Surgery: light – thermal – and electrical application – Light – thermal – and electrical application – Thermal applicators
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-25
2001-01-23
Peffley, Michael (Department: 3739)
Surgery: light, thermal, and electrical application
Light, thermal, and electrical application
Thermal applicators
C607S114000, C601S015000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06176869
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates generally to therapeutic treatment of the body and particularly to therapeutic treatment of the body provided by circulating a nonambient temperature treatment fluid over an affected body surface. More particularly, the invention relates to a mechanism for driving the fluid through a treatment pad of a therapeutic treatment system positioned on the body.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Bodily injuries and ailments are commonly treated by applying a nonambient temperature material to the affected area of the body. For example, a low temperature material, typically applied in the form of ice or a cold liquid, may advantageously inhibit swelling in the region of the injury. A high temperature material, typically applied in the form of hot water or an active heating element, may advantageously reduce pain and promote healing. A number of splint devices are known in the art for applying nonambient temperature materials to injured or otherwise ailing areas of the body as evidenced by U.S. Pat. No. 3,548,819 to Davis et al; U.S. Pat. No. 3,901,225 to Sconce; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,706,658 to Cronin. One disadvantage of such devices is that the low temperature materials become warmer as they remain in contact with the body during treatment and the body transfers heat to the low temperature materials. Conversely, high temperature materials become cooler as they transfer heat to the body. This disadvantage can be remedied by periodically replacing the nonambient temperature materials. However, constant replenishment of these materials is cumbersome and inconvenient, and results in periodic treatment temperature fluctuations.
In response to this problem, a number of systems have been developed for continuously circulating a cooling fluid from a low temperature reservoir to a desired body location. Such systems are typified by U.S. Pat. No. 2,726,658 to Chessey; U.S. Pat. No. 3,683,902 to Artemenko et al; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,962,761 to Golden. These fluid circulation systems in general are relatively complex, rendering them costly to manufacture and maintain, as well as difficult to operate. Accordingly, the systems are not practical for widespread use.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,241,951 to Mason et al, incorporated herein by reference, discloses a therapeutic treatment system which rectifies the shortcomings of the above-referenced fluid circulation systems. The therapeutic treatment system of U.S. Pat. No. 5,241,951 is relatively simple, rendering it less costly to manufacture and maintain and enabling greater ease of operation than the prior systems. The system of U.S. Pat. No. 5,241,951 consists essentially of a fluid reservoir, a submersible pump, a pad having an internal fluid flowpath, fluid inlet and outlet lines connecting the pad to the pump and an in-line flow control valve. The system is operated by filling the reservoir with a nonambient temperature treatment fluid and submersing the pump in the fluid. The pad is positioned on the desired treatment region of the user and the pump is activated to deliver fresh treatment fluid from the reservoir to the pad via the fluid inlet line and return spent treatment fluid from the pad to the reservoir via the fluid outlet line. The user regulates the temperature of the pad by manually adjusting the valve to control the flow rate of fluid through the pad.
The system of U.S. Pat. No. 5,241,951 has been shown to provide effective therapeutic treatment to the body. Nevertheless, it has been found that the performance of the system is limited by the submersible pump. In particular, submersible pumps providing the required degree of reliability, i.e., durability and longevity, for the therapeutic treatment application of U.S. Pat. No. 5,241,951 are costly relative to the other system components. In addition, the electric motor of the submersible pump generates heat which is undesirably transferred to the cooling fluid in which the pump is submersed. Also submersion of the electrically-powered pump in the cooling fluid raises safety concerns for the user. Accordingly, the present invention recognizes the need for an improved fluid drive mechanism utilized within a fluid circulation-type therapeutic treatment system. It is an object of the present invention to provide a fluid drive mechanism for a therapeutic treatment system which is effective, safe and reliable, yet relatively inexpensive. It is another object of the present invention to provide a fluid drive mechanism which provides ease of operation and control for the user. These objects and others are achieved in accordance with the invention described hereafter.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a fluid drive mechanism for conveying a nonambient temperature stored treatment fluid employed in a therapeutic treatment system. The fluid drive mechanism conveys the stored treatment fluid from a treatment fluid storage vessel to a treatment pad. The pad is positionable on a desired portion of the body and has a pad inlet, a pad outlet, and a continuous pad flowpath from the pad inlet to the pad outlet. A pad inlet line is connected to the pad inlet and a pad outlet line is connected to the pad outlet.
The fluid drive mechanism has a drive fluid pump and a pressurizing chamber. The pressurizing chamber has a drive fluid inlet for receiving a pressurized drive fluid from the drive fluid pump, a drive fluid outlet for periodically discharging the pressurized drive fluid to the atmosphere, a treatment fluid inlet for periodically receiving the stored treatment fluid from the treatment fluid storage vessel, and a treatment fluid outlet for periodically discharging the stored treatment fluid into the pad inlet line and thereafter to the pad flowpath where the stored treatment fluid displaces the treatment fluid already residing in the pad flowpath. The displaced treatment fluid from the pad flowpath is returned to the treatment fluid storage vessel by the pad outlet line. The receiving and discharging modes of operation occur sequentially and continuously to provide the fluid drive mechanism with a plurality of operating cycles in series.
The drive fluid outlet is fitted with a drive fluid outlet valve which enables the fluid drive mechanism to transition between the receiving and discharging modes of operation. In particular, the drive fluid outlet valve selectively controls discharge of the drive fluid from the pressurizing chamber to the atmosphere. The drive fluid outlet valve opens when a predetermined substantial volume decrease of stored treatment fluid occurs in the pressurizing chamber, which creates a pressure drop enabling stored treatment fluid to enter the pressurizing chamber from the treatment fluid storage vessel. Conversely, the drive fluid outlet valve closes when a predetermined substantial volume increase of stored treatment fluid occurs in the pressurizing chamber, which creates a pressure buildup driving stored treatment fluid from the pressurizing chamber to the pad flowpath. Thus, opening the drive fluid outlet valve transitions the fluid drive mechanism to the receiving mode of operation and closing the drive fluid outlet valve transitions the fluid drive mechanism to the discharging mode of operation. Since the drive fluid outlet valve opens and closes in response to the volume of stored treatment fluid in the pressurizing chamber, the operating modes of the fluid drive mechanism are likewise correlated to the volume of stored treatment fluid in the pressurizing chamber. It is also noted that the treatment fluid inlet is fitted with a treatment fluid inlet valve to substantially inhibit back flow of the stored treatment fluid from the pressurizing chamber to the treatment fluid storage vessel.
A number of alternate embodiments are employed in the present fluid drive mechanism to effect opening and closing of the drive fluid outlet valve in response to the volume of stored treatment fluid in the pressurizing chamber. In accordance with each of these embodiments, a displacement member is positioned within the pressurizing chamber a
Mason Jeffrey T.
Royer Richard W.
Breg, Inc.
Brown Rodney F.
Peffley Michael
Ram Jocelyn
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