MXPA99006230A - Disposable thermal neck wrap - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to disposable thermal neck wraps (10) having one or more thermal packs (50) comprising a unified structure having at least one continuous layer of semirigid material, which has different stiffness characteristics over a range of temperatures, and a plurality of heat cells (26), wherein the heat energy is applied to specific areas of the upper back, neck and shoulders. More particularly, the present invention relates to disposable thermal neck wraps (10) having good conformity to user's upper back, neck, and shoulders which provides consistent, convenient, and comfortable heat application.

Description

DISPOSABLE ENVOLTURATÉRMICA FOR NECK TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to disposable thermal wraps for the back having one or more thermal pads consisting of a plurality of heat cells, in which the heat energy is applied to specific areas of the user's back. More particularly, the present invention relates to disposable elastic thermal wraps for the back having good conformation to the user's back which provides a consistent, convenient and comfortable heat application.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A common method for the treatment of acute, recurrent and / or chronic pain is by topical application of heat in afflicted areas. Such heat treatments are used as a means of therapy for conditions that include pain, stiffness in muscles and joints, nerve pain, rheumatism and the like. Typically, the method for mitigating pain using heat treatments has been to apply topically a relatively high heat, ie, greater than 40 ° C for a short period, i.e. from 20 minutes to about 1 hour.

Pain in the upper part of the back, neck and shoulders is usually associated with tension, bursitis and muscular problems of the upper back and neck. Heating pads, hot water bottles, hot packs, hot towels, swirls and hydrocolators have been commonly used to alleviate pain caused by such problems. Many of these devices use reusable thermal pads containing for example water and / or gels that are activated by microwaves. In general, most of those devices are inconvenient to be used. In addition many of these thermal units or devices do not provide prolonged heat and also do not maintain a consistent temperature for extended periods. The beneficial therapeutic effects for this heat administration decrease after the heat source has been withdrawn. However, the inventors of the present have discovered that maintaining a sustained skin temperature of about 32 ° C to about 50 ° C, preferably from 32 ° C to 45 ° C, most preferred from 32 ° C to 42 ° C C, and more preferably from about 32 ° C to about 39 ° C, and even more preferred from 32 ° C to about 37 ° C for a period ranging from 20 seconds to 24 hours, preferably from 20 minutes to about 20 hours hours, more preferred from 4 hours to about 16 hours, most preferably from about 8 hours to 12 hours, wherein the maximum skin temperature and the length of skin temperature holding time at the maximum skin temperature can be appropriately selected by a person in need of such treatment, so that the desired therapeutic benefits can be achieved without any adverse event, such as skin burns which may be incurred when using at elevated temperature for a prolonged period of time substantially mitigates acute, recurrent and / or chronic pain of the upper back, neck and / or shoulders, including bone pain, muscle and / or referred back pain, of a person who has such pain. The inventors of the present invention have further discovered that preferably by maintaining a sustained skin temperature of about 32 ° C to 43 ° C, preferably from 32 ° C to 42 ° C, most preferred from 32 ° C to 41 ° C , and more preferred from 32 ° C to 39 ° C, even more preferred from 32 ° C to about 37 ° C for a period greater than one hour, preferably greater than 4 hours, more preferred greater than 8 hours, and even more Preferred greater than 16 hours, more preferably for 24 hours, substantially mitigates acute, recurrent and / or chronic pain of the upper part of the back, neck and / or shoulders, including bone, muscle and / or referred pain, of the upper back, neck and / or shoulders of a person who has such pain and substantially prolongs relief even after the source of heat has been removed from the upper back, neck and / or shoulders. Disposable thermal pads based on the oxidation of iron are known, such as those described in US Pat. Us. 4,366,804, 4,649,895, 5,046,479 and Re. 32,026. However, such devices have proven to be not entirely satisfactory because many of these devices are bulky, can not maintain a consistent and controlled temperature, have difficulty remaining in place during use, and / or have unsatisfactory physical dimensions. which prevent its effectiveness. Specifically, such devices can not be easily incorporated into casings that conform comfortably to the various contours of the body and therefore provide an application of inconsistent, inconvenient and / or uncomfortable heat to the body. The inventors of the present invention have developed disposable thermal wraps for the neck which consist of one or more thermal pads having a unified structure, wherein each thermal pad comprises at least one continuous layer, preferably a semi-rigid material, which is semirigid in specific areas of the thermal compress, which is softened, however, between such areas when heated when being used, preferably consist of a coextruded material of polypropylene and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA). The thermal compress or compresses further comprise a plurality of individual heat cells, which typically consist of an exothermic composition, preferably consist of a specific chemical oxidation reaction of iron, and have specific physical dimensions and filling characteristics, separate and fixed within or to the unified structure of the thermal compress. Active heat cells, ie, cells having a temperature of about 35 ° C or higher, preferably soften narrow portions of the continuous layer or layers of semirigid material immediately surrounding the heat cells. Any remaining portions of the continuous layer or layers surrounding the softened portions preferably remain stiffer. The narrow softened portions act as hinges between the heat cells and between any stiffer remaining portion cooler, preferentially bending more than the heat cells or the more rigid portions. This results in thermal pads having sufficient stiffness to maintain the structural support of the heat cells, which prevents unacceptable stretching of the layer or continuous layer structures during processing or use, and to prevent easy access to them. The contents of the heat cell, while still maintaining good global fold characteristics when heated. The thermal compress or compresses, when incorporated into the neck wrap of the present invention, provide efficient and effective heat coverage by having an excellent conformation with the upper back of the wearer, neck and shoulders. These wraps also consist of alignment and position maintenance features. The inventors of the present have also discovered that it could be desired to selectively place heat cells in the compress or thermal pads when they are incorporated in the back wraps of the present invention, in fixed positions within or in the unified structure of the thermal compress, in a sufficiently close relation with each other so as to block some or all the possible axes, that otherwise could have passed without interruption between the heat cells, through the thermal compress, or select regions of the same , to minimize or eliminate undesired undesired bending lines, and / or to increase the structural support that the matrix of the heat cell imparts to the thermal compress. That is, place the heat cells in relative positions with each other that are close enough to block some or all of the possible axes that otherwise would have passed without interruption, between the heat cells, which cause the thermal pads to bend along a multiplicity of short interconnected bending lines oriented in a number of different directions in relation to one another. Bending along a multiplicity of interconnected bending lines results in good overall bending characteristics. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide disposable thermal wraps for the neck that consist of one or more thermal pads, which consist of a unified structure having at least one continuous layer, preferably of a semi-rigid material which has characteristics of different stiffness over a range of temperatures, and a plurality of individual heat cells, which provide a controlled and sustained temperature and reach its operating temperature range relatively quickly. The heat cells are separated and fixed within or to the unified structure of the thermal compress. It is also an object of the present invention to provide thermal wraps for the neck having a good crease capacity while maintaining sufficient rigidity to maintain the structural support of the heat cells and to prevent unacceptable stretching of the continuous layer or layers during the processing or use, and / or prevent easy access to the contents of the heat cells. It is also an object of the present invention to provide disposable thermal wraps for the neck which can be worn under the outer clothing with minimum visibility, which have alignment and position maintenance characteristics, and which have a thermal element pattern that directs the energy thermal where it has the greatest therapeutic benefit. It is yet another additional object of the present invention to provide methods for the treatment of acute, recurrent and / or chronic pain of the upper back, neck and / or shoulders, including bone pain, muscle pain and / or pain of the upper part of the back referred neck and / or shoulders, of a person suffering from said pain, maintaining a sustained temperature of the skin ranging from 32 ° C to about 50 ° C for a period of approximately 20 seconds to 24 hours, preferably maintaining a skin temperature of about 32 ° C to 43 ° C for a period greater than one hour to provide prolonged relief of said pain. These additional objectives and objectives will become readily apparent from the detailed description that follows.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The disposable thermal wrapping for the neck of the present invention comprises at least one substantially U-shaped piece of flexible material having a first arm portion, a second arm portion, a central body portion therebetween, a surface that it faces the body, and an opposing outer surface, such that when the neck wrap is placed on a wearer, the central body portion 'centers on the lower neck and upper part of the wearer's back. The first and second arm portions lie on the shoulders of the user towards the user's chest. The disposable thermal wrapping for the neck of the present invention further comprises one or more thermal pads. The compress or thermal compresses consist of a unified structure having at least one continuous layer of up material, which is preferably semi-rigid at a temperature of about 25 ° C, having a tensile strength of about 0.7 g / mm2 or greater, and at least one two-dimensional fold, and which is substantially less rigid at a temperature of 35 ° C or higher, which has a tensile strength substantially less than the tensile strength of the material at 25 ° C. The continuous layer or layers of the present invention preferably consist of a coextruded material, more preferably a coextruded material consisting of polypropylene, more preferably a coextruded material wherein a first side consists of polypropylene and a second side consisting of a layer of bonding a copolymer with low melting temperature, preferably EVA, preferably having a combined weight thickness of less than about 50 μm. The thermal compress or compresses further comprise a plurality of individual heat cells, which, preferably, consist of a mixture of powdered iron, powdered carbon, water and salt, which, when exposed to oxygen, provide a controlled and sustained temperature and which quickly reach their operating temperature range. The heat cells are separated and fixed within or to the unified structure of the thermal compress. Preferably the heat cells are placed in fixed positions within or to the unified structure of the thermal compress in relation to each other and which are sufficiently close so that some or all of the possible axes, which otherwise would have gone uninterrupted between the heat cells are blocked by the heat cells, to cause the thermal pads to bend along a multiplicity of small fold lines connected together. Preferably, the disposable neck wrapping of the present invention additionally consists of one or more adhesion and / or positioning means fixedly attached to one or both of the distal ends of the first and second arm portions, which serve to maintain the positioning of the arm. the thermal wrapping for neck during the use by the user.

The present invention further includes methods for treating acute, recurrent and / or chronic pain of the upper back neck and / or shoulders, including pain in the bones, in the muscles and / or pain of the upper part of the body. the referred back, neck and / or shoulders of a person suffering from said pain, by applying disposable thermal wraps for the neck of the present invention to the upper part of the back, neck and / or shoulders of a person having said pain, to maintain a sustained skin temperature of about 32 ° C to about 50 ° C for a period of about 20 seconds to about 24 hours; preferably to maintain a skin temperature of about 32 ° C to about 43 ° C for a period greater than 1 hour to provide prolonged relief of such pain. All percentages and ratios used in the present invention are by weight of the total composition, and all measurements were made at 25 ° C, unless otherwise specified.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS While the specification concludes with claims that particularly state and distinctly claim the present invention, it is believed that the present invention will be better understood from the following description of the preferred embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which similar reference numbers identify identical elements and where: Figure 1 is a top plan view of a preferred embodiment of the disposable thermal wrap for the neck of the present invention, showing the preferred pattern of thermal compress (s) (s) ) and / or heat cells; and Figure 2 is a sectional elevation view of Figure 1, showing the laminated structure of the thermal neck wrap.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The disposable thermal wraps for the neck of the present invention consist of one or more thermal pads having at least one continuous layer of a material that preferably exhibits specific thermophysical properties, and a plurality of individual heat cells, which preferably consist of an exothermic composition, separated and fixed within or in the structure of the disposable thermal pad. The material of at least one continuous layer is preferably semi-rigid when it is at room temperature, e.g. eg, about 25 ° C, or less, but softens and becomes substantially less rigid when heated to about 35 ° C or more. Therefore, when the heat cells, which have been set within or to the unified structure of the thermal pads, are active, that is to say that at the temperature of a heat cell of about 35 ° C or more, the narrow portion of the continuous layer or layers of the material immediately surrounding each heat cell preferably softens and acts as a hinge between the heat cells and the more rigid portions remaining of the continuous layer or layers, preferably bending more than the cells of heat or the stiffer and colder portions. This results in thermal pads having sufficient rigidity to maintain the structural support of the heat cells and prevent the unacceptable stretching of the layer structures or continuous layers during * their processing or use, while still maintaining good overall characteristics of fold when they heat up. The disposable thermal wraps for the neck of the present invention provide a consistent, convenient and comfortable heat application and an excellent conformation to the wearer's body, while retaining a sufficient stiffness to prevent easy access to the contents of the cells of the user. hot. "Disposable", as used herein, means that, although the neck wraps of the present invention can be stored in a resealable container, substantially impervious to air, and that can be applied repeatedly to the wearer's body , as often as required for pain relief, are designed so that they can be discarded, for example, deposited in an appropriate waste receiver, after the heat source, ie, the cell (s) ) of heat, has been completely spent.

"Heat cells", as used herein, means a unified structure, constituted by an exothermic composition, preferably a specific iron oxidation chemistry, incorporated within two layers, wherein at least one layer can be permeable to oxygen, capable of of providing a long-lasting heat generation with improved temperature control, and having specific physical dimensions and filling characteristics. These heat cells can be used as individual heat units, or within a thermal pad constituted by a plurality of individual heat cells which can also be easily incorporated into disposable body pads or wrappings, and similar. Thermal pads and body wraps incorporating thermal pads are adapted to a wide variety of body contours, thereby providing a consistent, convenient and comfortable heat application. "Plurality of heat cells", as used herein, means more than one, preferably more than two, most preferably more than three, and most preferably still more than four heat cells. "Agglomerated pre-compaction composition" as used herein, means the mixture of dry powdered ingredients, consisting of iron powder, carbonaceous powder, metal salt (s), water retention agents, agglomeration aids and dry binders. , prior to direct compaction. "Direct compaction", as used herein, means that a mixture of dry powder is mixed, compressed and given the form of pellets, tablets, or pieces without using binders / solutions typically wet to adhere to the particles of a joint form. Alternatively, the mixture of the dry powder is combined, compacted with rollers or pieces are formed, followed by a grinding and sieving process, creating directly compacted granules. Direct compaction can also be known as dry compaction. "The heating elements", as used herein, means the exothermic precompaction composition, directly compacted dry agglomerate, configured in compaction articles, such as granules, pellets, pieces and / or tablets that can generate heat after it adds an aqueous solution such as water or brine (salt solution), by means of the reaction of exothermic oxidation of the iron. The granules of said agglomerated precompaction composition are also included here as heating elements. The "filler volume", as used herein, means the volume of a particulate composition or the heater element inflated by water, compacted, in the full heat cell. The "null volume", as used herein, means the volume of the cell that has not been filled with the particulate composition or with the compacted heater element, inflated with water, in a finished heat cell, not including the space without filling inside a tablet consisting of a hole or container, in a finished heat cell, measured without differential pressure in the heat cell and without further elongation or deformation of the substrate material. The "cell volume", as used here, means the volume of fill plus the null volume of the heat cell. "Continuous layer or layers", as used herein, means one or more layers of a material that may be uninterrupted or partially, but not completely interrupted by other material, holes, perforations and the like, along its length and / or width. "Rigid," as used herein, means the property of a material where the material can be flexible, still substantially rigid and without loosening and which does not form fold lines in response to gravitational force or other modest forces. "Semi-rigid material", as used herein, means a material that is rigid to some degree or in some parts, eg, having at least two two-dimensional folds at a temperature of about 25 ° C, and showing roughness to maintain the structural support of the heat cells in an unsupported mode, and / or to prevent unacceptable elongation of material structures during processing or use and / or to prevent easy access to the contents of the heat cells, while which retains good overall fold characteristics when heated, and / or retains sufficient rigidity to avoid the easy to heat cell contents. "Two-dimensional fold", as used herein, means the fold that occurs through a continuous layer or layers, through a thermal pad, or through a selected region of a layer or layers, or thermal compress, exclusively along an axis, eg, a fold line that is formed at the expense of other fold lines and in response to gravitational force or other simple forces. "Three-dimensional fold", as used herein, means the fold that occurs simultaneously through a continuous layer or layers, through a thermal pad, or through a selected region of a layer or layers or thermal pad, as length of two or more axes, that is, form in two or more fold lines, in response to gravitational force or other simple forces. "Bending lines", as used herein, means the line along which a material forms a permanent or temporary wrinkle, protuberance or wrinkle, in response to gravitational force or other simple forces. It is understood that the disposable thermal wraps for the neck of the present invention may contain one or more thermal pads. However, for reasons of clarity, a disposable thermal wrapping for the neck consisting of an individual thermal pad will be described herein. With reference to the drawings and more particularly to Figures 1 and 2, a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown, which provides a disposable thermal wrapping for neck with means for maintaining the position, generally indicated as 10. The thermal wrapping for neck 10 consists of at least one piece of flexible material 12, having a first arm portion 14, a second arm portion 16, and a central body portion 18 therebetween. The casing 10 has a surface facing the body 20 and an opposing outer surface 22. When the neck wrap 10 is used, the first and second arm portions 14 and 16 extend over the user's shoulders toward the upper chest. The central body portion 18 is located on the user's back and the back portion of the user's neck. The flexible material 12 of the wrapper 10 consists of a material facing the body 62 and an outer surface material 64. The material facing the body 64 and the outer surface material 64 can be selected from any number of suitable materials including, but not limited to, fabrics, yarns, films, foams and non-wovens including yarns, carded, blown, hydro-interlaced, mixed in the air, laid in the air and wet laid. These materials can be made from natural fibers including, but not limited to, cotton, wool, linen, or man-made polymeric materials such as polypropylene, polyester, nylon, polyethylene, metallocene catalyst polyethylene, and the like. A material that has been found to be particularly suitable for the material facing the body 62 is a thermally blended nonwoven of polypropylene with a basis weight of 65 g / m2 (54 grams per square foot (gsy)) this material is available as # 9354990 from Veratec, Walpole, MA. A material that has been found to be particularly suitable for the outer surface material 64 is a thermally blended polypropylene binder nonwoven with a basis weight of 32 g / m2 (27 gsy). This material is available as # 9327786 from Veratec, Walpole, MA.

During use, the thermal neck wrap 10 is placed on the shoulders of the user. Preferably, an adhesion and / or positioning means, preferably adhesive patches 24, are located towards the upper part of the wearer's chest and serve to maintain the positioning of the thermal neck wrapping 10. Preferably, one or more adhesive patches 24 are adhered fixed to one or both of the ends remote from the first and second arm portions 14 and 16. The adhesive patches 24 are preferably fixed to the outer surface 22 of the first and second arm portions 14 and 16 near their respective distal ends , beyond the location of the heat cells 26 of the thermal pad (s) 50, which is designed to receive at the front of the shoulders, and the heat cells 26 of the thermal pad (s) 50 of the body portion 18, which is designed to reside on the back of the user's shoulders. Preferably, the adhesive patches 24 may be pressure sensitive, square, or other adhesive pressure circles. The adhesive patches 24 are preferably protected before use by a release release paper 25. With use, the release paper 25 is removed by exposing the adhesive patches 24. The adhesive patches 24 can then be applied against the underside of the user's clothing, or the adhesive patch 24 of the first arm 14 can be applied to the surface facing the body 24 of the second arm 16, or the adhesive patch 24 of the second arm 16 can be applied to the surface facing the body 20 of the first arm 14. Alternatively, the adhesive patches 24 may be fixedly attached to the surface facing the body 20 and applied to the wearer's skin. Adhesive patches 24 can be any number of materials of suitable adhesive materials that are capable of adhering to the fabric and / or skin. A particularly suitable material that has been used successfully is positioning adhesive 34-5598 available from National Starch and Chemical Co., Bridgewater, NJ. The release paper 25 can be any suitable polymer film or paper that has been designed or treated to release the adhesive used for the adhesive patches 24. BL 25 MGA SILOX C3R / 0 available from Akrosil has been shown to be suitable for this purpose. Alternatively, the adhesive patches 24 may be applied to a substrate prior to the assembly of the wrapper 10. The substrate is then adhered to the outer surface material 64 by a suitable means. Other types of adhesion and / or positioning means that may be useful in the present invention include, but are not limited to, hook and loop securing systems. The material from which the wrap is constructed should be selected in such a way that once combined with the product the product must be adapted to both to easily fold over and conform to the curvature of the body and provide minimal translation of compressive force to the length and in the plane of the product. In the present invention the beds are combined with layers 60 of pressure sensitive hot adhesion adhesive 60. The rubber layer 60 is applied through a spiral rubber application system at a level of about 0.31 to 1.55 mg / cm2 (0.002 to 0.010 grams per 2.54 square centimeters). A particularly suitable adhesive for the glue layer 60 is pressure sensitive hot melt adhesive 70-4589 available from National Starch & Chemical Co., Bridgewater, NJ. Alternatively, the assembly or combination means may include, but is not limited to, thermal spot glue, melt blown hot melt gum, hot melt glue applied by beds, ultrasonic, and / or pressure bonding. The thermal jacket for neck 10 further comprises one or more thermal pads 50. Each thermal pad 50 comprises a plurality of individual heat cells 22., preferably embedded within the laminated structure of the thermal pad 50. Alternatively, each thermal pad 50 may consist of an individual continuous base layer 70, wherein individual or group 22 heat cells are fixedly adhered and spaced apart through of the base layer 70. The heat cells 26 are separated from each other and each heat cell 26 operates independently of the rest of the heat cells 26. Although the heat cells may consist of any suitable composition that provides heat, such as exothermic compositions, microwavable compositions, heat of crystallization compositions and the like, the preferred heat cell contains a densely packed particulate exothermic composition 74 that substantially fills the available cell volume within the cell by reducing any void volume excessive with which the capacity of the matter is minimized particles to move within the cell. Alternatively, the exothermic composition 74 can be compacted into a hard tablet before being placed in each cell. Because the heat generating material is densely packed or compressed into a tablet, the heat cells 26 are not easily flexible. Therefore, the separation of the cells and the selected material to form the cell-forming base layer 70 and the cell-covering layer 72 between the heat cells 26 allows each thermal compress 50 to easily conform to the upper part. of the user's back, neck and shoulders. The heat cells 26 are positioned within the thermal pad 50 such that they are located within the central body portion 18 and preferably the first and second arms 14 and 16. When the casing 10 is properly placed on the user, the heat cells 26 located away from the first and second arms 14 and 16 are designed to receive in the back or on top of the user's shoulders for approximately the shape and location of the muscles on the upper back of the user, the lower neck, and the shoulders. The heat cells 26 located near the first and second arms 14 and 16 are designed to receive in the front of or on the upper part of the user's shoulders to provide a means of counter-balancing the weight of the heat cells. located in the central body portion 18. The cell forming base layer 70 and the cell cover layer 72 are preferably continuous layers that can be made from any number of suitable materials. Preferably, the base layer forming the cell 70 and the cell cover layer 72 consist of materials that are semi-rigid at a temperature of about 25 ° C and which softens, ie becomes substantially less rigid at a temperature close to 35 ° C or higher. That is, preferably the materials have a tensile strength, within the range of elastic deformation of the material, of about 0.7 g / mm2 or greater, most preferred of about 0.85 g / mm2 or greater, more preferably about 1 g / mm2 or greater, about 25 ° C and a tensile strength substantially less than about 35 ° C or more. "Substantially minor", as used herein, indicates that the tensile strength of the material near 35 ° C or more is statistically less significant than the tensile strength near 25 ° C, with a confidence appropriate statistics (ie 95%) and a power (ie, >; 90%). Therefore, when the heat cells 26, which are fixed within or to the ued structure of the thermal pad 50, are active, i.e. a heat cell temperature of about 35 ° C to about 60 ° C , preferably from 35 ° C to 50 ° C, most preferred from 35 ° C to 45 ° C, and more preferably from 35 ° C to about 40 ° C, the narrow portion of the continuous layer or layers of material that immediately Surrounding each heat cell softens and acts as a hinge between the heat cells and between any stiffer and colder portions remaining from the continuous layers, preferably bending more than the heat cells or any stiffer portion. This results in thermal pads 50 having sufficient rigidity to maintain the structural support of the heat cells and to prevent unacceptable stretching of the layer structures or continuous layers during processing or use, while still maintaining good overall crease characteristics. when they are heated. When the thermal pads 50 of the present invention are incorporated in the back wrap 10, the back wrap 10 readily adapts to a wide variety of body contours, providing a consistent, convenient and comfortable heat application, and an excellent configuration with the body forms, while retaining sufficient stiffness to prevent the wrap 10 from bending or sticking during use and preventing easy access to the contents of the heat cell. Typically, the tensile strength is measured using a simple voltage test in such an electronic voltage testing apparatus, such as a universal constant speed stretching tension testing machine with an Instron Engineering Corp. computer, Canton, MA. Any standard stress test can be used for example, samples of the material are cut into strips having a width of about 2.54 cm (i inch) and a length of about 7.5 cm by about 10 cm (3 to 4 inches). The ends of the strips are placed in the jaws of the apparatus without sufficient tension to eliminate any relaxed part, but without loading the load cell. The temperature of the sample is then allowed to stabilize at the desired test temperature. The load cell of the apparatus is fixed at about 22.7 kg of load, and the stretch is fixed at 5 mm and the head crosshead speed is set at approximately 50 cm / min. The device is turned on and the voltage resistance data is collected by the computer. Then the sample is removed from the apparatus. The tensile strength is calculated as the slope of the voltage load vs. the extension during the elastic deformation of the materials uses the following equation: m = (L / E) Where m = the slope in g / mm2 during the elastic deformation; L = the load to the extension in g / mm; and E = the extension in mm. The base layer 70 and / or the cover layer 72 preferably also consist of at least one two-dimensional fold at about 25 ° C, i.e. an individual fold or crease occurring in the material along the individual axis, and preferably a three-dimensional fold at about 35 ° C or more, ie two or more folds or wrinkles that occur along multiple axes. The fold can be determined by placing and centering a square sample, for example 30 cm by 30 cm of material on the end of a cylindrical rod with a pointed end, which allows the material to be folded due to gravitational forces, and the number of bent lines. The materials exhibiting a one-dimensional fold, that is to say that they have no folds or wrinkles in any direction, are determined as rigid, while the materials exhibiting at least one two-dimensional fold, that is to say they have at least one fold or crease line that It is formed along at least one axis, they are determined as semirigid. Different materials may be able to meet the specific requirements for the base layer 70 and / or the cover layer 72, as long as the thickness is adjusted accordingly. Such materials may include, but are not limited to, polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon, polyester, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, polyurethane, polystyrene, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer saponified, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, natural rubber , recycled rubber, synthetic rubber, and mixtures of the latter. These materials may be used alone, preferably extruded, most preferably co-extruded, and most preferably still co-extruded with a low melting temperature polymer including, but not limited to, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, low density polyethylene, and mixtures of these . The base layer 70 and the cover layer 72 preferably consist of polypropylene, preferably a coextruded material consisting of polypropylene, most preferably a co-extruded material wherein a first side consists of polypropylene, preferably from 10% to 90%, more preferably from 40% to 60% of the total thickness of the material, and a second side consists of a bonding layer of a low melting temperature copolymer, preferably EVA. The base layer 70 and the cover layer 72 preferably have a thickness on a weight basis of less than about 50 μm, more preferably less than 40 μm, most preferred less than about 30 μm. The base layer 70 and the cover layer 72 preferably consist of a co-extruded material, having a first side of polypropylene and a second side of EVA, and having a combined thickness from 20 μm to 30 μm, preferably from 25 μm, where the polypropylene constitutes approximately 50% and the EVA of the bonding layer constitutes approximately 50%, of the total thickness of the base layer forming the cell 70 or the layer covering the cell 72. A particularly suitable material it can be obtained as P18-3161 from Clopay Plastics Products, Cincinnati, OH. The material P18-3161 which is preferred for the layer covering the cell 72 has been subjected to a subsequent procedure to create openings with hot needles to make it permeable to oxygen. When the co-extruded materials of the type described above are used for the base layer 70 and the cover layer 72, the EVA sides are preferably oriented with one another to facilitate the thermal bonding of the cover layer 72 to the base layer 70. The good folding characteristics in general and / or excellent compliance with the upper back of the neck and / or shoulders of the user, and / or increased structural support to the thermal pad 50, can also be achieved by the selective placement of cells of heat 26 within positions within or to the unified structure of the thermal pad 50 in relation to one another which are close enough to block some or all possible axes through the material of the continuous layer and / or layers 70 and / or 72 which would otherwise have gone uninterrupted between the heat cells 26, through the thermal pad 50, or the selected regions thereof, to minimize or eliminate uninterrupted, undesirable bending lines. That is, the placement of the heat cells 26 at positions' in relation to each other that are close enough so that the number of axes passing uninterruptedly, between the heat cells 26, is selectively controlled, such that the continuous cells forming the base layer 70 and the cover layer 72 of the thermal pad 50, or selected regions thereof, are preferably folded along a multiplicity of interconnected short bending lines oriented in a number of directions different in relation to one another. Bending along a multiplicity of interconnected bending lines results in thermal pads 50 having good overall crease characteristics, they easily conform to the upper back, neck, and / or shoulders of the user, and / or have an increased structural support of the heat cell matrix. Because the heat cells 26 are not easily flexible, the spacing between the heat cells 26 provides the preferred benefits and can be determined, when the heat cells 26 are selectively placed within or fixed to the unified structure of the thermal pads 50, wherein at least one heat cell of four adjacent heat cells, whose centers form a quadrilateral pattern, blocks one or more axes that could otherwise form at least one tangential bend line at the edges of one or more pairs of the three remaining heat cells in the quadrilateral pattern. Preferably, the spacing between at least one heat cell of the four adjacent heat cells and each of the heat cells of one or more pairs of the remaining heat cells in the quadrilateral pattern can be calculated using the equation: where s = the closest distance between the heat cells; and Wq = the smallest diameter diameter measurement of the smallest diameter heat cell within the quadrilateral pattern. Alternatively, the spacing between the heat cells 26 can be determined where, at least one heat cell of three adjacent heat cells, whose centers form a triangular pattern, blocks one or more axes that could otherwise form at least one line of tangential bend to the edges of the remaining pair of heat cells in the triangular pattern formed by the three heat cells. More preferably, the spacing between the at least one heat cell of the three adjacent heat cells and each heat cell of the remaining pair of heat cells in the triangular pattern can be calculated using the equation: s < (Wt / 2) * 0.3 where s = the closest distance between the heat cells; and Wt = the smallest diameter measurement of the smallest diameter heat cell within the triangular pattern. Different materials may be able to satisfy the requirements specified above. Such materials may include, but are not limited to, those materials mentioned above. A more preferred embodiment of the disposable thermal pads 50 of the present invention comprises at least one continuous layer of semi-rigid material having the thermophysical properties described above, and the heat cells 26 fixed therein or to the unified structure of the thermal pad 50 in positions in relation to each other that are close enough to block some or all of the possible axes through the material of the layer (s) 70 and / or 72, which otherwise would have passed uninterruptedly between the heat cells 26, through thermal pads 50, or selected regions thereof, to minimize or eliminate undesirable, uninterrupted fold lines, as described above. The exothermic composition 74 may consist of any composition capable of providing heat. However, the exothermic composition 74 preferably consists of a particular mixture of chemical compounds that pass an oxidation reaction during use. Alternatively, the exothermic composition 74 may also be formed into agglomerated granules, compacted directly into compaction articles such as granules, pellets, tablets, and / or pieces and mixtures thereof. The mixture of compounds typically consists of iron powder, carbon, a metal salt (s), and water. Mixtures of this type, which react when exposed to oxygen, provide heat for several hours. Suitable sources of iron powder include cast iron powder, reduced iron powder, electrolytic iron powder, flash iron powder, raw iron, wrought iron, various steels, iron alloys, and the like and treated varieties of iron. These iron powders. There is no particular limitation as to its purity, type, etc. as long as it can be used to produce heat generation with electrically conductive water and air. Typically, the iron powder consists of 30% to 80% by weight, preferably 50% to 70%, of the exothermic particulate composition. The activated carbon prepared from coconut shell, wood, charcoal, mineral coal, bone coal, etc. it is useful, but those prepared from other raw materials such as animal products, natural gas, fats, oil and resins are also useful in the particular exothermic composition of the present invention. There is no limitation of the types of activated carbon used, however, the preferred activated carbon has superior water retention capabilities and the different carbons can be mixed to reduce costs. Therefore, the blends of the above coals are also useful in the present invention. Typically, the activated carbon, the non-activated carbon, and the mixtures thereof, comprise from 3% to 25%, preferably from 8% to 20%, more preferably from 9% to 15% by weight, of the exothermic composition in particles. Useful metal salts in the exothermic particulate composition include sulfates such as ferric sulfate, potassium sulfate, sodium sulfate, manganese sulfate, magnesium sulfate.; and chlorides such as cupric chloride, potassium chloride, sodium chloride, calcium chloride, manganese chloride, magnesium chloride, and cuprous chloride. In addition, carbonate salts, acetate salts, nitrates, nitrites and other salts can be used. In general, there are several suitable alkalis, alkaline earths, and transition metal salts that can also be used, alone or in combination, to sustain the corrosive reaction of iron. Preferred metal salts are sodium chloride, cupric chloride, and mixtures thereof.

Typically, the metal salt (s) comprises from 0.5% to 10% by weight, preferably from 1.0% to 5% by weight, of the exothermic particulate composition. The water used in the exothermic particulate composition can be from any suitable source. There is no particular limitation as to its purity, type, etc. Typically, the water comprises from 1% to 40% by weight, preferably from 10% to 30% by weight, of the exothermic particulate composition. Additional water retention materials may also be added as appropriate. Additional useful water retention materials include vermiculite, porous silicates, wood dust, wood flour, cotton cloth having a large amount of lint, short cotton fibers, paper waste, plant material, water-swellable superabsorbent polymers or soluble in water and resins, salts of carboxymethylcellulose, and other porous materials having a large capillary function and hydrophilic property can be used. Typically, the additional water retention materials comprise from 0.1% to 30% by weight, preferably from 0.5% to 20% by weight, more preferably from 1% to 10% by weight, of the exothermic particulate composition. Other additional components include agglomeration aids such as gelatin, natural gums, cellulose derivatives, cellulose ethers and their derivatives, starch, modified starches, polyvinyl alcohols, polyvinylpyrrolidone, sodium alginates, oliols, glycols, corn syrup, sucrose syrup, sorbitol syrup and other polysaccharides and their derivatives, polyacrylamides, polyvinyloxazolidone, and maltitol syrup; dry binders such as maltodextrin, aspersed maltose, co-crystallized sucrose and dextrin, modified dextrose, sorbitol, mannitol, microcrystalline cellulose, microfine cellulose, pregelatinized starch, dicalcium phosphate, and calcium carbonate; Oxidation reaction enhancers such as elemental chromium, manganese, or copper, compounds comprising said elements, or mixtures thereof; hydrogen gas inhibitors such as organic or inorganic alkali compounds or salts of weak alkaline acid including sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, sodium hydrogen carbonate, sodium carbonate, calcium hydroxide, calcium carbonate and sodium propionate; fillers such as natural cellulose fragments including wood dust, cotton fluff and cellulose, synthetic fibers in fragmentary form including polyester fibers, foamy synthetic resins such as polystyrene and foamed polyurethane, and inorganic compounds including silica powder, porous silica gel, sulphate of sodium, various sulfate, iron oxides, and alumina; and anticostrating agents such as tricalcium phosphate and sodium silicoaluminate. Such components also include thickeners such as corn starch, potato starch, carboxymethylcellulose, and alpha-starch, and surfactants such as those included within the anionic, cationic, nonionic, zwitterionic, and amphoteric types. The preferred surfactant, if used, however, is non-ionic. Still other additional components that may be added to the particulate exothermic compositions of the present invention, as appropriate, include spreading agents such as metasilicates, zirconium, and ceramics. Preferably at least 50%, more preferably 70%, still more preferably 80% and more preferably 90% of all the particles by weight of the exothermic particulate composition of the present invention have an average particle size of less than 200 μm, preferably less than 150 μm. The aforementioned components of the composition are mixed using conventional mixing techniques. Suitable methods for mixing these components are described in detail in the U.S. patent. 4,649,895 to Yasuki et al., March 17, 1987, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Alternatively to the exothermic particulate composition described above, the exothermic composition can be formed into agglomerated granules, compacted directly into compaction articles such as granules, pellets, tablets, and / or pieces, and mixtures thereof. The exothermic composition of these agglomerated granules and / or compaction articles comprises iron powders, dry powder carboniferous material, an agglomeration aid, and a dry mixer. Additionally, a metal salt is added to the dry mix or subsequently as an aqueous solution / brine. Typically, the iron powder comprises from 30% to 80%, preferably from 40% to 70%, more preferably from 50% to 65% by weight; activated carbon, non-activated carbon, and mixtures thereof, comprise from 3% to 20%, preferably from 5% to 15%, more preferably from 6% to 12% by weight; the metal salt (s) comprises from 0.5% to 10%, preferably from 1% to 8%, more preferably 2% to 6% by weight; agglomeration aids comprise from 0% to 9%, preferably from 0.5% to 8%, more preferably from 0.6% to 6%, more preferably from 0.7% to 3% by weight; and the dry mixer comprises from 0% to 35%, preferably from 4% to 30%, more preferably from 7% to 20%, more preferably from 9% to 15% by weight, of the agglomerated precompaction compositions of the present invention.

Heat cells comprising agglomerated granules are typically made using mixing techniques and agglomerated into granules. Heat cells comprising compaction articles are preferably made by direct compaction of the dry ingredients into articles such as hard granules, pellets, tablets, and / or pieces. Suitable methods for making tablets and / or pieces are described in detail in Chapter 89, "Oral Solid Dosage Forms," Reminqton's Pharmaceutical Sciences, 18- Edition, (1990), p. 1634-1656, Alfonso R. Gennaro, ed., Incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Any conventional tabletting machine and compression pressures, up to the maximum provided by the machine can be used. The tablets / pieces may have any geometric shape consistent with the shape of the heat cell, for example disc, triangle, square, cube, rectangle, cylinder, ellipsoid and the like, all or none of which may contain a hole through half or another reservation. The preferred form of the tablet / piece comprises a disc-shaped geometry, having a concave configuration (dome) at the top and / or bottom of the tablet. The most preferred form of the tablet / piece, however, comprises a disk-shaped geometry, having a hole perpendicular to, and through the middle of the top and bottom of the tablet. The size of the compacted disc is limited only by the size of the perforations and given available and / or used in the tabletting machine, as well as the size of the bag of the heat cell. However, the disc typically has a diameter of 0.2 cm to 10 cm, preferably 0.5 cm to 8 cm, more preferably 1 cm to 5 cm, and more preferably 1.5 cm to 3 cm, and a height of 0.08 cm to 1 cm, preferably from 0.15 cm to 0.86 cm, more preferably from 0.2 cm to 0.6 cm, and more preferably from 0.2 cm to 0.5 cm. Alternatively, the compacted disc having a geometric shape different from the disc shape may have a width at its widest point of 0.15 cm to 20 cm, preferably of 0.3 cm to 10 cm, more preferably "of 0.5 cm to 5 cm, more preferably from 1 cm to 3 cm, a height at its highest point of 0.08 cm to 1 cm, preferably from 0.15 cm to 0.8 cm, more preferably from 0.2 cm to 0.6 cm and more preferably from 0.2 cm to 0.5 cm and a length at its longest point from 1.5 cm to 20 cm, preferably from 1 cm to 15 cm, more preferably from 1 cm to 10 cm, more preferably 3 cm to 5 cm.The hole or reservoir must be long enough to contain substantially the prescribed amount of water and / or the water carrier material Typically, the hole has a diameter of 0.1 cm to 1 cm, preferably 0.2 cm to 0.8 cm, and more preferably 0.2 cm to 0.5 cm. of the present invention are compressed to mechanical strength hardest possible to withstand handling impacts in its manufacture, packaging, shipping, and serving. The compaction articles are typically compressed at a density greater than 1 g / cm 3, preferably from 1 g / cm 3 to 3 g / cm 3, more preferably from 1.5 g / cm 3 to 3 g / cm 3 and more preferably 2 g / cm 3 a 3 g / cm3.

The heat cells 26 comprising the components described above are typically formed by adding a fixed amount of an exothermic particulate composition or compacting article (s) 74 to a sack or sacks made in a continuous first layer, i.e. continuous base 70. A second continuous layer, i.e., continuous cover layer 72 is placed over the first continuous layer, sandwiching the particulate exothermic composition or compaction article (s) between the two continuous layers which are then joined together, preferably using a low heat, forming a laminated, unified structure. Preferably, each heat cell has a similar volume of heat generating material and has similar oxygen permeability means. Nevertheless, the volume of the heat generating material, the shape of the heat cell, and the oxygen permeability may be different from heat cell to heat cell as long as the resulting cell temperatures generated are within therapeutically accepted ranges and security for its designed use. The heat cells 26 of the thermal pad 50 can have any geometric shape, for example, disk, triangle, pyramid, cone, sphere, square, cube, rectangle, rectangular parallelepiped, cylinder, ellipsoid and the like. The preferred form of heat cells 26 comprises a disk-shaped geometry having a cell diameter of 0.2 cm to 10 cm, preferably 0.5 cm to 8 cm, more preferably 1 cm to 5 cm, and more preferably 1.5 cm to 3 cm. The heat cells 75 have a height greater than 0.2 cm to 1 cm, preferably larger than 0.2 cm to 0.9 cm, more preferably greater than 0.2 cm to 0.8 cm, and more preferably greater than 0.3 cm to 0.7 cm. Alternatively, heat cells having geometric shapes different from a disk shape, preferably an ellipsoid (ie, oval), may have a width at their widest point of 0.15 cm to 20 cm, preferably of 0.3 cm to 10 cm , more preferably from 0.5 cm to 5 cm, more preferably from 1 cm to 3 cm, a height at its highest point of greater than 0.2 cm to 5 cm, preferably larger than 0.2 cm to 1 cm, more preferably larger 0.2 cm to 0.8 cm, and more preferably from 0.3 cm to 0.7 cm and a length at its longest point of 0.5 cm to 20 cm, preferably from 1 cm to 15 cm, more preferably from 1 cm to 10 cm, more preferably from 3 cm to 5 cm. The ratio of fill volume to cell volume of the heat cells 26 is from 0.7 to 1.0, preferably from 0.75 to 1.0, more preferably from 0.8 to 1.0, even more preferably from 0.85 to 1.0, and more preferably from 0.9 to 1.0. . Oxygen permeability can be provided by selecting materials for base acapa 70 and / or cover layer 72 having the specifically desired permeability properties. The desired permeability properties can be provided by microporous films or by films having pores or pits formed therein. The formation of these holes / pores can be by extrusion casting / vacuum forming or by hot needle openings. The size of the openings is preferably 0.127 mm in diameter and there are preferably 25 to 40 openings per heat cell 26. Another preferred method for making the openings in drilling the cell cover 72 with cold needles. Alternatively, the openings can be produced by a vacuum formation or a high pressure water stream forming process. The oxygen permeability can also be provided in the present invention by drilling at least one of the base layer 70 and the cover layer 72 with aeration pits using, for example, an arrangement of pins having tapered tips and diameters of 0.2 mm. to 2mm, preferably from 0.4mm to 0.9mm The arrangement of the pins is patterned such that the base layers 70 and the cover layer 72 are drilled from 10 to 30 ears per square centimeter. the base layer 70 and the cover layer 72 have been joined together, the exothermic composition 74 being enclosed in the sack between them, one side of the heat cells 26 can be perforated with aeration holes, using, for example, at least a pin, preferably an arrangement of 20 to 60 pins having tapered points and diameters of 0.2 mm to 2 mm, preferably 0.2 mm to 0.9 mm The pins are pressed through one side of the base layer 70 and / or the cover layer 72 at a depth of 2% to 100%, preferably from 20% to 100%, and more preferably from 50% to 100% within the exothermic composition 74. This hole configuration provides an oxygen diffusion within the heat cell 26 of the exothermic particulate composition of 0.01 ce 02 / min. / 5cm2 at 15.0 ce 02 / min. 5 cm (at 21 ° C, 1 ATM), preferably from 0.9 ce O2 / min. / 5cm2 to 3 ce O2 / minJ5cm2 (at 21 ° C, 1ATM).

The speed, duration, and temperature of the thermogenic oxidation reaction of the exothermic composition 74 can be controlled as desired by changing the contact area with the air, more specifically, by changing the oxygen diffusion / permeability. The disposable thermal wraps for the neck of the present invention may optionally incorporate a component, such as a substrate layer separated or incorporated within the at least one of the continuous layers, comprising active aromatic compounds, non-active aromatic compounds, pharmaceutical actives or other therapeutic agents, and mixtures thereof, to be delivered through the skin. Such aromatic active components include, but are not limited to, menthol, camphor, and eucalyptus. Such non-active aromatic compounds include, but are not limited to, benzaldehyde, citral, decanal, and aldehyde. Such pharmaceutical actives / therapeutic agents include, but are not limited to antibiotics, vitamins, antiviral agents, analgesics, anti-inflammatory agents, antipruritics, antipyretics, anesthetic agents, antifungals, antimicrobials, and mixtures thereof. Disposable thermal wraps for the neck may also consist of a separate substrate layer, or incorporated within the at least one of the continuous layers, of a self-adhesive component and / or a sweat absorbing component. The disposable thermal wrap for the finished neck is typically packaged in a second package. An air impermeable package can be used to prevent an oxidation reaction from occurring until desired as described in the U.S. patent. No. 4,649,895 incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Alternatively, other means may be used to prevent an oxidation reaction from occurring before it is desired, such as a strip of waterproof removable adhesive placed over the aeration holes in the heat shields such that when the strips are removed, they are removed. it allows the air to enter the heat cells, thus activating the oxidation reaction of the iron powder. The present invention additionally comprises a method for treating acute, recurrent, and / or chronic pain of the upper back, neck, and / or shoulders, including muscle pain, in the bones, and / or referred, of the part upper back, neck, and / or shoulders of a person suffering such pain by topically applying heat to the specific areas of the upper back, neck and / or shoulders of a person suffering such pain. The method comprises maintaining a skin temperature in the specific areas of the back of a person suffering such pain from 32 ° C to 50 ° C, preferably from 32 ° C to 45 ° C, more preferably from 32 ° C to 42 ° C. , more preferably from 32 ° C to 39 ° C, even more preferably from 32 ° C to 37 ° C, preferably by applying the neck wraps described above to the upper back, neck, and / or shoulders of a person who suffers such pain, from 20 seconds to 24 hours, preferably from 20 minutes to 24 hours, more preferably from 4 hours to 16 hours, more preferably from 8 hours to 12 hours, wherein the maximum skin temperature and the length of time of Maintenance of skin temperature at maximum skin temperature can be appropriately selected by a person in need of such treatment, so that the desired therapeutic benefits are achieved, without any adverse event, such as skin burns that may be incurred uti lizing a high temperature for a long period. Preferably the method comprises maintaining the sustained skin temperature in the upper back, neck and / or shoulders of a person having acute, recurrent and / or chronic pain of the upper back, neck and / or shoulders including muscle pain, in the bones and / or referral of the upper back, neck, and / or shoulders, from 32 ° C to 43 ° C, preferably from 32 ° C to 42 ° C, more preferably from 32 ° C to 41 ° C, more preferably from 32 ° C to 39 ° C, even more preferably from 32 ° C to 37 ° C, for a period greater than 1 hour, preferably greater than 4 hours, more preferably greater than 8 hours, even more preferably greater than 16 hours, more preferably 24 hours, to substantially alleviate acute, recurrent, and / or chronic pain of the upper back, neck, and / or shoulders, including pain in the bones, muscle, and / or referral of the upper back, neck, and / or shoulders, of a person who has such pain and to prolong substantially relief, for at least 2 hours, preferably for at least 8 hours, more preferably for at least 16 hours, more preferably for at least 1 day, even more preferably for at least 3 days, of such pain, even after the source of heat is removed from the upper part of the back, neck, and / or shoulders of the user.

Although particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it will be obvious to the person skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and is intended to cover in the appended claims all These modifications are within the scope of the invention.

Claims (10)

NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION CLAIMS

1. - A disposable thermal wrapping for the neck comprising at least one substantially U-shaped piece of flexible material, said piece of flexible material having a first arm portion, a second arm portion, and a central body portion therebetween, such that when the neck wrap is placed on a user, the central body portion is centered on the upper back and lower neck of the user and the first and second arm portions lie across the shoulders of the user towards the chest of the user, and one or more thermal pads, wherein the thermal pad has a unified structure comprising at least one continuous layer of a semi-rigid material having a tensile strength of 0.7 g / mm2 or greater, preferably 0.85 g / mm2 or greater more preferably 1 g / mm2 or greater, and at least two dimensional folds at a temperature of 25 ° C, and wherein said material has a tensile strength, at a temperature of temperature of 35 ° C or greater, substantially less than said tensile strength of said material at 25 ° C, and having a plurality of individual heat cells spaced apart and fixed within or to said unified structure of the thermal compress Where the thermal envelope disposable for neck preferably further comprises a positioning means, preferably one or more adhesive patches, adhered to distal ends of at least one of the first and second arm portions, and wherein more preferably one or more of the heat cells of The thermal compress is located inside each arm.

2. A disposable thermal wrapping for the neck according to claim 1 further characterized in that at least one of the continuous layers consists of a material consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon, polyester, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, polyurethane , polystyrene, saponified ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, natural rubber, recycled gum, synthetic rubber, or mixtures thereof, preferably an extruded material consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon, polyester, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, polyurethane, polystyrene, saponified ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, more preferably a coextruded material having a first side consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon, polyester, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, polyurethane, and polystyrene, and a second side consisting of saponified ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer or ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, more preferably a coextruded material having a first polypropylene side and a second side of ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, further characterized in that the polypropylene preferably comprises 10% to 90%, more preferably from 40% to 60%, of the total thickness of the material.

3. - A disposable thermal neck pad comprising at least one substantially U-shaped piece of flexible material, the piece of flexible material has a first arm portion, a second arm portion, and a central body portion between the legs. same, such that when the neck wrap is placed on a wearer, the central body portion is centered on the upper part of the user's lower back and neck and the first and second arm portions lie across the shoulders of the wearer towards the user's chest, and at least one thermal pad, wherein the thermal pad has a unified structure comprising at least one continuous layer of material and a plurality of individual heat cells placed within fixed positions within or to said structure of the thermal compressor that are sufficiently close and in relation to each other, as to block some or all possible axes through e one of the continuous layers, which would otherwise have passed uninterruptedly between the heat cells, through the thermal pad, or selected regions thereof, preferably wherein at least one of the heat cells of four adjacent heat cells, whose centers form a quadrilateral pattern, blocks one or more of the axes that could otherwise form at least one tangential bend line to the edges of one or more pairs of the remaining heat cells in the quadrilateral pattern, more preferably where the spacing between minus one of the heat cells and each of the heat cells of one or more pairs of the remaining heat cells in the quadrilateral pattern is the same or less than the scattering obtained by dividing the measurement of the smallest diameter of the cell heat of the heat cells within the quadrilateral pattern by 2 and multiplying the result by 0.75, and additionally preferably comprises a positioning means, pre preferably one or more adhesive patches adhered to distal ends of at least one of the first and second arm portions, and wherein more preferably one or more of the heat cells of the thermal pad are located within each arm.

4. Disposable thermal wrapping for the neck according to claim 3, further characterized in that at least one of the heat cells of three adjacent heat cells, whose centers form a triangular pattern, blocks one or more of the axes that they could otherwise form at least one tangential bending line at the edges of the remaining pair of heat cells in the triangular pattern formed by the three heat cells, preferably wherein the spacing between at least one of the heat cells and each of the heat cells of the remaining pair of heat cells in the triangular pattern is the same or smaller than the spacing obtained by dividing the measurement of the smallest diameter of the smallest diameter of the heat cell from the heat cells within of the triangular pattern by 2 and multiplying the result by 0.3.

5. - A disposable thermal wrapping for the neck according to claim 3 or 4 further characterized in that at least one of the continuous layers consists of a semi-rigid material having a tensile strength of 0.7 g / mm2 or greater, and at least one two-dimensional fold at a temperature of 25 ° C, and wherein said material has a tensile strength, at a temperature of 35 ° C or higher, substantially less than the tensile strength of the material at 25 ° C, preferably the continuous layer consists of a material consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon, polyester, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, polyurethane, polystyrene, saponified ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, natural rubber, recycled rubber, synthetic rubber, or mixtures of the same, more preferably the continuous layer consists of a co-extruded material having a first side consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon, polyester, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, polyurethane, or polystyrene, and a second side consisting of copolymers of saponified ethylene vinyl acetate or ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, more preferably the continuous layer consists of a coextruded material having a first polypropylene side and a second side of ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, wherein the polypropylene preferably comprises from 10% to 90%, more preferably from 40% to 60%, of the total thickness of said material.

6. - A disposable thermal wrapping for the neck according to any preceding claim further characterized in that the heat cells consist of a shape consisting of a disk, triangle, pyramid, cone, sphere, square, cube, rectangle, rectangular parallelepiped, cylinder, or ellipsoid, the disc has a diameter of 1 cm to 5 cm and a height of more than 0.2 cm to 1 cm, and said triangle, pyramid, cone, sphere, square, cube, rectangle, rectangular parallelepiped, cylinder, or ellipsoid has a width at its widest point of 0.5 cm to 5 cm and a height at its highest point of more than 0.2 cm to 1 cm and a length at its longest point of 1.5 cm to 10 cm, and where the heat cells, when filled with an exothermic composition, have a ratio of fill volume to cell volume of 0.7 to 1.0 .

7. - A disposable thermal wrapping for the neck according to any preceding claim further characterized in that the exothermic composition consists of 30% to 80% by weight, of iron powder, from 3% to 25% by weight, of carboniferous material, which consists of activated carbon, non-activated carbon, or mixtures thereof, from 0.5% to 10% by weight of metal salt, from 1% to 40% by weight of water, and preferably from 0.1% to 30% by weight of additional water container material.

8. - A disposable thermal wrapping for the neck according to any preceding claim further characterized in that the exothermic composition consists of 30% to 80% by weight, of iron powder, from 3% to 20% by weight, of carboniferous material, which consists of activated charcoal, non-activated charcoal, or mixtures thereof, from 0% to 9% by weight of an agglomeration aid consisting of corn syrup, maltitol syrup, crystallizing sorbitol syrup, amorphous sorbitol syrup, or mixtures thereof, from 0% to 35% by weight, of a dry mixer consisting of microcrystalline cellulose, maltodextrin, lactose spray, co-crystallized sucrose and dextrin, modified dextrose, mannitol, microfine cellulose, pregelatinized starch, dicalcium phosphate, calcium carbonate or mixtures thereof, preferably said dry binder comprises from 4% to 30% by weight of microcrystalline cellulose, more preferably from 0.5% to 10% by weight of additional materials with water forks consisting of acid copolymer of acrylic acid-starch, isobutylene maleic anhydride copolymer, vermiculite, carboxymethylcellulose or mixtures thereof, wherein from 0.5% to 10% by weight, of a metal salt consisting of salts alkali metal, alkaline earth metal salts, transition metal salts, or mixtures thereof is added to the composition as part of the dry mix or subsequently in an aqueous solution as a brine, and wherein the exothermic composition further comprises a physical form consisting of dry agglomerated granules, direct compaction articles, or mixtures thereof, wherein the articles of direct compaction consist of granules, pellets, tablets, pieces or mixtures thereof, and wherein the tablets and pieces They consist of a geometric shape consisting of discs, triangle, cube, rectangle, cylinder, or ellipsoid, the disc has a diameter of 1 cm to 5 cm and a height of 0.08 cm at 1 cm and the triangle, square, cube, rectangle, cylinder, or ellipsoid has a width at its widest point from 0.5 cm to 5 cm and a height at its highest point from 0.08 cm to 1 cm and a length at its longest point from 1 cm to 10 cm, preferably where direct compaction articles consist of a density of more than 1 g / cm3.

9. - A disposable thermal wrapping for the neck according to any preceding claim further characterized in that it additionally consists of additional components consisting of active aromatic compounds, non-active aromatic compounds, pharmaceutical actives, or mixtures thereof.

10. - A disposable thermal wrapping for the neck according to any preceding claim further characterized because it is useful for treating pain of the upper back, neck and shoulders consisting of acute muscle pain, acute in the bones, acute referred, recurrent muscle , recurrent in the bones, recurrent referred, chronic muscle, chronic in the bones, or chronic referred of the upper part of the back, neck and shoulders, in a person by applying a disposable thermal wrapping for the neck to the upper part from the back, neck and shoulders of a person, to maintain a back skin temperature of 32 ° C to 50 ° C, preferably from 32 ° C to 39 ° C, for a period of twenty seconds to twenty-four hours, in where the temperature of the skin and the period of time to maintain the skin temperature is suitably selected by the person, to substantially alleviate such pain without adverse events, preferably wherein the temperature of the skin is maintained at a temperature of 32 ° C to 43 ° C for a period greater than 1 hour, more preferably 32 ° C to 41 ° C for a period of more than 4 hours, wherein The pain relief is prolonged substantially by at least 2 hours, preferably by at least 1 day, after removal of heat from the upper back, neck and shoulders of the person.