Surgery – Body protecting or restraining devices for patients or infants – Drapes
Utility Patent
1999-03-11
2001-01-02
Brown, Michael A. (Department: 3764)
Surgery
Body protecting or restraining devices for patients or infants
Drapes
C128S853000
Utility Patent
active
06167885
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to a method of providing means for controlling the condition of a patient lying on a operating table during the course of surgery and also to means provided by the method.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
One problem with surgical operations that take a long time to perform resides in the risk of hypothermia, i.e. the risk of the patient's body temperature falling beneath 36° C. At this temperature the function of the central nervous system and the endocrine system is disturbed, giving rise to undesirable physiological changes. Hypothermia can develop suddenly as a result of several different factors, for instance cold operating theatres, anaesthesia with dampening of the central nervous system, lowered metabolism and blood vessel dilation, intravenous liquids, unprotected patients who lie motionless, and large stomach-thorax openings. In order to reduce the risk of hypothermia in the case of surgical operations of long duration it is known to place heating blankets or the like on the patient. See, for instance, EP-B1-0 311 336, EP-A2-0 511 743 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,350,417. These prior publications teach so-called warm-air blankets or covers which consist of two sheets between which warm air is delivered under pressure. The bottom sheet of the warm-air sheets is perforated to provide a down-flow of warm air. The construction of these known warm-ark blankets, or covers, is relatively complicated and the blankets demand a relatively high price. Furthermore, each type of operation required a warm-air blanket that is designed especially for that particular operation which is reflected in the cost of production and also in user storage costs.
It is sometimes desirable to induce hypothermia in conjunction with certain types of surgery, for instance heart and brain surgery.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide a method of providing means for controlling the condition of a patient lying on an operating table during the course of surgery, said method enabling said means to be constructed in a very simple fashion and to be used for several different types of surgical operations. The method also provides a satisfactory solution to the problem of carrying away unsterile air from the patient in a hygienic fashion. Another object of the present invention is to reduce the costs of controlling the condition of a patient in comparison with known means for achieving the same end.
The object is achieved in accordance with the invention by means of a method of providing means for controlling the condition of a patient lying on a operating table during the course of a surgical operation, said method being characterized by placing over the patient at least one air-impervious surgical drape that includes an operation opening, such that the drape or drapes hangs/hand down from the operating table along the long sides and short sides thereof so as tho form a space that is closed at its top and sides with the roof and walls of said space formed by the surgical drape or drapes; and by delivering conditioned air to the space with the aid of an air-conditioning unit, wherein an air outlet opening is provided to permit air to flow out from the closed space. This method enables the closed space to be provided with the use of air-impervious surgical drapes that are already available commercially, therewith enabling the provision of means that can be implemented in the performance of different types of surgical operations without needing to modify said means. Because the inventive method enables the use of surgical drapes that are already available commercially, the invention provides a highly cost-effective method fo controlling the condition of patients. The method can also be applied in a simple and uncomplicated manner and involves only a few further steps in addition to covering the patient in the usual way.
In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the air outflow opening is comprised of a gap between the bottom edges of the surgical drape and the floor of the operating theatre. A spacing sheet, which includes an operation opening corresponding to the operation opening in the surgical drape or in respective surgical drapes and which is somewhat stiffer than the drape material, is laid on the patient prior to laying the surgical drapes. The temperature of the patient is measured and the supply of or the temperature of the conditioned air is adjusted in dependence on the patient's temperature. The conditioned air is delivered to that part of the closed space which lies above the top of the operating table.
In one variant of the invention, the conditioned air is delivered through an inlet hose that opens into the upper part of the closed space defined by the surgical drapes.
The invention also relates to means for controlling the condition of a patient lying on an operating table during the course of a surgical operation. The means is characterized by at least one air-impervious surgical drape which has, or have, a shape and size such that when the drape or drapes has or have been placed over the patient in the manner intended parts of the drape or drapes will hang down from the operating table along its long and short sides without reaching the floor of the operating theatre and therewith form a space which is closed at the top and on the sides thereof, with the roof and walls of said space being formed by the surgical drape or drapes, and also by devices for delivering conditioned air to the closed space.
In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the means includes a spacing sheet which is intended to be laid over the patient prior to laying the surgical drapes and which is slightly stiffer than the drape material, and also includes a device for measuring the patient's temperature and a device for controlling the air supply means in dependence on the patient's measured temperature. Further, the amount of air delivered to said space or the temperature of said delivered air is controlled in dependence on the patient's measured temperature.
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patent: 5405370 (1995-04-01), Irani
patent: 5443488 (1995-08-01), Namenye et al.
patent: 5514169 (1996-05-01), Dickerhoff et al.
patent: 5522871 (1996-06-01), Sternlicht
patent: 5588968 (1996-12-01), Sternlicht
patent: WO 94/01051 (1994-01-01), None
Brown Michael A.
Molnlycke Health Care AB
Young & Thompson
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