Surgery – Isolation treatment chambers – Incubators
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-12
2001-09-18
Lacyk, John P. (Department: 3736)
Surgery
Isolation treatment chambers
Incubators
Reexamination Certificate
active
06290643
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
The present invention relates to an infant care warmer adapted to provide heat for the warming of an infant and, more particularly, to a method of controlling the initial intensity of a heater used in an infant warmer.
In the treatment of infants, and particularly those born prematurely, it is necessary to provide heat to the infant during the treatment of such infants and to minimize the heat loss of the infant. Accordingly, a common apparatus for providing such heat is an infant warmer. In general, the infant warmer comprises a flat, planar surface on which the infant rests while some procedure is being carried out on the infant. There are normally protective guards that surround the infant to keep the infant contained within the apparatus and there is an overhead heater that directs radiant energy in the infrared spectrum toward the infant to impinge upon that infant to provide warmth.
An infant warmer is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,474,517 of Falk and is an example of the type of infant care apparatus that is used to provide warmth to an infant while carrying our some procedure on that infant
There is a difficulty on start up of such radiant heaters in that in many instances, the infant is experiencing a loss of heat and it is therefor prudent to supply the heat to the infant rapidly to reach the desired temperature of the infant. In particular, radiant heaters warm up at a relatively slow process and thus there is a time period that the infant is in need of heat and it would be advantageous to reduce the time period to a minimum.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention relates to a method and system for controlling the radiant heater used in connection with an infant warmer. The present heater control system is carried out principally in software and provides a control of the radiant heater that increases the start up power to the heater to bring the heater up to the desired heat at a faster rate.
In particular, the present system is especially applicable, but not limited thereto, to the control of the initial start-up of a radiant heater used with an infant care apparatus that combines the functions of an incubator and an infant warmer. With such apparatus, there is a canopy having a radiant heater and the canopy can move between a lower position where it covers vertical sides and a base to enclose therein an infant compartment to create an infant incubator and an upper position where the apparatus functions as a radiant warmer. When the canopy is in the lower position, the radiant heater is disabled and the infant incubator is heated by a convective heating system. When the canopy is raised to the upper position, the convective heating system is disabled and the radiant heater is energized.
Thus, in the operation of the infant apparatus, there a period of time when the canopy is moving from its lower position where the infant is maintained within the very protective, controlled environment of an incubator to the upper position where the infant is basically in a open environment with the radiant heater in position and energized. Thus, during that period of time, the convective system has been de-energized but the radiant heater has not yet been enabled and it is possible for the infant to be cooled. It would therefore be advisable, with the use of the present method, to enable the radiant heater to more rapidly heat up so as to provide the heat to the infant faster than with conventional systems.
In present method and system, the radiant heater is generally rated at a normal power rating for 100% power. Upon start up, however, the present system powers the heater at an increased power for a period of time and then reduces that power at the end of that time period to the normal heater control. In such heaters, there is generally an initial setting, in percentage of power. Upon start up, the system of the present invention sets the radiant heater to the increased power setting for a period of time based upon the initial setting, that is, if the initial start up power is 100% power to the heater, the power to the heater at start up is at an excess of 100% for a period of time, for example 100 seconds. If, on the other hand, the initial set start up power is 50 percent power, upon start up, the power to the heater will be for the same percentage in excess of the 100% rated power but the time period will be a shorter interval, from example, the increased power may be for only 50 seconds.
With the present invention, therefore, there is an initial additional power to the radiant heater to bring the heater up to the desired heat level more rapidly and to provide more rapid needed heat to the infant. Although the present invention will be described with respect to the aforedescribed infant apparatus, it will become clear that the inventive system can be used with any radiant heater to provide a more rapid start of that heater.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent during the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings herein.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5474517 (1995-12-01), Falk et al.
Falk Steven M.
Mackin Michael H.
Datex-Ohmeda Inc.
Lacyk John P.
Rathbun Roger M.
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