Wearable intravenous fluid heater
First Claim
1. An intravenous fluid heater dimensioned so as to be wearable by a patient adjacent a fluid infusion situs of said patient, said heater comprising:
- a. a heat exchanger defining a flow path through said heater for fluid to be infused to said patient via said situs;
b. at least one controllable heating element for heating the fluid in the flow path by heat conduction thereto through said heat exchanger; and
c. a controller for controlling, based upon at least one temperature of the fluid in the flow path, heating of the fluid in the flow path by the heating element, said heating causing the fluid in the flow path to be substantially uniformly heated to a desired infusion temperature prior to exiting said heater;
wherein said heating element comprises at least one metal plate for contacting said heat exchanger and an electrical resistance heater controlled by said controller for controllably heating said plate via heat conduction thereto, said electrical resistance heater comprises a printed circuit board etched metal layer ;
said heating element also comprises a thermally conductive, electrically insulating layer between said etched metal layer and said plate, and said controller and said metal layer are comprised in a single circuit board.
5 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
An intravenous fluid heater is provided that is dimensioned so as to be wearable adjacent a patient'"'"'s intravenous fluid infusion situs. In one embodiment, the heater includes a heat exchanger for defining a flow path through the heater for fluid to be infused via the infusion situs. At least one controllable heating element is provided for heating the fluid in the flow path by heat conduction thereto through the heat exchanger. Sensors are included for sensing respective temperatures of entering and exiting fluids of the flow path. A controller controls, based upon the temperatures of the exiting fluids, heating of the fluid in the flow path by the heating element so as to cause the fluid in the flow path to be substantially uniformly heated to a desired infusion temperature prior to exiting the heater.
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Citations
1 Claim
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1. An intravenous fluid heater dimensioned so as to be wearable by a patient adjacent a fluid infusion situs of said patient, said heater comprising:
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a. a heat exchanger defining a flow path through said heater for fluid to be infused to said patient via said situs;
b. at least one controllable heating element for heating the fluid in the flow path by heat conduction thereto through said heat exchanger; and
c. a controller for controlling, based upon at least one temperature of the fluid in the flow path, heating of the fluid in the flow path by the heating element, said heating causing the fluid in the flow path to be substantially uniformly heated to a desired infusion temperature prior to exiting said heater;
wherein said heating element comprises at least one metal plate for contacting said heat exchanger and an electrical resistance heater controlled by said controller for controllably heating said plate via heat conduction thereto, said electrical resistance heater comprises a printed circuit board etched metal layer ;
said heating element also comprises a thermally conductive, electrically insulating layer between said etched metal layer and said plate, and said controller and said metal layer are comprised in a single circuit board.
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Specification