Nutritional Fluid Warmer With Vibration for Uniform Neonatal Heating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for warming nutritional liquids for neonates often result in non-uniform heating, are not customizable, and lack ease of operation and cost-effectiveness, particularly when transitioning from refrigerated or frozen states.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a container within a liquid-lined pouch, a nutritional warmer with a heater and vibrator, and a controller that adjusts heating and vibration based on initial conditions and predetermined protocols to achieve a consistent temperature range of 96° F to 99° F, ensuring homogeneous warming.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional heating methods are used to warm nutritional liquids, then the heating process is simple, but the heating is non-uniform and inconsistent
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies mechanical vibration through a vibratory element that contacts the container holding the nutritional liquid. The vibration creates agitation and circulation within the liquid, promoting uniform heat distribution throughout the volume. This resolves the heating uniformity issue by mechanically disrupting thermal stratification and ensuring all portions of the liquid reach the target temperature consistently.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a liquid-lined pouch as an intermediary between the heating source and the nutritional liquid. The pouch material acts as a heat transfer medium that distributes thermal energy uniformly across the container surface, preventing localized overheating and ensuring consistent heating throughout the liquid volume.
2Reliability
If refrigeration is used to preserve mother's milk or formulated liquids, then the nutritional substance can be stored for subsequent use, but it requires subsequent thawing and heating which may result in non-uniform heating
Solution Approach 1:
The vibratory element continuously agitates the nutritional liquid during the thawing and heating process from refrigeration. This mechanical agitation prevents the formation of hot and cold zones, ensuring that the liquid transitions uniformly from frozen/refrigerated state to the target feeding temperature, resolving the heating consistency problem.
Solution Approach 2:
The system maintains continuous vibration and heating action throughout the entire thawing and warming process. This continuous useful action ensures that the nutritional liquid undergoes uniform transformation from its refrigerated or frozen state to the desired temperature, preventing non-uniform heating that would occur with intermittent or static heating methods.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a customized preparation system is implemented to achieve specific temperature and consistency results, then the preparation can be tailored to neonate needs, but the system becomes more complex and harder to operate
Solution Approach 1:
The system allows customization by adjusting key parameters such as heating temperature, vibration amplitude, and processing time based on the initial state of the nutritional liquid (frozen, refrigerated, or room temperature). These parameter changes enable tailored preparation for different neonate needs while maintaining operational simplicity through automated control mechanisms that manage the complexity of multiple parameters.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms that monitor the temperature and consistency of the nutritional liquid during preparation. This feedback allows the system to automatically adjust heating and vibration parameters to achieve the desired target state, providing customization capability while simplifying operation by eliminating the need for manual parameter adjustment and monitoring.
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 system ensures predictable, customizable, and efficient warming of nutritional substances, maintaining them at a ready-to-feed state for a specified period, addressing the challenges of non-uniform heating and operational complexity.
Implementation Method 1
a heater mounted on the base member for transferring heat to the nutritional substance in the container
Implementation Method 2
a vibrator mounted on the base member for vibrating the well as heat is being transferred from the heater, and through the pouch, to the nutritional substance in the container
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method are provided for warming a nutritional substance (i.e. mother's milk or formulated liquids) for ingestion by a neonate. Structurally, the system includes a warmer for holding a container of the nutritional substance as it is simultaneously vibrated and warmed in preparation for the neonate, and it includes a controller which determines how the system will be operated. For an operation of the present invention, a user provides input to the system controller to establish a mode of operation (e.g. warming; warming-frozen; or thawing). The user will also input a predetermined protocol to the controller. During the operation, a heat sensor monitors temperatures of the nutritional substance which are provided as feedback input to the controller for operating the warmer in accordance with the protocol.