NL1038998C2

NL1038998C2 - Self-cooling brace.

Info

Publication number: NL1038998C2
Application number: NL1038998A
Authority: NL
Inventors: Johan Ijsbrand Tiesnitsch
Original assignee: Tiesnitsch Beheer B V
Priority date: 2011-05-18
Filing date: 2011-08-15
Publication date: 2012-11-20
Also published as: WO2012156070A2; WO2012156070A3

Abstract

Device for thermal treatment of a body part shaped to anatomically fit to the body part, comprising at least one cooling element, the cooling element comprising an outer layer of permeable fabric and an inner layer of permeable fabric, the cooling element being attached to a support layer, wherein the inner layer is connected to the outer layer in a connecting pattern, the connecting pattern forming pockets, at least part of the pockets containing an absorbing polymer material and cooling element as specified suitable for application in the device.

Description

Self-Cooling Brace

The invention relates to a device for thermal treatment of a body part shaped to anatomically fit to the body part, comprising at least one cooling element 5 comprising an outer layer of permeable fabric and an inner layer of permeable fabric, the cooling element being attached to a support layer.

Such a device is known from WO 2008/ 077112 A2 and comprises a cooling bladder between an outer layer and an inner layer, the bladder containing a cooling fluid.

10 This known device is not suitable for applying heat treatment of a body part and the presence of a fluid containing bladder brings the risk of even a small leak making the device unusable.

Aim of the invention is a device that can be used for both heating and cooling of a body part and is less susceptible to damage.

15 This aim is achieved in that the inner layer is connected to the outer layer in a connecting pattern, the connecting pattern forming pockets, at least part of the pockets containing an absorbing polymer material.

Further the device according to the invention is less voluminous and easier to manufacture than the known device.

20 Thermal treatment, in particular cooling, of injured body parts is a commonly applied therapy to induce healing and for treatment of aches, muscular and joint pain and inflammation. In some treatments application of heat is required. Applying ice packs and cold compresses are known therapies for cooling down body parts. However, the objects applied tend to voluminous, restrict the mobility of the user and 25 when applying ice the risk of local hypothermia is present. The device of the present invention can be relatively thin, it is flexible and the initial temperature at application can be controlled within a wide range, essentially from 100 ° C to below 0 ° C. It is applicable for both cooling and heating of a body part. Due to its low weight and flexibility it can be applied underneath clothing and without hampering the wearer in 30 daily life.

The device is shaped to anatomically fit the body part to be thermally treated. The shape is such that, when attached to the body part, it follows closely the contours of the body part. The support layer, which is preferably elastic, keeps the device in substantial contact with the body part. In this respect the shape of the 1038998 2 applied onto are knee, elbow, ankle, thigh, lower arm, shoulder, hand, finger and foot. Thermal treatment includes cooling or heating the body part.

The device comprises a cooling element. The cooling element comprises an outer layer of permeable fabric. A permeable fabric allows liquid like water and 5 transpiration fluid and evaporated liquid to pass through the fabric. This allows a liquid, in particular water to come into contact with the absorbing polymer material in the device to make the absorbing polymer material to form a hydrogel when the device is immersed in or otherwise exposed, e.g by spraying, to the liquid, in particular water. A wide range of fabric can be used as the outer layer depending on 10 further requirements expected from it such as wearing comfort, colour, thickness, flexibility, stretchability, printability and other requirements for the outer layer of the device. Examples of suitable materials for the fabric are woven or knitted polyester, nylon or other synthetic or natural yarns.

The cooling element further comprises an inner layer of permeable fabric.

15 Suitable materials for the permeable fabric of the inner layer can be the same as specified above for the outer layer but the fabric applied for the inner layer may be different to fulfil its specific requirements, in particular it should be suitable to be in close contact with the outside of the body for a longer period. As the heat or cold from the cooling element is passed to the body through the inner layer, this layer will 20 be as thin as compatible with sufficient strength. Practically useful thicknesses of the inner and the outer layer will range from 10 to 900 microns, preferably from 20 to 600 microns. Preferably the thickness of the two layers together will be less than 1000 microns.

The inner layer is connected to the outer layer in a connecting pattern.

