Systems and methods for heating infant care station

Abstract

To provide an infant care station, and more specifically, heating of an infant care station with a vented heater.SOLUTION: An infant care station includes a support platform for housing an infant, and a heater for generating radiant heat to be provided to the support platform. In some examples, a reflective dish of the heater includes one or more vents to allow hot air proximate to a heater element of the heater to flow through a back of the reflective dish. The hot air can include impurities from air, and the heater can provide radiant heat to the support platform as the hot air with the impurities flows through the back of the reflective dish.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] TECHNICAL FIELD The technology disclosed herein relates to infant care stations, and more particularly to heating infant care stations using vented heaters. [Background technology]

[0002] Some infants are too physiologically developed to survive without specialized treatment. A commonly used medical device for these infants is an incubator. The primary purpose of an incubator is to provide an environment that maintains the infant in a minimal metabolic state, thereby allowing for as rapid physiological development as possible. Neonatal incubators create a thermally neutral microenvironment in which the infant can develop. These incubators typically include a humidifier, a heater, and an associated control system to control the humidity and temperature of the neonatal microenvironment. The humidifier includes a device that evaporates an evaporable substance (such as distilled water) to increase the relative humidity of the air in the neonatal microenvironment. The humidifier is typically controllable to adjust the amount of water or water vapor added to the microenvironment to control the humidity to a desired value. The heater can be, for example, an air heater that can be controlled to maintain a certain temperature in the microenvironment area. In some cases, a radiant warmer can be used instead of an incubator for some infants who require less environmental control. In yet other embodiments, a hybrid incubator / radiant warming system can be utilized.

[0003] To precisely control the microenvironment in a neonatal or infant care station, the infant care station includes an enclosed enclosure that helps maintain the controlled microenvironment. Such an enclosure, also called an infant compartment, typically includes four side walls or side plates surrounding an infant support platform and an upper hood or canopy.

[0004] An infant care station can use any number of heaters to provide warm air to an infant lying on an infant support platform (e.g., a mattress or the support platform of the infant care station). In some examples described herein, the infant care station can include a heater having one or more vents in a reflector pan that allow hot, impure air to pass through the heater's reflector pan while the heater provides radiant heat to the support platform. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In one embodiment, an infant care station is described herein. The infant care station includes a support platform for placing an infant and a heater for generating radiant heat supplied to the support platform. In some embodiments, a reflector pan of the heater includes one or more vents that allow hot air near a heating element of the heater to pass behind the reflector pan. The hot air contains impurities, and the heater can supply radiant heat to the support platform while the hot, impurity-laden air flows past the back surface of the reflector pan and out the back surface.

[0006] In another example, a method of operating an infant care station can include determining an expected amount of impurities to be removed from air. The method can also include determining a vent configuration of a heater based on the expected amount of impurities, and modifying one or more settings of the heater based on the vent configuration. The method can also include providing radiant heat to a support platform of the infant care station using the one or more settings while hot air flows through one or more vents in a reflector pan of the heater.

[0007] In yet another embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable medium for operating an infant care station having a vented heater includes a plurality of instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to determine an expected amount of impurities to be removed from air, determine a vent configuration for the heater based on the expected amount of impurities, and change one or more settings of the heater based on the vent configuration. The instructions also cause the processor to: One or more settings are used to provide radiant heat to the support platform of the infant care station while hot air flows through one or more vents in the heater reflector dish. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] The present disclosure can be better understood by reading the following description of non-limiting examples with reference to the drawings which are schematically described below. [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary infant care station operating as an infant warmer with a heater and canopy according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is an exemplary infant care station using a heater that provides radiant heat in a canopy-less infant warmer setting, according to one embodiment. [Figure 3A] FIG. 1 is a front view of an exemplary heater with vents for an infant care station, according to one embodiment. [Figure 3B] 1 illustrates a vented heater according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] 1 shows the airflow in a heater without a central vent. [Figure 5] 1 illustrates an exemplary airflow through a vented heater for an infant care station, according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a process flow diagram of an exemplary method for operating a vented heater for an infant care station, according to an embodiment. [Figure 7]FIG. 1 illustrates a rear view of an exemplary heater having one or more vents, according to an embodiment. [Figure 8] 1 illustrates a rear view of an exemplary heater having one or more ducts coupled to vents in the heater, according to an embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example of a computing device capable of operating a vented heater of an infant care station. [Figure 10] 1 is an example of a non-transitory machine-readable medium for operating a vented heater in an infant care station, according to an embodiment.

[0009] The drawings illustrate certain aspects of the described components, systems, and methods for providing a neonatal care station. The drawings, together with the following detailed description, illustrate and explain the structures, methods, and principles described herein. In the drawings, the thickness and size of components may be exaggerated or otherwise modified for clarity. Well-known structures, materials, or operations have not been shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the described components, systems, and methods. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Embodiments of the present disclosure are described with reference to FIGS. 1-10 by way of example, and the following description relates to various examples of infant care stations. The following description relates to various techniques, methods, non-transitory computer-readable media, and systems for heating an infant care station using one or more vented heaters. A vented heater as referred to herein may include any suitable heater for generating radiant heat supplied to the infant care station while allowing some hot air to pass through one or more vents in a reflector pan of the vented heater. An infant care station may provide a microenvironment for an infant patient receiving medical care. An infant care station as referred to herein may include an incubator, a warmer, or a device supporting one or more functions of an incubator or warmer. An infant care station may use one or more vented heaters to provide radiant heat to an infant residing on a support platform, mattress, bed, or the like of the infant care station.

