WO2012150440A2

WO2012150440A2 - Far infrared ray (fir) emitting therapeutic compression garment with added cooling

Info

Publication number: WO2012150440A2
Application number: PCT/GB2012/000568
Authority: WO
Inventors: Felicity Ibberson MILTON
Original assignee: Milton Felicity Ibberson
Priority date: 2011-05-05
Filing date: 2012-07-04
Publication date: 2012-11-08
Also published as: GB201207897D0; WO2012150440A3

Abstract

This invention aims to increase the practicality of use for heating and cooling therapy devices while reaching and maintaining the desired tissue temperature, penetration and compression gradient needed for effective therapy. Specifically this invention details a therapeutic gradual compression garment incorporating Far Infrared (FIR) emitting heating material with an exterior compression pocket for an icepack.

Description

Far Infrared Ray (FIR) Emitting Therapeutic Compressioo Garment with Added Cooling

SUMMARY OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0002] The embodiments described in the application uniquely combine FIR heating and instant cooling into a medically graded, therapeutic FIR compression garment with an ergonomically fitted compression pocket for an instant chemical icepack or cold pack.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0003] FIG. 1 is a side view of a preferred form of the therapeutic FIR compression garment shown in a worn state, the opposite side being substantially a mirror image thereof without the battery;

[0004] FIG. 2 is a side view showing additional details of the Far Infrared (FIR) Fabric insert that may be used with the therapeutic FIR compression garment embodied in FIG 1;

[0005] FIG. 3 is a side view showing additional details of the instant ice pack that may be used with the therapeutic FIR compression garment embodied in FIG 1 ;

[0006] FIG. 4 perspective view of a battery;

[0007] FIG 5 is a cross-sectional view of the material from which the FIR fabric embodied in FIG. 2 may be constructed;

[0008] FIG 6 is a cross-sectional view of the material from which the instant cold pack embodied in FIG. 3 may be constructed;

[0009] FIG. 7 depicts another embodiment of a therapeutic FIR compression garment, which may be worn on the arms;

[0010] Fig. 8 depicts another embodiment of a therapeutic FIR compression garment, which may be worn on the shoulder;

[0011] FIG. 9A and 9B depict another embodiment of a therapeutic FIR compression garment, which may be worn on the upper torso;

[0012] FIG. 10 depicts another embodiment of a therapeutic FIR compression garment, which may be worn on the upper torso;

[0013] FIG. 11 depicts another embodiment of a therapeutic FIR compression garment, which may be worn from the waist to the upper thighs; [0014] FIG. 12 depicts another embodiment of a therapeutic FIR compression garment, which may be worn from the waist to the thighs; and

[0015] FIG. 13 depicts another embodiment of a therapeutic FIR compression garment, which may be worn from the waist to the ankles.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] The preferred embodiment of the present invention and its advantages are best understood by referring to FIGURES 1-5 of the drawings, like numerals being used for like and corresponding parts of the various drawings.

[0017] With reference to Figure 1, a therapeutic FIR compression garment 100 may take the form of an FIR and cooling compression sleeve, which is seen in this embodiment to have a leg portion 1 joined to a foot portion 4 by a heel pocket 2 and an ankle crest or arch portion 3. The leg portion 1 may be of various lengths such as to end below the knee at a cuff 5. The foot portion 4 is formed with an opening before the ball of the foot bounded by a cuff 6. The therapeutic FIR compression garment 100 may, of course, be produced in any number of overall sizes to fit patients of different sizes.

[0018] The therapeutic FIR compression garment 100 may be efficiently produced in an integrated knit stitch format with a knitting machine that has needle by needle selection capability in order to produce a stocking without seams. The knitting machine can be programmed to alter the stitch format from one portion of the stocking to another with yarns extending continuously from one end to the other end. Thus the therapeutic compression garment 100 can be made seamless.

[0019] With continued reference to Figure 1, the leg portion 1 may be conventionally knitted in a graduated compression format so that it is tightest when donned at its lower end adjacent the heel pocket 2 and arch portion 3 and gradually becomes less tight higher up the leg. This serves to force blood towards the cardiac cavity of the patient. The foot portion 4 may be of a conventional compression knit construction, but may be of a constant compression force format along the entire length of the foot portion 4 rather than of a graduated compression force format. The compression force of the leg portion 1 may preferably be 40% to 50% of the compression force of the foot portion 4 to prevent a tourniquet effect upon the veins, thereby pinching the veins, which would cause blood to pool within a wearer's foot. The compression force of the leg portion 1 should not exceed 75% of the compression force of the foot portion 4. Additionally, the compression force of the leg portion 1 may preferably be 50% of the compression force of the arch portion 3, while the compression force of the foot portion 4 may be approximately that of the arch portion 3. Typically, the arch portion 3 may have a compression force of between 18 and 20 mm Hg and the leg portion may have an end which commences adjacent the arch portion with a compression force of approximately 18 mm Hg and may terminate at an opposite end adjacent the cuff, or distal the arch portion 3, with a compression force of approximately 8 to 10 mm Hg.

