Sealable Opening Warming Blanket for Patient Temperature Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

In medical environments with temperatures below body temperature, such as operating rooms, it is challenging to maintain a patient's body temperature during procedures due to exposure to cool air, especially when using surgical drapes that compromise warmth.

Innovation Solution

A warming assembly comprising a movable warming blanket with foldable panels and a drape that forms a seal, allowing access to specific body regions while maintaining warmth to the rest of the patient's body, utilizing a heated air blower to provide warmed air through the blanket.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a surgical drape is used to maintain sterility during invasive procedures, then sterility is improved, but the patient's body temperature maintenance deteriorates due to exposure to cool operating room air

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovesterilityVSAvoidpatient body temperature

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The drape is nested within the warming blanket structure, with the drape forming an inner layer that can be sealed to the outer blanket layer. This nesting allows the drape to maintain sterility while the outer blanket provides thermal insulation, resolving the contradiction between sterility and temperature maintenance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The warming blanket provides localized thermal insulation specifically around the surgical site where the drape is applied. The sealable opening allows the drape to cover only the necessary surgical area while the rest of the patient's body remains insulated by the blanket, maintaining both sterility at the surgical site and overall body temperature.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Temperature

If a warming blanket with fixed structure is used, then warmth is maintained, but access to specific body regions for medical procedures is restricted

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepatient body temperatureVSAvoidaccess to body regions

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The warming blanket incorporates a movable or foldable section that can be dynamically adjusted during the procedure. This section can be opened or folded back to provide access to specific body regions while the remainder of the blanket remains in place to maintain warmth, resolving the contradiction between warmth maintenance and procedural access.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The blanket is segmented into a fixed portion that maintains warmth and a movable portion that can be opened for surgical access. The sealable opening mechanism divides the blanket structure to allow localized access without compromising the overall warming function of the blanket.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Ease of operation

If the warming blanket is opened to access a body region, then procedural access is improved, but heat loss from the patient increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccess to body regionsVSAvoidheat loss

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The drape acts as a flexible film that can be sealed to the blanket, creating a barrier that prevents heat loss through the opening. This flexible film allows access to the surgical site while maintaining the thermal envelope, resolving the contradiction between procedural access and heat loss prevention.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The drape serves as an intermediary element between the open blanket and the patient's body. It fills the gap created by the opened blanket, preventing cool air from contacting the patient while still allowing the surgical procedure to proceed, thus preventing heat loss while maintaining access.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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

Effectively maintains patient body temperature by warming the patient except for the region exposed for medical procedures, ensuring sterility and comfort during prolonged medical procedures.

Implementation Method 1

Warmed air is provided to the warming blanket

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectConvection: Convection

Data Source

PatentUS7879078B2Use of convective air warming system for patient care

Publication Date: 2011.02.01 COVIDIEN LP

AI summary

A technique for heating a patient is provided. The technique includes providing a warming blanket comprising at least one section that can be moved relative to the remainder of the warming blanket to define an opening in the warming blanket. The technique also includes providing a drape suitable to cover the opening such that a seal is formed between the drape and the warming blanket along the periphery of the opening.