US2562121A - Therapeutical device - Google Patents

Description

July 24, 1951 N. J. POUX THERAPEUTICAL DEVICE Filed Sept. 9, 1947 4 ail/ I 0 f 4 INVENTOR. Mel JPOUM BY Q AT, RNEY,

Patented July 24, 1951 UNITED STATES, PATENT OFFICE i, 2,552,121 THERAPEUTICAL v NoelJ. Poux, Meadville, Pat. H Application September 9, 1947, Serial No. 173,025 I This invention relates or to ice and hot packs as theyare more commonly called, for heating "parts of the human body or for withdrawing heat therefrom.

It is the general practice to employ a hot water bottle for applying heat to parts of the body, or .an ice bag filled with'cracked ice'if it is desired to withdraw heat from the body. 'Such bottles or :bags are not only inconvenient'and time consuming to fill and 'refill but alsothere'is danger Claims. (01. iso-az) totherapeutical devices,

"of leakage of the bottle or bag at the cap or plug.

Also, such bags or bottles are cumbersome and \are not shaped to .conform to the part of the body to be treated, which results 'in an inadequate supply of heat or cold to the part of the body being treated. Furthermore, these bags or bottles in most cases areplaced directly next to the skin of the patient, oftentimes resulting in a severe burn.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide an improved therapeutical device of an extremely flexible construction which can be used either as a hot'pack for supplying heat to the body, or as a cold heat therefrom. It is another object of the invention to provide animproved therapeutical devicewhich is light and inexpensive in its construction and which conforms to the part of the body being treated. It is a more specific object of this invention pack for withdrawing to provide an improved therapeutical device consisting ofa plurality of permanently sealed liquidcontaining compartments or cells having aircontaining compartments or cells arranged therewith'which are adapted to act as a cushioning and/or. insulating mea'ns'for the liquid-contain- I ing-compartmentsor'cells.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved therapeutical device havinga liquid permanently sealed therein in the formof a strap or;collar which maybe conmerits. which my invention may assume in practice l I W n these drawingsz]. I g 1 r I r Fig.1 is a profile view of a hu man being, showg how p v d th p utical device is adap a e. 9 1 5? 2 Fig. 2 is a plan view of my improved device; Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig.2;

' Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig.5 is an enlarged sectional View taken on line 5-5 of Fi 2; I

' Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to Fig. 5, showing a modified form of the device of myinventiomJ I Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view ing to Fig. 5 of still another modification of present invention; and Fig; 8 is a plan view of another form of strap in accordance with my invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the improved device of my invention consistsof an elongated body member made from. a flexible impervious 'relatively'thin material, such as rub: her, but made preferably from one of the synthetic plastic materials, such as vinyl, polyvinyl, polyethylene, nylon, acetate, either in sheet or film stock. :On one side of the body member, there is provided a plurality of compartmentsor cells 2 with each being permanently sealed and containing a suitable liquid, preferably water, On the oppositeside of the body member, there is provided a' plurality. of permanently sealed compartments or'cells 3 with each containing a suitable amount of air, with {the number of such also correspondthe air compartments corresponding. tothe numberv of liquid-contaning compartments 2. In other words, the air-containing compartments 3 and liquid-containing compartments 2 are superimposed relativeto each other with one positioned directly opposite the other, as clearly shown-in Figs. 3 and 5 of the drawings.

These compartments are formed preferably by positioning three strips of material 5, 6, and] on top of each other and securing them together at spaced-apart intervals so as to provide rela-. tively wide and thin portions 8 between each of the compartments?! and-'3, whereby the body member is permitted to; hinge freely at these portions. The strips may be .secured. together by vulcanizing, if rubber,. or by any suitable adhesive, but are. preferably secured together by means of heat or electronic sealing, especially if the material is characteristic of such sealing. By such sealing together of the strips, it will be seen that compartments 2 are formed between the outer strip 5 and the intermediate strip 6, and that compartments 3 are formed between the other outer strip land theintermediate strip ,6, They side edgesof the strip] are preferably folded I around'underupon itself and the edges of the continuation of the intermediate strip 6 and may,

be secured together around the patient by tying, pinning, or in any other suitable manner.

device is shaped substantially like a collar to fit In the present instance, it will be noted that the,

4 l compartments reaches the desired temperature.

In use, the device is applied to the patient preferably by placing that side of the device on which the air-containing compartments are located next to the skin of the patient. It is the purpose of the air compartments to provide a cushion betweent the patient and the liquid-containing compartments so as not to be uncomfortable to the patient, especially if the liquid thereinis frozen solid. Also, these air compartments provide an insulating effect in case it is desired not to withdraw too rapidly too much heat from the body so'as-rtoprevent the patient from becoming subthe contour of the neck region: of aLpatien-t, but i it will be understood that the device may be any desired shape to fit that part of the body to be treated.

Fig, 6, there is shown a modifiedform-of 'my devii z'e. In this construction, there isp'rovided, as before, a series of permanently sea-led liquidoontaini iig compartments or' cclls H. with an .air compartment or cell I3 disposed-on each side of each of tiie compartments" rz'wsowthat e ch of these compartments is completely' 'surroundedby air compartment :or chamber." In sueh' ease, tiie' iiody member is made preferably from'four strips of material I4, I5, l6, and'fl with the liquiomontaining compartments l2 disposed between the two intermediate strips 15' and Hi, and with the two outer air coritainingi compartments" t3 disposed' betweenthe outer'strip 14' and the interme liaterstrip' lfi on one side ofthe body eoiii aitment's won'o'ne side thereof. The con- 1 struction is madepreferably from three strips or material as is the preferred form with thestrip 2 1' being preferably straight and fiat sd as to proid Eiiflat' outer 'Sid'dlld'th strips 22 811C123 3tt'acfid thereto at spaced-apart intervals, as before, so as to provide relatively wide and fla-t' portions between the eompartments.

