Warm air blower for medical warming blankets

• US 20040153132A1
• Filed: 10/24/2003
• Published: 08/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smiths Medical ASD, Inc. (Smiths Group International Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Level 1, Inc.
• Inventors: Frey, William E., Cobb, Christopher B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,037,068 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/104
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0001 Body part
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/006 of gas
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/0085 Devices for generating hot or cold treatment fluids
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/0097 Blankets with active heating or cooling sources warming mats A61F7/08

Abstract

An improved warm air blower system for providing a compact source of pressurized air that can be utilized for delivering warm or ambient air to a patient through, for example, a warming blanket. The warm air blower system can include a compression unit and a plenum chamber having a plenum member with a curvilinear interior surface, the plenum member interior surface has a plurality of surface indentations to enable the formation of controlled local turbulence adjacent the interior surface to reduce friction and noise as the compressed air moves across the interior surface. The warm air blower system can be appropriately mounted on a vertical pole, bed, stand or floor mounted. Air filters can be used to filter the air before and after induction to the compression unit. The safe operation of the warm air blower system is appropriately controlled and monitored by a control unit that includes a thermostat.

Claims

1. An air blower system, comprising:

a compression unit for compressing and directing air flow; and

a plenum chamber operatively connected to the compression unit, the plenum chamber having a plenum member forming an interior wall with a curvilinear interior surface, the plenum member curvilinear interior surface having a plurality of predetermined surface indentations to enable the formation of a predetermined amount of controlled local turbulence adjacent the curvilinear interior surface to reduce friction and suppress noise as the compressed air moves across the curvilinear interior surface.

2. The air blower system of claim 1, further comprising:

an air filter, the air filter suitably positioned to filter air one of before and after induction to the compression unit.

3. The air blower system of claim 1,

wherein the plenum member is removable from the plenum chamber, the removable plenum member being formed in one piece from a semi-rigid material.

4. The air blower system of claim 1,

wherein the plenum member is formed as an irremovable part of the plenum chamber.

5. The air blower system of claim 1,

wherein the plenum member curvilinear interior surface indentations are irregular to reduce friction and suppress noise with harmonic vibration components.

6. The air blower system of claim 5,

wherein the plenum member curvilinear interior surface indentations vary in depth.

7. The air blower system of claim 5,

wherein the plenum member curvilinear interior surface indentations are irregularly spaced.

8. A warm air blower system, comprising:

a compression unit for compressing and directing air flow;

a plenum chamber operatively connected to the compression unit, the plenum chamber having a plenum member forming an interior wall with a curvilinear interior surface, the plenum member curvilinear interior surface having a plurality of predetermined surface indentations to enable the formation of a predetermined amount of controlled local turbulence adjacent the curvilinear interior surface to reduce friction and suppress noise as the compressed air moves across the curvilinear interior surface; and

a heater unit for heating the directed air.

9. The warm air blower system of claim 8, further comprising:

an air filter, the air filter suitably positioned to filter air one of before and after induction to the compression unit.

10. The warm air blower system of claim 8,

wherein the plenum member is removable from the plenum chamber, the removable plenum member being formed in one piece from a semi-rigid material.

11. The warm air blower system of claim 8,

wherein the plenum member is formed as an irremovable part of the plenum chamber.

12. The warm air blower system of claim 8, further comprising:

a mounting apparatus for releasably mounting the warm air blower system to a mounting member.

13. The warm air blower system of claim 12,

wherein the mounting member is a support pole, a bed, or a floor rolling cart.

14. The warm air blower system of claim 8,

wherein the plenum member curvilinear interior surface indentations are irregular to reduce friction and suppress noise with harmonic vibration components.

15. The warm air blower system of claim 14,

wherein the plenum member curvilinear interior surface indentations vary in depth.

16. The warm air blower system of claim 14,

wherein the plenum member curvilinear interior surface indentations are irregularly spaced.

17. The warm air blower system of claim 8, further comprising:

a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the heated air;

the temperature sensor being located in close proximity to where the heated air is supplied to a cooperative receiving unit, and

a control unit to control and monitor the temperature of the heated air, the control unit allowing the selection of a predetermined set temperature of the heated air, the control unit capable of testing the operability of the warm air blower system, the control unit being responsive to a heated air over-temperature condition, the control unit being responsive to a heated air under-temperature condition.

18. The warm air blower system of claim 17,

wherein the control unit allows a selection of ambient temperature so that unheated air is delivered by the warm air blower system.

19. The warm air blower system of claim 17,

wherein the predetermined set temperature is selected from the group consisting of 36°

C., 40°

C., and 44°

C., the actual temperature of the heated air varying by ±

1°

C. from the selected set temperature.

20. The warm air blower system of claim 19,

wherein the control unit has a heated air over-temperature safety limit of 3°

C. above the set temperature, the control unit detecting the over-temperature safety limit has been reached causes the warm air blower system to cease heating and air blowing, the control unit providing one or more indications of the heated air over-temperature condition, the indications being audible and visible.

21. The warm air blower system of claim 20,

wherein the control unit has a manually operated heated air over-temperature test mechanism whereby the heater unit is energized to exceed the selected set temperature, the heated air temperature gradually increasing until the heated air over-temperature safety limit for the predetermined set temperature is reached, the control unit responding to the over temperature condition by ceasing heating and blowing thereby verifying the proper operation of the control unit safety systems.

22. A warm air blower system, comprising:

a compression unit for compressing and directing air flow;

a plenum chamber operatively connected to the compression unit, the plenum chamber having a plenum member forming an interior wall with a curvilinear interior surface, the plenum member curvilinear interior surface having a plurality of predetermined surface indentations to enable the formation of a predetermined amount of controlled local turbulence adjacent the curvilinear interior surface to reduce friction and suppress noise as the compressed air moves across the curvilinear interior surface;

a heater unit for heating the directed air;

a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the heated air;

the temperature sensor being located in close proximity to where the heated air is supplied to a cooperative receiving unit, and

a control unit to control and monitor the temperature of the heated air, the control unit allowing the selection of a predetermined set temperature of the heated air, the control unit capable of automatically testing the operability of the warm air blower system, the control unit being responsive to a heated air over-temperature condition, the control unit being responsive to a heated air under-temperature condition,

wherein the control unit provides an manually operated heated air over-temperature test to verify the proper response of the control unit to a heated air over-temperature condition, the control unit detecting the over-temperature safety limit has been reached causes the warm air blower system to cease heating and air blowing, the control unit providing one or more indications of the heated air over-temperature condition, the indications being audible and visible.

23. The warm air blower system of claim 22,

wherein the manually operated heated air over-temperature test has an upper temperature limit that is based on the predetermined set temperature selected by the operator.