Conformable Printed Heater System for Fluid Bag Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional heaters for wearables and medical fluid bags are bulky, expensive, and unreliable, with inaccurate temperature and fluid level sensing, necessitating complex fabrication and prone to human error.
Innovation Solution
A flexible heater system integrated into a conformable substrate using additive printing processes, comprising a conductive, resistive, and dielectric layers, with a driver circuit for controlled heat delivery, and a sensing circuit for temperature and fluid level monitoring, encapsulated for environmental protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional heaters are used for wearables and medical fluid bags, then heating function is provided, but the heaters are bulky, expensive, and unreliable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional mechanical heaters with printed electronics heaters that use electrical resistance heating. The heating elements are created through additive printing processes that deposit conductive and resistive materials directly onto flexible substrates, eliminating the need for bulky mechanical heating components and associated wiring harnesses.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental parameters of the heating system by transitioning from high-power mechanical heating to low-power electrical resistance heating. This enables the use of flexible, thin-film materials with controlled electrical resistance that can be precisely tuned during the printing process to achieve desired heating performance in a compact form factor.
2Measurement precision
If conventional sensing methods are used for temperature and fluid level, then sensing is provided, but accuracy is poor and human error is high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the sensing functions directly into the fluid bag structure by printing conductive traces and sensing elements onto the bag surface. This integration eliminates separate sensing devices and manual measurement procedures, providing continuous automated monitoring of temperature and fluid level with high precision through the printed electronic sensors.
Solution Approach 2:
The printed electronics platform provides multi-functionality by combining heating elements, temperature sensors, and fluid level sensors into a single integrated system on the same substrate. This universal approach allows one printed circuit structure to perform multiple functions that would otherwise require separate devices, improving both accuracy and reducing complexity.
3Ease of manufacture
If printed electronics are used on flexible substrates, then conformability and cost are improved, but manufacturing precision and material compatibility become challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the manufacturing process into multiple printing steps, where each layer (conductive, resistive, dielectric, encapsulation) is deposited separately with precise control over thickness and material properties. This segmentation allows optimization of each layer independently for material compatibility and manufacturing precision while maintaining overall system conformability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs parameter changes in the printing process, including control of ink viscosity, deposition speed, layer thickness, and curing conditions, to achieve precise manufacturing control. By adjusting these parameters during additive manufacturing, the system optimizes both the precision of each printed layer and the compatibility between different materials on flexible substrates.
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
Provides a cost-effective, reliable, and accurate heating solution with improved temperature and fluid level sensing, reducing human error and enhancing patient care and user comfort.
Implementation Method 1
a resistive layer electrically associated with the at least one conductive layer and comprising a plurality of heating elements capable of generating heat upon receipt of the current flow
Implementation Method 2
a dielectric layer capable of at least partially insulating the at least one resistive layer
Data Source
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AI summary
The disclosure is and includes at least an apparatus, system and method for a flexible heater sensor suitable for association with a fluid bag. The apparatus, system and method may include a conformable substrate on a ply of the fluid bag opposite a printed flexible heater; and a matched function ink set, printed onto at least one substantially planar face of the substrate. The matched function ink set forms: at least one conductive layer capable of receiving current flow from at least one power source; and at least one dielectric layer capable of at least partially insulating and at least partially limiting conductivity of the at least one conductive layer; wherein the matched ink set is matched to preclude detrimental interactions between the printed inks of each of the at least one conductive and dielectric layers, and to preclude detrimental interactions with the conformable substrate; and wherein the at least one conductive layer and the at least one dielectric layer comprise a sensing circuit that senses at least the temperature of fluid within the fluid bag.