TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a system that provides reminding at times when the hot/cold compress application should be ended and/or when the application should be repeated.

PRIOR ART

Since ancient times, hot/cold application is used therapeutically in various fields (Erek Kazan, 2011). The cold application causes vasoconstriction by decreasing the temperature at skin and subcutaneous tissues. When the skin temperature drops to 15 C, vasoconstriction happens. Vasoconstriction decreases the blood flow in the application area and thereby ensures the control of the oedema and bleeding and reduces the pain (Berman, Snyder & Frands, 2015). Receptors right under the skin sensing the cold adapt to the cold after some time (Demir I§ik, 2019). If the cold application is pursued after the body temperature drops to 15 C, vasodilation happens instead of vasoconstriction. This is named the Rebound Phenomenon (Berman, Snyder & Frands, 2015).

According to studies, it has been indicated that cold application should be applied for 10-20 minutes depending on the application method (Bleakley, McDonough & MacAuley, 2004) and repeated every 45 minutes - 2 hours (MacAuley, 2001). As a cheap and simple method, cold application causes circulatory disorders and thereby tissue necrosis and freezing when the application time increases (§ahin Oksay, 2010).

Cold applications can be done dry or wet. One of the most frequently used materials in dry cold application is cold compress package. Cold compress packages are practical, easy and cheap methods that can be easily used by patients. They are frequently used particularly in acute musculoskeletal injuries, fractures and after many surgical interventions (Kennet, Hardaker & Hobbs, 2007). Especially patients who are illiterate, who cannot/do not use watches experience problems in tracking the application (not being able to track the 20 minutes recommended application time, not being able to track the time that needs to pass before repeating the application) while performing the application. In addition, forgetting the cold package in the application area leads to making the application more than it should be.

Hot application, on the other hand, increases blood flow in the application area by causing vasodilation. Performing hot application, which is a method used to increase metabolism, accelerate venous return, and relieve pain, for more than 30 minutes causes tissue damage (Demir I§ik, 2019). One of the commonly used methods for dry heat application is hot compress packages. Compresses that have already been produced give the opportunity to apply cold by freezing in the deep freezer, and to apply hot by heating in the microwave oven or in hot water.

There are systems developed for the cold treatment in the state of the art. In the literature search, patent numbered TR2011/02099 was encountered. The system relates to an apparatus for cold treatment of a tissue, an arrangement for such an apparatus, and a container, such as a spray can, containing a cryogenic liquid. No improvements intended for starting and/or ending cold therapy at the right time was mentioned in the system. In the state of the art, there are also thermoelectric devices that can be controlled through an application and used in the cold treatment. Along with said thermoelectric devices being inefficient in terms of cost, among the researches conducted, a system that works depending on the body temperature measurements in the treatment area was also not found.

As a result, it became necessary to make an innovation in the technical field related to the above mentioned problems that cannot be solved in the light of the state of the art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to hot/cold compress package reminding the application time in order to eliminate the above mentioned disadvantages and bring new advantages to the related technical field.

The main aim of the invention is to prevent the hot/cold application, which is a cheap, easy and effective non-pharmacological method, from causing complications as a result of exceeding the application time and to create a system that ensures them to be applied safely. Another aim of the invention is to create a system that enables the patients/elderly, who are illiterate and cannot keep track of time, to apply the necessary hot/cold application therapy correctly.

Another aim of the invention is to develop a system that provides the most efficient application of hot/cold application therapy.

Another aim of the invention is to create a system that gives an alarm when the cold compress placed on the application area reduces the temperature of the application area preferably below 15°C.

In order to realize all the objectives that are mentioned above and will emerge from the detailed description below, the present invention is a system that ensures the correct application of hot/cold application therapy. According to this, the system comprises:

• a chamber with a cover on it to prevent direct contact with the skin, containing the heater/cooler providing the temperature/cold required for the hot/cold application treatment,

• a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the area where the hot/cold application treatment is applied and notifies with an alarm if the temperature of the relevant area falls below a certain temperature,

• fixing unit that enables the said chamber to be fixed to the application area,

• a digital timing device that gives an alarm that indicates that the treatment should be completed with the notification received by the said temperature sensor and/or at the end of the specified treatment period, and ensures that the function of the temperature sensor is adjusted temporally.

Our invention includes, in the preferred application of the system, a mobile application that provides an alarm at the end of the time entered after the preferred time information for the completion of the hot/cold application treatment is entered and/or that enables an alarm to be set for the next application time of the treatment. In order to for the embodiment of the present invention and its advantages with additional elements to be understood in the best way, it should be evaluated together with the figures described below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 shows the back side of the system, which is the subject of our invention, in contact with the patient.

Figure 2 is the front view of the system, which is the subject of our invention.

Figure 3 is an exemplary view of the system, which is the subject of our invention, placed in the knee region.

REFERENCE NUMBERS

1. Heating/cooling chamber

2. Heat sensor

3. Fixing unit

4. Digital timing device

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In this detailed description, the innovation of the invention is described with non-limiting examples only for better understanding of the subject. Our invention is a system that ensures the correct application of hot/cold application treatment. In Figure-1 and Figure-2, the foreground and background images of the system that is the subject of our invention are given. According to this, the system comprises a chamber (1) with a cover on it to prevent direct contact with the skin, containing the heater/cooler providing the temperature/cold required for the hot/cold application treatment, a temperature sensor (2) that detects the temperature of the area where the hot/cold application treatment is applied and notifies with an alarm if the temperature of the relevant area falls below a certain temperature, fixing unit (3) that enables the said chamber (1) to be fixed to the application area, a digital timing device (4) that gives an alarm with the notification it receives from the said temperature sensor (2) which indicates that the treatment should be completed and/or at the end of the specified treatment period, and ensures that the function of the temperature sensor (2) is adjusted temporally. Our invention includes, in the preferred application of the system, a mobile application that provides an alarm at the end of the time entered after the preferred time information for the completion of the hot/cold application treatment is entered and/or that enables an alarm to be set for the next application time of the treatment.

In the preferred embodiment of the system, the said chamber (1) comprises the gel used for heating/cooling purposes. In the preferred embodiment of the system, heating/cooling chamber (1) is fixed to the area to be treated via fixing unit (3) characterized as a touch and close fastener.

The working principle of our invention is as follows:

Through our invention, after the cooling application has started, an alarm is given when the temperature of the application area drops to the recommended minimum body temperature of 15 C to prevent vasoconstriction, and the user is warned to terminate the application. In the heating application, an alarm is given at the end of the desired application time (for example, 30 minutes).

There is a fabric cover on the chamber (1). The fabric cover prevents the chamber (1) from coming into direct contact with the skin. Only for the heat sensor (2) to come into contact with the skin, there is no fabric cover in the area where the temperature sensor (2) is located. The chamber (1) within the fabric cover is applied to the patient's body area (for example: the knee) by means of the fixing unit (3), preferably characterized as a touch and close fastener. When the body temperature in the cooling application area drops to 15 C, the temperature sensor (2) warns the digital timing device (4), causing it to give an alarm. Hearing the alarm sound, the person applying the application ends the cold application treatment. In a preferred embodiment of the system, the chamber (1), that is characterized as a cold compress package, is removed from its cover and is placed in the freezer for the next use if needed. In heating applications, an alarm is given by the digital timing device (4) at the end of the desired application period.

By means of the mobile application running on a mobile device, an alarm can be set to remind the repetition of the hot/cold treatment application after for instance 2 hours and/or the termination of the hot/cold treatment application after a certain period of time, and the set alarm can be give a warning via the mobile application.

Setting the alarms indicating that the treatment provided and applied by our invention should be terminated protects the patient from the harmful effects of long-term hot/cold application. In particular, the tracking the cold application protocol, which is frequently applied as '20 minutes per hour' or '20 minutes in 2 hours', after orthopedic surgical interventions, is also facilitated by the mobile application developed within the scope of our invention.

REFERENCES

1. Erek Kazan, E. (2011). Soguk uygulamalar ve hem§irelik bakimi. Saghk Bilimleri Fakiiltesi Hem§irelik Dergisi, 1,73-82.

2. Berman, A., Snyder, S., & Frands, G. (2015). Irrigating a wound, Iginde Kozier &Erb’s Fundamental of Nursing (10th ed.). Pearson, 856-861.

3. Demir I§ik, R. (2019). Sicak ve soguk uygulamalara. iginde Saghk Uygulamalannda Temel Kavramlar ve Beceriler. Nobel Tip Kitabevleri, Istanbul. 401-418.

4. Mac Auley, D. C. (2001). Ice therapy: how good is the evidence?. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 22(05), 462-481.

5. Bleakley, C., McDonough, S., & MacAuley, D. (2004). The use of ice in the treatment of acute soft-tissue injury: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. The American Journal of Sports Medicine, 32(1), 251-261.

6. §ahin Oksay, A. (2010). Sicak ve sogugun terapbtik kullammi. Iginde N. Sabuncu, F. Akga Ay (Ed.), Klinik Beceriler: Saghgin Degerlendirilmesi, Hasta Bakim ve Takibi. Istanbul: Nobel Tip Kitabevleri Ltd. §ti.; 416-445.

7. Kennet, J., Hardaker, N., Hobbs, S., et al. (2007). Cooling efficiency of 4 common cryotherapeutic agents. J Athl Train, 42,343-8.