Medical solution thermal treatment system and method of controlling system operation in accordance with detection of solution and leaks in surgical drape containers

• US 20030075183A1
• Filed: 10/22/2001
• Published: 04/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microtek Medical Incorporated (Ecolab, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Medical Company, Inc. (Ecolab, Inc.)
• Inventors: Blankenship, Calvin, Faries, Durward I. Jr., Heymann, Bruce R.
• Granted Patent: US 6,810,881 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/849
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 46/10 specially adapted for instruments, e.g. microscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/0085 Devices for generating hot or cold treatment fluids

Abstract

A drape including a sensing device is disposed over a thermal treatment system having a basin recessed therein to form a drape container or receptacle within the basin for collecting a sterile medium. The thermal treatment system may either heat or congeal the sterile medium. The sensing device is typically disposed through the drape to 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, the sensing device may be affixed to a plural basin drape utilized for a multiple basin thermal treatment system. The drape forms a drape receptacle within each basin, while a sensing device is typically disposed within each drape receptacle to detect the presence of liquid and/or a leak within that drape receptacle to facilitate control of system operation in substantially the same manner described above.

Claims

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;

a sensing device including a plurality of conductors each disposed on a sterile drape surface within said drape container and extending therefrom to a non-sterile drape surface, wherein potentials of said conductors are responsive to contact between said conductors and said liquid and 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 sensing device to determine occurrence of said drape container conditions from said potentials of said conductors and to control said controller to operate said thermal treatment unit in accordance with said determined drape container conditions.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said plurality of conductors includes a plurality of electrodes.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said drape includes an opening defined therein to permit passage of said plurality of conductors therethrough and a material segment attached to a drape surface coincident said opening to seal said opening and secure said plurality of conductors within said drape container.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said drape includes a receptacle attached to said sterile drape surface to contain a proximal portion of each said conductor, wherein said receptacle includes a series of openings defined therein to enable said liquid within said drape container to contact said plurality of conductors contained within said receptacle.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said sensing device includes a connector to receive a distal end of each said conductor and couple said sensing device to said detection unit.

6. The system of claim 5 further including a wiring unit to facilitate connections between said sensing device and said detection unit, wherein said wiring unit includes a connector receptacle to receive said connector and couple said sensing device to said detection unit.

7. The system of claim 1 further including a plurality of indicators to indicate drape container conditions, wherein said indicators are actuable in response to control signals generated by said detection unit in accordance with said determined occurrence of said drape container conditions.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein at least one indicator includes a visual indicator to visually indicate occurrence of a drape container condition.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein at least one indicator includes an audio indicator to produce audio signals to indicate occurrence of a drape container condition.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein said detection unit disables said thermal treatment unit in response to said potentials of said conductors indicating presence of a leak or absence of said liquid within said drape container.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein said detection unit enables said thermal treatment unit in response to said potentials of said conductors indicating presence of said liquid and absence of a leak within said drape container.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein said thermal treatment unit is operative to cool said liquid in said drape container.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein said thermal treatment unit produces a heated liquid in said drape container.

14. The system of claim 1 further including:

a plurality of said thermal treatment units to thermally treat said liquid and each including a basin, wherein said surgical drape covers and substantially conforms to each said basin to serve as said drape container for said liquid in each said basin;

a plurality of said sensing devices each including a plurality of said conductors disposed on said sterile drape surface within a corresponding drape container and extending therefrom to a non-sterile drape surface;

at least one controller to operate said thermal treatment units to control temperature of each said basin; and

at least one detection unit in communication with each said sensing device to determine occurrence of drape container conditions within said each basin from said potentials of said conductors associated with that basin to control said at least one controller to operate said thermal treatment units in accordance with said determined drape container conditions.

47. The system of claim 1 wherein said plurality of conductors are each disposed through said drape to extend between said sterile and non-sterile drape surfaces.

48. The system of claim 1 wherein said plurality of conductors each extend along said sterile drape surface and traverse a drape peripheral edge to extend between said sterile and non-sterile drape surfaces.

49. The system of claim 1 wherein said potentials of said conductors indicate conditions of said drape container including the presence of said liquid and a leak within said drape container.

15. 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; and

a sensing device including a plurality of conductors each disposed on a sterile drape surface within said drape container and extending therefrom to a non-sterile drape surface, wherein potentials of said conductors are responsive to contact between said conductors and said liquid and indicate conditions of said drape container.

16. The detecting device of claim 15 wherein said plurality of conductors includes a plurality of electrodes.

17. The detecting device of claim 15 wherein said drape includes an opening defined therein to permit passage of said plurality of conductors therethrough and a material segment attached to a drape surface coincident said opening to seal said opening and secure said plurality of conductors within said drape container.

18. The detecting device of claim 15 wherein said drape includes a receptacle attached to said sterile drape surface to contain a proximal portion of each said conductor, wherein said receptacle includes a series of openings defined therein to enable said liquid within said drape container to contact said plurality of conductors contained within said receptacle.

19. The detecting device of claim 15 wherein said sensing device includes a connector to receive a distal end of each said conductor and couple said sensing device to said thermal treatment system.

20. The detecting device of claim 15 wherein:

said thermal treatment system includes a plurality of said basins to thermally treat said liquid; and

said drape covers and substantially conforms to each said basin to serve as said drape container for said liquid in each said basin, wherein said drape further includes a plurality of said sensing devices each including a plurality of said conductors disposed on said sterile drape surface within a corresponding drape container and extending therefrom to said non-sterile drape surface, and wherein potentials of said conductors associated with a drape container are responsive to contact between those conductors and said liquid and indicate conditions of that drape container.

50. The device of claim 15 wherein said plurality of conductors are each disposed through said drape to extend between said sterile and non-sterile drape surfaces.

51. The device of claim 15 wherein said plurality of conductors each extend along said sterile drape surface and traverse a drape peripheral edge to extend between said sterile and non-sterile drape surfaces.

52. The device of claim 15 wherein said potentials of said conductors indicate conditions of said drape container including the presence of said liquid and a leak within said drape container.

21. In a thermal treatment system including a basin for thermally treating a liquid, a method of detecting conditions during surgical procedures within a container formed within said basin by a surgical drape and controlling thermal treatment of said container in response to said detected conditions, wherein said drape includes a sensing device with a plurality of conductors disposed on a sterile drape surface within said drape container and extending therefrom to a non-sterile drape surface, said method comprising the steps of:

(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 conductors in response to contact between said conductors and said liquid to indicate conditions of said drape container; and

(c) determining occurrence of said drape container conditions from said potentials of said conductors and controlling said thermal treatment system to thermally treat said basin in accordance with said determined drape container conditions.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said plurality of conductors includes a plurality of electrodes, and step (b) further includes:

(b.1) altering potentials of said electrodes in response to contact between said electrodes and said liquid to indicate conditions of said drape container.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein said sensing device includes a connector to receive a distal end of each said conductor, and step (a) further includes:

(a.1) coupling said sensing device to said thermal treatment system via said connector.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein said thermal treatment system further includes a wiring unit to facilitate connections between said sensing device and said thermal treatment system, wherein said wiring unit includes a connector receptacle to receive said connector, and step (a.1) further includes:

(a.1.1) coupling said sensing device to said thermal treatment system by inserting said connector within said connector receptacle.

25. The method of claim 21 wherein said thermal treatment system further includes a plurality of indicators to indicate drape container conditions, and step (c) further includes:

(c.1) generating control signals to selectively actuate said plurality of indicators in accordance with said determined occurrence of said drape container conditions.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein at least one indicator includes a visual indicator, and step (c.1) further includes:

(c.1.1) visually indicating occurrence of a drape container condition via said visual indicator.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein at least one indicator includes an audio indicator, and step (c.1) further includes:

(c.1.1) producing audio signals to indicate occurrence of a drape container condition via said audio indicator.

28. The method of claim 21 wherein step (c) further includes:

(c.1) disabling thermal treatment of said basin in response to said potentials of said conductors indicating presence of a leak or absence of said liquid within said drape container.