[0020] The heel pocket 3 may be knitted so as to be oversized relative to the foot portion 4 and leg portion 1. This may be done by programming the knitting machine to loosen and open up each knitted loop of the stitching. The compression fabric produced by the knitting machine utilizing the graduated compression format described above may be a material mix with an open knit inner surface to create a moisture transfer environment, with a graduated radial compression, 40 mm Hg at the ankle diminishing to 20mm Hg just under the knee. Further, the fabric may be bio-compatible: non - toxic and non - irritable and breathable. It may be durable and machine washable, with a moisture-wicking lining and slip-resistant band. There may be a short knit section in the foot area to prevent pressure points on the fifth metatarsal bones. The knit also may have an integrated stretch zone in the ventral tibia area to make it easier for the patient to put on and remove the sock. There may be reinforcement in the area of the Achilles tendon to protect and prevent tendon irritation, with constructed ventilation channels to promote better air circulation for comfortable feet.

[0021] Preferably the cuffs 6 and 5 may have bends or crimps in yarn, mis-shaped stitches, or excess material that adversely affects the presentation, hand, or performance of a fabric or the end product. These apparent imperfections serve to differentiate the cuffs 5 and 6 from the rest of the leg portion 1 or from the arch portion 3, and to provide sufficient frictions to keep the leg portion 1 from sliding down a leg of a user.

[0022] For illustrative purposes only, therapeutic compression garment 100 is shown positioned specifically to treat the Achilles tendon from the muscle - tendon junction to the heel insert of region of leg 7. The therapeutic FBR compression garment 100 in Figure 1 may have an interior pocket 8 for holding or embedding an active FIR material or holding a coolant material (not explicitly shown). In an aspect of the invention, the pocket 8 may comprise a removable FIR heat emitting material or pocket 8 may have the FIR heat emitting material embedded in external knit, thus on the outside face of the pocket 8 but still inside the external sleeve as shown in FIGURE 2. In another aspect of the invention, the pocket 8 may comprise a cold pack 130, which may be an ice pack for holding ice, a chemical gel that functions to generate cold or an instant coolant where, on impact, a nitrogen substance mixes with water to produce an endothermic reaction as shown in Figure 3.

[0023] Because the therapeutic FIR compression garment 100 may be constructed of an elastic material with a specific amount of compression, the therapeutic FIR compression garment 100 may conform substantially to the shape of the patient's limb and may maintain the correct amount of compression needed to treat the area of the limb, which may be the Achilles tendon in an embodiment.

[0024] Moreover, the relatively large width of therapeutic FIR compression garment 100 functions to stabilize the movement of therapeutic FIR compression garment 100 with respect to the limb so that the therapeutic FIR compression garment lOOdoes not "ride up", "ride down", or "telescope" on the limb. Notably, the patient may slip therapeutic FIR compression garment 100 on over an injured limb with the use of only one hand.

[0025] The FIR emitting fabric 120 as shown in Figure 2 may be embedded into the therapeutic FIR compression garment 100 by employing certain attachment or bonding technologies such as, for example, adhesive bonding, sonic welding, stitching, heat and pressure sealing, or any other suitable technique. An advantage of fixedly attaching the therapeutic FIR compression garment 100 to the FIR emitting fabric 120 is that the user need not worry about an extra part. As shown in Figure 2, the pocket 8 may be tapered outwardly from upper edge 28 to lower edge 29. Therefore, the length of upper edge 28 is less than the length of lower edge 29. Alternatively, in a different aspect of the invention, upper and lower edges 28 and 29 may be constructed with substantially equal lengths, thus forming in combination with the pocket 8, a substantially tubular-shaped structure for therapeutic FIR compression garment 100.

