Surgical drape and method of detecting fluid and leaks in thermal treatment system basins
First Claim
1. A system for detecting conditions within containers formed by surgical drapes during surgical procedures and controlling thermal treatment of said containers in response to said detected conditions, said system comprising:
- a thermal treatment unit to thermally treat a liquid and including a basin;
a surgical drape, covering and substantially conforming to said basin, to serve as a drape container for said liquid, wherein a sterile surface of said drape includes a plurality of conductive and insulating drape segments with potentials of said conductive segments being responsive to contact between said conductive segments and said liquid to indicate conditions of said drape container;
a controller to operate said thermal treatment unit to control a temperature of said basin; and
a detection unit in communication with said drape to determine occurrence of said drape container conditions from said potentials of said conductive segments and to control said controller to operate said thermal treatment unit in accordance with said determined drape container conditions.
4 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
A drape according to the present invention is constructed of or includes conductive and insulating drape segments and is disposed over a top surface of a thermal treatment system having a basin recessed therein. A portion of the drape is pushed down into, and conforms to, the basin to form a drape container or receptacle within the basin for collecting a sterile medium. The conductive segments provide a signal indicating the presence of liquid and/or leaks within the drape container to the system to facilitate control of system operation. In addition, a drape utilized for a plural basin thermal treatment system may form a drape receptacle within each basin. Each drape receptacle includes conductive and insulating drape segments to detect the presence of liquid and/or a leak within that drape receptacle. The conductive segments of the drape receptacles provide signals to the system to facilitate control of system operation.
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Citations
51 Claims
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1. A system for detecting conditions within containers formed by surgical drapes during surgical procedures and controlling thermal treatment of said containers in response to said detected conditions, said system comprising:
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a thermal treatment unit to thermally treat a liquid and including a basin; a surgical drape, covering and substantially conforming to said basin, to serve as a drape container for said liquid, wherein a sterile surface of said drape includes a plurality of conductive and insulating drape segments with potentials of said conductive segments being responsive to contact between said conductive segments and said liquid to indicate conditions of said drape container; a controller to operate said thermal treatment unit to control a temperature of said basin; and a detection unit in communication with said drape to determine occurrence of said drape container conditions from said potentials of said conductive segments and to control said controller to operate said thermal treatment unit in accordance with said determined drape container conditions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A device for detecting conditions within a basin of a thermal treatment system during surgical procedures and facilitating control of thermal treatment of said basin and liquid contained therein in response to said detected conditions, said device comprising:
a surgical drape to cover and substantially conform to said basin to serve as a drape container for said liquid, wherein a sterile surface of said drape includes a plurality of conductive and insulating drape segments with potentials of said conductive segments being responsive to contact between said conductive segments and said liquid to indicate conditions of said drape container. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A method of detecting conditions during surgical procedures within a container formed within a thermal treatment system basin by a surgical drape to contain liquid and controlling thermal treatment of said drape container in response to said detected conditions, wherein a sterile surface of said drape includes a plurality of conductive and insulating drape segments with potentials of said conductive segments being responsive to contact between said conductive segments and said liquid to indicate conditions of said drape container, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) placing said surgical drape over said thermal treatment system to cover and substantially conform to said basin to serve as a drape container for said liquid; (b) altering potentials of said conductive segments in response to contact between said conductive segments and said liquid to indicate conditions of said drape container; and (c) determining occurrence of said drape container conditions from said potentials of said conductive segments and controlling said thermal treatment system to thermally treat said basin in accordance with said determined drape container conditions. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A method of detecting conditions within a basin of a thermal treatment system during surgical procedures and facilitating control of thermal treatment of said basin and liquid contained therein in response to said detected conditions, said method comprising the step of:
(a) forming a surgical drape to cover and substantially conform to said basin to serve as a drape container for said liquid, wherein a sterile surface of said drape includes a plurality of conductive and insulating drape segments with potentials of said conductive segments being responsive to contact between said conductive segments and said liquid to indicate conditions of said drape container. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
Specification