Heat Exchange Pad with Flow Disruption Structures

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional water perfusion heat exchange pads suffer from thermal heterogeneity, inadequate conformability to body contours, and inefficient heat transfer due to discrete water flow channels and rigid designs, limiting their ability to effectively manage skin temperature for therapeutic applications.

Innovation Solution

The development of biologically-inspired heat exchange pads (BIHEs) that mimic the vascular structure of glabrous skin, featuring a flexible design with tortuous fluid conduits, pulsatile flow, and modular construction, allowing for enhanced convective heat transfer and conformability to complex anatomical shapes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If conventional pads use discrete water flow channels to deliver temperature control, then temperature management is achieved at specific areas, but thermal heterogeneity increases and uniform temperature distribution deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetemperature management capabilityVSAvoidtemperature distribution uniformity

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the continuous water flow path into multiple discrete flow channels distributed across the pad surface. This segmentation allows temperature control at multiple locations simultaneously, improving overall temperature management while the distributed arrangement promotes more uniform temperature distribution compared to single-channel designs

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates different flow channel configurations in different regions of the pad to match local thermal requirements. Each region can have optimized channel density, size, and pattern tailored to its specific thermal management needs, achieving both effective local temperature control and overall uniformity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Ease of manufacture

If conventional pads use fixed rigid structures, then manufacturing is simplified, but conformability to complex body contours deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepad fabrication simplicityVSAvoidconformability to body contours

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs flexible materials and designs that allow the pad to dynamically adapt its shape to match complex body contours. The flexible construction enables the pad to conform to curved surfaces while maintaining functional integrity, resolving the conflict between manufacturing simplicity and adaptability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses flexible polymeric materials and thin-film constructions that can bend and conform to complex anatomical shapes. These flexible structures maintain ease of manufacture through standardized fabrication processes while achieving superior conformability to body surfaces

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

3Stability of the object's composition

If conventional pads use compressed flexible flow channels to secure pad position, then pad stability is improved, but flow distribution heterogeneity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepad position stabilityVSAvoidflow distribution uniformity

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent incorporates flow distribution features and pressure equalization structures during pad fabrication that pre-compensate for compression effects. This preliminary design approach ensures uniform flow distribution even when the pad is compressed against the body, maintaining both stability and flow uniformity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

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

BIHEs achieve significantly improved thermal performance, with heat flux rates exceeding conventional pads by an order of magnitude, providing uniform temperature distribution and effective heat transfer on complex body surfaces, thereby enhancing therapeutic applications.

Implementation Method 1

at least one extended surface structure positioned within the internal volume to disrupt laminar flow of fluid from the inlet to the outlet

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectLaminar flow disruption: Turbulence

Implementation Method 2

enhanced convective heat transfer

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectConvective heat transfer: Convection

Implementation Method 3

effective heat transfer on complex body surfaces

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentUS11813194B2Water perfusion heat exchange pad for control of skin temperature

Publication Date: 2023.11.14 BOARD OF RGT THE UNIV OF TEXAS SYST

AI summary

Heat exchange pads for use on a patient are described herein. An example heat exchange pad can include a surface defining an internal volume and having a flexible patient contacting portion, an inlet fluidly connected to the internal volume for delivery of fluid into the internal volume, an outlet fluidly connected to the internal volume for removal of fluid from the internal volume, and at least one extended surface structure positioned within the internal volume to disrupt laminar flow of fluid from the inlet to the outlet.