Low temperature wearable cooling device for stimulating weight-loss and related methods

Abstract

Disclosed are several embodiments of wearable cooling devices for applying low temperatures to the human body for the purpose of inducing calorie burn over and above resting metabolic rate, even if the wearer is resting, and for the ultimate purpose of weight loss. It is an objective of this disclosure to describe the wearable cooling devices so that low temperatures are applied comprehensively over regions of the body that will induce significant calorie burn. A further objective of this disclosure is to describe garments that effectively exchange heat from a tight skin-to-garment interface that covers a large surface area of the body.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]Provisional Application No. 61 / 824,718, EFS ID 15808997, Conf #6735, Filed by John K Buche / Bryce Johnson (customer #61226) on May 17, 2013, Titled “Low temperature garment for stimulating weight-loss and related methods”.[0002]Provisional Application No. 61 / 886,234, EFS ID 17031128, Conf #6387, Filed by Wayne B Hayes on Oct. 3, 2013, Titled “WEIGHT LOSS VIA COOLING OF PALMS OF HANDS, SOLES OF FEET, AND FACIAL CHEEKS”STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT:[0003]Not applicable.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0004]1. Field of Invention[0005]This application claims benefit of the above cross-referenced Provisional Application Nos. 61 / 824,718 and 61 / 886,234. The subject matter of this disclosure is in the field of apparatus and related methods of calorie burning in mammals via low-temperature stimulation.[0006]2. Background of the Invention[0007]Mammals must maintain a roughly constant core body temperature to survive; in ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

This patent describes different versions of cooling devices that can be worn to apply low temperatures to different parts of the body to help burn calories. These devices work by inducing calorie burn even when the person is resting. They also help to keep the person cool by exchanging heat with the environment. The devices are easy to use and can be conveniently stored in a freezer or refrigerator. Additionally, they are comfortable to wear in various social settings. The patent outlines several technical effects of this product, including improving metabolic rate, increasing calorie burn, and creating a comfortable and convenient wearable cooling solution.

Problems solved by technology

The calories thus burned may induce weight loss under appropriate conditions.

Although capable of stimulating weight-loss by promoting bodily energy consumption, full-body immersion in ice water is extremely uncomfortable, possibly unhealthy, and requires extraordinary bravery and exertion of willpower to accomplish.

In other words, placing a bag of ice on the shoulders may be less effective than a more concentrated or wider-area application of low temperature to areas of the body that may contain BAT, and more constraining than a cooling device that can be worn while the user is mobile.

And again, as we point out above, there is no evidence to suggest that direct application of cold specifically to the areas that contain BAT is any more effective than more general cold exposure.

However, the designs of Elasto-Gel™ vests and neck-wraps are sub-optimal for calorie burning since (1) they do not cover a sufficiently large area of the body to induce significant calorie burn; (2) the garments cannot be comfortably worn simultaneously since the neck-wrap and vest overlap coverage below the neck; (4) the Elasto-Gel material stays cold for only 10-15 minutes, which is too short a duration to stimulate significant calorie burn; and (5) the garments do not contain removable or replaceable cold-packs so (a) the entire device must go into the freezer in order to re-chill it after use, and (b) it cannot be easily machine-washed; (6) they are not disclosed for weight loss.

Although we do not believe BAT needs specifically to be targeted, the Cool Fat Burner does believe it, and yet is still sub-optimal for targeting the BAT in the front of the shoulder because it does not apply low temperatures to the front and top of the shoulder when worn.

The garment is sub-optimal for transferring heat from the body because the gel packs are solid when frozen and thus do not conform to the contours of the body (this solidity also makes the garment very uncomfortable to wear when it is frozen).

That is to say: the cold packs of the vest do not apply low temperature to the front and top of the shoulder, so that the garment is not entirely effective at cooling the body therein, nor even in transferring heat effectively from the skin except at the discrete points where its solid frozen surface tangentially contacts the skin.

Also, the interface between the device and the skin appears sub-optimal for heat transference because neither the vest nor the solid gel packs conform to the curves of the human body.

The vest only has three small gel packs that are not optimal at sufficiently cooling the body.

Additionally, the Cool Fat Burner may actually be too cold for optimal fat burn; evidence suggests that a higher-than-freezing temperature is more effective for fat burn since freezing temperatures cause blood to rush from the skin, reducing heat transfer out of the body.

Finally, all of these garments have a visual appearance that is “technical” in nature, and thus would not be socially acceptable to wear in a formal, business, or social context.

In sum, several garments exist that may, whether intentional or not, result in calorie burn due to exposure of the body to low temperatures.

These garments are not entirely satisfactory because the same do not efficiently or effectively apply low temperatures to the body.

The “Cool Fat Burner (ice Harness)”, does not conform to the contours of the body, does not adequately target areas of the body that would stimulate BAT, does not have an insulating layer, and is very uncomfortable to wear since the gel packs are large and solid while frozen.

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