29. The method of claim 21 wherein step (c) further includes:

(c.1) enabling thermal treatment of said basin in response to said potentials of said conductors indicating presence of said liquid and absence of a leak within said drape container.

30. The method of claim 21 wherein said thermal treatment system includes a plurality of said basins, and step (a) further includes:

(a.1) placing said surgical drape over said thermal treatment system to cover and substantially conform to each said basin to serve as a drape container for said liquid, wherein said surgical drape includes a plurality of said sensing devices each including a plurality of said conductors disposed on said sterile drape surface within a corresponding drape container and extending therefrom to said non-sterile drape surface;

step (b) further includes;

(b.1) altering potentials of said conductors of a corresponding drape container in response to contact between those conductors and said liquid to indicate conditions of that drape container; and

step (c) further includes;

(c.1) determining occurrence of conditions of each said drape container from said potentials of said conductors associated with that drape container and controlling said thermal treatment system to thermally treat said basins in accordance with said determined drape container conditions.

53. The method of claim 21 wherein step (c) further includes:

(c.1) determining occurrence of said drape container conditions from said potentials of said conductors including the presence of said liquid and a leak within said drape container.

31. 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 steps of:

(a) forming a surgical drape to cover and substantially conform to said basin to serve as a drape container for said liquid; and

(b) disposing a sensing device including a plurality of conductors on a drape portion serving as said drape container with said conductors disposed on a sterile drape surface within said drape container and extending therefrom to a non-sterile drape surface, wherein potentials of said conductors are responsive to contact between said conductors and said liquid and indicate conditions of said drape container.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein said plurality of conductors includes a plurality of electrodes, and step (b) further includes:

(b.1) disposing said electrodes on said sterile drape surface within said drape container, wherein said electrodes extend between sterile and non-sterile drape surfaces.

33. The method of claim 31 wherein step (b) further includes:

(b.1) defining an opening within said drape to permit passage of said plurality of conductors therethrough; and

(b.2) attaching a material segment to a drape surface coincident said opening to seal said opening and secure said plurality of conductors within said drape container.

34. The method of claim 31 wherein step (a) further includes:

(a.1) attaching a receptacle to said sterile drape surface to contain a proximal portion of each said conductor, wherein said receptacle includes a series of openings defined therein to enable said liquid within said drape container to contact said plurality of conductors contained within said receptacle.

35. The method of claim 31 wherein step (b) further includes:

(b.1) placing a distal end of each said conductor within a connector to facilitate coupling of said sensing device to said thermal treatment system.

36. The method of claim 31 wherein said thermal treatment system includes a plurality of said basins to thermally treat said liquid, and step (a) further includes:

(a.1) forming said drape to cover and substantially conform to each said basin to serve as said drape container for said liquid in each said basin; and

step (b) further includes;

(b.1) disposing a sensing device including a plurality of conductors on each drape portion serving as a drape container with said conductors of each sensing device disposed on said sterile drape surface within a corresponding drape container and extending therefrom to said non-sterile drape surface, wherein potentials of said conductors associated with a drape container are responsive to contact between those conductors and said liquid and indicate conditions of that drape container.

54. The method of claim 31 wherein step (b) further includes:

(b.1) disposing said conductors through said drape to extend between said sterile and non-sterile drape surfaces.

55. The method of claim 31 wherein step (b) further includes:

(b.1) disposing said conductors on said sterile drape surface to extend along that surface and traverse a drape peripheral edge to extend between said sterile and non-sterile drape surfaces.

56. The method of claim 31 wherein step (b) further includes:

(b.1) disposing said conductors on said sterile drape surface within said drape container, wherein said potentials of said conductors indicate conditions of said drape container including the presence of said liquid and a leak within said drape container.

37. 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:

thermal treatment means for thermally treating 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;

sensing means for sensing conditions within said drape container, wherein said sensing means includes a plurality of conducting means for maintaining a potential, wherein said plurality of conducting means are disposed on a sterile drape surface and within said drape container and extend therefrom to a non-sterile drape surface, and wherein said potentials of said plurality of conducting means are responsive to contact between said plurality of conducting means and said liquid and indicate conditions of said drape container;

control means for operating said thermal treatment means to control a temperature of said basin; and

detection means in communication with said sensing means for determining occurrence of said drape container conditions from said potentials of said plurality of conducting means and for controlling said control means to operate said thermal treatment means in accordance with said determined drape container conditions.

