WO2013057596A1

WO2013057596A1 - Anatomic cushion accumulator for thermal treatment with heat or cold

Info

Publication number: WO2013057596A1
Application number: PCT/IB2012/051421
Authority: WO
Inventors: Fabrizio CAPPELLETTO
Original assignee: Atena Srl
Priority date: 2011-10-21
Filing date: 2012-03-26
Publication date: 2013-04-25

Abstract

Accumulator of hot or cold, comprising a casing (A) in flexible and thermostable plastic material inside which is contained an accumulative solution of hot or cold, having a flexible casing (A) with a generally rectangular shape with curved sides and upper and/or lower ledges or an enlarged rectangular with a tubular form generally shaped in capital omega or open circle or ellipse (A1).

Description

ANATOMIC CUSHION ACCUMULATOR FOR THERMAL TREATMENT WITH HEAT OR COLD

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to medical devices for heat treatment of pain and particularly concerns an accumulator of hot or cold for the thermal treatment of pain.

There are well-known accumulators of hot or cold comprising a stiff or flexible closed casing, having therein a solution containing glycol or other substances such as sodium nitrate or sodium chloride.

This type of accumulators of heat or cold are brought to the desired temperature, for instance leaving them a few hours in the freezer or a few tens of minutes in hot water. In this way the solution inside the casing accumulates heat or releases heat.

Subsequently, each of these accumulators of heat or cold is used in order to heat or cool.

Typically the heated accumulators of heat are used for the thermal treatment of pain, where one or more heated accumulators of heat are placed on the painful part of the person.

Well known are, for instance, accumulators of hot or cold used for the thermal treatment comprising a casing of plastic material containing the solution with glycol. Said casing is formed by two superimposed sheets of flexible plastic material and heat-stable, sealed together along the coupled edges.

The so constituted accumulators of hot or cold are rather practical when they have to be used on flat and not curved areas of the patient's body, such as chest, abdomen, back.

Some thermic treatments foresee the positioning of the accumulator of hot or cold on the groin, between the thighs.

With reference to some specific treatments for women it is necessary to place the accumulator of hot or cold on the groin and in the lower area of the abdomen.

These well-known accumulators of hot and cold are unsuitable to be positioned on the groin, as the side edges are crushed by the reduced space between the thighs.

Moreover, the use of accumulators of hot or cold of smaller width does not allow a sufficient area front and rear groin to be subjected to heat.

In addition to this, the accumulators of hot or cold are not sufficiently extended to cover and treat the lower area of the abdomen, over the groin. In order to overcome the aforementioned inconveniences a new type of accumulator of hot or cold having a cushion casing, with composite form have been studied and realized.

One scope of the new accumulator of hot or cold is the reduction of discomfort in the inner part of the thighs when positioned on the groin. Another scope of the new accumulator of hot or cold is the submission to hot or cold of a sufficiently extended area in the lower zone of the abdomen. These and other scopes, direct and complementary, are reached by this new accumulator of hot or cold having a cushion casing, with composite form. The new accumulator of hot or cold comprises a casing of flexible and thermostable material.

The casing of the new accumulator is preferably formed by two sheets of plastic material cut, overlapped and heat sealed along the edges.

In particular, the casing of the new accumulator has a composite form comprising a first area generically rectangular and a second front enlarged area. The so said first generically rectangular area has a width, or distance between the two major sides, in order to allow the application without discomfort and without trouble of said first part between the thighs and on the groin.

Said second front area is located in correspondence of one of the shorter sides of the generally rectangular shape of said first area.

The second area has an expanded form, for example rectangular or triangular, so that its width is greater than the width of said first area.

In the version in which said second area has generally rectangular shape, the second area itself presents the major sides orthogonal to the longer sides of said first area.

In the version in which said second area has generally triangular shape, the second area itself presents a vertex directed towards the centre of said first rectangular area and the opposite side to said vertex, of its triangular shape, orthogonal to the longer sides of the first area.

It is possible to foresee that the major sides of the first area of the casing are curved convex.

It is possible to foresee that the minor sides of the second area are curved. It is possible to foresee that the second area generically shaped in a triangle presents, in place of the vertices not facing the first area, curved sides of junction between the side opposite to the first area and the sides facing said first area.

