Devices and methods for therapeutic heat treatment

Abstract

Devices and methods for providing therapeutic heating are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the system includes a device body configured to provide heat to a portion of skin. The device body also includes a low-level heating region and a high-level heating area. The low-level heating region provides a continuous amount of heat at a first temperature, and the high-level heating area provides an intermittent amount of heat at a second temperature greater than the first temperature.

1 - 2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . A device for providing therapeutic heat, the device comprising:
 a device body configured to provide heat to a first portion of skin with at least one first heating element and to a second portion of skin with at least one second heating element;   wherein the first heating element applied to a low-level heating region provides a continuous amount of heat at a first temperature; and   wherein the second heating element applied to high-level heating area provides an intermittent amount of heat at a second temperature greater than the first temperature.   
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 3  wherein the individual second heating element is generally round and less than approximately two inches in diameter. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 3  wherein a plurality of second heating elements are distributed over the living body. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 3  wherein the first area of the body and the second areas of the body are mutually exclusive. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 5  wherein at least one of the plurality of the second areas at least partially overlaps with a portion of the first area. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 3  wherein the second heating element is proximate to the first heating element. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 3  wherein the first area includes two or more discrete areas. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 3  wherein a total area of the at least one first heating element in contact with the body is equal to or less than a sum total area of the at least one second heating element in contact with the body. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein the second portion of skin comprises a plurality of discrete individual second portions of skin, and wherein the first portion of skin is substantially larger than individual second portions of skin. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 11  wherein a sum of the individual second portions of skin is approximately equal in size to the first portion of skin. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 11  wherein a sum of the individual second portions of skin is larger than the first portion of skin. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 3  wherein the second portion of skin comprises a plurality of discrete individual portions of skin.