Infant Warmer Stencil Visual Alignment Guide

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional infant warmers require precise alignment between the infant and the heater assembly to ensure uniform heating, and misalignment can lead to insufficient or non-uniform heating.

Innovation Solution

An infant warmer with a heater canopy that includes a radiant heater, a lamp, and a stencil to project a highlighted image of the uniformly heated region, facilitating proper alignment of the infant within this region.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If the heater assembly is used to warm the infant, then the infant can be maintained at a predetermined temperature, but the infant must be precisely aligned with the heater to ensure uniform heating

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepredetermined temperatureVSAvoidalignment requirement
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a visual alignment guide as an intermediary element between the heater assembly and the infant. This guide provides visual cues that facilitate proper positioning without requiring complex alignment procedures. The intermediary visual aid bridges the gap between the heating function and the alignment requirement, making the system easier to operate while maintaining temperature control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs color-coded visual indicators or illuminated guides that change color or intensity to indicate proper alignment. By using color changes as a feedback mechanism, the system guides the user to position the infant correctly relative to the heater, thereby reducing the complexity of alignment operations while ensuring uniform temperature distribution.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #32Color changes

2Manufacturing precision

If the heater radiates energy over a fixed region, then uniform heating can be achieved, but misalignment results in insufficient or non-uniform heating

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuniform heating distributionVSAvoidheating consistency
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent incorporates visual feedback mechanisms that indicate to the user whether the infant is properly positioned within the fixed heating region. By providing real-time visual feedback about alignment status, the system ensures that uniform heating is maintained and prevents insufficient or non-uniform heating that would occur with misalignment. This feedback loop enhances both the precision of heating distribution and the reliability of consistent temperature maintenance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent provides visual alignment guides before the heating process begins, allowing the user to position the infant correctly in advance. By performing the alignment action preliminarily, using visual cues to guide positioning before heating starts, the system ensures that the infant will receive uniform heating throughout the treatment, preventing heating inconsistencies that would result from misalignment.

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

Ensures that the infant is uniformly and sufficiently warmed by visually guiding the alignment with a projected image, ensuring consistent heating regardless of initial positioning.

Implementation Method 1

a heater configured to generally uniformly distribute radiant energy over a fixed region

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectRadiant energy: Thermal Radiation

Implementation Method 2

a lamp configured to selectively generate light

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight generation: Light

Data Source

PatentUS8568290B2Infant warmer apparatus and method
Publication Date: 2013.10.29 GE PRECISION HEALTHCARE LLC
  • US8568290B2 patent drawing
  • US8568290B2 patent drawing
  • US8568290B2 patent drawing

AI summary

An infant warmer (10) includes a heater canopy (18) comprising a. heater (30) configured to generally uniformly distribute radiant energy over a fixed region. The heater canopy (18) may also include a lamp (32) configured to selectively generate light. The heater canopy (18) may also include a stencil (34) positioned relative to the lamp (32) such that at least a portion of the light passes through the stencil (34) to generate a projected image (56). The projected image (56) is configured to highlight the fixed region.