Claims
- 1. Apparatus for adjusting the body temperature of a patient in a supine position, said apparatus comprising:
an impermeable upper member for placement above the patient's body; an impermeable lower member for placement beneath the patient's body, said lower member being engageable with said upper member to form an interior space for receiving a portion of a patient's body from the neck of the patient downward, including the torso, arms, and legs of the patient; said upper member having at least one inlet for directing heat transfer liquid into said interior space to flow over the top of the patient's body towards the back of the patient's body so that said heat transfer liquid is in direct liquid contact with the patient's body to promote heat transfer between the patient's body and said heat transfer liquid; and said lower member having at least one outlet in fluid communication with the interior space of the enclosure for exhausting said heat transfer liquid from the enclosure.
- 2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 comprising a plurality of said inlets.
- 3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein all of said plurality of inlets are located in said upper member.
- 4. An apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein the inlets are spread apart over the upper member.
- 5. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 comprising a plurality of said outlets.
- 6. An apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein all of said plurality of outlets are positioned on said lower member.
- 7. An apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein the outlets are spread apart over the lower member.
- 8. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said upper and lower members are engagable to form a substantially sealed enclosure.
- 9. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said lower member comprises a sheet and said upper member comprises a sheet.
- 10. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said enclosure further comprises an opening for permitting access to the patient during operation of the apparatus.
- 11. An apparatus as set forth in claim 10 wherein said opening is located on said upper member.
- 12. Apparatus for adjusting the body temperature of a patient in a supine position, said apparatus comprising:
an impermeable upper member for placement above the patient's body; an impermeable lower member for placement beneath the patient's body, said lower member being engageable with said upper member to form an interior space for receiving a portion of a patient's body from the neck of the patient downward, including the torso, arms, and legs of the patient; said lower member having at least one inlet in fluid communication with the interior space for receiving heat transfer liquid into said interior space for direct liquid contact with the patient's body to promote heat transfer between the patient's body and said heat transfer liquid.
- 13. An apparatus as set forth in claim 12 further comprising at least one outlet in fluid communication with the interior space of the enclosure for exhausting said heat transfer liquid from the enclosure.
- 14. An apparatus as set forth in claim 13 wherein said outlet is positioned on said upper member.
- 15. Apparatus for adjusting the body temperature of a patient, said apparatus comprising:
an upper member for placement above the patient's body; a lower member for placement beneath the patient's body, said lower member being engageable with said upper member to form an interior space for receiving a portion of a patient's body; at least one inlet for directing heat transfer liquid into said interior space to flow over the top of the patient's body towards the back of the patient's body; said heat transfer liquid being in direct liquid contact with the patient's body to promote heat transfer between the patient's body and said heat transfer liquid; and at least one outlet in fluid communication with the interior space of the enclosure for exhausting said heat transfer liquid from the enclosure; said enclosure including an opening sized and arranged for permitting access to the patient during operation of the apparatus.
- 16. An apparatus as set forth in claim 15 wherein said opening is sealable for substantially sealingly enclosing said portion of the patient's body.
- 17. An apparatus as set forth in claim 16 further comprising a pivotable flap for closing said opening.
- 18. An apparatus as set forth in claim 15 wherein said opening is located in said upper member.
- 19. Apparatus for adjusting the body temperature of a patient, said apparatus comprising:
an upper member for placement above the patient's body; a lower member for placement beneath the patient's body and engageable with said upper member to form an interior space for receiving a portion of a patient's body from the neck of the patient downward, including the torso, arms, and legs of the patient; at least a portion of one of the members being transparent for viewing a part of the portion of the patient's body received in the interior space; at least one inlet in fluid communication with the interior space for receiving heat transfer liquid into said interior space for direct liquid contact with the patient's body to promote heat transfer between the patient's body and said heat transfer liquid; and at least one outlet in fluid communication with the interior space for exhausting said heat transfer liquid from the interior space.
- 20. An apparatus as set forth in claim 19 wherein at least a portion of the upper member is transparent.
- 21. An apparatus as set forth in claim 20 wherein the entire upper member is transparent.
- 22. An apparatus as set forth in claim 19 wherein at least a portion of the lower member is transparent.
- 23. An apparatus as set forth in claim 22 wherein the entire lower member is transparent.
- 24. An apparatus as set forth in claim 19 wherein said upper member comprises an opening for accessing the interior space.
- 25. An apparatus as set forth in claim 24 wherein said opening is sealable for substantially sealingly enclosing said portion of the patient's body.
- 26. An apparatus as set forth in claim 19 wherein said transparent portion is formed from a material selected from a group of materials including polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, and polyurethane.
- 27. An Apparatus as set forth in claim 19 wherein said heat transfer liquid has a temperature in a range from about 1° C. (34° F.) to about 2° C. (36° F.).
- 28. Apparatus for adjusting the body temperature of a patient, said apparatus comprising:
an upper member for placement above the patient's body, said upper member including edge margins; a lower member for placement beneath the patient's body, said lower member including edge margins; said lower and upper members being sealable generally along at least a portion of their respective edge margins to form an interior space for receiving a portion of a patient's body; at least one inlet in fluid communication with the interior space for receiving heat transfer liquid into said interior space for direct liquid contact with the patient's body to promote heat transfer between the patient's body and said heat transfer liquid; and at least one outlet in fluid communication with the interior space of the enclosure for exhausting said heat transfer liquid from the interior space.
