Thermal therapy device with interchangeable hot and cold water circulation and air pressure control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10485696-B2
Application number	US-201615378287-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2016
Priority date	Dec 14, 2016
Publication date	Nov 26, 2019
Grant date	Nov 26, 2019

Abstract

A thermal therapy device can be operated for both cold and hot water circulation by using a self-priming pump and four solenoid valves with the open/closed states selectively controlled by an MCU to pump chilled water or cold water from two different water containers to sequentially circulate through two different water paths to a water bladder for cold therapy treatment or hot therapy treatment. During the hot therapy treatment, a water heater is used to heat the cold water until a configured temperature is reached. A pneumatic pump is also employed to carry out an air pressure control mode to pump air into an air bladder securely attached on the water bladder to put pressure on the water bladder for a pressurized treatment. Water retained in the water bladder can also be evacuated and returned to the two different water containers to avoid moss generation and stinky odor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A thermal therapy device with interchangeable hot and cold water circulation and air pressure control, comprising:
an enclosure having a control panel mounted thereon for configuring a water circulation mode, a water temperature threshold, an air pressure control mode, and an air pressure threshold;
an ice and water containing unit having:
a mixed ice and water container detachably mounted on the enclosure, filled with ice and water, providing chilled water to be circulated for cold therapy treatment, and having a water inlet and a water outlet; and
a cold water container detachably mounted on the enclosure, filled with water to be circulated for hot therapy treatment, and having a water inlet and a water outlet;

a water switching and circulation unit securely mounted inside the enclosure and having:
a self-priming pump driving to circulate water or air entering therein; and
a first solenoid valve, a second solenoid valve, a third solenoid valve and a fourth solenoid valve being normally closed, wherein the first solenoid valve is connected to the water inlet of the mixed ice and water container through a water conduit, the second solenoid valve is connected to the water outlet of the mixed ice and water container and the self-priming pump through water conduits, the third solenoid valve is connected to the water outlet of the cold water container and the self-priming pump through water conduits, and the fourth solenoid valve is connected to the water inlet of the cold water container through a water conduit;

a water heating unit securely mounted inside the enclosure, connected with the self-priming pump through a water conduit, and heating water supplied from the self-priming pump;
a water temperature sensing unit securely mounted inside the enclosure, connected with the water heating unit through a water conduit, and sensing temperature of water passing through the water temperature sensing unit;
a therapy bladder assembly connected with the first solenoid valve and the fourth solenoid valve through water conduits, and having:
a water bladder adapted to be placed on a body portion requiring a therapy treatment under the water circulation mode and having an inlet and an outlet; and
an air bladder securely attached to a periphery of the water bladder;

an air supply and pressure monitoring unit securely mounted inside the enclosure, connected to the air bladder, supplying air to the air bladder to put pressure on the water bladder under the air pressure control mode, and sensing an air temperature in the air bladder; and
a microcontroller unit (MCU) securely mounted inside the control panel and electrically connected to the self-priming pump, the first solenoid valve, the second solenoid valve, the third solenoid valve, the fourth solenoid valve, the water heating unit, the water temperature sensing unit, and the air supply and pressure monitoring unit, wherein under the water circulation mode, the MCU is configured to turn on the self-priming pump, selectively switch a part of the first solenoid valve, the second solenoid valve, the third solenoid valve and the fourth solenoid valve to be open, and selectively turn on the water heating unit to continuously heat circulated water or turn off the water heating unit throughout the water circulation mode to maintain a water temperature of the circulated water sensed by the water temperature sensing unit at the water temperature threshold, and under the air pressure control mode, the MCU is configured to turn on the air supply and pressure monitoring unit to inflate or deflate the air bladder to maintain an air pressure of the air bladder sensed by the air supply and pressure monitoring unit at the air pressure threshold.

2. The thermal therapy device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
a water and air conduit connection unit having:
a first T tube having three ports respectively connected to the second solenoid valve, the third solenoid valve and the self-priming pump through water conduits;
a second T tube having three ports with two of the three ports respectively connected with the first solenoid valve and the fourth solenoid valve; and
a three-way connector having:
a water inlet connected between the inlet of the water bladder and the water temperature sensing unit through water conduits;
a water outlet connected between the outlet of the water bladder and a remaining port of the second T tube; and
an air passage allowing air connected to the air supply and pressure monitoring unit and the air bladder.

3. The thermal therapy device as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the air supply and pressure monitoring unit has:
a pneumatic pump connected to the air passage of the three-way connector through an air conduit to supply air; and
a pressure sensor connected between the pneumatic pump and the three-way connector through another air conduit to sense the pressure of air pumped by the pneumatic pump.

4. The thermal therapy device as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the water heating unit has:
a water heater mounted on a water conduit connected between an outlet of the self-priming pump and the water temperature sensing unit to heat water passing through the water conduit on which the water heater is mounted; and
an over-heat relay connected to the water heater to automatically switch off the water heater when water temperature sensed by the water temperature sensing unit is equal to or greater than the water temperature threshold.

5. The thermal therapy device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein when the water circulation mode is a cold water circulation mode for cold therapy treatment, the MCU is configured to turn on the self-priming pump, switch the first solenoid valve and the second solenoid valve to be open, and switch the third solenoid valve and the fourth solenoid valve to be dosed, such that water in the mixed ice and water container is pumped by the self-priming pump to sequentially circulate through the second solenoid valve, the first T tube, the self-priming pump, the water heater, the water temperature sensing unit, the water inlet of the three-way connector, the water bladder, the water outlet of the three-way connector, the second T tube, and the first solenoid valve and return to the mixed ice and water container, wherein during the cold water circulation mode, the MCU is configured not to turn on the water heater.

6. The thermal therapy device as claimed in claim 5 , wherein when the water circulation mode is a hot water circulation mode for hot therapy treatment, the MCU is configured to turn on the self-priming pump, switch the first solenoid valve and the second solenoid valve to be closed, switch the third solenoid valve and the fourth solenoid valve to be open, such that water in the cold water container is pumped by the self-priming pump to sequentially circulate through the third solenoid valve, the first T tube, the self-priming pump, the water heater, the water temperature sensing unit, the water inlet of the three-way connector, the water bladder, the water outlet of the three-way connector, the second T tube, and the fourth solenoid valve and return to the cold water container, wherein during the hot water circulation mode, the MCU is configured to turn on the water heater to heat water circulated through the water heater when the temperature of the circulated water sensed by the water temperature sensing unit is below the water temperature threshold, and turn off the water heater through the effect of an overheat relay when the temperature of the circulated water sensed by the water temperature sensing unit reaches or exceeds the water temperature threshold.

7. The thermal therapy device as claimed in claim 6 , wherein under the air pressure control mode, if th

Assignees

• Chiu Gary
• Wang Li

Inventors

• Chiu Gary
• Wang Li

Classifications

• A61F2007/0086

  with a thermostat · CPC title

• A61F7/0097

  Blankets with active heating or cooling sources (warming mats A61F7/08) · CPC title

• A61F2007/0093

  programmed · CPC title

• A61F2007/0296

  Intervals of heating alternated with intervals of cooling · CPC title

• A61F7/0085 Primary

  Devices for generating hot or cold treatment fluids · CPC title