IV Fluid Warming Heat Exchange Body for Low-Flow Temperature Hold
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing IV fluid warming devices face inefficiencies in heat transfer due to flexible plastic walls, leading to heat loss during administration, and are difficult to clean, especially when exposed to blood spills, and fail to maintain fluid temperature at low flow rates.
Innovation Solution
A fluid warming device with a housing, a heat exchange body receiving compartment, and a heater assembly that includes a removable heat exchange body with thermally conductive layers and sliding covers for improved heat transfer and ease of cleaning, along with a method to adjust power based on calculated temperature drops to maintain desired output temperatures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If flexible plastic walls are used in the heat exchange body, then the device structure is simple and manufacturing is easier, but heat transfer efficiency deteriorates and heat loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from flexible plastic to rigid material, which fundamentally alters the thermal conductivity property. This parameter change enables efficient heat transfer from the heater to the fluid while maintaining structural integrity, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and heat loss prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat exchange body is constructed as a composite structure with a rigid outer shell and internal thermal conductive layers. This composite design combines the structural benefits of rigidity with enhanced thermal conductivity, achieving both good heat transfer efficiency and manufacturability through modular assembly.
2Ease of repair
If the heat exchange body is removable and disposable, then cleaning and maintenance are simplified, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchange body is designed as a separate, removable module that can be easily detached from the heater assembly. This segmentation allows the disposable heat exchange body to be independently replaced without affecting the permanent heater component, simplifying cleaning and maintenance while managing device complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat exchange body is designed as a disposable component that can be easily replaced rather than cleaned. This approach eliminates complex cleaning requirements and maintenance procedures, trading the cost of repeated disposable units for simplified device operation and reduced maintenance complexity.
3Ease of operation
If the cover is movably coupled between open and closed positions, then ease of operation for inserting and removing the heat exchange body is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cover is designed with movable capability, transitioning between open and closed positions to facilitate easy insertion and removal of the heat exchange body. This dynamic design improves operability by allowing user access while maintaining a compact closed structure, managing complexity through straightforward mechanical movement rather than fixed rigid construction.
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 device effectively minimizes heat loss through IV tubing by optimizing heat transfer and allowing for efficient cleaning, ensuring the fluid is maintained at a consistent temperature even at low flow rates, thereby reducing radiated heat losses and improving patient care.
Implementation Method 1
a heater assembly disposed within the main body and having a heat conducting surface disposed proximate the heat exchange body receiving compartment
Implementation Method 2
The heat exchange body is in thermal contact with a resistive film heater via thermally conductive layers interposed between the heat exchange body and the heater
Implementation Method 3
The heat exchange body is in thermal contact with a resistive film heater
Data Source
AI summary
A fluid warming device may include a housing comprising a main body, a heat exchange body receiving compartment, and a cover movably coupled to the main body between an open position and a closed position; a heater assembly disposed within the main body and having a heat conducting surface disposed proximate the heat exchange body receiving compartment; and a heat exchange body removably disposable in the heat exchange body receiving compartment of the main body and having an input port and an output port to couple the heat exchange body to tubing to flow a fluid to be warmed through the heat exchange body. In another aspect, a fluid warming system increases or decreases power to a heater assembly to adjust the fluid temperature to ensure that the fluid is at an appropriate temperature when it reaches the patient.