Apparatus and method for using a portable thermal device to reduce accommodation of nerve receptors

Abstract

A system and method for portably delivering a therapeutic dose of heat to the skin to relieve pain, reduce accommodation of thermal nerve receptors, promote healing, and deliver transcutaneous medications. The heating device is user programmable or preprogrammed to deliver according to a variety of cycles, patterns and algorithms. The cycles, patterns, and algorithms of the heat are programmable parameters, are under the user's control, and increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the device. The heating algorithms are designed to interact with an individual user's thermal nerve receptors and other tissue characteristics and to reduce the tendency of the receptors to accommodate to the external stimuli with back pain, muscular pain, dysmenorrhea, headaches, fibromyalgia, post-herpetic neuralgia, nerve injuries and neuropathies, and sprains and strain. The device can also be used in conjunction with existing medical devices such as Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulators (TENS) to increase the effectiveness of TENS devices.

1 - 33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . A heating device for therapeutically heating a portion of a subject, comprising:
 a heat delivery element configured to deliver heat to the portion of the subject; and   a controller operably coupled to the heat delivery element, wherein the controller is configured to control the heat delivery element to deliver at least one cycle of heat having:
 a ramp-up temperature period, 
 a peak temperature, 
 a ramp-down temperature period, and 
 a soak temperature, 
 wherein the soak temperature is lower than the peak temperature, and wherein the soak temperature is greater than a body temperature of the subject. 
   
     
     
         35 . The heating device of  claim 34  wherein the peak temperature and the soak temperature are generally constant. 
     
     
         36 . The heating device of  claim 34  wherein the controller is configured to receive a user input to initiate the at least one cycle of heat. 
     
     
         37 . The heating device of  claim 34 , further comprising a thermal sensing element configured to detect a temperature of the heat delivery element and/or a temperature of the portion of the patient, wherein the controller is operably coupled to the thermal sensing element, and wherein the controller is further configured to control the heat delivery element to deliver the at least one cycle of heat based on the detected temperature of the heat delivery element and/or the detected temperature of the portion of the patient. 
     
     
         38 . The heating device of  claim 34  wherein the microprocessor control unit is wirelessly coupled to the heat delivery element. 
     
     
         39 . The heating device of  claim 34  wherein the controller is further configured to control the heat delivery element to deliver a saw tooth wave energy pattern during at least one of the peak temperature and the soak temperature. 
     
     
         40 . The heating device of  claim 34  wherein the portion of the subject includes a skin surface of the subject. 
     
     
         41 . A therapeutic heating device, comprising:
 a plurality of spaced apart thermal elements each configured to deliver heat to a user; and   a control unit operably coupled to the thermal elements, wherein the control unit is configured to—
 receive an input from the user to activate the thermal elements for a temperature cycle and/or pattern; and 
 control the thermal elements to deliver heat according to the temperature cycle and/or pattern, the temperature cycle and/or pattern having at least: 
 a ramp-up temperature period, 
 a peak temperature, 
 a ramp-down temperature period, and 
 a soak temperature, 
 wherein the soak temperature is lower than the peak temperature, and wherein the soak temperature is above a body temperature of the user. 
   
     
     
         42 . The therapeutic heating device of  claim 41 , further comprising a power source electrically coupled to the thermal elements, wherein the power source is position in a housing configured to be releasably attachable to the user. 
     
     
         43 . The therapeutic heating device of  claim 42  wherein the power source is wirelessly rechargeable. 
     
     
         44 . The therapeutic heating device of  claim 41  wherein a temperature differential between the peak temperature and the soak temperature is less than 5° C. 
     
     
         45 . The heating device of  claim 41  wherein the peak temperature and the soak temperature are generally constant. 
     
     
         46 . The therapeutic heating device of  claim 41 , further comprising an elastomeric band configured to fit a knee, an ankle, a foot, an elbow, a wrist, a joint, a shoulder, a neck and/or a head of the user, wherein the elastomeric band carries the thermal elements. 
     
     
         47 . The therapeutic heating device of  claim 41  wherein the control unit is wirelessly coupled to the thermal elements, and wherein the control unit includes at least one switch for activating the thermal elements. 
     
     
         48 . The therapeutic heating device of  claim 41  wherein the control unit is configured to control the thermal elements independently. 
     
     
         49 . The therapeutic heating device of  claim 41 , further comprising a temperature sensing element proximate to the at least one of the thermal elements. 
     
     
         50 . The therapeutic heating device of  claim 41 , further comprising:
 a first temperature sensing element proximate to configured to detect a temperature of at least one of the heating elements; and   a second temperature sensing element configured to detect a temperature of the user proximate to at least one of the heating elements.   
     
     
         51 . A method of delivering heat to a user, the method comprising:
 providing at least one heating element configured to deliver heat to the user;   increasing a temperature of the heating element during a ramp-up period;   holding the temperature of the heating element at a first level;   decreasing the temperature of the heating element during a ramp-down period; and   holding the temperature of the heating device at a second level, wherein the second level is lower than the first level, and wherein the second level temperature is above a normal body temperature of the user.   
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 51 , further comprising repeating the increasing, holding at the first level, decreasing, and holding at the second level of the temperature of the heating element for a predetermined duration of time. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 51 , further comprising measuring skin temperature and/or heating device temperature with a thermal sensing element.