US 11,701,250 B2
Methods and apparatuses for manipulating temperature
Matthew J. Smith, Somerville, MA (US); Samuel Shames, Cambridge, MA (US); Michael Gibson, Boston, MA (US); and David Cohen-Tanugi, Somerville, MA (US)
Assigned to EMBR Labs Inc., Boston, MA (US)
Filed by EMBR Labs Inc., Boston, MA (US)
Filed on Dec. 10, 2018, as Appl. No. 16/214,372.
Application 16/214,372 is a continuation of application No. 14/552,002, filed on Nov. 24, 2014, granted, now 10,182,937.
Application 14/552,002 is a continuation of application No. PCT/US2014/060100, filed on Oct. 10, 2014.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/889,996, filed on Oct. 11, 2013.
Prior Publication US 2019/0117444 A1, Apr. 25, 2019
Int. Cl. A61F 7/00 (2006.01); G01K 1/143 (2021.01); G01K 13/20 (2021.01); A41D 13/005 (2006.01)
CPC A61F 7/007 (2013.01) [G01K 1/143 (2013.01); G01K 13/20 (2021.01); A41D 13/005 (2013.01); A61F 2007/0035 (2013.01); A61F 2007/0075 (2013.01); A61F 2007/0093 (2013.01)] 52 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A device for manipulating a temperature of a surface, comprising:
a thermal adjustment apparatus including a thermoelectric material constructed and arranged to be disposed adjacent the surface, the thermoelectric material configured to generate a plurality of heating or cooling thermal pulses in succession at a region of the thermoelectric material adjacent the surface, wherein the thermal adjustment apparatus is configured to be worn on a neck or wrist of a wearer; and
a controller in communication with the thermal adjustment apparatus, wherein the controller is configured to receive a selection between a heating mode and cooling mode from the wearer, wherein the controller is configured to control the generation of the plurality of thermal pulses based on the selection between the heating mode and cooling mode to selectively heat and cool the surface, wherein the plurality of thermal pulses cycle a temperature of the region between at least a first temperature and a second temperature, wherein an average rate of temperature change from the first temperature to the second temperature is between about 0.5° C./sec and about 3.0° C./sec, wherein a return period of each of the plurality of thermal pulses is less than 30 seconds, wherein one or more parameters of the plurality of thermal pulses are adjustable by the wearer, and wherein the one or more parameters includes at least one selected from the group of the average rate of temperature change during a pulse, a difference between the first temperature and an initial temperature of the surface, a difference between the second temperature and an initial temperature of the surface, and a behavior of a temperature profile applied during one or more regimes of a pulse.