Abstract:
The preferred invention comprises a tube sized and configured to receive a finger for therapeutic treatment. In one form, the invention includes an exterior shell formed from plastic, silicone, or other flexible materials that defines an interior volume for holding a gel or liquid. The gel or liquid may be either heated or chilled in order to stay hot or cold for a period of time that will facilitate treatment.

Description:
PRIORITY CLAIM 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional application Ser. No. 60/790,632, filed Apr. 10, 2006. 
     
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This invention relates generally to splints and ice packs used to treat injuries, particularly to fingers and toes. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Fingers and toes are easily injured from impact with another object, such as balls, walls, or mats. The injury often results in swelling and discoloration, especially around the joint areas. Pain and discomfort increases as the swelling increases. Common treatment for such injury includes the application of cold therapy through local application of cold compresses or ice packs. Splinting of the injured finger or toe is also common. 
         [0004]    Usual therapy for degenerative conditions such as arthritis includes the application of heat. Heat therapy is normally achieved through warm water immersion, or topical application of a heated compress. 
         [0005]    In each case, whether cold or hot, the current applications are less than ideal. Ice packs, hot packs, and similar compresses are generally bulky and do not readily conform to the size and shape of a finger. Treatment often requires the use of both hands to hold the compress against the affected area, and further does not fully contact the affected area, thereby leaving at least a portion untreated. There is therefore a need for an improved method for treating injured fingers and toes with a hot or cold compress. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The invention comprises a tube sized and configured to receive a finger for therapeutic treatment. In one form, the invention includes an exterior shell formed from plastic, silicone, or other flexible materials that defines an interior volume for holding a gel or liquid. The gel or liquid may be either heated or chilled in order to stay hot or cold for a period of time that will facilitate treatment. 
         [0007]    In some examples of the invention, the device may be formed in varying lengths or diameters, or may be configured to enable it to be custom fit by adjusting a length or diameter. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    Preferred and alternative embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the following drawings: 
           [0009]      FIG. 1A  is a perspective view of a preferred finger compress; 
           [0010]      FIG. 1B  is a perspective view of an alternate preferred finger compress; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is an illustrative view of a preferred finger compress, shown on the hand of a user; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is an illustrative view of a plurality of preferred compresses shown on a single finger; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a top plan view of a sheet for forming a preferred compress in accordance with one example of the invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a preferred finger compress, shown in an exemplary process of forming a sheet into a tubular compress; and 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is an illustration of an alternative finger compress, shown on a toe. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0016]      FIG. 1  depicts a preferred form of the finger compress. Within this specification, the invention will generally be referred to as a finger compress. It should be understood that the invention may also be configured for use with toes, and that the use of the term “finger” is not intended to limit the use of the invention to fingers only. 
         [0017]    As shown, the compress is substantially tubular in shape, with an internal diameter defined across the span of the internal hollow area. In most examples of the invention, the diameter is smaller than an axial length of the compress, with the axial length extending through middle of the tube and being perpendicular to the diameter. It preferably includes an exterior layer of a flexible material such as a thin sheet of plastic. Any other flexible or elastomeric materials may also be used, and in general the choice of materials is such that it is flexible or semi-flexible at room temperature and is also able to form a leak-proof container for an internal gel or liquid. An internal and an external layer of flexible material is provided, forming an internal volume between the two layers of material. 
         [0018]    Although not visible in  FIG. 1 , the internal volume within the compress is filled with a gel or liquid. Any liquid or gel is suitable within the scope of this invention, and preferably the filler material is able to retain a hot or cold temperature after refrigeration or heating. More preferably, the filler material is able to sustain a cold temperature at which the gel begins to stiffen or freeze into a more solid state so that the compress can serve as a splint as well as a compress. Such gels are currently well known (and further suitable gels may be later developed), and may include mixtures of distilled water, propylene glycol, and thickening agents. Other components such as antibacterial agents may also be included. 