It is possible to foresee that the two sheets of plastic material of the casing comprise union lines inside the casing.

Inside said casing is present the accumulative solution of hot or cold.

The new accumulator of hot or cold thus formed offers considerable advantages. The new accumulator of hot or cold can be applied on the groin and on the lower part of the abdomen by arranging the first area on the groin between the thighs and the second area frontally on the lower part of the abdomen. The new accumulator of hot or cold implies low discomfort on the inner part of the thighs since it is less wide than in correspondence of the central part of the curved sides.

The new accumulator of hot or cold covers and provides hot or cold to the groin and to a sufficient area on the lower part of the abdomen. The new accumulator of hot or cold having a casing in the form of cushion, with a generically rectangular form the longer opposite sides of which are at least partially curved concave.

In particular the casing of the new accumulator can also have the form of cushion generically rectangular with the minor sides opposite of the casing substantially linear and the major opposed sides at least partially curved concave.

It is possible therefore to foresee that the major sides opposed of the casing are partially linear, close to at least one of the minor sides, and that are curved concave in their central part.

It is possible to foresee that the minor sides opposite of the casing are curved convex.

Substantially the casing of the new accumulator of hot or cold has the major sides that are converging towards the centre on the middle part.

The new accumulator of hot or cold can be applied on the groin arranging the major curved sides towards the thighs and the minor sides front and back the groin.

The new accumulator of hot or cold implies low discomfort to the inner part of the thighs as it results less wide in correspondence to the central part of the curved sides.

The new accumulator of hot or cold covers and supplies heat or cold, heat to a sufficient area front and rear the groin as the casing has a greater width at the ends of the longer curved sides.

The new accumulator of hot or cold can also have the form of a tubular casing with the form generically of capital omega or generically of open ring with ends bent outwards.

One scope of the new accumulator of hot or cold is to allow to wrap with a single accumulator parts of the body, such as arms, legs, neck, trunk and to remain in place independently on the part on which it is applied or in any case does not require the active intervention of a person to remain in position.

The new accumulator of hot or cold has a tubular casing with the form generically of capital omega or generically of open ring with ends bent outwards.

In particular the casing of the new accumulator has a form generically of a capital omega comprising a circle or an open ellipse with the ends folded externally to the same circle or ellipse and eventually towards the back. The casing of the new accumulator is preferably formed by two sheets of plastic material cut to shape of capital omega, overlapping and heat-welded along the outer and the inner edge.

Inside said casing there is the accumulative solution of hot or cold.

The new accumulator of hot or cold could be easily wound to body parts such as for instance arms, legs, neck, trunk.

The new accumulator of hot or cold does not require the intervention of a person or other means or elements in order to remain in position. In fact, after wrapping the new accumulator around the part to be heated or cooled, it is sufficient to attach together the two folded ends.

In Figure 1 it is illustrated a first example of realization of the new accumulator of hot or cold.

The new accumulator of hot or cold comprises a casing (A) inside of which is contained the solution of accumulation of hot or cold.

The casing of the new accumulator is composed by two sheets (A, A") of plastic flexible thermostable material cut, overlapped and heat-welded along the edges (A3) (fig. 2b).

The casing (A) of the new accumulator has a generically rectangular shape having shorter sides (Al) substantially linear and having the major sides (A2) curved concave towards the inside.

In this example the major sides (A2) are partially (Α2') linear, next to the smaller sides (Al), and are curved concave (A2") in their central part.

In Figure 2a is illustrated a second example of realization of the new accumulator of hot or cold where the minor sides (Al) are curved convex.

Figures 2b and 2c illustrate two sections along the planes x-x and y-y.

In Figure 3a is illustrated a third example of realization of the new accumulator of hot or cold where the minor sides (ΑΓ, Al) have a different length, the major sides (A2) are substantially straight next to the minor side

(ΑΓ) of minor length and substantially curved (A2") next to the minor side

(Al") of major length.

In this example are visible union lines (A3') internal to the casing (A) in a way to maintain substantially constant the section of the accumulator (fig. 3b).