[0026] Figure 2 is a side view showing additional details of the FIR heat emitting material 120 that may be inserted into the internal pocket 8 of the therapeutic compression garment 100 or be embedded permanently on the external face of the interior pocket 8 of the therapeutic compression garment 100. Two panels in Figure 2 (one of which is not shown) may be sealed or otherwise bonded together along sides 14 and 15 in Figure 5 (a cross-sectional view of the materials from which the heating pack embodied in Figure 2) and closed end 16, to form a generally rectangular envelope and internal pocket. The FIR heating element is available from Exo2TheHeatInside and can be one of two commodities, under the brand names; FabRoc® or ThermoKnitt® (UK Patent GB 2 417 660 B). 'FabRoc®' (WO2005020635A1) is a FIR polymer based material which is lightweight, waterproof, windproof, crushproof and stretchable. It is intrinsically safe through being chemically inert and is fully CE compliant. The technology centers on a core unique polymer-based element that heats up when low voltage is passed through it and is powered by either rechargeable batteries, a mains power adaptor or from the accessory socket of a car or motorcycle. Loading the polymer, at the heart of the heating component, with conductive particles enhances its conductivity properties and results in the element exhibiting a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) when heated. PTC is a characteristic many materials exhibit whereby resistance increases with temperature in a non-linear fashion. Once the material reaches the desired temperature, it self-regulates. ThermoKnitt® is a fully integrated conductive knitted polymeric yarn which then carries current efficiently to the FabRoc® heating yarns knitted heating layer operates at very low voltage (3.7V) and provides a safe, self-regulating heat delivery at approximately 46 degrees Celsius,( 114.8 degrees Fahrenheit) in the FIR wavelength. A very soft, flexile and comfortable 'feel' can be achieved with the knitted layers.

[0027] Figure 3 is a side view showing additional details of the cold pack 130 that may be inserted into the internal pocket 8 of the therapeutic FIR compression garment 100. Two panels in Figure 3 (one of which is not shown) may be sealed or otherwise bonded together along sides 17 and 18 in Figure 6 (a cross-sectional view of the materials from which the cold pack 130 is embodied in FIG. 3) and closed end 19, to form a generally rectangular envelope and internal pocket. A waterproof bag 21 (indicated by the blue lines), which may be constructed of polyethylene or other appropriate waterproof material, may be formed from sealing or bonding three sides of the pocket. Bag 21 may be sealed by sonic welding or other any other appropriate technique along sides 17, 18 and closed end 19. Bag 21 may include a throat 22 that opens outwardly of the open end of the cold pack 130. As a design feature, throat 22 may have diverging walls to facilitate the filling of ice pack 16 with either ice or preferably with ammonium nitrate and a little inner burstable bag filled with water. This instant cold pack 130 is a device which may consist of two bags, one which contains water inside the bag 21 and the other containing ammonium nitrate. When the inner bag of water is broken by squeezing the package, the ammonium nitrate is allowed to dissolve in the water in an endothermic reaction. This reaction absorbs heat from the surroundings, quickly lowering the pack's temperature. Note that other suitable endothermic reactions may also be utilized.

[0028] Instant cooling therapy can also be provided by a commercially available instant disposable chemical ice pack and can be replaced at a cost of less than fifty US cents.

[0029] FIGURE 4 shows a battery compartment 10 with metal contacts 13; a battery 11 and controls 12. To use the FIR heat fabric, the wearer would put a battery 11 into the battery compartment 10 in connection with the metal contacts 13, put on the therapeutic FIR compression garment 100, and use the controls to cause the therapeutic FIR compression garment 100 to become warm to the desired degree. After use, the heating elements may be turned off and the therapeutic FIR compression garment 100 may be taken off.

[0030] In an embodiment as shown in Figure 1, the battery compartment 10 may be located on the outer side at the top of the therapeutic FIR compression garment 100 and comprises metal contacts 13 that enable the conduction of electricity from the battery 10 to the heating elements through a wire. Snaps attached (under Figure 4) to the top flap of the battery compartment 10 may be used to hold the battery 11 securely in place, for protection and to keep the battery 11 away from the user's hand while not interfering with activities..

[0031] The portable battery 10 may comprise any type of battery technology appropriate to portable heated clothing. For example, in an embodiment a rechargeable 7.4Vdc lithium ion battery or a nickel metal hydride battery weighing approximately one pound may be used, in association with an appropriate 110 volt AC wall charger.

[0032] In an embodiment, a controls compartment may be located in a waistband of a jacket on the wearer's side. Snaps or other suitable fasteners attached to a top flap of the control compartment may be used to hold the controls 12 securely in place. [0033] Figure 4 shows the controls 12 on the face of the battery compartment 10 which may be plastic such as those used in an electric heating blanket. These controls 12 enable the wearer of the therapeutic FIR compression garment 100 to control the amount of electricity generated by the battery 11 and thus the amount of heat produced by the FIR heating material 120.

[0034] With its simplicity of design, the heating element described above is effective, inexpensive, easy to use, and highly portable since the therapeutic FIR compression garment 100 does not need to be plugged into an electrical outlet but is powered through a small, portable battery. It also comprises an attractive sleeve design that almost anyone would be proud to wear.

