WEARABLE THERAPEUTIC DEVICE

1 . A wearable therapeutic device, comprising:

a strap configured to be worn around a lumbar region of a back of a user, the strap comprising:

a central portion comprising a central longitudinal axis extending through a center of the central portion and oriented approximately perpendicular to a spine of the user when the strap is worn by the user;

a first end portion extending from a first side of the central portion, the first end portion comprising a first longitudinal axis extending through a center of the first end portion and oriented approximately perpendicular to the spine of the user when the strap is worn by the user; and

a second end portion extending from a second side of the central portion opposite the first side of the central portion, the second end portion comprising a second longitudinal axis extending through a center of the second end portion and oriented approximately perpendicular to the spine of the user when the strap is worn by the user;

wherein the first longitudinal axis and the second longitudinal axis are approximately coaxial with each other, and the central longitudinal axis is located further from a head of the user than the first longitudinal axis and the second longitudinal axis when the strap is worn by the user;

a far-infrared light source located in the central portion;

a near-infrared light source located in the central portion and configured to contact the back of the user when the strap is worn by the user, wherein the near-infrared light source is positioned between the back of the user and the far-infrared light source when the strap is worn by the user;

at least one vibration element located in the central portion; and

a heating element located in the central portion.

2 . The wearable therapeutic device of claim 1 , wherein the heating element comprises a carbon fiber heating portion, the carbon fiber heating portion comprising carbon fiber strands arranged in a pattern.

3 . The wearable therapeutic device of claim 2 , wherein the pattern comprises a sinusoidal pattern.

4 . The wearable therapeutic device of claim 1 , wherein the heating element comprises a first carbon fiber layer and a second carbon fiber layer, wherein the first carbon fiber layer is larger than the second carbon fiber layer, and the second carbon fiber layer is located closer to the back of the user when the strap is worn by the user.

5 . The wearable therapeutic device of claim 4 , wherein the second carbon fiber layer is located between the near-infrared light source and the first carbon fiber layer, and the second carbon fiber layer has approximately a same size and shape as the near-infrared light source.

6 . The wearable therapeutic device of claim 5 , wherein a combination of the first carbon fiber layer and the second carbon fiber layer is configured to evenly heat a lumbosacral region of the back of the user.

7 . The wearable therapeutic device of claim 6 , wherein the first carbon fiber layer draws a first amount of power from a power source within the strap and the second carbon fiber layer draws a second amount of power from the power source, and the first amount of power is different than the second amount of power.

8 . The wearable therapeutic device of claim 7 , wherein the first carbon fiber layer and the second carbon fiber layer are configured to generate heat at the central portion, wherein the first carbon fiber layer reaches a first temperature when the first carbon fiber layer draws power from the power source within the strap to generate a first portion of the heat, and the second carbon fiber layer reaches a second temperature when the second carbon fiber layer draws power from the power source to generate a second portion of the heat,

wherein the near-infrared light source is configured to absorb at least some of the heat such that the combination of the first carbon fiber layer and the second carbon fiber layer evenly heats the central portion.

9 . A wearable therapeutic device, comprising:

a strap configured to be worn around a lumbar region of a back of a user, the strap comprising:

a central portion;

a first end portion extending from a first side of the central portion; and

a second end portion extending from a second side of the central portion opposite the first side of the central portion;

at least one vibration element located in the central portion;

a near-infrared light source located in the central portion and configured to contact the back of the user when the strap is worn by the user;

a carbon fiber heating portion located in the central portion, wherein the carbon fiber heating portion is located between the at least one vibration element and the near-infrared light source when the strap is worn by the user such that the near-infrared light source is located closer to the back of the user than the at least one vibration element when the strap is worn by the user, wherein the carbon fiber heating portion emits far-infrared light when the carbon fiber heating portion receives power from a power source in the strap; and

a housing configured to secure the at least one vibration element, the near-infrared light source, and the carbon fiber heating portion.

10 . The wearable therapeutic device of claim 9 , wherein the carbon fiber heating portion is configured to evenly heat a lumbosacral region of the back of the user.

11 . The wearable therapeutic device of claim 10 , wherein the carbon fiber heating portion comprises a first carbon heating fiber layer adjacent to a second carbon fiber heating layer, wherein the first carbon fiber heating layer and the second carbon fiber heating layer are different sizes.

12 . The wearable therapeutic device of claim 9 , wherein the carbon fiber heating portion is configured to emit a first dose of far-infrared light when the carbon fiber heating portion is maintained at a first temperature for a first duration, and the carbon fiber heating portion is configured to emit a second dose of far-infrared light when the carbon fiber heating portion is maintained at a second temperature for a second duration, wherein the first dose is different than the second dose and the first temperature is different than the second temperature.

13 . The wearable therapeutic device of claim 11 , wherein the first carbon fiber heating layer comprises a first surface area and the second carbon fiber heating layer comprises a second surface area, wherein the first surface area is at least twice as large as the second surface area.

14 . The wearable therapeutic device of claim 13 , wherein the second carbon fiber heating layer is aligned with the near-infrared light source, wherein the near-infrared light source comprises a third surface area that approximately matches the second surface area of the second carbon fiber heating layer.

15 . A wearable therapeutic device, comprising:

a strap configured to be worn around a lumbar region of a back of user, the strap comprising:

a central portion comprising a top edge and a bottom edge, wherein the top edge of the central portion is located closer to a head of the user when the strap is worn by the user;

a first end portion extending from a first side of the central portion, the first end portion comprising a top edge and a bottom edge, wherein the top edge of the first end portion is located closer to the head of the user than the bottom edge of the first end portion when the strap is worn by the user; and

a second end portion extending from a second side of the central portion opposite the first side, the second end portion comprising:

a top edge and a bottom edge, wherein the top edge of the second end portion is located closer to the head of the user than the bottom edge of the second end portion when the strap is worn by the user; and

a controller coupled to the second end portion configured to be located in front of the user when the strap is worn by the user,

wherein a first non-zero distance between the top edge of the central portion and the top edges of the first end portion and the second end portion in a direction approximately parallel to a spine of the user is smaller than a second non-zero distance between the bottom edge of the central portion and the bottom edges of the first end portion and the second end portion in the direction approximately parallel to the spine of the user;

at least one vibration element located in the central portion and electrically coupled to the controller;

a heating element located in the central portion and electrically coupled to the controller;

a near-infrared light source located in the central portion and electrically coupled to the controller; and

a far-infrared light source located in the central portion and electrically coupled to the controller,

wherein the controller is configured to operate the at least one vibration element, the heating element, the near-infrared light source, and the far-infrared light source.

16 . The wearable therapeutic device of claim 15 , wherein the heating element comprises a first carbon fiber heating layer and a second carbon fiber heating layer, wherein the second carbon fiber heating layer is adjacent to the first carbon fiber heating layer and comprises a smaller surface area than the first carbon fiber heating layer.

17 . The wearable therapeutic device of claim 16 , wherein the controller is configured to cause the first carbon fiber heating layer and the second carbon fiber heating layer to generate heat at the central portion, wherein the controller is further configured to cause first carbon fiber layer to reach a first temperature to generate a first portion of the heat, and wherein the controller is configured to cause the second carbon fiber heating layer to reach a second temperature to generate a second portion of the heat, the first temperature being different than the second temperature,

wherein the near-infrared light source is configured to absorb at least some of the heat such that a combination of the first carbon fiber heating layer and the second carbon fiber heating layer evenly heats the central portion.

18 . The wearable therapeutic device of claim 16 , wherein the far-infrared light source comprises the heating element, and the controller is configured to cause the far-infrared light source to emit a first dose of far-infrared light when the heating element is maintained at a first temperature for a first duration, and the controller is configured to cause the far-infrared light source to emit a second dose of far-infrared light when the heating element is maintained at a second temperature for a second duration, wherein the first dose is different than the second dose and the first temperature is different than the second temperature.

19 . The wearable therapeutic device of claim 18 , wherein the first dose of far-infrared light is greater than or equal to 8 Joules per square centimeter and less than or equal to 10 Joules per square centimeter when the first temperature is approximately 39 degrees Celsius.

20 . The wearable therapeutic device of claim 18 , wherein the second dose of far-infrared light is greater than or equal to 10 Joules per square centimeter and less than or equal to 12 Joules per square centimeter when the second temperature is approximately 42 degrees Celsius.