Patient warming blanket
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing patient warming blankets for animals, particularly smaller species like cats and dogs, are ineffective due to excessive air flow causing cooling rather than warming, and poor air distribution around bends and porosity issues in the blanket material.
Innovation Solution
A patient warming blanket with two layers forming a hollow air space, where one layer is porous to allow warm air diffusion, and the tubular portions have non-parallel sides with wider openings near the inlet and narrower near the end, along with a manifold and gallery for improved air distribution, reducing kinking and enhancing warmth delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If warm air is delivered through punched holes in the blanket, then warm air reaches the patient, but excessive air flow causes cooling rather than warming
Solution Approach 1:
The blanket incorporates a porous layer with controlled porosity (2-20% open space) that allows warm air to diffuse through via diffusion rather than high-velocity jet flow. This porous structure reduces air flow velocity while maintaining warmth delivery, eliminating the cooling effect caused by excessive air flow in punched hole designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the air delivery mechanism from high-velocity jet flow through punched holes to low-velocity diffusion through porous material. This parameter change in air flow velocity and delivery method transforms the harmful cooling effect into beneficial warming without compromising heat transfer to the patient.
2Ease of manufacture
If tubular portions have parallel sides, then manufacturing is simple, but air distribution is poor around bends
Solution Approach 1:
The tubular portions are designed with non-parallel sides, creating an asymmetric cross-sectional shape. This asymmetric geometry improves air distribution around bends by reducing kinking and enhancing flow patterns, while the overall simple tubular structure maintains ease of manufacture.
3Temperature
If blanket material has high porosity, then warm air diffuses easily, but air flow distribution becomes inconsistent
Solution Approach 1:
The invention optimizes the porosity parameter to a specific range (2-20% open space) that balances warm air diffusion capability with air flow distribution consistency. This controlled porosity parameter allows sufficient warmth delivery while maintaining reliable and consistent air flow throughout the blanket.
4Adaptability or versatility
If smaller U-shaped blanket is used for smaller animals, then blanket fits better, but air flow becomes insufficient for effective warming
Solution Approach 1:
The smaller U-shaped blanket incorporates porous material that enables efficient warm air diffusion, compensating for the reduced blanket size. This porous structure ensures that even smaller blankets can deliver adequate warmth to small animals by maximizing heat transfer efficiency through the porous layer.
Solution Approach 2:
The non-parallel sided tubular portions in the smaller blanket design improve air distribution and reduce kinking, ensuring consistent warm air delivery throughout the compact blanket structure, thereby maintaining warming effectiveness despite the reduced size.
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 improves air distribution and warmth delivery to the patient, reducing the risk of hypothermia in smaller animals by ensuring consistent and efficient heating, overcoming the limitations of prior art designs.
Implementation Method 1
one of said two layers has at least a portion of its surface formed of porous material so that warmed air is delivered to said patient by diffusion through said porous material
Implementation Method 2
at least two layers capable of forming a hollow air space between said two layers for receiving warm air from a heating unit
Data Source
AI summary
A patient warming blanket comprising at least two layers capable of forming a hollow air space between the two layers for receiving warm air from a heating unit via an inlet port at or near an end of the blanket. The two layers being arranged so that the hollow air space forms at least one tubular portion disposed longitudinally there within, and one of the two layers has at least a portion of its surface formed of porous material so that warmed air is delivered to said patient by diffusion through said porous material. The tubular portion has non-parallel sides such that the sides of the tubular portion are further apart from each other at a first end of the tubular portion closer to the inlet port than at a second end of the tubular portion remote from the inlet port.