Electric heating – Heating devices – Combined with container – enclosure – or support for material...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-11
2001-11-13
Pelham, Joseph (Department: 3742)
Electric heating
Heating devices
Combined with container, enclosure, or support for material...
C219S386000, C219S433000, C219S428000, C222S146500, C604S291000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06316750
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
1. Field
The present invention relates to maintaining medical pads within a predetermined temperature range and more particularly to preserving such pads in a ready to use condition over a period of hours.
2. Prior Art
Prior to an injection or taking a blood sample, the skin is usually sterilized by means of alcohol applied with a medical pad. Normally, the alcohol and the pad are stored at room temperature. As soon as the alcohol is applied to the pad, it begins to evaporate and cool the pad. The pad becomes cool to the touch and its initial application cools the area to which it is applied. This initial cooling is added to by the continued evaporation of the alcohol on the skin. The application of the pad is uncomfortable for the patient and it tends to make the veins withdraw from the skin, making the drawing of a blood sample difficult.
There are medical pad warming devices currently in existence as evidenced by prior art U.S. Pat. No. 3,867,939 by Moore, U.S. Pat. No. 3,976,049 by Yamashita and U.S. Pat. No. 4,107,509 by Scher. Moore describes a disposable sterile temperature controlled applicator intended to control the temperature of a particular part of the body, rather than the temperature of a medical applicator pad. Yamashita describes a chemically produced warmer which is generally not reuseable and therefore inappropriate for the present application. Scher describes a pad intended to apply heat to the body rather than a pad intended to sterilizer an area of the skin.
SUMMARY
It is an object of the present invention to provide a medical pad warming device that is reuseable and can operate continuously for a period of hours without the need to add chemicals.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a medical pad warming device that maintains the pads within a prescribed temperature range.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a medical pad warming device that prevents the evaporation of the medication applied to the pads while the pad is maintained at a temperature which makes the pad ready for immediate application.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a medical pad warming device that includes a means for the convenient transport of medical pads to a location that is remote from power and heat.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a medical pad warming device that includes a means for continually monitoring the temperature of the pads at a location that is remote from a source of power or heat.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a medical pad warming device that is safe for use in the operating room as well as other areas of medical facilities.
The present invention includes an insulated case carrying multiple internal containers and a source of controlled heat to warm medical pads, such as alcohol pads, and hold them in a ready condition for immediate use over long periods of time. The pads, after being saturated with alcohol, are stored in the internal containers where they are raised in temperature by the controlled heat source to a predetermined temperature range and maintained within that predetermined temperature range. The insulated case is covered so that vapor pressure can be maintained at a level within the internal containers that prevent the escape of the alcohol from the pads through evaporation.
The safety features of this apparatus include a power failure alarm, an over temperature, over pressure and over voltage alarm, an over pressure vent and an automatic shut off alarm, all of which continue to operate even when there is a power failure. One embodiment of the present invention provides for heating without the use of electricity for situations where electrical power is not available. Internal containers are individually insulated and are removable for transport to wherever they are needed. They are also individually covers to prevent evaporation. Each internal container includes a temperature sensing device which indicates whether the pads are still within the desired temperature range after they have been removed from the source of controlled heat. To save time in emergency situations, individual containers include a flag or a window which indicated when the pads within a container are used up.
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Pelham Joseph
Redmond Kevin
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