Patent ID: 7783361

Claim:
A radiant therapeutic heater comprising: (a) a radiant heat generating means comprising fiberglass material homogeneously impregnated with an electrically resistive material creating a black body radiator fabricated of carbon compound having a high efficiency of radiant dispersion and operatively coupled to a source of electrical energy for radiating energy at a wavelength of between 9 and 11 microns which penetrates into a body, wherein a resistivity of said heat generating means provides a surface temperature adjacent the body to be heated which is no greater than 54 degrees Celsius; (b) stiffening means comprising a thin layer of polypropylene material for stiffening said radiant heat generating means; (c) a thermal insulation layer disposed adjacent to said stiffening means, the thermal insulation layer comprising foam insulation; (d) a sealed radiant energy permeable envelope enclosing said radiant heat generating means, said stiffening means and the thermal insulation layer; and wherein said radiant heat generating means comprises a variable temperature controller; (e) a pair of electrically conductive tapes fixed in electrical contact with the resistive material along opposite sides of the fiberglass material, and one or more wires are provided for applying electrical current to said conductive tapes via a quick connector; and (f) one or more current limiting thermostats which are provided between the stiffening means and the thermal insulation layer which are connected to the wires and quick connector via a pair of in-line quick connectors, wherein the radiant heat generating means comprising a plurality of radiant heat generating elements having a shape which matches the shape of a portion of a user's body.