Method and apparatus for controlling temperature of medical liquids
First Claim
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.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
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.
472 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A thermal treatment system for thermally treating a sterile medical fluid, the thermal treatment system comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of thermally treating sterile medical fluid flowing within a fluid conduit, the method comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification