Infant Radiant Heater Customized Facet Reflector
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current infant radiant warmers face challenges in efficiently maintaining a consistent temperature over a predefined region of the patient support, as existing designs often lead to uneven heating due to the lack of precise control over radiant energy distribution.
Innovation Solution
The proposed medical device incorporates a radiant heater with an infrared heating element and a reflector featuring customized facets that direct radiant energy towards a predefined region of the patient support, maintaining a predetermined temperature through a specific arrangement of annular layers and facets that intersect along straight lines, ensuring uniform heating.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a traditional heating element is used without customized facets, then the device structure is simpler, but the temperature distribution over the patient support becomes uneven
Solution Approach 1:
The reflector is segmented into multiple customized facets arranged in annular layers, with each facet independently oriented to direct radiant energy to specific regions of the patient support. This segmentation allows precise control over temperature distribution across different zones of the support surface.
Solution Approach 2:
Each customized facet is designed with specific orientation and geometry tailored to its position, creating local variations in radiant energy direction. The facets are customized to direct energy to predetermined regions, ensuring uniform temperature distribution across the entire patient support area rather than using a uniform reflector design.
2Manufacturing precision
If customized facets are added to direct radiant energy, then temperature control precision is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The reflector is divided into multiple discrete customized facets that can be manufactured as separate components and then assembled. This segmentation allows each facet to be precision-manufactured independently using techniques like CNC machining or precision molding, ensuring accurate orientation and geometry while facilitating quality control and assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The customized facets are arranged in multiple annular layers at different heights and angles, adding dimensional complexity to achieve precise temperature control. This multi-layered, three-dimensional arrangement of facets allows radiant energy to be directed to specific predetermined regions of the patient support with high precision.
3Stability of the object's composition
If multiple layers of customized facets are used, then radiant energy distribution is more uniform, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The reflector is segmented into multiple annular layers of customized facets, with each layer contributing to temperature control in different regions of the patient support. This layered segmentation allows systematic distribution of radiant energy across the entire support surface, ensuring temperature consistency through coordinated action of all layers.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple annular layers of customized facets are positioned at different heights and angular orientations, creating a three-dimensional radiant energy distribution system. This multi-dimensional arrangement ensures that radiant energy is uniformly distributed across the patient support surface, maintaining temperature consistency through spatial diversity of the facet layers.
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
This configuration allows for effective and uniform heating of the patient support, maintaining a consistent temperature within the specified region, as validated by the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation's voluntary standard 60601-2-21, ensuring safe and efficient neonatal care.
Implementation Method 1
a heating element that is intended to be placed over an infant to maintain the infant's body temperature by means of radiant heat. The heating element may be an infrared heating element.
Implementation Method 2
a reflector positioned above the heating element to direct radiant energy toward the mattress
Implementation Method 3
an infrared heating element operable to emit radiant energy
Data Source
AI summary
A medical device including a patient support and a radiant heater positioned above the patient support is disclosed. The radiant heater includes a reflector that partially surrounds a heating element. The reflector includes a plurality of layers of customized facets to direct radiant energy emitted by the heating element toward a predefined region of the patient support to maintain the predefined region at a predetermined temperature.