[0035] Although the therapeutic FIR compression garment has been illustrated and described in an exemplary form, it should be understood that the techniques described above may be used to produce therapeutic FIR compression garments in other forms. In each embodiment, the graduated compression format of the knit may be utilized as required to make the compressive force be greater towards an extremity of the body and tend to force blood toward the cardiac cavity of the patient. Figure 8 depicts a therapeutic FIR compression garment which takes the form of a sleeve, rather than a stocking, in which the sleeve 70 may be configured to fit over a person's lower arm and wrist area for holding a heating or cooling pad adjacent the wrist or lower arm, and for applying graduated compression to the wrist or lower arm. The sleeve 70 may extend over the elbow to the upper arm for holding a heating or cooling pad adjacent the elbow or upper arm. A battery pack 71 may be provided at a convenient location, such as near an upper cuff 72.

[0036] Fig. 8 depicts another embodiment of a therapeutic FIR compression garment 80, which may be worn on the shoulder for holding a heating or cooling pack adjacent an area of the shoulder, and for applying graduated compression to an area of the shoulder. A battery pack 81 may be provided at a convenient location. The garment 80 may be secured to the shoulder using a first strap 82 at an upper end of garment 80 and a second strap 83 at a lower end of garment 80. The first strap 82 may be secured around the chest and under an opposite arm of the user, and the second strap 83 may be secured around an arm of the user proximal to the shoulder on which the garment 80 is secured. [0037] FIG. 9A and 9B depict front and rear views, respectively, of another embodiment of a therapeutic FIR compression garment 90, which may be worn on the upper torso for holding a heating or cooling pack adjacent an area of the upper torso, and for applying graduated compression to an area of the upper torso. This garment resembles a shirt that may extend from the neck and shoulders to the waist or hips. Heating or cooling pads may be located at the lower back, at the shoulder blades, or any other suitable location. A battery pack 91 may be provided at a convenient location.

[0038] FIG. 10 depicts another embodiment of a therapeutic FIR compression garment 92, which may be worn on the upper torso for holding a heating or cooling pack adjacent an area of the upper torso, and for applying graduated compression to an area of the upper torso. This garment resembles a shirt that may extend from the neck to the waist or hips. Heating or cooling pads may be located at the lower back, at the shoulder blades, or any other suitable location. A battery pack may be provided at a convenient location.

[0039] FIG. 11 depicts another embodiment of a therapeutic FIR compression garment 94, which may be worn from the waist to the upper thighs for holding a heating or cooling pack adjacent an area of the body from the waist to the upper thighs, and for applying graduated compression to an area of the body from the waist to the upper thighs. This garment resembles a pair of shorts or briefs that may extend from the waist to the upper thighs. Heating or cooling pads may be located at the lower back, at one or both thighs, or any other suitable location. A battery pack 95 may be provided at a convenient location.

[0040] FIG. 12 depicts another embodiment of a therapeutic FIR compression garment 96, which may be worn from the waist to the thighs for holding a heating or cooling pack adjacent an area of the body from the waist to the thighs, and for applying graduated compression to an area of the body from the waist to the thighs. This garment resembles a pair of shorts that may extend from the waist to the thighs. Heating or cooling pads may be located at the lower back, at one or both thighs, or any other suitable location. A battery pack 97 may be provided at a convenient location.

[0041] FIG. 13 depicts another embodiment of a therapeutic FIR compression garment 98, which may be worn from the waist to the ankles for holding a heating or cooling pack adjacent an area of the body from the waist to the ankles, and for applying graduated compression to an area of the body from the waist to the ankles. This garment resembles a pair of pants that may extend from the waist to the ankles. Heating or cooling pads may be located at the lower back, at one or both knees, at one or both thighs, or any other suitable location. A battery pack 99 may be provided at a convenient location.

[0042] Other embodiments may include leggings which may fit over a person's leg, extending from the ankle to the thigh for holding a heating or cooling pad adjacent the calf, knee, thigh or other portion of a person's leg. Another embodiment may include a waistband for holding a heating or cooling pad adjacent a person's lower back. In each embodiment, the graduated compression format of the knit may be utilized as required to make the compressive force be greater towards the extremity and tend to force blood toward the cardiac cavity of the patient.

Claims

Far Infrared Ray (FIR) Emitting Therapeutic Compression Garment with Added CoolingCLAIMS [0043] What I claim is:

1. The concept of combining Far Infrared ray emitting heating elements with compression.

2. The concept of combining Far Infrared ray emitting heating elements with compression and cooling capabilities.

3. The concept of combining Far Infrared ray emitting heating elements with compression and cooling capabilities in an undergarment.

4. The concept of combining Far Infrared ray emitting heating elements with compression and cooling capabilities in a sleeve.