Liquid Warming Device Adapter for Sterile Fluid Temperature Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid warming devices for sterile surgical fluids lack precise temperature control and maintain sterility, as they often rely on subjective gloved finger tests and disposable units with integrated heaters that are difficult to sterilize and prone to contamination risks.
Innovation Solution
A liquid warming device with a removable container system that uses a thermocouple well for precise temperature sensing and a dual-set point control system, ensuring accurate fluid temperature monitoring and maintaining sterility through a sterile drape and adapter for various container sizes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a disposable unit with integrated heater is used, then sterility is maintained, but the device complexity increases and sterilization becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into separate components: a reusable warming device with heater and a removable container that can be sterilized independently. This segmentation allows the container to be sterilized using standard autoclaving processes while the electronic heater remains outside the sterile field, reducing overall system complexity and improving sterilization capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The heater is extracted from the container and placed in a separate reusable warming device. The container becomes a simple receptacle without integrated electronics, making it easy to sterilize and replace. The heater and control systems are taken out of the sterile field entirely, reducing device complexity within the sterile environment.
2Ease of operation
If a gloved finger test is used for temperature control, then the operation is simple, but the measurement precision is poor
Solution Approach 1:
A temperature sensor acts as an intermediary between the heater and the fluid, providing accurate temperature measurements without requiring direct contact with the sterile fluid. The sensor transmits temperature data to the control system, enabling precise temperature control while maintaining sterility and eliminating the need for subjective gloved finger tests.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system continuously monitors fluid temperature through the temperature sensor and automatically adjusts heater power to maintain the desired temperature. This closed-loop feedback system eliminates the need for manual temperature testing and provides precise, objective temperature control throughout the warming process.
3Productivity
If a heater applies high heat to quickly warm fluid, then the productivity increases, but the object-generated harmful factors increase due to container damage risk
Solution Approach 1:
The control system continuously monitors fluid temperature and automatically adjusts heater power output to prevent overheating. When the fluid approaches the target temperature, the system reduces heating power, preventing container damage while maintaining efficient heating throughput. This feedback control enables high productivity without sacrificing safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The heater operates with dynamically changing temperature parameters rather than constant high heat. The system uses high power initially for rapid warming, then gradually reduces power as temperature approaches the target, optimizing both heating speed and container safety throughout the warming process.
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 provides precise temperature control of sterile surgical fluids, enhances sterility by eliminating the need for disposable units with integrated heaters, and allows for flexible container usage, reducing contamination risks and operational costs.
Implementation Method 1
a thermocouple temperature sensor that detects a temperature of the liquid in the container
Implementation Method 2
A heater selectively heats the liquid in the container
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid warming device for heating sterile fluids in a removable container is described with emphasis on the properties of the container interaction with the liquid warming device and with a drape that works with the container to maintain a sterile field above the drape and the top of the container. The interactions between a temperature sensor and a temperature well integrated in the removable container are disclosed. Also disclosed are various desirable aspects for a control system for a liquid warming device are provided. The liquid warming device can selectively employ a adapter in order to receive a container limited to a smaller diameter than the largest container diameter that can be accommodated by the liquid warming device. The small diameter container may receive a volume of sterile fluid so that the liquid warming device can maintain the sterile fluid in the small diameter container within a prescribed range of temperatures above ambient air temperature.