Patent ID: 8709058

Claim:
A portable thermal therapeutic apparatus, for transferring heat with a creature using a heat transfer fluid circulating within a conduit held in contact with the creature, and adapted to receive power from a battery; the apparatus comprising: a housing adapted for portable use of the apparatus; a thermoelectric heat pump, disposed within said housing, operable to transfer heat at a rate proportional to the amount of electric current driving said thermoelectric heat pump, between an atmospheric heat sink and a manifold having fluid channels formed therein; a fluid pump coupled to circulate the heat transfer fluid through said manifold and the conduit; a power supply having a battery connector for receiving electric current from the battery, and an external power source input connector for coupling external power from the utility power grid or from a power outlet of a vehicular power supply for recharging the battery; a control circuit coupled to said power supply and coupled to provide electric current to drive said thermoelectric heat pump and said fluid pump, and having a temperature sensor positioned near a fluid channel of said manifold, said control circuit operable to adjustably control the rate at which electric current drives said thermoelectric heat pump in response to said temperature sensor, thereby enabling the apparatus to achieve a predetermined set-point temperature of the heat transfer fluid, and further enabling the apparatus to maintain said predetermined set-point temperature over time; a fan aligned to circulate the atmosphere about said atmospheric heat sink, and wherein said control circuit is further operable to couple electric current from said power supply to said fan; an actuator, and wherein said control circuit is coupled to interpret an actuation of said actuator as a selection of the predetermined set-point temperature, and wherein said control circuit is operable to regulate electric current flow to said thermoelectric heat pump until said predetermined set-point temperature has been achieved.