25 The layers can be connected by known techniques for locally connecting fabrics, in particular along lines of limited width, like gluing, sealing or stitching. The layers have been connected preferably in a pattern of crossing straight or curved lines forming pockets, that can contain a desired amount of absorbing polymer material or enclosing empty spaces. Such empty spaces or empty pockets, .as separated spots 30 or as elongated strips, may allow vapor or liquid, e.g. transpiration fluid or vapor, to be transported from the body through the device to the environment. Preferably in the stitching pattern parallel stitching line pairs are present. Neighboring pairs then form the boundaries of pockets containing absorbing polymer, whereas the area between the two lines forming a pair then form empty spaces. Feasible distances between two 3 lines forming a pair can range preferably from 0.1 to 10 cm, more preferable from 0.2 to 5 cm and most preferable from 0.3 to 3 cm. This connecting pattern will result in a flexible device that combines pockets containing absorbing polymer material uniformly covering the body part with relatively small uniformly distributed areas for 5 fluid or vapor transport to the environment. Another advantage of this connecting pattern is that the device will remain flexible even when the gel in the pockets are frozen. Pockets may have any shape, depending on the connecting pattern applied. Most practical shapes will be squares, diamonds and rectangles or similar shapes having curved sides. Curved sides have the advantage of leveling exerted pressure 10 preventing absorbing polymer material to leak out of the pockets as compared to sharp angles in normal practical shapes of the pockets mentioned above. Pocket areas may range from 0.5 to 100 cm2, preferably from 0.75 to 50 cm2 and more preferable from 1 to 25 cm2.

When gluing or sealing is applied empty spaces can also be formed by parallel 15 lines of glue or sealing tape. These lines in general will be broader than stitched lines. In the latter case the useful area, either for cooling or for fluid/vapor transport will be larger than in the former case. Where flexibility is the most important issue also a single line of a broader tape can be applied albeit on the cost of loss of permeability over the area of the tape. Gluing and sealing have the advantage over 20 stitching that no perforation of the layers will be present. Connections making use of perforations may, on the long run due to wear, cause leakage of absorbing polymer material from the pockets earlier than sealed or glued connections.

Methods for manufacturing the cooling element, when gluing or sealing is applied as connecting technique, comprise applying desired amounts of absorbing 25 polymer material in a desired pattern on a piece of the material for the inner or the outer layer having a desired shape and size, applying glue or sealant to said layer in the desired connecting pattern, putting the complementary outer or inner layer on top and applying heat and or pressure to seal or glue the two layers together. The order of application of absorbing polymer material and the connecting pattern of glue or 30 sealant may be reversed. When stitching is applied no glue or sealant is applied but the two layers with enclosed absorbing polymer material are stitched together in the desired pattern.

The pockets formed by the connecting pattern as described above contain absorbing polymer material.

4

As absorbing polymer material, polymer materials can be used that are able to form a gel on absorption of considerable amounts of liquid. When water is used as the liquid the gel is called a hydrogel.

A gel is a network of natural or synthetic polymer chains that are insoluble to 5 the absorbed liquid, sometimes found as a colloidal gel in which the liquid is the dispersion medium. Gels are highly absorbent and can contain over 99% liquid. In view of the intended use, viz. on the human body, water is the preferred liquid used. Hydrogels also possess a degree of flexibility very similar to natural tissue, due to their significant water content. Examples of absorbing polymer materials are sodium 10 polyacrylate, acrylate polymers and copolymers with an abundance of hydrophilic groups, polyacrylamide copolymer, ethylene maleic anhydride copolymer, cross-linked carboxymethylcellulose, polyvinyl alcohol copolymers, cross-linked polyethylene oxide, and starch grafted copolymer of polyacrilonitrile. Natural hydrogel materials include agarose, methylcellulose and hyaluronan. Most of the 15 absorbing polymer materials mentioned above are so-called super absorbent polymers (SAP), also called slush powder, and can absorb and retain extremely large amounts of a liquid relative to their own mass. The total absorbency and swelling capacity are controlled by the type and degree of cross-linking to the polymer. Low density cross-linked SAP generally has a higher absorbent capacity and swell to a 20 larger degree. These types of SAP also have a softer and more cohesive gel formation. High cross-link density polymers exhibit lower absorbent capacity and swell. The gel strength is firmer and can maintain particle shape even under modest pressure. Super absorbent polymers are commercially obtainable as particles ranging from fine powders to granules of several millimetres.

