Persistent air leak thermal detection

Description

PERSISTENT AIR LEAK THERMAL DETECTIONCROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application No.63 / 747,492, filed January 21 , 2025, which is hereby fully incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to a method of air leak thermal detection and / or identificationBACKGROUND

[0003] An air leak occurs when the visceral pleural of the lung becomes damaged resulting in an air-filled pleural space, also called a pneumothorax. Current air leak detection method after thoracic surgery involves filling the chest cavity with saline and looking for bubbling. There is a need for an air leak identification solution that can be employed at the bedside and / or in the operating room, which is faster and more accurate than the current method. SUMMARY

[0004] One general aspect of the present disclosure includes a method of detecting an air leak in an organ of a body, including: detecting a thermal differential at different locations on a surface of the organ; and identifying an air leak site on the surface of the organ that has a different temperature than an area surrounding the air leak site.

[0005] Another general aspect of the present disclosure includes a method of detecting an air leak in an organ of a body, including: creating a first temperature difference between a surface of the organ and an air flowing out of the organ by creating a second temperature difference between the surface of the organ and a sub-surface tissue of the organ; and identifying an air leak site on the surface of the organ that has a different temperature than an area surrounding the air leak site.

[0006] Another general aspect of the present disclosure includes a method of detecting an air leak in an organ of a body, including: creating a first temperature difference between a surface of the organ and an air flowing out of the organ by creating a second temperature difference between the surface of the organ and an air flowing into the organ; and identifying an air leak site that has a different temperature than an area surrounding the air leak site.

[0007] A method of detecting an air leak in an organ of a body according to the present disclosure may include any combination of the features described above and / or the original as-filed claims.

[0008] Other systems, methods, features and advantages of the invention will be, or will become, apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features and advantages be within the scope of the invention.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0009] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an image showing identified air leak sites obtained by a method of air leak thermal detection / identification.

[0010] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an embodiment of the method of air leak thermal detection / identification.

[0011] FIG. 3 is a schematic view of an embodiment of a method of cooling a surface of a body organ and warming the ventilated air.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] Various embodiments are described below with reference to the drawings in which like elements generally are referred to by like numerals. The relationship and functioning of the various elements of the embodiments may better be understood by reference to the following detailed description. However, embodiments are not limited to those illustrated in the drawings. It should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scale, and in certain instances details may have been omitted that are notnecessary for an understanding of embodiments disclosed herein, such as - for example -conventional fabrication and assembly.

[0013] GENERIC DESCRIPTION

[0014] The invention is defined by the claims, may be embodied in many different forms, and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey enabling disclosure to those skilled in the art. As used in this specification and the claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Reference herein to any industry standards (e.g., ASTM, ANSI, IEEE standards) is defined as complying with the currently published standards as of the original filing date of this disclosure concerning the units, measurements, and testing criteria communicated by those standards unless expressly otherwise defined herein.

[0015] The terms “about,” “substantially,” “generally,” and other terms of degree, when used with reference to any volume, dimension, proportion, or other quantitative or qualitative value, are intended to communicate a definite and identifiable value within the standard parameters that would be understood by one of skill in the art (equivalent to a mechanical engineer with experience in this field), and should be interpreted to include at least any legal equivalents, minor but functionally-insignificant variants, standard manufacturing tolerances, and including at least mathematically significant figures (although not required to be as broad as the largest range thereof), including a variance of up to 10%. In addition, the term “configured to” is used to describe structural limitations in a particular manner that requires specific construction to accomplish a stated function and / or to interface or interact with another component(s), and is not used to describe mere intended or theoretical uses.

[0016] One embodiment of a method of detecting an air leak in an organ of a body is described with reference to FIGS. 1-3. In some embodiments, the organ may be a lung, and a lung air leak thermal detection / identificationmethod may be specifically described as an example in this application. It will be appreciated that the organ is not limited to a lung, and the application of the air leak thermal detection / identification method is not limited to a lung air leak situation.

