Ice Bag with Air Release Valve for Therapeutic Treatment

Abstract

A system simultaneously applies compression and cooling to a body part. An ice bag has a removable cap for inserting ice and removing water. An air release valve in the cap allows release of air from the ice bag without removing or loosening the cap. A compression wrap is a unitary sheet of elastic material having a central body with straps extending therefrom. A hole in the central body receives the neck of the ice bag, which is positioned over the body part. The unitary body and straps of the sheet apply pressure via the ice bag. Air released into the ice bag from melting ice is removed via the air release valve without disturbing the compression wrap or the cap. The compression wrap contracts to compensate for the volume of the released air, thus maintaining continuous pressure on and thermal contact with the body part.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for simultaneously cooling and applying compression to a selected area of a human body, the method comprising:
 filling an ice bag with ice, the ice bag including a body portion and a neck portion, the ice bag further including a removable cap on the neck portion for inserting ice into and removing water from the body portion of the ice bag, the removable cap comprising:
 an outer surface and an inner surface; 
 a bore formed through the cap between the outer surface and the inner surface; and 
 an air release valve positioned in the bore to allow air to be released from the body portion of the ice bag without removing the cap, the air release valve comprising an air release button proximate the outer surface and a flange proximate the inner surface that seals the bore; 
   positioning the neck portion of the ice bag through an opening in a compression wrap;   securing the compression wrap to the selected area of the human body with the body portion of the ice bag between the compression wrap and the selected area of the human body and with the neck portion and the cap of the ice bag extending from the compression wrap away from the selected area of the human body; and   as ice melts within the body portion of the ice bag and releases entrapped air into the body portion, selectively engaging the air release button to move the flange away from the inner surface of the cap to unseal the bore and to thereby release the air from the body portion while retaining ice and water within the body portion to enable the compression wrap to continue to apply pressure to the selected area of the human body.