Cold therapy system with intermittent fluid pumping for temperature

Abstract

A cold therapy system for applying a cooling pad to an area of the body of the user. The system comprises a portable insulated cooler having a lid and serving as a reservoir for water and ice. A pump is located within a housing affixed to the exterior of the cooler. The pump has an inlet operatively connected to the reservoir through the adjacent cooler wall. The pump has an outlet connected by an insulated delivery tube to the inlet of a pad. The outlet of the pad is connected by an insulated return tube, through the cooler wall to which the pump housing is affixed, to the reservoir. The pump is provided with a pulse-width modulating circuit having an electronic switch output that switches an intermittent drive current to the pump motor according to any one of a number of predetermined operating modes selectable by the operator through the use of a manual switch. Each of the operating modes provides the pad with a predetermined and repeatable temperature by altering the operating duty cycle of the drive current to the motor, the drive current being a combination of a medium fixed frequency pulse train having a fixed duty cycle and a very low fixed frequency DC pulse having a variable pulse width. The intermittent running of the pump motor further results in a compressive massaging effect by the pad.