The Design and Development of a novel Cryotherapy Device for Physical Therapy: A Preliminary Report
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Date
2016-12-01
Authors
Nwoye, E. O.
Fidelis, O. P.
Folorunso, O.
Ajibola, E. O.
Odebiyi, D. O.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Nig. Quaterly Journal of Hospital Medicine
Abstract
Background: Cold application in the commonest cryotherapy method used in hospitals, homes and schools. In this paper, we present a simple electronic device for cooling biological tissues, which requires neither water nor ice. The need for device of this kind is born out of the quest to reduce reliance on ice which may be difficult to keep in a frozen state for a long time. The electric pow3er which is available especially in nations such as Nigeria. Therefore, a device such as this, which is mobile, portable and which is operated with low voltage, represents an alternative to ice. The device is based o the principle of Thermoelectric Cooling Effect
Objective: One most singular objective of this new device is to develop a mobile cryotherapy device which is capable of replacing the use of ice for on-the-spot application in such places as sports arena. The device also has a therapist monitor treatment temperature via a third party device such as a mobile phone.
Material and Methods: the research objective comprise of a microcontroller, a temperature sensor, a heat sink, a display unit and a Bluetooth module. The device was first simulated with software. The Proteus electronics design suite, the computer design was afterwards transferred into a physical device by joining the required electronic components on a circuit board. This prototype was later tested on the human bicep to assess its ability to cool biological tissues.
Result: The research objective of developing a electronic device that is capable of producing low temperature device that is capable of producing low temperature was achieved within the demands for portability and miniaturization. The research showed that lower temperature may be obtained but at the expense of miniaturization and portability. The preliminary testing also showed cooling capability of the device when applied to the human bicep muscle.
Conclusion: The result from this research show that a cryotherapy device which depends solely on electronic components and uses neither ice nor water is possible
Description
Keywords
Cryotherapy , Thermoelectric effect , Microcontroller , Bluetooth , Semiconductor