Temperature-controlled cradle
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for managing the body of a deceased baby after stillbirth or infant death are insensitive and disrupt the grieving process, often involving quick removal to a morgue or cooler, leading to temperature fluctuations and discomfort for parents.
Innovation Solution
A temperature-controlled cradle with a self-contained cooling unit, comprising a compressor system, condenser unit, evaporator, and thermostat, designed to maintain a consistent low temperature, allowing for a mobile and adjustable setup that can be used in a home environment without disrupting room temperature.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If ice packs, dry ice, or chilled rice bags are used for cooling, then temporary cooling is achieved, but temperature fluctuations and wetness occur due to melting
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces passive thermal mass (ice packs, dry ice, chilled rice bags) with an active mechanical cooling system comprising a compressor, condenser, evaporator, and thermostat. This substitution eliminates temperature fluctuations and wetness issues by providing controlled, continuous cooling without melting, thereby resolving the contradiction between achieving cooling effect and maintaining temperature stability.
2Temperature
If the temperature is turned down in the entire room, then the baby remains cool, but the room becomes uncomfortable and temperature fluctuations occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing cooling specifically to the cradle area where the baby is placed, rather than cooling the entire room. The self-contained cooling unit with evaporator positioned beneath the cradle creates a localized cool environment, allowing parents to maintain normal room temperature while still providing appropriate cooling for the baby, thus resolving the contradiction between baby's temperature control and room comfort.
3Reliability
If the deceased baby is quickly removed to a morgue or cooler, then preservation is achieved, but the grieving process is interrupted and sensitivity is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables self-service by providing a self-contained cooling unit that operates autonomously within the cradle, requiring no external morgue or cooler facilities. The unit includes its own compressor, condenser, evaporator, and thermostat control, allowing the baby to be kept cool and preserved in the home environment, thereby resolving the contradiction between preservation reliability and ease of operation for the grieving family.
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 cradle provides a stable and comfortable environment for parents to grieve, maintaining a consistent low temperature and preventing temperature fluctuations, allowing for an extended period of reflection without the need to adjust the entire room temperature.
Implementation Method 1
thermally connected to the cooling unit
Implementation Method 2
a condenser unit, an evaporator... The condenser unit can include a metal coil surrounded with a plurality of metal fins to dissipate heat
Data Source
AI summary
A device for maintaining a deceased fetus or infant at a temperature lower than ambient for extending preservation of the fetus or infant includes a frame, a cooling unit operatively attached to the frame, a cradle sized to contain the deceased fetus or infant and operatively attached to the frame, and a power supply conduit. The frame has a top end and a bottom end. The cradle is thermally connected to the cooling unit, and a power supply conduit is connected to the cooling unit.