Applications using induction

Abstract

A system and method comprise positioning a medical device within a subject. The medical device includes a plurality of compartments and each of the plurality of compartments includes a ferrous material. Further, each of the plurality of compartments is configured to hold a substance. The system and method further include delivering electromagnetic radiation, by an electromagnetic radiation source, to the medical device and varying, by a controller, an amount of the electromagnetic radiation delivered by the electromagnetic radiation source for selectively heating the ferrous material of at least one of the plurality of compartments and selectively releasing the substance held in the at least one of the plurality of compartments for managing a condition.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 a sleeve comprising a ferrous material, wherein the sleeve is configured to encompass at least a portion of an object; and   an electromagnetic radiation source associated with the sleeve and configured to deliver electromagnetic radiation to heat the ferrous material of the sleeve such that the heat from the ferrous material is transferred to the object for heating the object.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the object is a pipe. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the object is a plant. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the sleeve is spaced apart from the object. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the sleeve is in direct physical contact with the object. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the sleeve comprises a flexible material such that the sleeve is moldable into a desired shape around the object. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the sleeve encompasses all of the object. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a temperature sensor to measure a temperature of an ambient environment proximate the object. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation source is further configured to receive the temperature from the temperature sensor and turn on automatically to deliver the electromagnetic radiation upon determining that the temperature is below a threshold temperature. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , further comprising a controller associated with the electromagnetic radiation source, wherein the controller is configured to receive the temperature from the temperature sensor and activate the electromagnetic radiation source in response to determining that the temperature is below a threshold temperature. 
     
     
         11 . A method comprising:
 detecting a temperature of an ambient environment proximate an object;   determining that the temperature satisfies a temperature threshold;   in response to determining that the temperature satisfies the temperature threshold, activating an electromagnetic radiation source to deliver electromagnetic radiation to heat a sleeve that encompasses at least a portion of the object, wherein the sleeve comprises ferrous material,   wherein the heat from the ferrous material is transferred to the object for heating the object.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising activating the electromagnetic radiation source automatically upon the temperature satisfying the temperature threshold. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the object is a pipe. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the object is a plant. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the sleeve is in direct physical contact with the object. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the sleeve is spaced apart from the object. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the sleeve comprises a flexible material such that the sleeve is moldable into a desired shape around the object. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the sleeve encompasses all of the object.