Smart thermal patch for adaptive thermotherapy

Abstract

A smart thermal patch for adaptive thermotherapy is provided. In an embodiment, the patch can be a stretchable, non-polymeric, conductive thin film flexible and non-invasive body integrated mobile thermal heater with wireless control capabilities that can be used to provide adaptive thermotherapy. The patch can be geometrically and spatially tunable on various pain locations. Adaptability allows the amount of heating to be tuned based on the temperature of the treated portion.

1 . A thermal patch, comprising:
 at least two heating pads; and   a stretchable metallic electrical conductor interconnecting the at least two heating pads.   
     
     
         2 . The thermal patch of  claim 1 , wherein the at least two heating pads and the stretchable metallic conductor are positioned between a plurality of contact pads. 
     
     
         3 . The thermal patch of  claim 2 , wherein each of the at least two heating pads is connected to the plurality of contact pads by a stretchable metallic electrical conductor. 
     
     
         4 . The thermal patch of  claim 3 , further comprising a battery electrically coupled to at least one of the heating pads. 
     
     
         5 . The thermal patch of  claim 1 , further comprising a flexible microcontroller. 
     
     
         6 . The thermal patch of  claim 1 , further comprising a wireless transceiver configured to communicate with a mobile computing device. 
     
     
         7 . The thermal patch of  claim 6 , wherein the wireless transceiver is a Bluetooth transceiver. 
     
     
         8 . The thermal patch of  claim 6 , wherein the mobile computing device is a smart phone. 
     
     
         9 . A method, comprising:
 forming a mask on a polymer layer, the mask defining a thermal patch;   etching the polymer layer;   depositing a conductive material to form stretchable conductors of the thermal patch; and   vapor phase etching to release the thermal patch.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the mask is an aluminum mask. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the polymer layer is a polyimide (PI) layer. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the conductive material is a metal, preferably copper, nickel, chromium, tin, silver, platinum or a metal alloy. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising wet etching to remove the mask prior to depositing the conductive material. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising depositing a seed layer for depositing the conductive material. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the vapor phase etching is XeF 2  vapor phase etching. 
     
     
         16 . The thermal patch of  claim 1 , comprising an array of more than two heating pads and at least one stretchable metallic electrical conductor interconnecting adjacent pairs of heating pads in the array. 
     
     
         17 . The thermal patch of  claim 1 , wherein the stretchable metallic electrical conductor is configured to undergo lateral elongation between the at least two heating pads. 
     
     
         18 . The thermal patch of  claim 17 , wherein the stretchable metallic electrical conductor has a lateral spring configuration. 
     
     
         19 . The thermal patch of  claim 16 , wherein the array of heating pads is positioned between a plurality of contact pads and at least some of the heating pads of the array of heating pads are connected to at least one of the contact pads by a stretchable metallic electrical conductor configured to undergo lateral elongation between the heating pad and the contact pad. 
     
     
         20 . The thermal patch of  claim 19 , wherein the at least some of the heating pads connected to at least one of the contact pads are connected to the at least one of the contact pads by a stretchable metallic electrical conductor having a lateral spring configuration.