Life support and microclimate integrated system and process with internal and external active heating

• US 20110184253A1
• Filed: 01/24/2011
• Published: 07/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carleton Technologies, Inc. (Cobham PLC)
• Original Assignee: Carleton Technologies, Inc. (Cobham PLC)
• Inventors: Allen, Jeffrey, Kankolenski, Kevin, O'Donnell, Manus Michael, Archer, Ian, Mesmer, Lucas
• Granted Patent: US 8,671,940 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/301
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14551 for measuring blood gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0054 with a closed fluid circuit, e.g. hot water
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0087 Hand-held applicators
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0096 with a thermometer
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0225 connected to the body or a part thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0231 hook and loop-type fastener
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0234 for the upper part of the trunk, e.g. bodice
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/00 Heating or cooling appliances for medical or therapeutic treatment of the human body heating or cooling means in connection with bedsteads or mattresses A47C21/00 ; massage, therapeutic baths A61H; hyperthermia using electric or magnetic fields or ultrasound A61N; electric heating elements H05B
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/0053 Cabins, rooms, chairs or units for treatment with a hot or cold circulating fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/0085 Devices for generating hot or cold treatment fluids
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/0097 Blankets with active heating or cooling sources warming mats A61F7/08
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/02 Compresses or poultices for effecting heating or cooling
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/08 Warming pads, pans or mats A61F7/02 takes precedence; Hot-water bottles
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/00 Devices for influencing the respiratory system of patients by gas treatment, e.g. mouth-to-mouth respiration; Tracheal tubes stimulating the respiratory movement by mechanical, pneumatic or electrical means, iron lungs combined with gas breathing means A61H31/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/022 Control means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/10 Preparation of respiratory gases or vapours
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/14 by mixing different fluids, one of them being in a liquid phase
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 19/00 Local anaesthesia syringes therefor A61M5/00; Hypothermia A61M5/42 takes precedence; cooling blood in a bypass of the arterial system A61M1/36
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3606 : cooled
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/366 : by liquid heat exchangers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/44 : having means for cooling or heating the devices or media

Abstract

The present invention of one embodiment includes a combined microclimate, thermal management, life-support system for care of patient and system for measurement of vital signs. The system of one embodiment, provides active external heating and simultaneously provides active internal heating.

Claims

1. A portable microclimate and life-support system for care of a patient, comprising:

a portable housing that houses therein (i) a heat exchanger configured to regulate the temperature of a thermal fluid, wherein the heat exchanger has a thermal fluid outlet port and a thermal fluid return port, and (ii) an oxygen source;

a body covering configured to be placed in covering contact with the patient having one or more thermal fluid passages to regulate the temperature of the patient in thermal contact with the body covering;

a thermal conduit in fluid communication with the one or more thermal fluid passages of the body covering, the thermal conduit having a thermal fluid supply tube in fluid communication with the thermal fluid outlet port and a thermal fluid return tube in fluid communication with the thermal fluid inlet port, wherein the thermal conduit forms a closed fluid loop configured to deliver thermal fluid from the heat exchanger to the one or more thermal fluid passages and returning thermal fluid from the one or more thermal fluid passages; and

an oxygen delivery interface; and

an oxygen delivery conduit having an oxygen heating source in thermal communication with at least a part of the length of the oxygen delivery conduit, the oxygen heating source is configured to deliver sufficient heat to the oxygen in the oxygen delivery conduit to heat the temperature of oxygen to a temperature above the ambient temperature, wherein the oxygen delivery conduit is in fluid communication with the oxygen delivery source and is configured to deliver oxygen from the oxygen delivery source to the oxygen delivery interface.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable housing further comprises one or more vital sign displays;

and

wherein the system further comprises;

one or more vital sign measurement devices selected from the group consisting of a patient body temperature sensor, a patient oximeter;

a patient heart rate monitor, wherein the one or more vital sign measurement devices is in electromagnetic communication with the one or more vital sign displays.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a thermal fluid temperature sensor configured to measure the thermal fluid temperature prior to the thermal fluid entering the one or more thermal fluid passages of the thermal cover, wherein the thermal fluid temperature is displayed in a thermal temperature display on the portable housing.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising an oxygen temperature sensor configured to measure oxygen temperature in or upstream from the oxygen delivery interface entering the one or more fluid passages, wherein the thermal fluid temperature is displayed in a thermal temperature display on the portable housing.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the housing is capable of being carried by one person.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the housing is capable of being carried on a person'"'"'s back.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the housing has a vehicle mount.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable housing has a maximum weight of about 60 pounds.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable housing is less than 1.5 cubic feet.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the body covering is made of an elastic fabric material and further comprises fasteners configured to fasten the body covering to the patient. The elastic material conforms itself to the contour of the patient'"'"'s body.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the body covering is a blanket, a bag or clothing garment.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the body covering further comprises:

a manifold in fluid communication with the thermal fluid passages of the body covering, the manifold further comprising a thermal fluid inlet port configured to connect with the thermal fluid supply tube, a thermal fluid return port configured to connect with the thermal fluid return tube, one or more remote heating outlet ports and a remote heating return ports;

one or more remote thermal heaters loops, wherein each of the one or more thermal heater loops have a supply end and a return end, wherein the supply end is in fluid communication with one of the remote heating outlet port and the return end is in fluid communication with one of the remote heating return ports.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the oxygen delivery interface is selected from the group comprising a respirator mask or a respirator tube.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the oxygen delivery interface has a moisture capture filter configured to trap moisture exhaled from the patient and reintroduce moisture upon inhalation.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the heating source comprises a thermal heating switch having an off position that turns off the heating source and an on position to turn on the heating source to selectively heats the oxygen delivery tube.

16. The system of claim 4, wherein the heating source comprises a control that selectively heats the oxygen delivery tube responsive to the oxygen temperature sensor.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the oxygen delivery tube is heated by an electric coil.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more vital sign devices includes each of a patient body temperature sensor, a patient oximeter;

a patient heart rate monitor.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the oxygen source is at least in part ambient air.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the oxygen source is at least in part from an oxygen air tank.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the oxygen source is at least in part from an air scrubber.

23. A method of therapeutically or prophylactically treating a patient for hypothermia, and at the same time therapeutically or prophylactically treating a patient for a condition selected from the group consisting of hyperventilation, shock or hypoxia, wherein the method comprising the steps of:

providing a system of claim 1;

delivering heated thermal fluid to the plurality of thermal fluid passages of the body covering thereby providing active heat to the external surface of the patient;

delivering heated oxygen from the oxygen source to provide active internal heating of the patient.

24. A method of therapeutically or prophylactically treating a patient for hyperthermia and at the same time therapeutically or prophylactically treating a patient for a condition selected from the group consisting of hyperventilation, shock or hypoxia, wherein the method comprising the steps of:

providing a system of claim 15;

delivering cooled thermal fluid to the plurality of thermal fluid passages of the body covering thereby providing active heat to the skin of the patient;

turning the switch to the off position;

delivering oxygen from the oxygen source to the respiratory system of the patient.

25. A method of therapeutically or prophylactically treating a patient for hypothermia and at the same time therapeutically or prophylactically treating a patient for a condition selected from the group consisting of hyperventilation, shock or hypoxia, wherein the method comprising the steps of:

providing a system of claim 16;

delivering cooled thermal fluid to the plurality of thermal fluid passages of the body covering thereby providing active heat to the skin of the patient;

delivering oxygen from the oxygen source to the respiratory system of the patient wherein the oxygen heating coil is responsive to the oxygen temperature sensor.

19. A portable microclimate and life-support system for care of a plurality of patients, comprising:

a portable housing that houses therein (i) a heat exchanger configured to regulate the temperature of a thermal fluid, wherein the heat exchanger has a plurality of thermal fluid outlet ports and a plurality of thermal fluid return ports, (ii) an oxygen source, (iii) a plurality of display units, wherein each display unit has one or more vital sign displays;

a plurality of body coverings, wherein each body covering is configured to be placed in covering contact with one of the plurality of patients, wherein each body covering has a set of one or more thermal fluid passages to regulate the temperature of the patient in thermal contact with the each body covering;

a plurality of thermal conduits, wherein each of the thermal fluid conduits are in fluid communication with one set of the one or more thermal fluid passages of the body covering, wherein each of the thermal conduits have a thermal fluid supply tube in fluid communication with one of the thermal fluid outlet ports and a thermal fluid return tube in fluid communication with one of the thermal fluid inlet ports, wherein each of the thermal conduits form a closed fluid loop for delivering thermal fluid from the heat exchanger to a corresponding one or more thermal fluid passages and returning thermal fluid from the corresponding one or more thermal fluid passages; and

a plurality of oxygen delivery interfaces corresponding to the plurality of patients;

a plurality of oxygen delivery conduits, wherein each of the plurality of oxygen delivery conduits are in fluid communication with the oxygen source for delivery of oxygen from the oxygen delivery source to corresponding the oxygen delivery interfaces; and

a plurality of sets of one or more vital sign measurement devices selected from the group consisting of a patient body temperature sensor, a patient oximeter;

a patient heart rate monitor, wherein the plurality of sets of one or more vital sign measurement devices is in electromagnetic communication with the plurality of display units.