Glycol Thermal Accessory Control for Precise, Clean Liquid Circulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional liquid-circulating patient temperature management systems face contamination risks due to bacterial growth in the liquid path, which is challenging to completely remove with conventional cleaning and disinfecting methods, and they lack precise temperature control, especially in applications like extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and targeted temperature management.
Innovation Solution
A thermal accessory controller using a glycol-based liquid with a heating and cooling system, including a microcontroller unit that employs a PID algorithm for precise temperature control and an antimicrobial solution to prevent microbial growth, along with a decontamination procedure using high-temperature disinfection to address contamination risks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional liquid-circulating systems are used for temperature management, then temperature control precision is improved, but contamination risk increases due to bacterial growth in the liquid path
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameter of the circulating liquid by using glycol-based solutions instead of conventional water-based liquids. This parameter change prevents bacterial growth while maintaining the thermal transfer properties needed for precise temperature control in medical applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potential harm of liquid circulation (bacterial contamination) into a benefit by selecting a glycol-based liquid that inherently resists microbial growth. The liquid's chemical properties transform from a potential contamination vector to an antimicrobial medium that actively prevents biofilm formation.
2Ease of operation
If conventional cleaning and disinfecting procedures are used, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability decreases due to ineffective biofilm removal
Solution Approach 1:
The glycol-based liquid's resistance to microbial growth converts the cleaning challenge into an advantage. Since bacteria cannot form biofilms in this medium, standard cleaning procedures become highly effective at removing any residual contaminants, achieving both ease of operation and high reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary prevention by using glycol-based liquid that stops bacterial growth before it can establish biofilms. This preliminary protective action ensures that subsequent cleaning procedures are always effective, as there are no entrenched biofilms to resist removal.
3Reliability
If glycol-based liquid is used to prevent microbial growth, then reliability is improved, but use of energy increases due to heating and cooling requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The glycol-based liquid provides continuous contamination prevention throughout the entire liquid circulation cycle without requiring additional energy-intensive sterilization steps. The inherent antimicrobial properties work continuously as the liquid circulates, maintaining reliability while avoiding extra energy consumption for periodic sterilization cycles.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system provides enhanced temperature stability and safety by preventing microbial growth and ensuring effective decontamination, thereby improving patient temperature management in medical applications with reduced contamination risks and improved temperature control precision.
Implementation Method 1
a heating component in liquid communication with the liquid reservoir and configured to heat the glycol-based liquid
Implementation Method 2
a cooling component configured to cool the glycol-based liquid
Implementation Method 3
a first liquid pump in liquid communication with the input conduit and the output conduit and configured to pump the glycol-based liquid through the thermal accessory, the liquid reservoir, and the heating component
Data Source
AI summary
A thermal accessory controller for controlling the temperature of a thermal accessory. The thermal accessory controller includes a liquid reservoir for storing a glycol-based liquid, a heating component in liquid communication with the liquid reservoir for heating the glycol-based liquid, and a cooling component for cooling the glycol-based liquid. The thermal accessory controller includes an input conduit that provides a liquid path for the glycol-based liquid from the thermal accessory controller to the thermal accessory and an output conduit that provides a liquid path for the glycol-based liquid from the thermal accessory to the thermal accessory controller. The thermal accessory controller also includes a first liquid pump in liquid communication with the input conduit and the output conduit and configured to pump the glycol-based liquid through the thermal accessory, the liquid reservoir, and the heating component.