Thermal blanket with elastic fit

Abstract

A thermal blanket with an elastic fit to accommodate body movement and particularly suitable for compressive post-operative thermal treatment of body joints such as the shoulder, ankle, knee, elbow, hand/wrist, back or hip, is disclosed. The blanket includes a bodyside first panel composed of double layers of thermoplastic sheet material heat-sealed together to define at least one and preferably two serpentine fluid flow passages for the circulation of cooling (or warming) fluid. The sheet material may alternatively define a relatively open passageway between an inlet and outlet. The blanket also includes a soft, foldable exterior second panel coplanar with the first panel, the edges of the two panels being secured together to form a unitary, easily-foldable blanket. The exterior panel is of soft loop-providing pile fabric over substantially the entire exterior surface thereof. The developed outline of the blanket provides at least two generally opposite or opposed free ends, one of which is provided with an elastic attachment patch having a bodyside-facing hook-providing fabric for releasable attachment to the loop-providing pile fabric of the external panel at the other or opposite free end when the blanket is wrapped about a body area for administering thermal treatment thereto. When the blanket is secured about a body area, the elasticity of the attachment patch(es) provides a snug compressive fit while still accommodating limited body movement.