25 When exposed to a liquid, in particular water, the absorbing polymer material will absorb the liquid, swell and form a gel, containing a considerable amount of the liquid. When the device is applied to the body part the outer layer is exposed to the environment causing evaporation of the water from the gel. This will lower the temperature of the gel and consequently that of the body part in contact with the 30 inner layer. Supported by the efficient thermal conductivity of the inner layer cooling of the body part being in close contact with the inner layer will be cooled. Hence no external cooling source, such as a refrigerator, is needed to cool the device, in contrast to the known device. The cooling effect can be enhanced by lowering the temperature of the device preceding to application by storing it for example in a 5 refrigerator or a freezer or similar means after the gel has been formed. Whereas in the known device the cooling capacity only comes from the low temperature of the contents of the bladder, in the device of the present invention the evaporation of the water from the gel gives a primary cooling capacity compared to the known device.

5 The device can also be used for heating the body part when preceding to application to the body part it is heated in a microwave oven or similar means.

The cooling element is attached to a support layer. In practice more than one cooling element can be present if more but separated spots of the same body part may benefit from or need heat treatment. What is specified hereafter for ‘cooling 10 element’ also may refer to ‘cooling elements’ when more than one cooling element is present.

The support layer determines the external shape and anatomical fit of the device and acts as an encasement for the cooling element to substantially maintain the cooling element in contact with the skin of the body part. In order to enhance the 15 contact of the device to the body part, the support layer is preferably elastic. The shape of the support layer is not part of the invention but may be the same as that of known supporting braces as mentioned above for the body part involved. In general the size of the cooling element will be smaller than that of the support layer. The cooling element needs to be present only on those spots where thermal treatment is 20 required or beneficial. Size and shape of the cooling element will be commensurate with size and shape of said spots.

The cooling element is attached along its outer edge, suitably by stitching, sealing or gluing, to the support layer. The cooling element is attached to the support layer with the outer layer of the cooling element facing the support layer.

25 Suitable materials for the support layer should give support and preferably have a degree of elasticity sufficient to follow the small deformations of a body part occurring from movements of the body. The thickness of the support layer is applied preferably in thicknesses ranging from 1 to 10 mm. 2 to 8 mm thick neoprene is a particularly suitable support material. Preferably the support layer is perforated to 30 allow easy evaporation of the liquid from the gel, enhancing the cooling effect of the device.

The support layer may have a tubular form, locally provided with one or more cooling elements. It is put in place then by slipping it over the desired body part, e.g. an arm or leg, to the correct position. The elasticity of the support layer allows the 6 device to exert a pressure on the body part that may have a positive effect on the body part since it stimulates blood circulation in reaction of movements of the body part. To account for the variations in body size between people tubular devices in more sizes will be required.

5 The support layer may alternatively be of a wrap form. The device then will comprise fastening means to fasten the device when wrapped around the body part. This keeps the device slim, light and flexible and allows variation of the pressure the device exerts on the body part and may allow the device to be available in less different sizes than a tubular device. Any fastening means known for this purpose 10 may be used. Preferably one or more elastic straps are applied. The elastic straps may be of the same or different material as the support layer, depending on the required functionality of the straps. The straps can be connected to one another or to the external side of the support layer, preferably using Velcro connections. The total of the support layer wrapped around the body part and fixed tightly in place by the 15 preferably elastic fastening means gives firmness to the device, keeps the device in place and exerts pressure on the body part. This may have a positive effect on the body part since it stimulates blood circulation in reaction of movements of the body part. Due to the light and flexible construction of the device this positive effect can even achieved during normal daily life since the device can be worn under normal 20 clothing.

The device may further contain an additional layer over the inner layer of the cooling element, having specific desired properties, beneficial or favorable in skin contact.

25 1038998

Claims

An aid for heat treatment of a body part anatomically fittingly formed on the body part, comprising at least one cooling element, the cooling element comprising an outer layer of permeable tissue and an inner layer of permeable tissue, the cooling element being connected to a supporting layer, typically that the inner layer is connected to the outer layer in a connecting pattern, the connecting pattern forms bags, in any case a part of the bags containing an absorbent polymeric material.

Aid according to claim 1, wherein the supporting layer is elastic.

3. Aid as claimed in claim 1, wherein the supporting layer is perforated.

Device according to any of claims 1 to 3, the device in the form of a casing-containing attachment means for attaching the device to the body part. 20

5. Cooling element, comprising a permeable outer layer and a permeable inner layer connected to the outer layer in a connecting pattern, the connecting pattern forms bags, in any case a part of the bags containing an absorbent polymeric material suitable for use in the aid according to any of claims 1 to 4. 1 0 3 8 9 9 8