Method and apparatus for controlling temperature of medical liquids

• US 9,764,100 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2015
• Issued: 09/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medical Solutions Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Medical Solutions Incorporated
• Inventors: Faries, Jr., Durward I., Faries, Tarry, Heymann, Bruce R., Davis, David, Tsang, Raymond
• Primary Examiner(s): Stigell, Theodore
• Assistant Examiner(s): KOO, BENJAMIN K
• Application Number:
  US14/947,288
• Publication Number:
  US 20160074599A1
• Time in Patent Office: 669 Days
• Field of Search: 604113, 604114
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3368 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/36 related to heating or cooling
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/44 having means for cooling or heating the devices or media

Abstract

A system for controlling temperature of intravenous fluids includes a thermal treatment device and a temperature sensing device to measure a temperature of the fluid flowing through the sensor. The temperature sensing device may simultaneously collect two temperature measurements. For example, the sensing device may include sensors that measure the temperature of the fluid at two disparate locations along the medical fluid line. Additionally, the sensors may measure the temperature of the fluid within the medical fluid line, as well as the ambient temperature outside of the line. The thermal treatment device includes a conduit configured to have a nonlinear flow path through the device. The thermal treatment device thermally treats fluid within the conduit to a desired temperature or range.

Claims

1. A thermal treatment system for thermally treating a sterile medical fluid, the thermal treatment system comprising:

a fluid conduit including at least a first section and a second section, the first fluid conduit section configured to couple to a medical fluid container housing a sterile medical fluid, the fluid conduit receiving the sterile medical fluid from the medical fluid container and directing the sterile medical fluid downstream toward a patient;

a thermal treatment device coupled to the first and second fluid conduit sections, said thermal treatment device operable to thermally treat the sterile medical fluid as it flows downstream from the medical fluid container, the thermal treatment device comprising a first slot disposed in a first side wall and having a first dimension, a second slot disposed in a second side wall opposite the first side wall and having a second dimension, a tubular conduit coupled to and in fluid communication with the first and second fluid conduit sections, and at least one heating plate disposed adjacent to the tubular conduit and having a third dimension that is smaller than the first dimension of the first slot and the second dimension of the second slot to facilitate removable insertion of the at least one heating plate through either the first slot or second slot to be disposed within the thermal treatment device such that the first fluid conduit section extends from the first slot and the second fluid conduit section extends from the second slot, the at least one heating plate defining an area, wherein the tubular conduit includes at least one curved section to define a non-linear flow path for the medical fluid passing through the thermal treatment device, and the at least one curved section extending beyond the area defined by the heating plate;

a temperature sensing device disposed along the second fluid conduit section at a location downstream from the thermal treatment device, the temperature sensing device including a temperature sensor to indicate a measured temperature of the sterile medical fluid.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the tubular conduit comprises a plurality of curved sections thereby defining a generally serpentine flow path.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one heating plate includes a groove adapted to receive the tubular conduit and wherein the tubular conduit is positioned in the groove of the heating plate.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the thermal treatment device comprises a heating element in thermal communication with the at least one heating plate and a controller operable to selectively engage and disengage the heating element, the heating element operable to apply heat to the heating plate.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one heating plate includes a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, and a groove formed into the first surface of the heating plate, where the tubular conduit is received within said groove formed in the first surface of the heating plate.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the first surface of the at least one heating plate comprises a plurality of grooves, and the tubular conduit is received in each of the grooves.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the thermal treatment device comprises:

a heating element in thermal communication with the second surface of the heating plate.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one heating plate is a first heating plate, the first heating plate defines an inner surface and an outer surface opposite the inner surface;

and the thermal treatment device comprises;

a first groove formed into the inner surface of the first heating plate,

a first heating element in thermal communication with the outer surface of the first heating plate,

a second heating plate defining an inner surface and an outer surface,

a second groove formed into the inner surface of the heating plate, and

a second heating element in thermal communication with the outer surface of the second heating plate;

the first support member is coupled to the second heating plate such that the first and second grooves are generally aligned to define a channel extending through the coupled heating plates; and

the tubular conduit is positioned within the channel defined by the coupled heating plates, the sterile medical fluid passing between the coupled heating plates as the sterile medical fluid is directed downstream toward a patient.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the temperature sensing device further comprises an inline conduit coupled to the fluid conduit, the inline conduit permitting passage of the sterile medical fluid downstream to the patient; and

the temperature sensor is mounted on the inline conduit.

10. A method of thermally treating sterile medical fluid flowing within a fluid conduit, the method comprising:

positioning a thermal treatment device along a fluid conduit that includes at least a first section and a second section, the fluid conduit being operable to direct sterile medical fluid from a medical fluid container to a patient, the thermal treatment device being operable to thermally treat the sterile medical fluid as it flows downstream from the medical fluid container, wherein the thermal treatment device comprises a first slot disposed in a first side wall and having a first dimension, a second slot disposed in a second side wall opposite the first side wall and having a second dimension, a tubular conduit coupled to and in fluid communication with the first and second fluid conduit sections, and at least one heating plate disposed adjacent to the tubular conduit and having a third dimension smaller than the first dimension of the first slot and the second dimension of the second slot to facilitate removable insertion of the at least one heating plate through either the first slot or second slot to be disposed within the thermal treatment device such that the first fluid conduit section extends from the first slot and the second fluid conduit section extends from the second slot, the at least one heating plate defining an area, the tubular conduit including at least one curved section to define a non-linear flow path for the sterile medical fluid passing through the thermal treatment device, and the at least one curved section extending beyond the area defined by the heating plate;

directing the sterile medical fluid through the tubular conduit of the thermal treatment device; and

thermally treating the sterile medical fluid as the fluid flows through the tubular conduit.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising measuring temperature of the sterile medical fluid via a temperature sensing device disposed along the second fluid conduit section at a location downstream from the thermal treatment device, the temperature sensing device including a temperature sensor to indicate a measured temperature of the sterile medical fluid.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the tubular conduit comprises a plurality of curved sections thereby defining a generally serpentine flow path.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the at least one heating plate includes a groove adapted to receive the tubular conduit; and

the method further comprises receiving the tubular conduit within the groove of the at least one heating plate.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the thermal treatment device comprises a heating element in thermal communication with the at least one heating plate and a controller operable to selectively engage and disengage the heating element; and

the method further comprises heating the at least one heating plate via the heating element.