CONER FOR HUMAN SCALP COOLING CAP
This invention relates to a cover for a cap for cooling a human scalp, and particularly, though not exclusively for a cap, for preventing or at least reducing hair loss during anti-cancer treatment by chemotherapy.
One example of scalp cooling apparatus is disclosed in EP0864309, and to which reference is directed for a fuller description of the supply of coolant at a controlled temperature to a cooling cap or hat.
In the design of a satisfactory cooling cap, it is important to provide a flexible arrangement which can easily be applied to the scalp of the user, and which can maintain intimate surface contact with as much of the surface of the scalp as possible. This is important, so that cooling action to the scalp may be applied throughout all areas of the scalp, despite the difficulty that individual scalp shapes or profiles may vary substantially from one patient to another.
The cooling cap has an internal chamber which receives a supply of coolant, and through which coolant is circulated via flow and return pipes which are connected to a remote cooling or refrigerating plant.
The present invention seeks to provide a design of cooling cap cover which is able to conform the cap to the shape of a human scalp to be treated, so as to have better intimate contact with the scalp surface.
According to the invention there is provided a cover for fitting to a cap for cooling a human scalp, said cap comprising: an internal chamber defined in the cap for receiving scalp coolant; means provided to circulate coolant through the chamber; and the cap being made of flexible material so as to be able to conform to the shape of a particular human scalp; in which the cover is provided with an adjustable arrangement which is operative to apply tension to the cover, when the cover and the cap are fitted together, so as to draw the cap into contact with the surface of the scalp; said adjustable arrangement comprising: a chinstrap;
an annular member overlying the lower edge of the cover and which can be tightened in order to engage the lower edge of the cap firmly with the scalp; and, a tensile arrangement of flexible elongate elements connected to the chinstrap and engaging with the cover in such a way as to conform the cap interior with the surface of the scalp.
Thus, the invention provides a cooling cap cover which can easily be adjusted so as to bring the internal cooling surface of the cap into intimate contact with the surface of the scalp of the wearer, despite the variation in scalp profile from one patient to another.
Preferably, the tensile arrangement of elongate elements comprises an array of flexible cord, rope or the like, which overlies the upper portion of the cover, and which applies a downward conforming action to the upper portion of the cap so as to come into intimate contact with the upper portion of the scalp.
In addition, by virtue of the connection to the chinstrap, and the tightening of the annular member, a lower portion of the cap and cover is conformed to a lower surface of the scalp, and is moved into intimate contact therewith.
The flexible cord may be made of resiliently deformable material e.g. rubber like material, or may incorporate, or be connected to any suitable resilient means which maintains the array in tension in use.
Adjustability of the arrangement may be provided by means of one or more sliding buckle type of interconnection between respective opposite ends of the chinstrap and the array of flexible cord.
The flexible array of cord may be formed by a single cord, rope etc, or may be assembled from a number of separate individual elongate elements. The array forms a cradle like array passing over the crown of the cap and also extending circumferentially of the upper portion of the cap.
The buckle type of interconnection may include a D-ring, through which the cord can be threaded, and then also passing over the crown via an X-shaped brace overlying the top of the cap.
A preferred embodiment of cover of cap for cooling a human scalp according to the invention will now be described in detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view from one side of the cover applied to the scalp of a patient who is to be treated;
Figure 2 is a perspective view from the opposite side; and,
Figure 3 is a diagrammatic plan view illustration of part of an adjustable arrangement overlying the cap and cover, and operative to apply tension to the cap in order to draw the cap into contact with the surface of the scalp.
Referring now to the drawings, a cap cover according to the invention is designated generally by reference 10 and is intended to be fitted over a scalp cooling cap (not shown in detail) and which defines an internal chamber (not shown) for receiving scalp coolant which is circulated through the chamber via flow and return pipes 11, 12, connected to a refrigerating plant (not shown). The cover 10 is made of flexible material so as to be able to conform to the shape of a particular human scalp, and an adjustable arrangement is provided which is operative to apply tension to the cover 10 so as to draw the cap into contact with the surface of the scalp.
The adjustable arrangement is formed by three main component parts which will now be described. A chinstrap 13 is connected to the cover 10, and engages under the chin of the patient, as shown clearly in Figures 1 and 2. An annular member 14 overlies the lower edge 15 of the cover 10, and can be tightened in order to engage the lower edge 15 of the cover 10 (and the cap) firmly with the lower portion of the scalp of the patient. As shown in Figure 2, the annular member 14 has overlapping ends 16 and 17 provided with releasable contact faces which permit the member 14 to be tightened around the scalp and then to hold the member in position under any required degree of tension.
The third main component of the adjustable arrangement is a tensile arrangement of flexible elongate elements, designated generally by reference 18. Arrangement 18 engages with the cover 10 in such a way as to conform the cap interior with the surface of the scalp, upon suitable adjustment of the connection between tensile arrangement 18 and chinstrap 13.
The tensile arrangement 18 of elongate elements comprises an array of flexible cord, rope or the like, which overlies the upper portion 10a of the cover, and which applies a downward conforming action to the upper portion 10a so as to come into intimate contact with the upper portion of the scalp.
In addition, by virtue of the connection of tensile arrangement 18 to the chinstrap 13, and suitable tightening of the annular member 14, a lower portion 10b of the cover 10 is conformed to a lower surface of the scalp.
The flexible cord of the array 18 may be made of resiliently deformable material e.g. rubber like material, or may incorporate, or be connected to any suitable resilient means which maintains the array 18 in tension in use.
Adjustability of the overall cover tensioning arrangement is provided by means of one or more sliding buckle type of interconnection 19 between respective opposite ends 20 of the chinstrap 13 and the array 18.
The flexible array 18 may be formed by a single cord, rope or the like, or may be assembled from a number of separate individual elongate components. The array 18 also forms a cradle-like array, passing over the crown of the cap, and also extending circumferentially of the upper portion of the cap, as can be seen in Figure 3.
The buckle type of interconnection 19, 20 includes a D-ring shape, through which the cord of the array 18 can be threaded, as shown in Figures 1 to 3. The array 18 also engages with an X-shaped brace 21 which overlies the top of the cap.