[0011] The technology herein has the technical advantage of minimizing or eliminating the degradation of the radiant heater's reflective efficiency over the life of the infant care station by configuring the heater's reflector dish to include vents. The vents can be positioned in any number of locations on the reflector dish, allowing hot air containing impurities to flow through the vents, behind the reflector dish, and away from the infant care station. The vents allow impurities to be removed from the air above the support platform.

[0012] 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary infant care station operating as an infant warmer with a heater and canopy. In some examples, infant care station 100 includes a horizontal surface 102, a wall 104, and a canopy 106 that are connected together. In some examples, horizontal surface 102, wall 104, and canopy 106 may be separate components that may be movable relative to one another. For example, the exemplary configuration in FIG. 1 shows canopy 106 elevated from wall 104 to allow the infant care station 100 to operate as a warmer with a microenvironment exposed to the ambient environment.

[0013] The horizontal surface 102, the walls 104, and the canopy 106 define a microenvironment 108 that is exposed to the air due to the elevated canopy 106. In some examples, the walls 104 further include a hand window 113 that allows a clinician access to the microenvironment 108. In some examples, in a warmer configuration, the walls 104 may be lower or higher and may not include the hand window 113.

[0014] In some embodiments, infant care station 100 includes a base 110 that supports a support platform 112. Infant care station 100 may also include a radiant heater 114 above support platform 112. Radiant heater 114 may be configured to provide radiant heat to support platform 112 to warm the infant patient. The radiant heater 114 of FIG. 1 does not have the ability to regulate or provide convection heating and is a dedicated heater that provides radiant heating. In some embodiments, infant care station 100 may include a separate second heater (not shown) to provide thermally conditioned air in an incubator setting with canopy 106 closed.

[0015] The embodiment of the infant care station 100 further includes a support 116 connected to the base 110. The support 116 includes mechanical components (not shown) including, but not limited to, a servo motor, a rack and pinion system, or a screw gear mechanism. These mechanical components are operable by a foot pedal 118 to raise or lower the base 110 and thereby raise or lower the desired position of the infant patient (not shown) relative to the clinician. The infant care station 100 may be mobile via wheels or casters 120 connected to the support 116.

[0016] The embodiment of infant care station 100 shown in FIG. 1 includes a graphical display 122 mounted to a wall, base 110, or canopy 106 of infant care station 100 at a location external to microenvironment 108. Graphical display 122 is operated by a processor and presents a graphical user interface (GUI) 124. In the illustrated example, graphical display 122 is a touch-sensitive graphical display, and GUI 124 is configured to be particularly responsive to clinician input received through the touch-sensitive graphical display. During normal operation, touch-sensitive graphical display 122 and touch-sensitive GUI 124 are used to control various functions of infant care station 100. GUI 124 presents various information, such as air temperature and alarm indications. In some examples, the alarm indication may provide, among other things, a message indicating a change in an environmental characteristic or a warning that an infant patient's temperature is too high.

[0017] 2 illustrates an example of an exemplary canopy-less infant care station that uses heaters to provide radiant heat in an infant warmer setting. In some embodiments, infant care station 200 can include a horizontal surface 202 and a wall 204. In some embodiments, support platform or horizontal surface 202 and wall 204 can be separate components that can be movable relative to one another. For example, the exemplary configuration of FIG. 2 illustrates an open microenvironment with no canopy above wall 204, allowing for operation as an infant warmer where the microenvironment is exposed to the air and environment surrounding infant care station 200.

[0018] In some embodiments, infant care station 200 includes a base 206 that supports a horizontal surface or support platform 202. Infant care station 200 can also include a housing 208, which can include any number of components, such as a heater 210 proximate support platform 202. Heater 210 can be configured to uniformly provide radiant heat to support platform 202 to warm the infant patient. For example, heater 210 can include a heating element 212 and a reflector dish 214. Reflector dish 214 can provide radiant heat to the infant patient on horizontal surface 202. In some embodiments, heater 210 utilizes reflector dish 214 or other suitable reflective surface to provide radiant heat such that a radiant heating setting on infant care station 200 functions to provide radiant heat to maintain a predetermined infant patient body temperature.

[0019] The heating element 212 and reflector dish 214 may be configured to radiate the generated radiant heat using any number of focal points. For example, the reflector dish 214 may be parabolic, elliptical, or any other suitable geometric shape for providing radiant heat.

[0020] In some examples, the reflector dish 214 may be positioned on the mattress or support platform 202 of the infant care station 200, on the display panel 216 of the infant care station 200, behind the display panel 216 of the infant care station 200, or in any other suitable location proximate the support platform 202 or mattress.

[0021] It should be understood that the block diagram of Figure 2 is not intended to indicate that infant care station 200 should include all of the components shown in Figure 2. Infant care station 200 may have fewer components or may include additional components not shown in Figure 2 (e.g., additional walls, porthole access points, display panels, or drawers, etc.). For example, infant care station 200 may include any number of heaters 210 capable of supplying, generating, or emitting radiant heat toward the support platform or horizontal surface 202 of infant care station 200. In some examples, two or more heaters 210 may be positioned adjacent to each other and may be simultaneously adjusted to provide convective heating for an incubator setting or radiant heating for an infant warmer setting.

[0022] In some examples, one or more heaters 210 may be configured to accommodate or utilize multiple heating elements 212. For example, a heater 210 may include two or more heating elements 212 that emit or generate radiant heat that warms the air within infant care station 200 by radiating radiant heat onto a reflector dish 214. In some examples, the heating elements 212 of a heater 210 may be made of the same material or different materials, and the heating elements 212 may be configured to generate the same amount of radiant heat or different amounts of radiant heat.

[0023] FIG. 3A shows a front view of an exemplary heater with vents in an infant care station, according to one embodiment. In some embodiments, a reflector dish 302 of heater 300A can include any number of vents 304. The vents 304 allow air to pass through the reflector dish 302 rather than circulating near and underneath the heater 300A. In some embodiments, the number of vents 304 can be determined based on several characteristics, such as the air flow rate around the heating element (308 in FIG. 3B) coupled to the reflector dish 302, the temperature fluctuations of the support platform due to radiant heat from the reflector dish 302, and the air flow through the vents 304 and behind the reflector dish 302.

[0024] In some examples, the size and shape of each vent hole 304 can also be determined based on predetermined characteristics. The example in Figure 3A shows a reflector dish 302 that includes two large vent holes 305 and two small vent holes 306. In some examples, the vent holes 304 can be located within a predetermined distance from the heating element (308 in Figure 3B) or the center of the reflector dish 302. For example, the vent holes 304 can be located near the center of the reflector dish 302 so that the surface along the outer edge or perimeter of the reflector dish 302 is free of holes.

[0025] 3A includes several vent holes 304 cut or otherwise fabricated in a reflector dish 302, allowing hot air or radiant heat rising from the heating element area to escape without touching the surface of the reflector dish 302. The techniques herein have the technical advantage of preventing material buildup on the reflector dish 302, preserving its reflectivity over time.

[0026] The reflector dish 302 can be shaped so that much of the radiant heat from the heating element (308 in FIG. 3B) is reflected off the support platform, providing uniform radiant heating. Depending on the design of the reflector dish 302, there are certain areas of the reflector dish 302 that do not focus radiant heat onto the support platform, and therefore the vents 304 located in those areas do not contribute to providing radiant heat. In some cases, variations in the location and size of the vents 304 can cause variations in the reflective surface and therefore the amount of radiant heat radiated onto the support platform. This can result in variations in the temperature even with the same power / heat setting of the heater 300A. Larger vents 305 and / or vents located in the portion of the reflector dish 302 that provides radiant heat to the support platform can result in greater heat losses, which can require the heater to operate at a higher power to deliver the same amount of radiant heat to the support platform.

[0027] In some embodiments, large vents 305 can minimize the buildup of impurities on the reflective surface, so that the change in reflectivity over time is less than a predetermined threshold. In some embodiments, large vents 305 can also reduce the reflective surface area significantly, so that heater 300A must be driven harder to provide the same amount of heat from the remaining surface of reflective dish 302 to the support platform.

[0028] 3B illustrates a vented heater 300B according to one embodiment. The vented heater 300B can include one or more heating elements 308, which provide heat that is reflected by a reflector dish 302. In some embodiments, hot air from the heating elements 308 can flow through vents 304 while radiant heat is emitted downward toward the support platform of the infant care station.

[0029] Figure 4 shows the airflow in a heater without a central vent. Vents 402 along the perimeter of the reflector dish 400 allow hot air to flow away from the infant care station. However, impurities from the air are forced to circulate across the surface of the reflector dish 400 and heating element 404, increasing the likelihood that these impurities will deposit on the reflective surface, thereby reducing reflectivity over time.

[0030] FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary airflow through a vented heater in an infant care station, according to an embodiment. The vented heater 500 of FIG. 5 can include multiple vents 501 and 502 that can direct hot, impurity-laden air 503 behind a reflector dish 504 or allow hot air to pass through. For example, any number of centrally located vents 502 can be positioned near a heating element 506 coupled to the reflector dish 504. The heating element 506 can radiate heat downward toward the support platform, allowing impurities in the hot air circulating through the heating element 506 to flow through the vents 501 and 502.

[0031] In some embodiments, vented heater 500 is positioned at an angle above the support platform of the infant care station. Additionally, deflector cups 508 may be provided to prevent radiant heat generated by vented heater 500 from reaching certain portions of reflector dish 504. In some embodiments, any changes to the vented portion of reflector dish 504 may not affect the irradiance and uniformity of the radiant heat provided from vented heater 500 to the support platform.

[0032] In some embodiments, the location, shape, contour, and size of the cutouts or vents 502 in the reflector dish 504 can be determined. Furthermore, airflow modeling can optimize the contours to direct hot air away from the enclosed surface while minimizing the loss of radiant heat reflected off the infant platform. Additionally, the heating element 506 of the vented heater 500 can be pre-oxidized to form a barrier oxide coating, which also reduces oxide volatilization from the vented heater 500. In some embodiments, the heating element 506 generates the same amount of radiant heat, but at a lower operating temperature, further extending the life of the heating element 506. In some embodiments, the vented heater 500 can be rotated to face downwards in the infant care station to provide radiant heat to a heat sink or other suitable component and distribute thermally conditioned air beneath the support platform.

[0033] 6 shows a process flow diagram of an exemplary method for operating a vented heater for an infant care station, according to an embodiment. In some embodiments, method 600 can be implemented using a suitable vented heater (such as vented heaters 300A and 300B of FIGS. 3A and 3B, vented heater 500 of FIG. 5, vented heater 700 of FIG. 7, vented heater 800A of FIG. 8A, and vented heater 800B of FIG. 8B, etc.).

[0034] At block 602, the method 600 may include determining an expected amount of impurities to be removed from the air and the source of the impurities. The amount of impurities may be determined based on the amount of irritants, dust, soot, or allergens in the air of the infant care station. The amount of impurities may also be determined based on the amount of impurities from the heating element, which may include, among other things, impurities emanating from the heater sheath. In some examples, the composition of the impurities may also be determined.

[0035] At block 604, the method 600 may include determining a heater vent configuration based on the expected amount of impurities. In some examples, the vent configuration may include the number of vents included in the reflector dish, the size of each vent, the shape of each vent, the location and orientation of the vents relative to one another, etc.

[0036] In some examples, each vent hole can be a different size or shape. For example, the vent hole configuration may indicate that the reflector dish includes two or more large vent holes, two or more small vent holes, and other vent holes of various sizes. The vent hole configuration may indicate where the vent holes are located relative to the center of the reflector dish. Locating the vent holes near the center of the reflector dish can allow radiant heat to radiate evenly from the heater to the support platform, preventing cold and hot spots on the support platform. In some examples, the vent holes are located within a predetermined distance from the center of the reflector dish, and the outer portion of the reflector dish is a solid material without vent holes or openings. In some examples, the outer portion of the reflector dish can include vent holes along the periphery of the reflector dish.

[0037] At block 606, method 600 may include modifying one or more settings of the heater based on the configuration of the vents. In some examples, the settings may include, among other things, a power level. The settings may include the location or shape of the heating element and the shape of the reflector dish during installation of the vented heater in the infant care station. For example, the power level may be changed based on the number of vents and / or ducts in the heater. A heater with a large portion of the reflector dish removed to allow airflow through the vents may operate at a first power level, and a heater with a small portion of the reflector dish removed to allow airflow through the vents may operate at a second power level.

[0038] At block 608, method 600 can include providing radiant heat to the support platform using one or more settings while allowing hot air to flow through the heater vents. For example, method 600 can include providing a predetermined amount of radiant heat to the support platform or bed such that the radiant heat is evenly distributed throughout the support platform or bed. If the radiant heat is radiating from a heating element coupled to a reflector pan, the hot air can be directed away from the infant care station through the reflector pan vents. The vents can simultaneously remove impurities from the air surrounding the vented heater while providing evenly distributed radiant heat to the support platform, bed, and infant patient.

[0039] The process flow diagram of method 600 in FIG. 6 does not indicate that all steps in blocks 602-608 of method 600 are required to be included in every embodiment. Furthermore, the process flow diagram of method 600 in FIG. 6 describes a possible order in which steps may be performed. However, it should be understood that the steps of method 600 may be performed in various orders or sequences. Furthermore, in some examples, method 600 may include fewer steps or additional steps. In some examples, any one or more of blocks 602-606 may be performed as part of a procedure for calibrating the vented heater and / or as part of a procedure when installing the vented heater in an infant care station. For example, blocks 602-608 may be performed when the vented heater is installed in an infant care station, as part of a procedure when manufacturing the infant care station or as part of a procedure when servicing the infant care station. In some examples, block 608 may be performed as part of a procedure for calibrating the vented heater and may also be performed after installation of the heater. For example, using one or more settings to provide radiant heat to the support platform while allowing hot air to flow through the heater vents can be performed as an initial calibration step before the infant care station is configured for use with infant patients in a medical environment. After the infant care station is installed in a medical environment (such as a hospital), the calibrated vented heater can be used to provide real-time radiant heat to the support platform or infant using one or more settings while allowing hot air to flow through the vents in the vented heater's reflector pan.

[0040] FIG. 7 illustrates a rear view of an exemplary heater having one or more vents, according to an embodiment. The reflector dish 700 of FIG. 7 includes vents 702 located along the periphery of the reflector dish 700. Additionally, a central vent 704 is located near the center of the reflector dish 700. In some embodiments, a heating element (not shown) can be attached to the inside of the reflector dish 700 near or at the center of the reflector dish 700. The central vent 704 allows warm or hot air to flow behind the reflector dish 700 and away from the infant care station. In some embodiments, the reflector dish 700 can also include any number of features 706 that allow the reflector dish 700 to be coupled to an infant care station. For example, the features 706 can couple the reflector dish 700 to a canopy of the infant care station, a housing above a support platform in the infant care station, or any other location.

[0041] In some embodiments, reflector dish 700 may also include any number of duct fasteners 708 that can secure ducts to the back surface of the reflector dish. The ducts are shown in Figures 8A and 8B and are described in more detail below.

[0042] 8A and 8B illustrate rear views of an exemplary heater having one or more ducts coupled to the heater vents, according to an embodiment.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 8A , the reflector dish 800A can include any number of ducts 802 that can be coupled to the vents 804 of the reflector dish 800A to allow hot air flow through the reflector dish 800A and away from the infant care station. In some embodiments, the hot air surrounding the reflector dish 800A can transport or evacuate impurities away from the infant care station. For example, the ducts 802 can evacuate or evacuate the impurity-laden hot air to an exhaust port (not shown) located in the housing (not shown) of the infant care station. The exhaust port can move the impurity-laden hot air away from the infant care station, preventing it from increasing the internal temperature of the infant care station or damaging electronic and other components of the infant care station. The exhaust port can transport or remove impurities from the air surrounding the heater of the infant care station from the environment of the infant care station. For example, the heater can remove contaminated air, etc., from the operating environment of the infant care station while providing radiant heat to a support platform or bed.

[0044] In some examples, the reflector dish 800A can include any number of vents 804, as described above. For example, the reflector dish 800A can include a set of vents 804 near or in the center, or vents 804 on a portion of the periphery of the reflector dish 800A, or a combination thereof. One or more ducts 802 can be coupled to the back of the reflector dish 800A to move, channel, or otherwise transport hot air through the reflector dish 800A and away from the infant care station. One or more ducts 802 can be included in the housing of the infant care station that surrounds the reflector dish 800A of a vented heater. In some examples, the ducts 802 are connected adjacent to a single exhaust port on the housing of the infant care station to move hot air away from the operating environment and electronics of the infant care station. Multiple ducts 802 can also be separately connected to multiple exhaust ports on the housing of the infant care station. For example, a first duct 802 can move hot air from the reflector dish 800A through any number of vents 804 to a first exhaust port, and a second duct 802 can move hot air from the reflector dish 800A through any number of vents 804 to a second exhaust port. In some embodiments, any number of ducts 802 can be used to move hot air containing impurities from near the heating element of the reflector dish 800A through the vents 804 to any number of exhaust ports.

[0045] FIG. 8B illustrates a reflector dish 800B having vent holes 804. In the exemplary reflector dish 800B, the duct 806 can have a different shape than the duct 802 of FIG. 8A. The duct 806 can have a different shape to allow different flow rates of hot air to pass through the back of the reflector dish 800B and away from underneath the reflector dish 800B. The duct 806 can be configured to receive air from a different number of vent holes, vents in different locations on the reflector dish, etc. In some examples, the duct 806 can be shaped based on the air flow rate, the amount of impurities in the air, the size of the exhaust port, etc. As mentioned above, the duct 806 can be divided into any number of separate components or parts in some embodiments, and these components or parts can be connected to one or more exhaust ports.

[0046] FIG. 9 is a block diagram of an example of a computing device capable of operating a vented heater in an infant care station. Computing device 900 may be, for example, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a tablet computer, or a mobile phone. Computing device 900 may include a processor 902 adapted to execute stored instructions and a memory device 904 that stores instructions executable by processor 902. Processor 902 may be a single-core processor, a multi-core processor, a computing cluster, or any number of other configurations. Memory device 904 may include random access memory, read-only memory, flash memory, or any other suitable memory system. The instructions executed by processor 902 may be used to implement a method capable of operating a vented heater in an infant care station, as described in more detail above in connection with FIGS. 3-8.

[0047] The processor 902 may also be linked through a system interconnect 906 (e.g., PCI, PCI-Express, NuBus, etc.) to a display interface 908 adapted to connect the computing device 900 to a display device 910. The display device 910 may include a display screen that is a component built into the computing device 900. The display device 910 may include a computer monitor, a television, or a projector that is externally connected to the computing device 900, among others. The display device 910 may include light emitting diode (LED), micro LED, and organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays, among others.

[0048] Processor 902 may be connected through system interconnect 906 to an input / output (I / O) device interface 912 adapted to connect computing device 900 to one or more I / O devices 914. The I / O devices 914 may include, for example, a keyboard and a pointing device, which may include a touchpad or a touchscreen, among others. The I / O devices 914 may be internal components of computing device 900 or may be devices externally connected to computing device 900.

[0049] In some embodiments, the processor 902 may also be linked to a storage device 916 (which may include a hard drive, an optical drive, a USB flash drive, an array of drives, or any combination thereof) through the system interconnect 906. In some embodiments, the storage device 916 may include any suitable application. In some embodiments, the storage device 916 may include a heater manager 918. In some embodiments, the heater manager 918 may operate a vented heater in an infant care station. For example, during installation of a vented heater in an infant care station, the heater manager 918 may detect the vent configuration of the heater. The vent configuration may indicate the number of vents, the size of the vents, the orientation or location of the vents, etc. The heater manager 918 may modify the voltage settings or modify other settings of the heater based on the vent configuration. In some examples, the heater manager 918 can accommodate multiple heaters with different vent configurations, and the heater manager 918 can calibrate each heater separately when it is first installed in the infant care station. The heater manager 918 can manage temperature fluctuations in the support platform of the infant care station.

[0050] In some examples, a network interface controller (also referred to herein as a NIC) 920 may be adapted to connect the computing device 900 to a network 922 through the system interconnect 906. The network 922 may be a cellular network, a wireless network, a wide area network (WAN), a local area network (LAN), or the Internet, among others. The network 922 may enable data (e.g., alerts, other data) to be transmitted from the computing device 900 to a remote computing device, a remote display device, or the like. In some examples, the heater manager 918 may use the NIC 920 and the network 922 to transmit alerts to an appropriate external device (such as a mobile device or a computing device, among others).

[0051] It should be understood that the block diagram of FIG. 9 is not intended to indicate that computing device 900 includes all of the components shown in FIG. 9 . Computing device 900 may include fewer components than those shown in FIG. 9 and may also include additional components not shown in FIG. 9 (e.g., additional memory components, an embedded controller, additional modules, additional network interfaces, etc.). Furthermore, any functionality of heater manager 918 may be implemented, in part or in whole, in hardware and / or in processor 902. For example, functionality may be implemented by logic circuitry implemented in an application specific integrated circuit, an embedded controller, or logic circuitry implemented in processor 902, among others. In some embodiments, functionality of heater manager 918 may be implemented by logic circuitry. Logic circuitry may include any suitable hardware (e.g., a processor, among others), software (e.g., an application, among others), firmware, or any suitable combination of hardware, software, and firmware, as referred to herein.

[0052] 10 is an example of a non-transitory machine-readable medium for operating a vented heater of an infant care station, according to an embodiment. The non-transitory machine-readable medium 1000 may implement, among other things, the functionality of the heater manager 918 of FIG. 9. For example, the processor 1002 may access the non-transitory machine-readable medium 1000.

[0053] In some examples, the non-transitory machine-readable medium 1000 can include instructions to execute the heater manager 918. For example, the non-transitory machine-readable medium 1000 can include instructions for the heater manager 918 that cause the processor 1002 to operate a vented heater in an infant care station. In some examples, the heater manager 918 can execute the instructions described above in connection with FIGS. 1-9.

[0054] In some examples, the non-transitory machine-readable medium 1000 may include instructions that implement any combination of the heater manager 918 techniques described above.

[0055] Example

[0056] The present disclosure also provides support for an infant care station. The infant care station includes a support platform for placing an infant, and a heater for generating radiant heat supplied to the support platform, the heater's reflector pan including one or more vents that allow hot air near the heater's heating element to pass behind the reflector pan, the hot air containing impurities passing behind the reflector pan while the heater supplies radiant heat to the support platform. In a first embodiment of the system, the size or position of the one or more vents is configured to control airflow around the heater's heating element. A second embodiment of the system optionally includes the first embodiment, wherein the one or more vents are configured to manage temperature fluctuations on the support platform. A third embodiment of the system optionally includes one or both of the first and second embodiments, wherein the one or more vents direct airflow to at least one duct behind the reflector pan. A fourth embodiment of the system optionally includes one or more of the first through third embodiments, wherein the at least one duct transports the air flow away from the infant care station through an exhaust port in a housing of the infant care station. A fifth embodiment of the system optionally includes one or more of the first through fourth embodiments, wherein the one or more vents are located within a predetermined distance from a center of the reflector dish. A sixth embodiment of the system optionally includes one or more of the first through fifth embodiments, wherein a portion of the reflector dish along its periphery is a solid surface. A seventh embodiment of the system optionally includes one or more of the first through sixth embodiments, wherein the reflector dish is configured to provide uniform radiant heat to the support platform.

[0057] The present disclosure also provides support for a method of operating an infant care station. The method includes determining an expected amount of impurities to be removed from air, determining a vent configuration for a heater based on the expected amount of impurities, modifying one or more settings of the heater based on the vent configuration, and using the one or more settings to provide radiant heat to a support platform of the infant care station while hot air flows through the one or more vents of the heater. In a first embodiment of the method, the vent configuration includes a size or position of the one or more vents configured to control airflow around a heating element of the heater. A second embodiment of the method optionally includes the first embodiment, wherein the one or more vents are configured to manage temperature fluctuations on the support platform. A third embodiment of the method optionally includes one or both of the first and second embodiments, wherein the one or more vents direct airflow to at least one duct behind a reflector pan of the heater. A fourth embodiment of the method optionally includes one or more of the first through third embodiments, wherein the at least one duct transports the air flow away from the infant care station through an exhaust port in a housing of the infant care station. A fifth embodiment of the method optionally includes one or more of the first through fourth embodiments, wherein the one or more vents are located within a predetermined distance from a center of the reflector dish of the heater. A sixth embodiment of the method optionally includes one or more of the first through fifth embodiments, wherein the one or more settings include a power level setting.

[0058] The present disclosure also provides support for a non-transitory computer-readable medium for operating an infant care station having a vented heater. The non-transitory computer-readable medium includes a plurality of instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to: determine an expected amount of impurities to be removed from air; determine a vent configuration for the heater based on the expected amount of impurities; modify one or more settings of the heater based on the vent configuration; and provide radiant heat to a support platform of the infant care station using the one or more settings while hot air flows through the one or more vents of the heater. In a first embodiment of the system, the vent configuration includes a size or position of the one or more vents configured to control airflow around a heating element of the heater. A second embodiment of the system optionally includes the first embodiment, wherein the one or more vents are configured to manage temperature fluctuations on the support platform. A third embodiment of the system optionally includes one or both of the first and second embodiments, wherein the one or more vents form an air flow to at least one duct behind the heater reflector pan. A fourth embodiment of the system optionally includes one or more of the first through third embodiments, wherein the at least one duct transports the air flow away from the infant care station through an exhaust port in a housing of the infant care station.

[0059] Various embodiments may be systems, methods, apparatus, or computer program products at any level of detail contemplated by the art. A computer program product may include a computer-readable storage medium (or media) having computer-readable program instructions for causing a processor to perform aspects of the various embodiments. A computer-readable storage medium may be a tangible device capable of holding and storing instructions for use by an instruction-execution device. A computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination thereof. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of computer-readable storage media may include, but is not limited to, portable computer diskettes, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), static random access memory (SRAM), portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disk (DVD), memory stick, floppy disk, mechanically encoded devices (such as punch cards or raised structures in grooves having instructions recorded on them), and any suitable combination of the foregoing. As used herein, computer-readable storage media should not be construed as being transitory signals per se (such as radio waves or other freely propagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagating through a waveguide or other transmission medium (e.g., light pulses traveling through a fiber optic cable), or electrical signals traveling through a wire).

[0060] The computer-readable program instructions described herein can be downloaded from a computer-readable storage medium to each computing device / processing device, or can be downloaded to an external computer or external storage device over a network (e.g., the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network, or a wireless network). The network can include copper transmission cables, optical fiber transmissions, wireless transmissions, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers, or edge servers. A network adapter card or network interface within each computing device / processing device receives the computer-readable program instructions from the network and sends the computer-readable program instructions to a computer-readable storage medium within each computing device / processing device for storage. The computer-readable program instructions for carrying out the operations of various embodiments can be assembler instructions, instruction set architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine-dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state setting data, configuration data for integrated circuits, or code, either source code or object code, written in any combination of one or more programming languages ​​(including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Smalltalk, C++, and procedural programming languages ​​such as the “C” programming language, or similar programming languages). The computer readable program instructions may execute entirely on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer as a stand-alone software package, partially on the user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or server.When a remote computer or server is used, the remote computer can be connected to the user's computer through any type of network (e.g., a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN)), or can be connected to an external computer (e.g., over the Internet using an Internet service provider). In some embodiments, electronic circuitry (e.g., a programmable logic circuit, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or a programmable logic array (PLA)) can execute the computer-readable program instructions by using state information of the computer-readable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry to perform various aspects.

[0061] Various aspects are described herein with reference to flowchart or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to various embodiments. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart or block diagrams, can be embodied by computer-readable program instructions. These computer-readable program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, and the instructions, when executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, can create means for performing the functions / acts specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart or block diagram. These computer-readable program instructions can be stored on a computer-readable storage medium, and the instructions can direct a computer, programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to function in a particular manner, and the computer-readable storage medium on which the instructions are stored constitutes an article of manufacture containing instructions implementing aspects of the functions / acts specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart or block diagram. The computer-readable program instructions may be loaded into a computer, other programmable data processing device, or other device and cause the computer, other programmable device, or other device to perform a series of operational acts to generate a computer-implemented process, and the instructions executed by the computer, other programmable device, or other device may perform the functions / acts specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart or block diagram.

[0062] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments. In this regard, each block in the flowcharts or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion of instructions, which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing a specified logical function. In some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the blocks may be executed out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may in fact be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending on the functionality involved. It should also be noted that each block of the block diagrams or flowchart diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams or flowchart diagrams, may be implemented by a dedicated hardware-based system that performs the specified functions or operations or executes a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0063] While the subject matter has been described in the general context of computer-executable instructions for a computer program product executed by one or more computers, those skilled in the art will recognize that the present disclosure can also be implemented in combination with other program modules. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. Moreover, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various aspects can be implemented with other computer system configurations, including single-processor or multiprocessor computer systems, minicomputer devices, mainframe computers, as well as computers, handheld computing devices (e.g., PDAs, phones), microprocessor-based or programmable consumer or industrial electronics, etc. The illustrated aspects can also be implemented in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by remote processing devices linked through a communications network. However, some, if not all, aspects of the present disclosure can be implemented on stand-alone computers. In a distributed computing environment, program modules can be located in both local and remote memory storage devices.

[0064] In this application, terms such as “component,” “system,” “platform,” and “interface” may refer to or include computer-related entities or entities associated with an operable machine having one or more specific functions. The entities disclosed herein may be hardware, a combination of hardware and software, software, or software in execution. For example, a component may be, but is not limited to, a process running on a processor, a processor, an object, an executable file, a thread of execution, a program, or a computer. By way of example, a component may be both an application running on a server and the server. One or more components may reside within a process or thread of execution, and a component may be located on one computer or distributed among two or more computers. In another example, each component may execute from various computer-readable media having various data structures stored thereon. Components may communicate with local or remote processes, such as using signals carrying one or more data packets (e.g., data from one component may be exchanged with another component on a local system, a distributed system, or a network (e.g., the Internet) through signals to other systems). As another example, a component may be a device having a particular function obtained by mechanical parts operated by electrical or electronic circuitry that is operated by a software or firmware application executed by a processor, where the processor may be internal or external to the device and may execute at least a portion of the software or firmware application.As yet another example, a component may be a device that provides certain functionality through electronic components without mechanical components, and the electronic components may include a processor or other means for executing software or firmware that implements at least a portion of the functionality of the electronic component. In one aspect, a component may be emulated by a virtual machine, for example, in a cloud computing system.

[0065] Furthermore, the term "or" is intended to mean an inclusive "or," rather than an exclusive "or." That is, unless otherwise specified or clear from the context, "X uses A or B" is intended to mean any of the natural inclusive permutations. That is, if X uses A, if X uses B, or if X uses both A and B, then "X uses A or B" is satisfied in each of the foregoing cases. As used herein, the term "and / or" is intended to have the same meaning as "or." Furthermore, the articles "a" and "an," as used in the specification and drawings, should generally be construed to mean "one or more" unless otherwise specified or clear from the context. As used herein, the terms "example" and "exemplary" are used to mean an example, instance, or illustration. For the avoidance of doubt, the subject matter disclosed herein is not limited by such examples. Additionally, any aspect or design described herein as "example" or "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs, and is not meant to exclude equivalent exemplary structures and techniques known to those skilled in the art.

[0066] Non-limiting examples are described in this disclosure. For ease of description or explanation, various parts of this disclosure use the terms "each," "every," or "all" when describing various examples. As used herein, the terms "each," "every," or "all" are non-limiting. In other words, when this disclosure makes a statement that applies to each, every, or all of a particular object or component, this should be understood as a non-limiting example, and it should be further understood that in various other examples, such a statement may apply to fewer than each, every, or all of the particular object or component.

[0067] As used herein, the term "processor" can refer to virtually any computing processing unit or processing device, including, but not limited to, a single-core processor, a single processor with software multithreading execution capabilities, a multi-core processor, a multi-core processor with software multithreading execution capabilities, a multi-core processor with hardware multithreading technology, a parallel platform, and a parallel platform with distributed shared memory. Furthermore, a processor can refer to an integrated circuit, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a digital signal processor (DSP), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a programmable logic controller (PLC), a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. Furthermore, a processor can utilize nanoscale structures (such as, but not limited to, molecular-based and quantum-dot-based transistors, switches, gates, etc.) to optimize space usage or improve performance of user equipment. A processor can also be implemented as a combination of computing processing units. In this disclosure, terms such as "store," "storage," "data store," "data storage," "database," and substantially any other information storage component associated with the operation and functionality of a component are used to refer to a "memory component," an entity embodied in memory, or a component that includes memory. It should be understood that memory or memory components described herein can be either volatile memory and non-volatile memory, or can include both volatile and non-volatile memory.By way of example, and not limitation, non-volatile memory may include read-only memory (ROM), programmable ROM (PROM), electrically programmable ROM (EPROM), electrically erasable ROM (EEPROM), flash memory, or non-volatile random access memory (RAM) (e.g., ferroelectric RAM (FeRAM)). Volatile memory may include, for example, RAM, which may act as external cache memory. By way of example, and not limitation, RAM is available in many forms, including synchronous RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), double data rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM), enhanced SDRAM (ESDRAM), SyncLink DRAM (SLDRAM), Direct Rambus RAM (DRRAM), Direct Rambus Dynamic RAM (DRDRAM), and Rambus Dynamic RAM (RDRAM). Additionally, the memory component of the systems or computer-implemented methods disclosed herein is intended to comprise, without being limited to, any other suitable types of memory.

