Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61F—FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS
  • A61F7/00—Heating or cooling appliances for medical or therapeutic treatment of the human body
  • A61F7/02—Compresses or poultices for effecting heating or cooling
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61F—FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS
  • A61F7/00—Heating or cooling appliances for medical or therapeutic treatment of the human body
  • A61F2007/0054—Heating or cooling appliances for medical or therapeutic treatment of the human body with a closed fluid circuit, e.g. hot water

Definitions

• a multi-layer disposable medical thermal blanket for heating or cooling selected areas of a patient's body.
• Numerous devices have been developed to provide a temperature controlled pad or blanket to be applied to a selected area of a patient's body.
• a thermal blanket or pad it is important to prevent or minimize the accumulation of moisture, enhance the retention of thermal energy to the selected area of application and avoid pinching off the fluid conduits and thus the fluid should the thermal blanket or pad become folded.
• thermal pads comprise a pliable vinyl, having a continuous, serpentine conduit formed therein to circulate a heated or cooled liquid therethrough.
• thermal blankets disclose highly absorbent covering which act as a temperature control applicator.
• the present invention relates to a multi-layer disposable medical thermal blanket for controlling body temperature by either heating or cooling a select area of application on patient's body.
• the thermal blanket comprises an inner bladder having a highly moisture absorbent fiber layer and a moisture-proof layer disposed on opposite sides thereof.
• the inner bladder comprises a pair of bladder elements sealed together to form a plurality of fluid conduits therebetween, including an outer primary and inner, secondary fluid path and a matrix of thermal application channels.
• the outer primary fluid path comprises an outer primary fluid supply and return path in fluid exchanging relationship relative to each other disposed about the outer periphery of the thermal blanket.
• the inner secondary fluid path comprises an inner secondary fluid supply and return path in fluid exchanging relationship relative to each other disposed inwardly relative to the outer primary fluid path.
• the outer primary fluid supply and return extend substantially the length of the thermal blanket while the inner secondary fluid supply and return path extend substantially one-half the length of the thermal blanket.
• Extending substantially perpendicular to the outer primary and inner secondary fluid paths is a matrix of thermal application channels to circulate fluid therethrough between the supply and return paths.
• the highly appropriate fabric layer is used for the heating application and may be moistened to further enhance the thermal conductivity through the inner bladder to the patient's body.
• the moist-proof layer is used for cooling application.
• the thermal blanket is coupled to a fluid heating and cooling circulating source.
• the fluid As the fluid is circulated into the thermal blanket, it simultaneously enters the outer primary fluid supply path and inner secondary fluid supply path and is forced longitudinally down the thermal blanket.
• the fluid then enters the inner portion of the matrix of thermal channels.
• FIG 1 is a top view of the multi-layer disposable medical thermal blanket.
• FIG 2 is a cross-sectional end view of the multi-layer disposable medical thermal blanket taken along line 2-2 or FIG 1.
• the present invention relates to a multi-layer disposable medical thermal blanket generally indicated as 10 for controlling body temperature by either heating or cooling a select area of application on the patient's body.
• the thermal blanket 10 comprises an inner bladder having a highly moisture absorbent fiber layer and a moisture-proof layer disposed on opposite sides thereof generally indicated as 12, 14, and 16 respectively.
• the inner bladder 12 comprises a pair of bladder elements 18 and 20 sealed together to form a plurality of fluid conduits therebetween.
• the fluid conduits comprise an outer primary and inner secondary fluid path and a matrix of thermal application channels.
• the outer primary fluid path comprises an outer primary fluid supply path 22 and an outer primary fluid return path 24 in fluid exchanging relationship relative to each other disposed about the outer periphery of the thermal blanket 10.
• the inner secondary fluid path comprises an inner secondary fluid supply path 26 and an inner secondary fluid return path 28 in fluid exchanging relationship realtive to each other disposed inwardly relative to the outer primary fluid path.
• the outer primary fluid supply path 22 and outer primary fluid return path 24 extend substantially the length of the thermal blanket 10 while the inner secondary fluid supply path 26 and inner secondary fluid return path 28 extend substantially one half the length of the thermal blanket.
• the cross sectional area of the primary fluid path is substantially greater than the secondary fluid path and thermal application channels to permit the primary fluid path to expand outwardly from the sufrace of the thermal blanket 10 under the fluid pressure as the fluid is circulated through the thermal blanket 10 to effectively form a seal with the patient's body at the selected area of application to retain the thermal energy to the applied area when in the cooling mode with the moisture-proof layer adjacent the patient's body.
• Layer 16 comprises a flexible sheet of closed cell foam formed by a plurality of discontinuous voids.
• Extending substantially perpendicular to the outer primary and inner secondary fluid paths is a matrix of thermal application channels each indicated as 30.
• a matrix of thermal application channels each indicated as 30.
• the thermal applicatin channels 30 have interrupted ribs 32 on opposite sides thereof forming cross channels 33 thus permitting communication between adjacent thermal application channels 30 to more evenly distribute the pressure over the entire thermal blanket 10.
• the inner secondary fluid path includes an interrupted rib and stops 34 and 36 respectively. Adjacent segments 38 of the interrupted ribs 34 cooperatively form secondary fluid path channels each indicated as 40.
• the outer primary fluid path includes an interrupted rib 42 having supplemental fluid channel 44 in communication with -the secondary fluid path and a plurality of primary fluid path channels each indicated as 46 on the outer portions thereof formed by adjacent segments 48.
• the highly absorbent fabric layer 14 is used for the heating application and may be moistened to further enhance the thermal conductivity through the inner bladder 12 to the patient's body.
• the thermal blanket 10 is coupled to a fluid heating and cooling circulating source by inlet supply conduit and outlet supply conduit 50 and 52 respectively.
• inlet supply conduit 50 As the fluid is circulated into the thermal blanket 10 through inlet supply conduit 50, it simultaneously enters the outer primary fluid supply path 22 and inner secondary fluid supply path 26 and is forced longitudinally through the thermal blanket 10.
• the fluid enters the inner portion of the matrix of thermal channels 30 through the secondary fluid path channels 40.
• the inner portion of the matrix of thermal application channels 30 are supplemented by fluid passing through the supplemental fluid path channel 44 formed in the interrupted rib 42. Fluid is supplied to the outer portion of the thermal blanket 10 through the plurality of primary fluid path channels 46 forming the outer portion of the interrupted rib 42.

Landscapes

• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Vascular Medicine (AREA)
• Thermal Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Biomedical Technology (AREA)
• Heart & Thoracic Surgery (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
• Thermotherapy And Cooling Therapy Devices (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

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Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Families Citing this family (60)

Citations (2)

Family Cites Families (7)

• 1985
  • 1985-01-18 EP EP19850900886 patent/EP0168483A4/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1985-01-18 JP JP50056385A patent/JPS60502042A/ja active Pending
  • 1985-01-18 WO PCT/US1985/000071 patent/WO1985003216A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1985-01-18 AU AU38816/85A patent/AU3881685A/en not_active Abandoned

Patent Citations (2)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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