Therapeutic pack

Abstract

A therapeutic pack provides effective therapeuting heating or cooling to an area of a body. The therapeutic pack comprises a bag and a plurality of therapeutic modules within the bag. The bag is of a material that conforms to the surface of the body. The therapeutic modules are capable of freely moving within the bag relative to one another. The therapeutic modules may include a material that repeatedly provides a prolonged cooling or heating, such as a phase change material.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A therapeutic pack for providing therapeutic heating or cooling to an area of a body, comprising: 
 a conforming bag; and    a plurality of therapeutic modules enclosed within the bag, wherein the therapeutic modules move freely within the bag and the bag conforms to the shape of the area of the body under the weight of the therapeutic pack itself.    
     
     
         2 . The therapeutic pack according to  claim 1 , wherein the bag is made of a nylon taffeta, a polyester taffeta, or a polyester nylon taffeta.  
     
     
         3 . The therapeutic pack according to  claim 2 , wherein a thickness of the bag is less than four thousandths of an inch.  
     
     
         4 . The therapeutic pack according to  claim 1 , wherein the interior space of the bag includes a filling medium that partially fills the bag by occupying space between the plurality of therapeutic modules.  
     
     
         5 . The therapeutic pack according to  claim 4 , wherein the filling medium includes at least one of a gas, gelatinous material, a material resistant to freezing when cooled, a material resistant to expansion when heated, and a chemical substance that generates heat or cold by a chemical reaction or a phase change.  
     
     
         6 . The therapeutic pack according to  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of therapeutic modules include a phase change material.  
     
     
         7 . The therapeutic pack according to  claim 6 , wherein the phase change material undergoes a phase transition at a temperature less than 20° C.  
     
     
         8 . The therapeutic pack according to  claim 7 , wherein the phase change material undergoes a phase transition at a temperature greater than 20° C.  
     
     
         9 . The therapeutic pack according to  claim 8 , wherein the plurality of therapeutic medium are microwavable, whereby the phase change material is capable of being heated using microwaves to a temperature greater than the temperature of the phase transition.  
     
     
         10 . The therapeutic pack according to  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of therapeutic modules are less than one-half inch in diameter, wherein a plurality of the therapeutic modules are capable of directly contacting conforming surface of the bag that is in contact with the area of the body to be therapeutically heated or cooled.  
     
     
         11 . The therapeutic pack according to  claim 1 , wherein the bag includes a resealable opening, whereby access to the therapeutic modules is provided.  
     
     
         12 . The therapeutic pack according to  claim 9 , wherein the resealable opening includes a zipper, buttons, straps, snaps, a twist tie, a slide-lock, or hook-and-loop tape.  
     
     
         13 . The therapeutic pack according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of therapeutic modules include a module shell.  
     
     
         14 . The therapeutic pack according to  claim 13 , wherein the module shell is at least partially filled with a therapeutic medium.  
     
     
         15 . The therapeutic pack according to  claim 14 , wherein the therapeutic medium is a phase change material.  
     
     
         16 . The therapeutic pack according to  claim 13 , wherein the module shell is of a polyethylene or a polypropylene.  
     
     
         17 . The therapeutic pack according to  claim 13 , wherein the module shell is of a rigid plastic, a flexible plastic, a sponge-like material, a composite material, an elastomeric material, a non-organic material or a synthetic material.  
     
     
         18 . The therapeutic pack according to  claim 13 , wherein the module shell is substantially spherical in shape.  
     
     
         19 . The therapeutic pack according to  claim 18 , wherein the module shell has an outer diameter of between about {fraction (11/32)} inches and {fraction (13/32)} inches.  
     
     
         20 . The therapeutic pack according to  claim 18 , wherein the module shell has an outer diameter less than ½ inches.  
     
     
         21 . The therapeutic pack according to  claim 1 , wherein a portion of the plurality of the therapeutic modules have an outer diameter less than ½ inches.  
     
     
         22 . A therapeutic pack for therapeutic treatment of a portion of a body, comprising: 
 a bag made of a taffeta that drapes; and    a plurality of therapeutic modules contained within the bag, wherein the volume of the therapeutic modules is less than 0.4 cubic inches, and the therapeutic modules comprise an outer shell and a phase change material enclosed within the outer shell that is capable of repeatedly providing a prolonged period of heating or cooling to the portion of the body without physically replacing the therapeutic modules.    
     
     
         23 . The therapeutic pack according to  claim 22 , wherein the bag comprises a taffeta.  
     
     
         24 . The therapeutic pack according to  claim 23 , wherein the bag further comprises a lining impermeable to water.  
     
     
         25 . The therapeutic pack according to  claim 24 , wherein the lining is of a high density plastic film.  
     
     
         26 . The therapeutic pack according to  claim 23 , wherein the bag further comprised an antifungal agent or an anti-microbial agent.  
     
     
         27 . The therapeutic pack according to  claim 25 , wherein the film is a polyethylene thin film.  
     
     
         28 . The therapeutic pack according to  claim 22 , wherein a thickness of the bag is less than four thousandths of an inch.