Medical device heaters and methods
First Claim
1. A medical device comprisinga heater having two heating elements, anda heating control unit, which is configured to be connected to mains AC voltage, connected to the heater, the heating control unit comprisinga monitoring arrangement configured to recognize zero crossings of the mains AC voltage anda switching arrangement configured to switch the at least one heating element on or off in the zero crossing,whereinthe monitoring arrangement is configured to detect a level of the mains AC voltage,the heating control unit is configured tocontrol power of the heater by switching on and off one or more half cycles of the mains AC voltage, andcontrol the two heating elements based on a detected level of the mains AC voltage so as to operate in parallel in a first operating mode for a detected level of the mains AC voltage in a first voltage range between 80 V and 160 V, and operate in parallel in a second operating mode that is different from the first operating mode for a detected level of the mains AC voltage in a second voltage range between 180 V and 250 V.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A medical device having a heater with at least one heating element which has mains voltage applied to it by a heating control unit. The heating control unit includes a monitoring arrangement and a switching arrangement. The monitoring arrangement can recognize the zero crossings of the mains voltage, and the switching arrangement can switch the at least one heating element on or off in the zero crossing. The heating control unit controls the power of the heating by switching on and off of one or more half cycles of the mains AC voltage.
374 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A medical device comprising
a heater having two heating elements, and a heating control unit, which is configured to be connected to mains AC voltage, connected to the heater, the heating control unit comprising a monitoring arrangement configured to recognize zero crossings of the mains AC voltage and a switching arrangement configured to switch the at least one heating element on or off in the zero crossing, wherein the monitoring arrangement is configured to detect a level of the mains AC voltage, the heating control unit is configured to control power of the heater by switching on and off one or more half cycles of the mains AC voltage, and control the two heating elements based on a detected level of the mains AC voltage so as to operate in parallel in a first operating mode for a detected level of the mains AC voltage in a first voltage range between 80 V and 160 V, and operate in parallel in a second operating mode that is different from the first operating mode for a detected level of the mains AC voltage in a second voltage range between 180 V and 250 V.
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13. A medical device heating control unit that is configured to be connected to mains AC voltage and to a heater that includes two heating elements, the heating control unit comprising
a monitoring arrangement configured to recognize zero crossings of the mains AC voltage, and a switching arrangement configured to switch a heating element of the heater on or off in the zero crossing, wherein the heating control unit is configured to control power of the heater by switching on and off one or more half cycles of the mains AC voltage, and control the two heating elements based on a detected level of the mains AC voltage so as to operate in parallel in a first operating mode for a detected level of the mains AC voltage in a first voltage range between 80 V and 160 V, and operate in parallel in a second operating mode that is different from the first operating mode for a detected level of the mains AC voltage in a second voltage range between 180 V and 250 V.
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14. A method of operating a medical device heater, the method comprising:
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detecting a level of mains AC voltage used to power the medical device heater; controlling heating elements of the medical device heater based on a detected level of the mains AC voltage so as to operate in parallel in a first operating mode for a detected level of the mains AC voltage in a first voltage range between 80 V and 160 V, and operate in parallel in a second operating mode that is different from the first operating mode for a detected level of the mains AC voltage in a second voltage range between 180 V and 250 V; detecting zero crossings of the mains AC voltage; switching the heating elements of the heater on or off in the zero crossing, wherein a power of the heater is controlled based on a number of the half cycles of the mains AC voltage with a switched on heating element.
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Specification