38. The system of claim 37 further including condition indicating means for indicating drape container conditions, wherein said condition indicating means is actuable in response to control signals generated by said detection means in accordance with said determined occurrence of said drape container conditions.

39. The system of claim 37 wherein said detection means includes thermal control means for disabling said thermal treatment means in response to said potentials of said plurality of conducting means indicating presence of a leak or absence of said liquid within said drape container.

40. The system of claim 37 wherein said detection means includes thermal control means for enabling said thermal treatment means in response to said potentials of said plurality of conducting means indicating presence of said liquid and absence of a leak within said drape container.

41. The system of claim 37 further including:

a plurality of said thermal treatment means for thermally treating said liquid and each including a basin, wherein said surgical drape covers and substantially conforms to each said basin to serve as said drape container for said liquid in each said basin;

a plurality of said sensing means each including a plurality of said conducting means disposed on said sterile drape surface of a corresponding drape container and extending therefrom to said non-sterile drape surface;

at least one control means for operating said plurality of thermal treatment means to control temperature of each said basin; and

at least one detection means in communication with each said sensing means for determining occurrence of drape container conditions within said each basin from said potentials of said plurality of conducting means associated with that basin to control said at least one control means to operate said plurality of thermal treatment means in accordance with said determined drape container conditions.

57. The system of claim 37 wherein said plurality of conducting means are disposed through said drape to extend between said sterile and non-sterile drape surfaces.

58. The system of claim 37 wherein said plurality of conducting means extend along said sterile drape surface and traverse a drape peripheral edge to extend between said sterile and non-sterile drape surfaces.

59. The system of claim 37 wherein said potentials of said plurality of conducting means indicate conditions of said drape container including the presence of said liquid and a leak within said drape container.

42. 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; and

sensing means for sensing conditions within said drape container, wherein said sensing means includes a plurality of conducting means for maintaining a potential, wherein said plurality of conducting means are disposed on a sterile drape surface within said drape container and extend to a non-sterile drape surface, and wherein said potentials of said plurality of conducting means are responsive to contact between said plurality of conducting means and said liquid and indicate conditions of said drape container.

43. The detecting device of claim 42 wherein said drape includes an opening defined therein to permit passage of said plurality of conducting means therethrough and sealing means attached to a drape surface coincident said opening for sealing said opening and securing said plurality of conducting means within said drape container.

44. The detecting device of claim 42 wherein said drape includes securing means attached to said sterile drape surface for containing a proximal portion of each said conducting means, wherein said securing means includes a series of openings defined therein to enable said liquid within said drape container to contact said plurality of conducting means contained within said securing means.

45. The detecting device of claim 42 wherein said sensing means includes connecting means for receiving a distal end of each said conducting means and coupling said sensing means to said thermal treatment system.

46. The detecting device of claim 42 wherein:

said thermal treatment system includes a plurality of said basins to thermally treat said liquid; and

said drape covers and substantially conforms to each said basin to serve as said drape container for said liquid in each said basin, wherein said drape further includes a plurality of said sensing means each including a plurality of said conducting means disposed on said sterile drape surface within a corresponding drape container and extending therefrom to said non-sterile drape surface, and wherein potentials of said plurality of conducting means associated with a drape container are responsive to contact between those conducting means and said liquid and indicate conditions of that drape container.

60. The device of claim 42 wherein said plurality of conducting means are disposed through said drape to extend between said sterile and non-sterile drape surfaces.

61. The device of claim 42 wherein said plurality of conducting means extend along said sterile drape surface and traverse a drape peripheral edge to extend between said sterile and non-sterile drape surfaces.

62. The device of claim 42 wherein said potentials of said plurality of conducting means indicate conditions of said drape container including the presence of said liquid and a leak within said drape container.