         [0019]    The compress  10  includes an external surface  12  and an internal surface  14  defining a volume between the two surfaces. The two surfaces  12 ,  14  form the internal and external surfaces of a cylinder with a filler material retained within the volume defined by the surfaces. The filler material is preferably a gel or a liquid that is able to retain thermal energy when heated and is also able to substantially maintain a cold temperature when subjected to such a cold temperature for a sufficient period to enable the compress to serve as a cold compress. In alternate forms of the invention, different filler materials are used in hot and cold compress versions in order to provide a first version of a compress that is especially well adapted for use as a cold compress and an second version of a compress that is more particularly adapted for use as a heat compress. 
         [0020]      FIG. 2  shows an exemplary use of a preferred compress. As shown a compress  10  (in the form as shown in  FIG. 1A ) surrounds a first finger  20 . Additional compresses may be used on any of the other fingers, and such additional compresses may be the same size, or may be tailored sizes that are configured to accommodate fingers of different sizes. If the gel is properly formulated and refrigerated to reach a solid or nearly solid state, the compresses may each serve as a splint while acting as a compress. 
         [0021]    In other examples of the invention, the skin or material of the compress forming the external surface  12  is formed from a semi-rigid or rigid material so that the compress can act as a splint at any temperature, whether hot or cold. In this example, a thicker or more rigid plastic is preferred. 
         [0022]    Although  FIG. 2  depicts the compress in use with fingers on a human hand, the compress of the present invention can be used equally well with toes on a foot, as illustrated in  FIG. 6 . In some cases, a single compress will be sized and configured so that it can accommodate either fingers or toes. In other cases, the compress is sized and shaped to be tailored to either a finger or a toe. 
         [0023]      FIG. 3  shows a finger with which two compresses are used. In different forms of the invention, a single compress may be configured to be the length of a particular finger, or may be much shorter to accommodate shorter fingers. The shorter versions as shown are preferably sized to be about the length of one of the phalanges on a typical human finger, or about one inch. Thus, two or three compresses may be used in order to encapsulate an entire thumb or finger with this version of the invention. Longer compresses may be the length of a human finger, including versions that are three inches, four inches, or longer in length. 
         [0024]      FIG. 4  illustrates a preferred method for producing the compress. Initially a gel-filled sheet  30  is formed, with the sheet being produced in accordance with the description of the preferred compress as described above. In other words, in one example the sheet includes a first layer of a flexible plastic, a second layer of flexible plastic, and an internal filler material comprising a gel. As best seen in  FIG. 5 , the sheet  30  is rolled in the direction of the arrows to bring the edges  31 ,  32  adjacent one another. Optionally, the edges may either abut one another or overlap somewhat. The edges are then secured to one another by using an adhesive, heat bonding, or other means. In some forms of the invention, the edges are removably and adjustably secured to one another by using, for example, releasable tape, hook and loop fasteners, or other means. 
         [0025]    While  FIGS. 4 and 5  depict a method of construction that begins with a flat sheet, the compress may be formed using different processes, including processes that fill a volume between inner and outer layers that are preconfigured into the cylindrical configuration as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0026]      FIG. 1B  illustrates another form of the invention. In this example, the compress is formed as a plurality of compress segments. In this case, two segments  16 ,  17  are shown, although any number of segments may be used. Each of the segments is constructed in accordance with the compress as described above, but the segments are separated from one another by a membrane  18  that seals a volume of gel within each segment individually. Thus, in this fashion one of the segments  16  may be removed from the other segment  17  by trimming along the separation region or membrane  18 . In one form, in the separation region the plastic skin of both the inner and outer layers are adhered together. Using scissors or a knife (for example), the segment may be trimmed at the separation region  18  to remove the segment  16 . 
         [0027]    The inclusion of a separation region enables the compress  10  to be trimmed to a desired length. In one version of the invention, the compress includes several segments that together define the length of a finger. For example, a single multi-segment compress may include 3, 4, 5 or 6 segments. In this form, the user may trim as many or as few segments as desired in order to form a compress of a desired length. In some segmented forms of the invention, the segments are of varying sizes. 
         [0028]    In order to use the compress, the compress is trimmed (if necessary, for a segmented version) and either heated or refrigerated to a desired temperature. A finger or toe is inserted into the compress and retained in that position for a desired time in order to receive the therapeutic value of the compress. 
         [0029]    While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, as noted above, many changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is not limited by the disclosure of the preferred embodiment. Instead, the invention should be determined entirely by reference to the claims that follow.