, "IiiFigQS, there is shown a sIight'mQdified form of strap of my invention. In this construction,

thereisprovided a plurality of liquid-containing compartments 2 4 and, if desired, a corresponding number of" superimposed air-eoiitaining-compartments (not shown) directly opposite the liquid- Eoi taming com artments si'miiar to the" preferred form, At one end of the body member, there is de'd a's'trap 2 5' and at the other end, there V "vided a air'of loops orslots 26 through it iehtiie strap 25 is threaded so as to secure t lie' device to the patient."

If 'the" device of my invention is to be used as acold pack, it" is placed a deep freeze unit or other-refrigerating device so as to freeze the iifqui'd' iiifthe individual compartments. If the to be used'as "a hot pack, itis submerged g 'water'or 'placediri a steam'unit or other suitable iieatiiig device until the liquid in the ject to a chill. As a result of my invention, it will be seen thatT there is provided not only a simple and inexpensive device which can be conveniently used either as a cold or hot pack, but, at the same time, a device which is'i efficient and efiective in its-use; It "will beseen also-that my device is shaped to conform .to the part "of the "body to be treated and has a cushioning means incorporated therewith so as to' make the patient asv comfort able-as possible. I 1 a While I have showrr and described several em bodiments which myfinvention may assume-tin practice, it willbe understood-that these'enibbdi ments are merely-for the purpose of illustration and description, and that; othef forms imay' bodevised within the scope of my invention 'as rdefl'ned in the appended claims!" i 1 What I claim asm'yinventionEis: An article of the class described-compris ing an elongated-body member made' of relatively thin and flexible'm'aterial, at' least one perman'entlysealed a-ir containing' compartment tarranged onione side of said body member, a'pl'ixrality of permanently sealed and independent liquid c'ontaining compartments arranged on the opposite side of said body member so 'as' ito" be disposed in-=superimposed lationr to said i'filfit mentioned compartment- 1 2.-Anarticle ofFthe class described, asdefined in claim 1, wherein the pluralityefaliquid-con taining compartments are separatedi from each other by substantially flat and- "relatively divide portions extending in'a plane substantially parallel tothe body member having a thieknes's sub"- stantially less than the thickness of the body member at said compartmentsso as to provide a body memberwhich is extremely flexible; I 3. An article of the class described comprising anelongated body member of 'relativelythi'n and flexible material, "a plurality" of permanently sealed and independent'air-containing comps-rt; ments arranged on one'side: ofs'aid body'meinber,' a.plur'ality of permanently sealed and independent liquid-containing compartments ar ranged on the opposite side'of said body rneinber so as to be disposed in superimposed relation't'o sa'idair-containing compartments 4. An article of the'classdescribed comprising an elongated "body member made of"relatively thin and flexible material, aplllrality of -perma hently sealed and independent liquid-containing compartments, and at least one permanently sealed air-containing compartment arrangedfto at least'one side of said liquid'-containing"com partments, said liquid and air containing coin; partments being in superimposed relation 'rl f tive to each other whereby said air-contai compartment is adapted to set- 'a' cushion.

5. article of the class descr bed, as deflried in claim 4, wherein the plurality of liqlil' QQ'IIF taining compartments are separated fiOm eaQIi other by substantially flat and relatively wide portions extending in a plane substantially parrallel to the body member having a thickness substantially less than the thickness of the body member at said compartments so as to provide a body member which is extremely flexible.

6. An article of the class described comprising an elongated body member made of relatively thin and flexible material, said body member being shaped so as to conform to the part of the body of the patient to be treated, a plurality of permanently sealed and independent liquid-containing compartments arranged on one side of said body member adapted to be disposed out of contact with the patient, an air-containing compartment arranged on that side of said body member adapted to be disposed next to the patient so that said liquid-containing and air-containing compartments are disposed in superimposed relation relative to each other whereby said air-containing compartment in one position is adapted to act as a cushion when the article is applied to the patient, and means for securing said body member to the patient.

7. An article of the class described, as defined in claim 6, wherein the plurality of liquid-containing compartments are separated from each other by substantially flat and relatively wide portions extending in a plane substantially parallel to the body member having a thickness substantially less than the thickness of the body member at said compartments so as to provide a body member which is extremely flexible.

8. An article of the class described comprisin a body member made of three thicknesses of relatively thin and flexible material, the three thicknesses being secured together at spaced intervals so as to provide a series of permanently sealed and independent compartments on each side of the intermediate thickness of material with said compartments on one side being separated from the compartments on the other side by said intermediate thickness of material, with the space between said compartments being relatively thin, flat, and'wide so that the device is extremely flexible, said compartments on one side of said intermediate thickness of material containing air and those on the opposite side a liquid.

9. An article of the class described comprising an elongated body member made of relatively thin and flexible material, a plurality of permanently sealed and independent liquid-containing compartments carried by said body member and arranged in side-by-side relation, and an aircontaining compartment surrounding at least a portion of each of said first mentioned compartments On one side of said body member, said last mentioned compartments adapted to act as a cushion for said body member when the article is applied to the patient.

10. An article of the class described, as defined in claim 9, wherein the plurality of liquid-containing compartments are separated from each other by substantially flat and relatively wide portions extending in a plane substantially parallel to the body member having a thickness substantially less than the thickness of the body member at said compartments so as to provide a body member which is extremely flexible.

NOEL J. POUX.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the flle of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 699,778 Upham May 13, 1902 1,238,901 Ferguson Sept. 4, 1917 1,964,655 Williamson June 26, 1934 2,011,832 Slater Aug. 20, 1935 2,387,258 I-Iague Oct. 23, 1945

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