Method and apparatus for maintaining temperature control of sterile fluid
First Claim
1. Apparatus for providing surgical slush from a sterile fluid medium, said apparatus comprising:
- a cabinet for housing the apparatus;
a basin disposed in said cabinet;
a refrigeration system in said housing for cooling said basin;
a sterile drape overlying said cabinet and conforming to said basin to define a drape container for receiving said fluid medium;
wherein said refrigeration system includes selectively actuable means for cooling said basin to a temperature substantially below the freezing temperature of said sterile fluid medium; and
selectively actuable maintain means for maintaining said basin at substantially said freezing temperature.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Sterile surgical fluid is maintained at substantially its freezing temperature to prevent both melting and formation of solid ice pieces in surgical slush and to provide a supply of near freezing fully liquid phase sterile fluid as required. Slush is initially formed in a refrigeration mode wherein a basin containing sterile fluid medium is cooled to well below the freezing temperature of the medium to thereby rapidly lower the medium temperature. Upon formation of the slush the system is placed in a maintain mode wherein the container temperature is kept at or near the freezing temperature of the medium to selectively provide either slush or near freezing liquid. In the preferred embodiment the maintain mode is effected by electrically energizing one or more thermoelectric modules and de-energizing a refrigeration system in which the refrigerant fluid is passed through an evaporator disposed in thermal energy transfer relation to the basin. In alternative embodiments the refrigeration system itself is controlled to keep the container temperature at or near the freezing point during the maintain mode.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. Apparatus for providing surgical slush from a sterile fluid medium, said apparatus comprising:
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a cabinet for housing the apparatus; a basin disposed in said cabinet; a refrigeration system in said housing for cooling said basin; a sterile drape overlying said cabinet and conforming to said basin to define a drape container for receiving said fluid medium; wherein said refrigeration system includes selectively actuable means for cooling said basin to a temperature substantially below the freezing temperature of said sterile fluid medium; and selectively actuable maintain means for maintaining said basin at substantially said freezing temperature. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method of providing sterile surgical slush comprising the steps of:
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(a) reducing the temperature of a sterile surgical medium containing basin to a temperature substantially below the freezing temperature of said medium to form surgical slush; and (b) maintaining the slush at a temperature substantially equal to the freezing temperature of the sterile fluid medium from which the slush was formed.
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8. Apparatus for providing chilled liquid phase sterile fluid medium, said apparatus comprising:
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a cabinet for housing the apparatus; a basin disposed in said cabinet; a refrigeration system in said housing for cooling said basin; a sterile drape overlying said cabinet and conforming to said basin to define a drape container for receiving said fluid medium; wherein said refrigeration system includes selectively actuable means for cooling said basin to a temperature slightly above the freezing temperature of said sterile fluid medium; and selectively actuable maintain means for maintaining said basin at a selectable temperature. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of providing chilled liquid phase sterile surgical medium comprising the steps of:
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(a) reducing the temperature of a sterile surgical medium containing basin to a temperature at or below the freezing temperature of said medium; and (b) maintaining the medium at a temperature slightly above the freezing temperature of the sterile fluid medium.
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15. The method of providing a chilled liquid phase of a sterile medium in a container for use during a surgical procedure, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) in a selectively actuable refrigeration mode, cooling said container to a temperature substantially below the freezing temperature of said sterile medium; and (b) in a selectively actuable maintain mode, maintaining said container substantially at a temperature slightly above the freezing temperature of said sterile medium. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification