Inflatable Cuff Pad for Therapeutic Hypothermia
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current target temperature management systems require adhesive pads that can cause skin irritation and hinder open access for medical procedures due to the adhesive, limiting their effectiveness in maintaining contact for therapeutic hypothermia.
Innovation Solution
A multilayered pad system with a conformable layer, conduit layer, and insulation layer, optionally including an inflatable cuff or expandable composition, designed to conform around a patient's limb without adhesives, allowing for improved thermal conductivity and fluid circulation while maintaining patient access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If adhesive pads are used to maintain contact between the pad and patient, then sufficient contact is achieved for inducing therapeutic hypothermia, but skin irritation occurs and open access for medical procedures is hindered
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesive layer is completely removed from the pad structure. Instead of using adhesive to attach the pad to the patient, the invention uses an inflatable cuff that can be inflated to secure the pad in place, eliminating the harmful adhesive contact with the patient's skin while maintaining reliable contact for heat transfer
Solution Approach 2:
An inflatable cuff is introduced as the replacement for adhesive attachment. The cuff can be inflated with gas to create secure mechanical attachment of the pad to the patient's body, providing reliable contact maintenance without using adhesive materials that cause skin irritation
2Reliability
If adhesive pads are used to maintain contact, then sufficient contact is achieved for inducing therapeutic hypothermia, but open access for medical procedures is hindered
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesive layer is completely removed from the pad structure. Instead of using adhesive to attach the pad to the patient, the invention uses an inflatable cuff that can be inflated to secure the pad in place, eliminating the harmful adhesive contact with the patient's skin while maintaining reliable contact for heat transfer
Solution Approach 2:
The pad transitions from a static adhesive-based attachment to a dynamic inflatable cuff system. The cuff can be inflated or deflated as needed, allowing clinicians to easily adjust or remove the pad during medical procedures while maintaining secure contact during normal operation
3Temperature
If the conformable layer conforms around the limb, then thermal conductivity increases for effective heat transfer, but the pad structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The conformable material undergoes a physical parameter change when compressed by the inflatable cuff. The material transitions from a high-air-content state (low thermal conductivity) to a compressed state where air is expelled and cells collapse, dramatically increasing thermal conductivity for effective heat transfer during use
Solution Approach 2:
The pad is designed with a pre-compression mechanism where the inflatable cuff is inflated before or during the cooling process. This preliminary compression action prepares the conformable material to be in its high thermal conductivity state before chilled fluid is introduced, ensuring immediate and effective heat transfer
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 solution effectively induces therapeutic hypothermia by increasing thermal conductivity as the pad conforms around the patient, reducing skin irritation and enabling open access for medical procedures, thus enhancing the efficacy of target temperature management.
Implementation Method 1
a thermal conductivity of the conformable material increases as the conformable layer conforms around the limb of the patient. The thermal conductivity increases in accordance with collapsing cells of the conformable material, which puts opposite sides of the cells in contact with each other
Implementation Method 2
The insulation layer is configured to insulate the conduit layer from an ambient temperature of an environment around the patient
Implementation Method 3
The inflatable cuff is configured to press the pad body against the limb of the patient when the inflatable cuff is inflated
Implementation Method 4
inducing therapeutic hypothermia by circulating chilled fluid through the pads
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are systems, pads, and methods thereof for targeted temperature management. A first pad can include a multilayered pad body and an inflatable cuff around the pad body. The pad body can include a conformable layer, a conduit layer over the conformable layer, and an insulation layer over the conduit layer. The conformable layer can include a conformable material configured to conform around a limb of a patient. The conduit layer can include one or more conduits configured to convey a fluid through the conduit layer. The insulation layer can be configured to insulate the conduit layer from an ambient temperature of an environment around the patient. The inflatable cuff can be configured to press the pad body against the limb of the patient when the inflatable cuff is inflated. Methods of the systems and pads can include methods of use.