[0017] Referring to FIG. 1 , in some embodiments, the method of detecting an air leak in an organ of a body includes detecting a thermal differential at different locations on a surface 10 of the organ (e.g., lung), and identifying an air leak site 12 on the surface 10 of the organ that has a different temperature than an area 14 surrounding the air leak site 12. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2, a thermal imaging device 16 (e.g., long wave infrared thermal cameras) may be used to detect the thermal differential at different locations on the surface of the organ, for example, by detecting a first temperature of an air coming out of the air leak site 12 and detecting a second temperature of the area 14 surrounding the air leak site 12. In some embodiments, the method may include creating an incision on the body to provide access to use the thermal imaging device 16.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1 , a thermal image of the surface 10 may show that locations with different temperatures have different levels of brightness / darkness. In some embodiments, the thermal image of the surface 10 may show that locations with different temperatures have different colors (e.g., indigo - violet - red - orange - yellow - white (cold to hot)), and the colorimetric scale may be converted to a black and white image. In some embodiments, locations with a lower temperature (e.g., the area 14) are darker than locations with a higher temperature (e.g., the air leak site 12). To visually locate the air leak site with a thermal imaging device 16, there must be a temperature difference between the air leak site and the area surrounding the air leak site. In some embodiments, the thermal image device 16 may detect a first temperature at the air leak site 12 (e.g., detecting that the air coming out of the air leak site has a first temperature), and the thermal imaging device 16 may detect a second temperature at the area 14 surrounding the air leak site 12, and the first temperature is higher than the second temperature (e.g., as shown in FIG. 1). In some embodiments, thefirst temperature detected at the air leak site 12 may be lower than the second temperature detected at the area 14 surrounding the air leak site 12, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0019] The method of using thermal imaging to detect / identify air leak sites allows for identification of the targeted air leak sites due to the created thermal differential. The ability to determine the exact locations of the air leak sites amidst the organ (e.g., lung) surface in a rapid manner (e.g., warm gas / cool surface or cool gas / warm surface approach, described below) is advantageous for being more accurate and less time-consuming, comparing to the current method of using saline. Rapid identification of air leaks can expedite patient treatment, recovery, and hospital discharge, which also saves time and money.

[0020] To create a temperature difference between the air leak site and the area surrounding the air leak site, the method may include creating a temperature difference between a surface of the organ and an air flowing out of the organ (e.g., which was ventilated into the organ). In some embodiments, the method may include creating a first temperature difference between a surface of the organ and an air flowing out of the organ by creating a second temperature difference between the surface of the organ and a subsurface tissue of the organ (e.g., the patient’s blood warms the sub-surface tissue of the organ). In some embodiments, the surface of the organ has a first temperature, the sub-surface tissue of the organ has a second temperature, and the first temperature is lower than the second temperature (e.g., the warm gas / cool surface method). While in some embodiments, the first temperature of the surface of the organ may be higher than the second temperature of the sub-surface tissue of the organ (e.g., the cool gas / warm surface method), without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0021] As one non-limiting example, in some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the warm gas / cool surface method may include creating the second temperature difference between the surface of the organ and the subsurface tissue of the organ via an organ (e.g., lung) chilling method. Cooling the surface 10 of the organ may be achieved by using a cooling device, orusing chilled saline (or other sterile fluid (e.g. water)), room temperature air, or cooled air. Other sterile or medical gases could also be used for cooling, such as helium, heliox, oxygen, compressed air, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, xenon, or (generally) anesthesia gases (e.g. isoflurane, nitrous oxide, entonox, halothane, desflurane, sevoflurane), or a combination of the above. For example, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a cooling device 20 may be used to extract hot air 22 out of the body 26, cool the extracted hot air, and return the cooled air 24 back into the body 26.

[0022] When the organ (e.g., lung) surface 10 is cooled relative to thesub-surface tissue, air warmed by the sub-surface tissue that leaks out of the defect will warm up the cooled organ (e.g., lung) surface 10 surrounding the defect. This may result in an image with a color contrast representing the temperature differential among different locations. When the infrared imaging or thermal imaging is used, the image output may be determined by the display type (e.g., B&W, green scale, or RGB (full color)). For example, as shown in FIG. 1 , brighter hot spots are shown amidst the darker cold organ (e.g., lung) regions. The colder the organ (e.g., lung) surface 10, the greater the temperature differential and image contrast, and the easier it is to visually detect the air leak sites 12.

[0023] In some embodiments, the method may include creating a first temperature difference between a surface of the organ and an air flowing out of the organ by creating a second temperature difference between the surface of the organ and an air flowing into the organ. In some embodiments, the surface of the organ has a first temperature, the air flowing into the organ has a second temperature (e.g., warmed air 28 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3), and the first temperature is lower than the second temperature (e.g., the warm gas / cool surface method). While in some embodiments, the first temperature of the surface of the organ may be higher than the second temperature of the air flowing into the organ (e.g., the cool gas / warm surface method), without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0024] For example, as to the cool gas / warm surface method, in some embodiments, rather than actively cooling the organ (e.g., lung) surface, theventilated air going into the organ (e.g., lung) may be cooled, such that the cooled ventilated air escaping the organ (e.g., lung) would cool the organ (e.g., lung) surface 10 surrounding the air leak sites 12, causing the air leak sites 12 to appear as darker cool spots amidst the brighter warm organ (e.g., lung) regions.

[0025] As discussed above, the method of using thermal imaging to detect / identify air leak sites of a body organ includes creating a temperature difference between the air leak sites and the organ surface surrounding the air leak sites, using the thermal imaging device to detect the thermal differential at different locations on the surface of the organ, and thus identifying the air leak sites. The method may include a warm gas / cool surface method or a cool gas / warm surface method, as discussed above. It will be appreciated that other methods for creating the temperature difference between the air leak sites and the organ surface surrounding the air leak sites may be used in the thermal air leak detection / identification method, without departing from the scope of the present invention, as long as the air leak sites are identified by detecting the thermal differential at different locations on the surface of the organ.

[0026] The subject matter of the disclosure may also relate, among others, to the following aspects:

[0027] A first aspect relates to a method of detecting an air leak in an organ of a body, comprising: detecting a thermal differential at different locations on a surface of the organ; and identifying an air leak site on the surface of the organ that has a different temperature than an area surrounding the air leak site.

[0028] A second aspect relates to the method of aspect 1 , further comprising using a thermal imaging device to detect the thermal differential at different locations on the surface of the organ, by detecting a first temperature of an air coming out of the air leak site and detecting a second temperature of the area surrounding the air leak site.

[0029] A third aspect relates to the method of any preceding aspect, further comprising creating an incision on the body to provide access to use the thermal imaging device.

[0030] A fourth aspect relates to the method of any preceding aspect, wherein the organ includes a lung.

[0031] A fifth aspect relates to the method of any preceding aspect, further comprising detecting a first temperature at the air leak site, and detecting a second temperature at the area surrounding the air leak site, wherein the first temperature is higher than the second temperature.

[0032] A sixth aspect relates to the method of any preceding aspect, further comprising detecting a first temperature at the air leak site, and detecting a second temperature at the area surrounding the air leak site, wherein the first temperature is lower than the second temperature.

[0033] A seventh aspect relates to the method of any preceding aspect, further comprising cooling the surface of the organ.

[0034] An eighth aspect relates to the method of any preceding aspect, wherein cooling the surface of the organ is achieved by using chilled saline, room temperature air, or cooled air.

[0035] A ninth aspect relates to the method of any preceding aspect, wherein cooling the surface of the organ is achieved by extracting hot air out of the body, cooling the extracted hot air, and returning the cooled air back into the body.

[0036] A tenth aspect relates to a method of detecting an air leak in an organ of a body, comprising: creating a first temperature difference between a surface of the organ and an air flowing out of the organ by creating a second temperature difference between the surface of the organ and a sub-surface tissue of the organ; and identifying an air leak site on the surface of the organ that has a different temperature than an area surrounding the air leak site.

[0037] An eleventh aspect relates to the method of aspect 10, wherein the surface of the organ has a first temperature, the sub-surface tissue of the organ has a second temperature, and wherein the first temperature is higher than the second temperature.

[0038] A twelfth aspect relates to the method of any one of aspects 10 or 11 , wherein the surface of the organ has a first temperature, the sub-surface tissue of the organ has a second temperature, and wherein the first temperature is lower than the second temperature.

[0039] A thirteenth aspect relates to the method of any one of aspects 10 to 12, further comprising detecting a thermal differential at different locations on the surface of the organ.

[0040] A fourteenth aspect relates to the method of any one of aspects 10 to 13, further comprising using a thermal imaging device to detect the thermal differential at different locations on the surface of the organ.

[0041] A fifteenth aspect relates to a method of detecting an air leak in an organ of a body, comprising: creating a first temperature difference between a surface of the organ and an air flowing out of the organ by creating a second temperature difference between the surface of the organ and an air flowing into the organ; and identifying an air leak site that has a different temperature than an area surrounding the air leak site.

[0042] A sixteenth aspect relates to the method of aspect 15, wherein the surface of the organ has a first temperature, the air flowing into the organ has a second temperature, and wherein the first temperature is higher than the second temperature.

[0043] A seventeenth aspect relates to the method of any one of aspects 15 or 16, wherein the surface of the organ has a first temperature, the air flowing into the organ has a second temperature, and wherein the first temperature is lower than the second temperature.

[0044] An eighteenth aspect relates to the method of any one of aspects 15 to 17, further comprising detecting a thermal differential at different locations on the surface of the organ.

[0045] A nineteenth aspect relates to the method of any one of aspects 15 to 18, further comprising using a thermal imaging device to detect the thermal differential at different locations on the surface of the organ.

[0046] A twentieth aspect relates to the method of any one of aspects 15 to 19, further comprising cooling the surface of the organ or cooling the air flowing into the organ.

[0047] In addition to the features mentioned in each of the independent aspects enumerated above, some examples may show, alone or in combination, the optional features mentioned in the dependent aspects and / or as disclosed in the description above and shown in the figures.

[0048] Those of skill in the art will appreciate that embodiments not expressly illustrated herein may be practiced within the scope of the claims, including that features described herein for different embodiments may be combined with each other and / or with currently-known or future-developed technologies while remaining within the scope of the claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation unless specifically defined by context, usage, or other explicit designation. It is therefore intended that the foregoing detailed description be regarded as illustrative rather than limiting. And, it should be understood that the following claims, including all equivalents, are intended to define the spirit and scope of this invention. Furthermore, the advantages described above are not necessarily the only advantages of the invention, and it is not necessarily expected that all of the described advantages will be achieved with every embodiment. In the event of any inconsistent disclosure or definition from the present application conflicting with any document incorporated by reference, the disclosure or definition herein shall be deemed to prevail.

Claims

CLAIMSWe claim:

1. A method of detecting an air leak in an organ of a body, comprising:detecting a thermal differential at different locations on a surface of the organ; andidentifying an air leak site on the surface of the organ that has a different temperature than an area surrounding the air leak site.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising using a thermal imaging device to detect the thermal differential at different locations on the surface of the organ, by detecting a first temperature of an air coming out of the air leak site and detecting a second temperature of the area surrounding the air leak site.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising creating an incision on the body to provide access to use the thermal imaging device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the organ includes a lung.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising detecting a first temperature at the air leak site, and detecting a second temperature at the area surrounding the air leak site, wherein the first temperature is higher than the second temperature.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising detecting a first temperature at the air leak site, and detecting a second temperature at the area surrounding the air leak site, wherein the first temperature is lower than the second temperature.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising cooling the surface of the organ.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein cooling the surface of the organ is achieved by using chilled saline, room temperature air, or cooled air.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein cooling the surface of the organ is achieved by extracting hot air out of the body, cooling the extracted hot air, and returning the cooled air back into the body.

10. A method of detecting an air leak in an organ of a body, comprising: creating a first temperature difference between a surface of the organ and an air flowing out of the organ by creating a second temperature difference between the surface of the organ and a sub-surface tissue of the organ; andidentifying an air leak site on the surface of the organ that has a different temperature than an area surrounding the air leak site.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the surface of the organ has a first temperature, the sub-surface tissue of the organ has a second temperature, and wherein the first temperature is higher than the second temperature.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the surface of the organ has a first temperature, the sub-surface tissue of the organ has a second temperature, and wherein the first temperature is lower than the second temperature.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising detecting a thermal differential at different locations on the surface of the organ.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising using a thermal imaging device to detect the thermal differential at different locations on the surface of the organ.

15. A method of detecting an air leak in an organ of a body, comprising:creating a first temperature difference between a surface of the organ and an air flowing out of the organ by creating a second temperature difference between the surface of the organ and an air flowing into the organ; andidentifying an air leak site that has a different temperature than an area surrounding the air leak site.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the surface of the organ has a first temperature, the air flowing into the organ has a second temperature, and wherein the first temperature is higher than the second temperature.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the surface of the organ has a first temperature, the air flowing into the organ has a second temperature, and wherein the first temperature is lower than the second temperature.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising detecting a thermal differential at different locations on the surface of the organ.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising using a thermal imaging device to detect the thermal differential at different locations on the surface of the organ.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising cooling the surface of the organ or cooling the air flowing into the organ.

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