In Figure 4 the casing (A) of the new accumulator has composite form comprising a first generically rectangular zone (A4) and a second enlarged front zone (A5). Said first zone (A4) has a generically rectangular shape with a width or distance between the two major sides (A2), such as to allow the application without discomfort of said first portion between the thighs and on the groin. Said second zone (A5) is located in correspondence of one of the shorter sides of the generally rectangular shape of said first area (A4).

The second area (A5) has expanded form, in this example triangular, so that its width greater than the width of said first area (A4).

In this example where said second area (A5) has a generally triangular shape, the second area itself (A5) has a vertex directed towards the centre of said first rectangular area (A4) and the opposite side (Al) to said vertex, of its triangular, orthogonal shape at the major sides (A2) of said first area (A4).

Said second area (A5) has, in place of the vertices not facing the first zone (A4), curved sides (ΑΓ) of junction between the side (Al) opposite to the first area (A4) and the sides facing said first area (A4).

In Figure 5 is illustrated a top view, while Figure 6 shows a section of a third example of the new accumulator of hot or cold. In this example the new accumulator of hot or cold comprises a tubular casing (A) within which is contained the solution of accumulation of hot or cold.

The tubular casing (A) of the new accumulator has central form generically linear and shaped to tiny omega, formed by an open ellipse (A6) with the ends (A7) folded externally to the ellipse itself and towards the back.

In this example the tubular casing (A) is formed is formed by two superimposed sheets of flexible plastic material and heat-stable, cut to shape of capital omega, sealed together along the coupled edges (A3) external and internal.

In Figure 7 is illustrated a fourth example of realization of the new accumulator of hot or cold in which the casing (A) has generally open annular shape (A6) with ends bent outwards.

As a consequence, with reference to the previous description and to the attached drawings, the following claims are expressed.

Claims

1. Accumulator of hot or cold, comprising a casing (A) comprising two sheets, heat sealed together along the edges, made of flexible, heat-stable plastic material, inside which is contained an accumulative solution of hot or cold, characterized by the fact that said flexible casing (A) has a composite form comprising at least a generally rectangular first area (Al).

2. Accumulator of hot or cold, according to claim 1 , characterized in that said flexible casing (A) has a generally rectangular shape with generally rectangular shape with the major sides (A2) converging towards the centre of the median part.

3. Accumulator of hot or cold, according to claim 1, characterized in that it has the major opposite sides (A2) curved concave.

4. Accumulator of hot or cold, according to claims 1, 2, characterized in that it has the major opposite sides (A2) partially linear (Α2'), in vicinity of at least one of the minor sides (Al), and curved concave (A2") in their central part.

5. Accumulator of hot or cold, according to the previous claims, characterized in that it has the minor sides (Al) curved convex.

6. Accumulator of hot or cold, according to claim 1, characterized in that said flexible case (A) has a composite shape comprising said first area (A4) generically rectangular and a second front enlarged area (A5) arranged in correspondence with one of the minor sides of said first area (A4), and where:

• said first zone (A4) has width to allow application between the thighs and on the groin,

• said second area (A5) has a greater width than said first area (A4) such as to cover the lower part of the abdomen.

7. Accumulator of hot or cold, according to claim 6, characterized in that said second area (A5) has a generally rectangular shape with the vertex facing the centre of said first area (A4).

8. Accumulator of hot or cold, according to claims 1, 2, 3, characterized in that said second area (A") presents the opposite side to said first area (Al) curved convex.

9. Accumulator of hot or cold, according to claim 1 , characterized in that said flexible casing (A) has a substantially rectangular enlarged shape (A6) and deformed generally to capital omega.

10. Accumulator of hot or cold, according to claim 9, comprising two sheets, heat-sealed at the edges, in flexible thermostable plastic material inside which it is contained an accumulative solution of hot or cold, characterized in that said flexible casing (A) has a tubular form having also shape of circle or opened ellipse the ends of which (A7) are folded externally to the part of circle or ellipse and towards the back.

11. Accumulator of hot or cold, according to claim 10, characterized in that said casing (A) comprises two sheets of flexible and thermostable plastic material (Α', A") cut into silhouette of tiny omega or circle or open ellipse, overlapped and welded along the edges (A3), internal and external.

12. Accumulator of hot or cold, according to the previous claims, characterized in that it has points or lines of union (A3') inside the casing (A).