-loop fastener 45 are sewn on both ends in the longitudinal direction of the outer surface of the first storage portion 41 . A hook-and-loop fastener 46 and a hook-and-loop fastener 47 are sewn on the inner surface of the second storage portion 42 at the corners on the open end side. Fasteners 48 and hook-and-loop fasteners 49 are sewn on the inner side surface of the third housing portion 43 at the corners on the open end side.

With the first cooling agent 1, the second cooling agent 2, and the third cooling agent 3 stored in the first storage portion 41, the second storage portion 42, and the third storage portion 43, respectively, the hook-and-loop fastener 44 is attached to the hook-and-loop fastener 46. and the hook-and-loop fastener 48 are attached, and the hook-and-loop fastener 47 and the hook-and-loop fastener 49 are attached to the hook-and-loop fastener 45, as shown in FIGS. A concave portion capable of accommodating the head portion 100 is formed inside the third storage portion 43, and the supporter 4 is assembled like a hat.

For example, a patient undergoing chemotherapy such as anti-cancer drug treatment with an intravenous drip inserted into one arm can easily attach the supporter 4 to the head using only the other hand. By providing a loop, a pocket, or the like for inserting a hand into the outer surface of the first storage portion 41, it is possible to make it easier to attach the supporter 4 with one hand.

As shown in FIGS. 6(A) to 6(C), the cap 5 is, for example, sandwiched between a stretchable nylon outer material and a lining material having stretchable and heat-insulating polyurethane. It is configured to have a thickness of about 3 mm. The cap 5 covers the supporter 4 attached to the head. The surface of the supporter 4 and the inner surface of the cap 5 can also be adhered to each other with hook-and-loop fasteners.

Belt loops 51 to 56 are sewn on the outer surface of the cap 5 . A vertical belt 57 passing through the lower jaw of the user wearing the cap 5 on the head passes through the belt loops 51 and 52 . A horizontal belt 58 passing through the forehead of the user wearing the cap 5 on the head passes through the belt loops 53 to 56 . The vertical belt 57 and the horizontal belt 58 each have a buckle (not shown). Another fastening member such as a hook-and-loop fastener may be used instead of the buckle.

By tightening the vertical belt 57 and the horizontal belt 58 after the supporter 4 attached to the head is covered with the cap 5, the cap 5 can be prevented from coming off the head and the supporter 4 can be firmly attached to the scalp. be able to. The inner peripheral surfaces of the vertical belts 57 and the horizontal belts 58 and the outer surface of the cap 5 can also be brought into close contact with each other with hook-and-loop fasteners.

However, one or both of the vertical belts 57 and horizontal belts 58 may be omitted on the condition that the cap 5 is prevented from falling off from the head and the supporter 4 is reliably maintained in close contact with the scalp.

The scalp cooling cap 10 configured as described above is used, for example, to suppress hair loss due to side effects of chemotherapy such as anticancer drug treatment. As a scalp cooling method for suppressing hair loss caused by anticancer drugs, it is known to cool the scalp from about 30 minutes before the start of drug administration to about 90 minutes after the end of drug administration.

In order to suppress hair loss due to the side effects of chemotherapy, it is necessary to maintain the entire scalp at about 19°C, but bringing a member that is excessively cooled to close to the scalp for that purpose only impairs the feeling of use. risk of frostbite without Therefore, it is necessary to bring a member maintained at an appropriately low temperature into close contact with a wide area of the scalp. On the other hand, the shape of the head 100 differs from user to user.

By configuring each of the first inner member 11, the first outer member 12, the second inner member 21 and the second outer member 22 to have the above target temperature, a wide range of the scalp is uniformly heated for about 60 minutes. It can be maintained at about 19°C.

Therefore, the first cooling agent 1, the second cooling agent 2, and the third cooling agent 3 constituting the scalp cooling cap 10 are replaced three times in a total of 240 minutes when the drug administration time is 120 minutes. A set of first cooling agent 1, second cooling agent 2 and third cooling agent 3 is prepared and stored in a freezer at -18°C to -25°C for about 48 hours for freezing. Together with these, four supporters 4 are prepared. Each set of frozen first cold insulator 1, second cold insulator 2 and third cold insulator 3 is housed in a separate supporter 4 and stored in a cold insulation box.