- 29. An apparatus as set forth in claim 28 wherein said upper and lower members are generally rectangular in shape, having four corresponding edge margins, and are selectively sealable with one another along at least two of the four edge margins.
- 30. An apparatus as set forth in claim 29 wherein the upper member is hingely attached to said lower member generally along at least the third edge margin of the upper and lower members.
- 31. An apparatus as set forth in claim 28 wherein said upper member is smaller than the lower member, thereby allowing for engagement of the lower member laterally inwardly from a peripheral edge of the lower member.
- 32. Apparatus for adjusting the body temperature of a patient, said apparatus comprising:
an upper member for placement above the patient's body; a lower member for placement beneath the patient's body and engageable with said upper member to form an interior space for receiving a portion of a patient's body; at least one inlet in fluid communication with the interior space for receiving heat transfer liquid into said interior space for direct liquid contact with the patient's body to promote heat transfer between the patient's body and said heat transfer liquid; and at least one outlet in fluid communication with the interior space for exhausting said heat transfer liquid from the interior space; said lower member including a liquid impermeable outer layer and a porous inner layer engageable with said portion of the patient's body for carrying said heat transfer liquid.
- 33. An apparatus as set forth in claim 32 wherein said porous layer comprises a layer of batting.
- 34. An apparatus as set forth in claim 32 wherein said upper member comprises a liquid impermeable outer layer and a porous inner layer capable of carrying said heat transfer liquid.
- 35. An apparatus as set forth in claim 34 wherein said porous layer of the upper member comprises a layer of batting.
- 36. An apparatus as set forth in claim 32 at least a portion of the upper member is transparent for viewing a part of the portion of the patient's body received in the interior space.
- 37. An apparatus as set forth in claim 36 wherein the entire upper member is transparent.
- 38. An apparatus as set forth in claim 37 wherein said transparent upper member is formed from a material selected from a group of materials including polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, and polyurethane.
- 39. An apparatus as set forth in claim 32 wherein said upper member has an opening for accessing the interior space.
- 40. An apparatus as set forth in claim 39 wherein said opening is sealable for substantially sealingly enclosing said portion of the patient's body.
- 41. An apparatus as set forth in claim 32 wherein said inlet is positioned on said upper member for directing heat transfer liquid into said interior space to flow over the top of the patient's body towards the back of the patient's body.
- 42. An apparatus as set forth in claim 41 wherein said inlet comprises a plurality of inlets for directing the flow of heat transfer fluid over a larger area of the enclosed portion of the patient's body.
- 43. An apparatus as set forth in claim 42 wherein said outlet comprises a plurality of outlets in said lower member.
- 44. An apparatus as set forth in claim 41 wherein said upper member comprises a sheet-like body-facing component and a sheet-like outer component, said sheet-like body-facing component and sheet-like outer component being adapted for face-to-face engagement with one another, said components further being joined to one another along their facing sides to form at least one liquid passage between the components, said liquid passage being shaped and sized for fluid communication with said inlet for receiving liquid, said body-facing component having at least one opening therein corresponding to the liquid passage for allowing liquid to pass from the liquid passage to between the body-facing component and the portion of the patient's body.
- 45. An apparatus as set forth in claim 44 wherein said components are transparent.
- 46. An apparatus as set forth in claim 32 wherein said heat transfer liquid has a temperature in a range from about 1° C. (34° F.) to about 2° C. (36° F.).
- 47. Apparatus for adjusting the body temperature of a patient, said apparatus comprising:
an upper member for placement above the patient's body; a lower member for placement beneath the patient's body and engageable with said upper member to form an interior space for receiving a portion of a patient's body; at least one inlet in fluid communication with the interior space for receiving heat transfer liquid into said interior space for direct liquid contact with the patient's body to promote heat transfer between the patient's body and said heat transfer liquid; and at least one outlet in fluid communication with the interior space for exhausting said heat transfer liquid from the interior space; said upper member including a sheet-like body-facing component and a sheet-like outer component, said sheet-like body-facing component and sheet-like outer component being adapted for face-to-face engagement with one another, said components further being joined to one another along their facing sides to form at least one liquid passage between the components, said liquid passage being shaped and sized for fluid communication with said inlet for receiving liquid, said body-facing component having at least one opening therein corresponding to the liquid passage for allowing liquid to pass from the liquid passage to between the body-facing component and the portion of the patient's body.
- 48. An apparatus as set forth in claim 47 wherein said upper member further comprises a porous layer capable of carrying said heat transfer liquid throughout the enclosure.
- 49. An apparatus as set forth in claim 48 wherein said porous layer of the upper member comprises a layer of batting.
- 50. An apparatus as set forth in claim 47 wherein said opening comprises a plurality of openings for directing the flow of heat transfer fluid over a larger area of the enclosed portion of the patient's body.
- 51. An apparatus as set forth in claim 47 wherein said components are transparent.
- 52. An apparatus as set forth in claim 47 wherein said upper member has an opening for accessing the interior space of the enclosure.
- 53. An apparatus as set forth in claim 47 wherein said liquid passages comprises a plurality of passages.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/193,635, filed Jul. 11, 2002.
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
10193635 |
Jul 2002 |
US |
Child |
10896506 |
Jul 2004 |
US |