Patent ID: 6048326
Filing Date: 2000-04-11
Classification: A61F

Abstract:
A disposable elastic thermal knee wrap comprising:a) at least one piece of flexible material having a body portion, a first end, a second end, and one or more elastic portions therebetween said first end and said second end, wherein said elastic portion is stretchable along a longitudinal axis of said piece of flexible material, said piece of flexible material having a length adapted to encircle a user's knee such that said first and second ends overlap;b) one or more thermal packs fixedly attached to said piece of flexible material, said thermal pack having a unified structure comprising at least one continuous layer of a semirigid material having a tensile strength of about 0.7 g/mm.sup.2, or greater, and at least two-dimensional drape at a temperature of about 25.degree. C., and wherein said material has a tensile strength, at a temperature of about 35.degree. C. or greater, substantially less than said tensile strength of said material at about 25.degree. C., and having a plurality of individual heat cells spaced apart and fixed within or to said unified structure of said thermal pack; andc) a fastening means fixedly attached near or to at least one of said first and second ends of said piece of flexible material in order to hold said thermal knee wrap around said user's knee;wherein said body portion further comprises an aperture intended to be aligned with the user's patella to establish a convenient locating portion for wrapping said knee wrap around the user's knee and wherein said body portion still further comprises at least one slit extending substantially along said longitudinal axis from said aperture for enabling said piece of flexible material to stretch transverse to said longitudinal axis at said aperture in order to accommodate bending of the user's knee.