[0068] The foregoing includes merely exemplary systems and computer-implemented methods. For purposes of describing this disclosure, it is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or computer-implemented methods, but many other combinations and variations of the present disclosure are possible. Furthermore, to the extent that terms such as "includes," "has," "possesses," and the like are used in the detailed description, claims, appendices, and drawings, these terms are intended to be inclusive, similar to the manner in which "comprising" is interpreted when used as a transitional term in the claims.

[0069] The description of various embodiments is presented for illustrative purposes, but is not intended to be all-inclusive and is not intended to be limiting to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terms used herein are selected to best explain the principles of the embodiments, practical applications or technical improvements to technology found in the market, or to enable those skilled in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein. [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] 100 Infant Care Station 102 Horizontal plane 104 Wall 106 Canopy 108 Microenvironment 110 Base 112 Support Platform 113 Hand-inserted window 114 Radiant heater 116 Post 118 Foot Pedal 120 Caster 124 Graphical User Interface (GUI) 200 Infant Care Station 204 Wall 206 Base 208 Housing 210 Heater 212 Heating element 214 Reflector dish 216 Display Panel 300A Vented Heater 300B Vented Heater 302 Reflector dish 304 Ventilation hole 305 Ventilation hole 306 Ventilation hole 308 Heating element 400 reflective dish 402 Ventilation hole 404 Heating element 500 Vented Heater 501 Ventilation hole 502 Ventilation hole 503 Hot Air 504 Reflector dish 506 Heating element 508 Deflector Cup 600 ways Block 602 Blocks 602-608 604 Block Block 606 Block 608 702 Ventilation hole 704 Central Vent 706 Mechanism part 708 Duct Fastener 802 First Duct 802 Second Duct 804 Ventilation hole 806 Duct 900 Computing Devices 902 processor 904 Memory Devices 906 System Interconnect 908 Display Interface 910 Display device 912 Device Interface 914 I / O devices 916 Storage Devices 918 Heater Manager 922 Network 1000 Transient Machine-Readable Medium 1002 processor

Claims

1. An infant care station, comprising: a support platform for placing the infant; and a heater for generating radiant heat supplied to the support platform, wherein a reflector pan of the heater includes one or more vents that allow hot air near a heating element of the heater to pass through a back surface of the reflector pan, the hot air containing impurities, and the heater supplies radiant heat to the support platform while the hot air containing the impurities passes through the back surface of the reflector pan. Including, infant care station.

2. 10. The infant care station of claim 1, wherein the size or location of the one or more vents is configured to control airflow around a heating element of the heater.

3. The infant care station of claim 1 , wherein the one or more vents are configured to manage temperature fluctuations on the support platform.

4. 10. The infant care station of claim 1, wherein the one or more vents provide air flow to at least one duct behind the reflector dish.

5. 5. The infant care station of claim 4, wherein the at least one duct transports the air flow away from the infant care station through an exhaust port in a housing of the infant care station.

6. 10. The infant care station of claim 1, wherein the one or more vents are located within a predetermined distance from a center of the reflector dish.

7. 10. The infant care station of claim 1, wherein the reflector dish has a solid surface along its periphery.

8. The infant care station of claim 1 , wherein the reflector dish is configured to provide uniform radiant heat to the support platform.

9. 1. A method of operating an infant care station, comprising: determining an expected amount of impurities to be removed from the air; determining a heater vent configuration based on the expected amount of impurities; modifying one or more settings of the heater based on the vent configuration; and providing radiant heat to a support platform of the infant care station using the one or more settings while hot air flows through the one or more vents of the heater. A method comprising:

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the vent configuration includes a size or location of the one or more vents configured to control airflow around a heating element of the heater.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the one or more vents are configured to manage temperature fluctuations on the support platform.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the one or more vents create air flow to at least one duct behind a reflector dish of the heater.

13. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one duct transports the air flow away from the infant care station through an exhaust port in a housing of the infant care station.

14. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more vent holes are located within a predetermined distance from a center of the reflector dish of the heater.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the one or more settings include a power level setting.

16. 1. A non-transitory computer readable medium for operating an infant care station having a vented heater, the non-transitory computer readable medium comprising a plurality of instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to: determining an expected amount of impurities to be removed from the air; determining a vent configuration for the vented heater based on the predicted amount of impurities; modifying one or more settings of the vented heater based on the vent configuration; and providing radiant heat to a support platform of the infant care station using one or more settings while hot air flows through one or more vents of the vented heater; A non-transitory computer-readable medium for causing the execution of

17. 17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the vent configuration includes a size or location of the one or more vents configured to control airflow around a heating element of the vented heater.

18. 20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the one or more vents are configured to manage temperature fluctuations on the support platform.

19. 20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the one or more vents create an air flow to at least one duct behind a reflector pan of the vented heater.

20. 20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the at least one duct transports the air flow such that the air flow is directed away from the infant care station through an exhaust port in a housing of the infant care station.

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