Automatic patient control device

Details Automatic patient control device Automatic patient control device

2000-06-26

2003-02-11

Denion, Thomas (Department: 3748)

Surgery

Means for introducing or removing material from body for...

Material introduced into and removed from body through...

C604S006110, C604S006130, C604S023000, C604S027000, C604S030000, C604S113000, C604S114000, C604S131000, C604S151000, C604S028000, C604S500000, C417S207000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06517510

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an automatic patient control device that delivers a medium to a patient.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Gaymar Industries, Inc. (the assignee of the present invention) is the owner and manufacturer of the MEDI-THERM II® hypo/hyperthermia machine. This machine delivers water to a blanket (i.e., Gaymar's Hypo/hyperthermia blanket, Gaymar's THERMACARE® blanket or Gaymar's MEDI-TEMP® blanket), a mattress pad (i.e., Gaymar's Alternating Pressure Pad (model no. EFF302)), a chair pad, or a mattress unit (i.e., Gaymar's CLINIDYNE® mattress) (collectively the blankets, pads, and mattresses and obvious variations thereof are hereinafter “Objects”). In particular, the Objects surround a patient or applied to predetermined portions of the patient.
The object of the MEDI-THERM II® hypo/hyperthennia machine is to stabilize a patient who is experiencing hypothermia or hyperthermia or, in some instances, to actively cause hypothermia or hyperthermia as therapy. To understand the MEDI-THERM II® device, we will revert to
FIG. 1
(prior art) which is a flow diagram of how the MEDI-THERM II® device distributes water to and from an Object. The liquid medium enters MEDI-THERM II® device through return inlet
52
. From return inlet
52
, the liquid medium traverses through a first conduit
30
to a first solenoid valve
32
for cold liquid medium or a second solenoid valve
34
for warm liquid medium.
From the first solenoid valve
32
, the liquid medium goes through a second conduit
36
and a first cold inlet
37
to a cold reservoir
38
. The cold reservoir
38
is a conventional cooling unit that cools the water, i.e., a refrigeration system's or air conditioner's evaporator. The evaporator in the reservoir maintains a large quality of water at a predetermined temperature—normally 4° C.—(hereinafter “Cold Water”). Water entering the reservoir is cooled by mixing with the Cold Water already in the reservoir (hereinafter “Reservoir Water”.) If the cold reservoir
38
overflows, the Cold Water escapes from the device
10
through an overflow outlet
40
. The Cold Water then flows through a cold outlet
41
of the cold reservoir
38
and a third conduit
42
to a manifold
44
.
Similarly from the second solenoid
34
, the water goes to a hot reservoir
46
through a fourth conduit
48
and a hot inlet port
49
. The hot reservoir
46
is a conventional heating apparatus that heats the liquid medium (hereinafter “Warm Water”). The Warm Water flows through the warm outlet
56
to the manifold
44
.
At the manifold
44
the Warm Water and the Cold Water converge. The selection of which return water path is active and its length of time active is controlled via solenoid valves
32
and
34
to attain a desired temperature (hereinafter “Mixed Water”). The Mixed Water is drawn through a sixth conduit
74
by a conventional pump
76
, to supply outlet
14
. A flow switch
78
on the sixth conduit
74
senses whether the Mixed Water reaches the supply outlet
14
. Obviously, when the flow switch
78
is on, the Mixed Water reaches the supply outlet
14
. And when the flow switch
78
is off, the Mixed Water fails to reach the supply outlet
14
. A seventh conduit
80
connects with the first conduit
30
to provide quelling of temperature overshoot when no Object is connected.
When the Mixed Water reaches the supply outlet
14
, the Mixed Water is released into the outlet conduit
18
into the Object
16
. The Mixed Water traverses through the Object
16
to the return conduit
50
and into the return inlet
52
.
The Mixed Water temperature is altered with the first solenoid valve
32
which controls the Warm Water and the second solenoid valve
34
which controls the Cold Water. The amount of water each valve
32
,
34
allows into the manifold
44
depends on the temperature of the mammal
20
and the temperature of the Mixed Water in the Object.
The temperature of the mammal
20
is measured by a first conventional temperature sensing device (i.e. thermistors or thermocouples)
130
connected to a preselected portion of the mammal
20
and interconnected to a processing unit
90
. The measurement from the first temperature sensing device
130
is transmitted to a processing unit
90
.
The temperature of the Mixed Water in the Object is measured by a second conventional temperature measuring device
132
placed in the Object
16
, in the supply conduit
18
, the supply outlet
14
, the sixth conduit
74
, or manifold
44
. The measurement from the second temperature measuring device
132
is transmitted to the processing unit
90
.
The processing unit
90
compares the measurement from the first temperature sensing device
130
(hereinafter “First Measurement”) to the Set Point Body temperature of the mammal
20
(hereinafter “Set Point Body Temperature”). The processing unit
90
determines whether First Measurement is above or below the Set Point Body Temperature.
Initially when the First Measurement is above the Set Point Body Temperature, the MEDI-THERM II® device, by design, applies the coldest water available (normally 4° C.) to the Object
16
.
FIG. 2
(prior art) illustrates this design feature in section
200
wherein the temperature of the First Measurement is represented as line
201
, the Set Point Body Temperature is represented as line
202
, and the Mixed Water is represented as line
203
. Once the First Measurement
201
falls below the Set Point Body Temperature
203
, the processing unit uses the solenoid valves
32
,
34
to alter the temperature of the Mixed Water, not at a predetermined differential from the First Measurement, to eventually stabilize the patient to the Set Point Body Temperature. See section
204
of FIG.
2
.
Likewise, when the First Measurement is below the Set Point Body Temperature, the MEDI-THERM II® device, by design, applies the warmest water available (normally 42° C.) to the Object
16
. Once the First Measurement
201
falls above the Set Point Body Temperature
203
, the processing unit uses the solenoid valves
32
,
34
to alter the temperature of the Mixed Water, not at a predetermined differential from the First Measurement, to eventually stabilize the patient to the Set Point Body Temperature. See section
204
of FIG.
2
.
The MEDI-THERM II® device, however, can sometimes cause discomfort to the patient. This discomfort can occur when the MEDI-THERM II® device applies the coldest water available (normally 4° C.) or the warmest water available (normally 42° C.) into the Object during the initial time frame, shown in section
200
of
FIG. 2
, or when the First Measurement and the Set Point Body Temperature difference is not-so-great but exists for a long time. When the patient is exposed to the coldest or warmest water available, the patient may experience some discomfort.
The present invention solves this problem.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4691762 (1987-09-01), Elkins et al.
patent: 5097829 (1992-03-01), Quisenberry
patent: 5183039 (1993-02-01), Sarian et al.
patent: 6149674 (2000-11-01), Borders
patent: WO 99/44552 (1999-09-01), None

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