Patent ID: 11857491
Assignee: BREG, INC.
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 14:
15. An integrated cold therapy-compression therapy assembly comprising:
a compressant pump having a compressant pump inlet and a compressant pump outlet line;
a treatment pad having a compressant compartment and a compressant inlet/outlet port opening into said compressant compartment and further having a coolant compartment with a coolant inlet port, a coolant outlet port and a pad flowpath wending through said coolant compartment between said coolant inlet and outlet ports;
a compressant inlet/outlet line connected to said inlet/outlet compressant port;
a compressant manifold connecting said compressant inlet/outlet line and said compressant pump outlet line;
a compressant inlet flowpath including said compressant pump, said compressant pump outlet line, said compressant inlet/outlet line and said compressant inlet/outlet port, wherein said compressant inlet flowpath extends between said compressant pump inlet and said compressant compartment of said treatment pad;
a solenoid vent having a biased open position and a closed position, wherein said solenoid vent is in said compressant inlet flowpath when in said closed position, thereby retaining a pressurized compressant in said compressant compartment;
a compressant outlet flowpath including said compressant inlet/outlet port and said compressant inlet/outlet line, wherein said compressant outlet flowpath extends between said solenoid vent and said compressant compartment of said treatment pad, wherein said solenoid vent is in said compressant outlet flowpath when in said biased open position, thereby discharging said pressurized compressant in said compressant compartment from said compressant outlet flowpath;
a reservoir container configured to contain a coolant;
a reservoir coolant mixing chamber positioned within said reservoir container;
a cover positioned within said reservoir container and enclosing said reservoir coolant mixing chamber, said cover dividing said coolant in said reservoir container into a primary volume of coolant external to said cover within said reservoir container and a secondary volume of coolant internal to said cover within said reservoir coolant mixing chamber, wherein said primary volume of coolant is made up of a cold reservoir coolant at a cold reservoir coolant temperature and said secondary volume of coolant is made up of a coolant inlet mixture at a coolant inlet mixture temperature greater than said cold reservoir coolant temperature, wherein said coolant inlet mixture includes a warmed reservoir coolant and a portion of said cold reservoir coolant mixed together in said reservoir coolant mixing chamber, wherein said warmed reservoir coolant has a warmed coolant outlet temperature greater than said coolant inlet mixture temperature, wherein said coolant inlet mixture has a coolant inlet ratio and said coolant inlet ratio and said coolant inlet mixture temperature are defined by relative proportions of said warmed reservoir coolant and said cold reservoir coolant in said coolant inlet mixture, and wherein said cover has a plurality of coolant openings formed therein enabling said portion of said cold reservoir coolant to enter said reservoir coolant mixing chamber from said primary volume of coolant external to said cover;
a coolant pump having a coolant pump inlet and a coolant pump outlet, wherein said coolant pump inlet is positioned within said reservoir coolant mixing chamber and submersible in said coolant inlet mixture;
a coolant discharge for said warmed reservoir coolant, wherein said coolant discharge is positioned within said reservoir coolant mixing chamber;
a coolant outlet line connected to said coolant outlet port and said coolant discharge;
a coolant inlet line connected to said coolant pump outlet and said coolant inlet port;
a warmed reservoir coolant flowpath extending from said pad flowpath through said coolant outlet port, said coolant outlet line and said coolant discharge to said reservoir coolant mixing chamber, thereby enabling flow of said warmed reservoir coolant from said pad flowpath to said reservoir coolant mixing chamber;
a coolant inlet mixture flowpath extending from said reservoir coolant mixing chamber through said coolant pump inlet, said coolant pump, said coolant pump outlet, said coolant inlet line and said coolant inlet port to said pad flowpath, thereby enabling flow of said coolant inlet mixture from said reservoir coolant mixing chamber to said pad flowpath; and
a diverter panel in said cover wherein said diverter panel is continuously fluid-impermeable and free of any coolant openings and is positioned adjacent to said coolant discharge and oriented relative to said coolant discharge and said coolant pump inlet such that said warmed reservoir coolant is dispersed from said coolant discharge in a direction away from said coolant pump inlet and is redirected in an opposing direction back toward said coolant pump inlet by said diverter panel.