The first inner member 11 of the first ice pack 1 is configured to be foldable in three regions 111 to 113 from the front to the back of the head, and freezes and solidifies even when stored in a freezer for a long time. It is arranged on the scalp side in the supporter 4 having flexibility and stretchability. The first outer member 12 freezes and solidifies when stored in a freezer for a long time, but is configured to be bendable in five regions 121 to 125 along the frontal region to the occipital region, and has elasticity. inside and outside the first inner member 11 .

The second inner member 21 and the second outer member 22 of the second ice pack 2 have flexibility without being frozen and solidified even when stored in a freezer for a long time, and have two regions 211 and 212 along the vertical direction. The second inner member 21, which is separated and foldable, is placed on the scalp side, and the second outer member 22 is placed on the outside of the second inner member 21, and placed in the stretchable supporter 4. - 特許庁The third refrigerant 3 is similar to the second refrigerant 2 .

When the first supporter 4 containing the first cooling agent 1, the second cooling agent 2 and the third cooling agent 3 is taken out from the cooling box and attached to the head, the entire inner surface of the first inner member 11 is , regardless of the shape of the head 100, the supporter 4 is deformed so as to adhere to the entire surface of a wide range of the scalp from the forehead to the back of the head. In the first outer member 12, the five frozen-solidified regions 121 to 125 are mutually bendable, and since the first inner member 11 has flexibility, regardless of the shape of the head 100, Almost the entire surface is in close contact with the outer surface of the first inner member 11 whose inner surface is deformed to match the shape of the back of the head.

In addition, the second cooling agent 2 and the third cooling agent 3 have flexibility as a whole, and the second inner member 21 and the third inner member 31 are configured such that the two regions 211, 212, 311, and 312 are mutually foldable. The inner surfaces of the second cooling agent 2 and the third cooling agent 3 are bendable, and regardless of the shape of the head 100, the entire surface of the scalp on the left and right sides of the head with the supporter 4 in between is covered over a wide range. In close contact.

When the cap 5 covers the supporter 4 which contains the first cooling agent 1, the second cooling agent 2 and the third cooling agent 3 and is attached to the head 100, and the vertical belt 57 and the horizontal belt 58 are tightened, the first cooling agent 1, the second cooling agent 2 and the third cooling agent 3 are stored. The close contact state of the cooling agent 1, the second cooling agent 2 and the third cooling agent 3 to the scalp is maintained. In addition, due to the heat insulating properties of the cap 5, temperature rise due to room temperature absorption of the first cooling agent 1, the second cooling agent 2, and the third cooling agent 3 is suppressed.

Therefore, heat is absorbed by the first inner member 11 from the entire surface of the scalp from the forehead to the back of the head, and the first inner member 11 is cooled by the first outer member 12. The entire surface of a wide range of the scalp is evenly cooled. In addition, heat is absorbed by the second inner member 21 and the third inner member 31 insulated by the second outer member 22 and the third outer member 32 from the entire surface of the scalp of the left and right temporal regions. As a result, the entire surface of the scalp of the entire head 100 is uniformly cooled over a predetermined period of time.

After attaching the supporter 4 and the cap 5 to the head 100, for example, when a predetermined time of 60 minutes elapses, the supporter 4 and the cap 5 are removed from the head, and new first cooling agent 1 and second cooling agent 2 are provided. And the second supporter 4 containing the third cold insulator 3 is taken out from the cold insulation box, attached to the head 100, covered with the cap 5, and waited for the lapse of a predetermined time. This replacement work is repeated up to the fourth supporter 4 .

By pre-storing four supporters 4 in which four sets of frozen first refrigerant 1, second refrigerant 2 and third refrigerant 3 are respectively housed in a cooling box, The replacement work can be done only by attaching and detaching the cap 5 and replacing the supporter 4, and the patient himself/herself can easily do it with one hand in a short period of time. Therefore, the scalp can be cooled almost continuously from about 30 minutes before the start of drug administration to about 90 minutes after the end of drug administration by simply performing a simple replacement work by the patient himself three times at predetermined time intervals. be able to.

When preparing for cooling of the head, it is sufficient to freeze only the four sets of flat-shaped first cooling agent 1, second cooling agent 2 and third cooling agent 3, and it is unnecessary to freeze other members. As a result, the volume of the freezer can be reduced.

