Thermal therapy system and method of use

Abstract

A system that can be used to provide highly controlled thermal therapy and compression to both cool and heat a skin surface and a joint and surrounding tissue below the skin surface is provided. The system includes a joint conforming wrap; a power supply module for supply power to the joint conforming wrap and a cable operably coupling the wrap and the power supply module. The joint conforming wrap and power supply module include opposing thermoelectric modules. The joint conforming wrap is designed to provide heat transfer processes to the body of a patient to warm or cool the skin and a joint and surrounding tissue disposed under the skin.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A thermal therapy system comprising:
 a joint conforming wrap; a power supply module for supplying power to said joint conforming wrap and a cable operably coupling the wrap and the power supply module.   
     
     
         2 - 4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . The thermal therapy system of  claim 1  wherein said joint conforming wrap includes a skin contacting surface, a first chamber and a second chamber, said second chamber proximate the skin contacting surface. 
     
     
         6 . The thermal therapy system of  claim 5  further comprising one or more wrap thermoelectric modules positioned within said second chamber and in thermal contact with said skin contacting surface. 
     
     
         7 . The thermal therapy system of  claim 6  further comprising one or more inflatable members positioned within said first chamber and configured to compress said second chamber and said skin contacting surface against a patient's skin. 
     
     
         8 . The thermal therapy system of  claim 7  wherein said power supply module further comprises a heat exchanger unit, an electrical power supply, a fluid compression pump and a controller, said controller operable to control said heat exchanger unit, said electrical power supply and said fluid compression pump. 
     
     
         9 . The thermal therapy system of  claim 8  wherein said heat exchanger unit includes a heat exchanger, one or more heat exchanger thermoelectric modules and a fluid circulation pump for operably circulating a thermal fluid into contact with said one or more heat exchanger thermoelectric modules and said heat exchanger. 
     
     
         10 . The thermal therapy system of  claim 1  further comprising a hard case or a soft case removably coupled to or permanently attached to the power supply module. 
     
     
         11 . The thermal therapy system of  claim 5  wherein said second chamber is encased in a thermally conductive fabric selected from nylon, polyesters or combinations of the foregoing thermally conductive fabrics and a metal selected from aluminum, copper, silver or combinations of the foregoing metals. 
     
     
         12 . The thermal therapy system of  claim 11  wherein the thermally conductive fabric comprises the skin contacting surface. 
     
     
         13 . The thermal therapy system of  claim 11  wherein he thermally conductive fabric is in contact with the skin contacting surface. 
     
     
         14 . The thermal therapy system of  claim 8  wherein said one or more thermoelectric modules are operably coupled to said controller, electrical power supply and fluid circulation pump by a plurality of conduits. 
     
     
         15 . The thermal therapy system of  claim 8  further comprising one or more temperature sensors coupled to said second chamber and structured to provide feedback to said controller to regulate a temperature of a thermal fluid in contact with said wrap thermoelectric modules. 
     
     
         16 . The thermal therapy system of  claim 15  wherein said thermal fluid is selected from water, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol and combinations of the foregoing. 
     
     
         17 . The thermal therapy system of  claim 8  further comprising user control options operably coupled to the electrical power supply, the thermoelectric modules and the controller to control temperature of the wrap and duration of therapy. 
     
     
         18 . The power supply module of  claim 8  wherein the fluid circulation pump is in operable arrangement with the controller and adapted to pump a thermal fluid through the wrap thermoelectric modules. 
     
     
         19 . The thermal therapy system of  claim 8  wherein said fluid compression pump is fluidly coupled to said inflatable member for inflating and deflating the inflatable member to control compression of the skin contacting surface against a patient's skin. 
     
     
         20 . The thermal therapy system of  claim 1  wherein said cable is removably coupled to the power supply module. 
     
     
         21 . The thermal therapy system of  claim 1  wherein said cable is permanently coupled to the power supply module. 
     
     
         22 . The thermal therapy system of  claim 1  wherein said cable includes an outer surface comprising a thermal conductive material and a lumen therewithin. 
     
     
         23 . The thermal therapy system of  claim 22  wherein said lumen operably receives a plurality of fluid flow conduits, a fluid compression conduit, an electrical power conduit and a digital conduit.