In addition, the cooling agent can be brought into close contact with a wide range of the scalp, and the entire scalp can be uniformly and sufficiently cooled without making the temperature of the cooling agent excessively low.

The scalp cooling cap 10 can be used for purposes other than suppressing hair loss due to side effects of chemotherapy such as anticancer drug treatment.

The above target temperature is merely an example set on the premise that the scalp cooling cap 10 will be replaced three times during chemotherapy such as anticancer drug treatment. The target temperature of each of the first inner member 11, the first outer member 12, the second inner member 21 and the second outer member 22 can be set appropriately according to different methods and other purposes of the scalp cooling cap 10 during chemotherapy. can be set.

1-First cold insulator 2-Second cold insulator 3-Third cold insulator 4-Supporter 5-Cap 10-Scalp cooling cap 11-First inner member 12-First outer member 21-Second inner member 22-Third 2 outer member 31 - third inner member 32 - third outer member 57 - vertical belt 58 - horizontal belt

The scalp cooling cap of the present invention comprises a cooling agent, a supporter and a cap. The ice pack is a rectangular first ice pack placed between the frontal region, the parietal region, and the occipital region, and does not freeze and solidify at a target temperature below freezing , and the left and right temporal regions. substantially semicircular second and third refrigerants arranged in the second and third refrigerants that do not freeze and solidify at a target temperature below freezing . The supporter has stretchability, and includes first to third storage portions for storing the first to third ice packs so that they can be put in and taken out . The first storage part has a rectangular shape arranged from the forehead to the back of the head through the top of the head, and the second storage part and the third storage part have short sides extending from the left and right sides of the first storage part, respectively. It has a substantially trapezoidal shape that is connected to the long side of the head and placed on the left and right sides of the head. The supporter has a concave portion that accommodates the head inside the first storage portion by detachably joining ends of the long sides of the second storage portion and the third storage portion to both longitudinal ends of the first storage portion. It is possible to assemble it in a hat shape. The cap has heat insulating properties and stretchability, and covers the supporter attached to the head.

The scalp cooling cap of the present invention comprises a cooling agent, a supporter and a cap. The ice pack is a rectangular first ice pack placed from the forehead to the back of the head through the top of the head and does not freeze and solidify at a target temperature below freezing. The second and third refrigerants are substantially semicircular second and third refrigerants that are arranged and do not freeze and solidify at a target temperature below freezing. The supporter has stretchability, and includes first to third storage portions for storing the first to third ice packs so that they can be put in and taken out. The first storage part has a rectangular shape arranged from the forehead to the back of the head through the parietal part, and the short sides of the second storage part and the third storage part It has a substantially trapezoidal shape that is connected to the long sides of the head by sewing and arranged on the left and right sides of the head. The supporter has hook-and-loop fasteners sewn on both longitudinal ends of the outer surface of the first storage portion and both corners of the long side of the inner surface of each of the second and third storage portions. With the first to third ice packs respectively stored in the storage portions, both corners on the long side of each of the second storage portion and the third storage portion are attached to both ends in the longitudinal direction of the first storage portion , respectively . It is detachably attached via hook-and-loop fasteners, and can be assembled into a hat-like shape having a concave portion for accommodating the head inside the first storage portion. The cap has heat insulating properties and stretchability, and covers the supporter attached to the head.

Claims (5)

a first cooling agent that is arranged from the forehead to the back of the head through the parietal region and that does not freeze and solidify at a target temperature below freezing point;
second and third refrigerants that are arranged on the left and right temporal regions of the head, respectively, and that do not freeze and solidify at a target temperature below freezing point;
a supporter having stretchability and having first to third storage portions for storing the first to third ice packs, respectively;
a cap that has heat insulation and elasticity and covers the supporter attached to the head;
Scalp cooling cap with 2. The scalp according to claim 1, wherein said first cooling agent is foldable into a plurality of regions from the front to the back of the head, and said second and third cooling agents are foldable into a plurality of regions. cooling cap. 3. The scalp cooling cap according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each of said first to third cooling agents is composed of two layers, an inner layer arranged on the scalp side and an outer layer arranged outside thereof. 4. The scalp cooling cap according to claim 3, wherein at least said inner layer of said first to third cold insulators has a content that does not freeze and solidify at a target temperature below freezing point. 5. The scalp cooling cap according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said cap has an elastic belt fixed to the head.

Images