Patent Application
20220257411
The present invention relates to a cold air therapy device comprising an air disinfection device, a method of applying a cooled air flow as well as a use of an air disinfection device.
For many applications in the medical field, cold air therapy devices are nowadays used for cooling of body regions. In this respect, air is blown by means of a fan through a cold reservoir whereby the air is cooled down. The cooled air is applied to the patient's body by means of a hose or an appropriate air duct. The air to be cooled may, for example, be taken from an appropriate sterile air reservoir. This, however, is expensive and has the disadvantage that the air reservoir needs to be refilled over and over again. Alternatively, ambient air could therefore also be used. However, if germs, bacteria or the like are present in the air or in the supply line, there is a risk that they will be applied to the patient by the air flow. This should be avoided as far as possible, particularly when treating body surfaces showing open wounds.
Document DE 32 42 881 A1 discloses a device for generating a cold gas flow by which device a cold, non-aggressive liquid gas is sprayed and vaporized in a non-aggressive carrier gas flow so that a cold gas flow of defined flow rate and temperature is available upstream.
In view of this background, it is an object according to the present invention to provide an improved cold air therapy device which provides a reduced risk of infection.
According to the present invention, this object is achieved by a cold air therapy device comprising the features of claim 1, a method of applying a cooled air flow comprising the features of claim 14, and a use of an air disinfection device comprising the features of claim 15.
Accordingly, a cold air therapy device is provided for applying a cooled air flow to a body surface. The cold air therapy device comprises: a cooling device which is configured to cool the air flow to be applied to the body surface; an air guiding device which is coupled to the cooling device and which is configured to direct the air flow, which is cooled by the cooling device and which is to be applied to the body surface, to a cold air outlet; and an air disinfection device which is configured to at least reduce the germ load and/or the bacterial load of the air flow to be applied to the body surface.
Furthermore, a method is provided for applying a cooled air flow to a body surface. The air flow to be applied to the body surface is cooled, the cooled air flow to be applied to the body surface is directed to the body surface, and the germ load and/or the bacterial load of the air flow to be applied to the body surface is reduced.
Furthermore, use of an air disinfection device is provided for reducing the germ load and/or the bacterial load of an air flow of a cold air therapy device to be applied to a body surface before its application to the body surface.
The present invention is based on the principle of disinfecting an air flow on its way to application to a body surface to be cooled. Accordingly, normal ambient air may also be used as a coolant without creating a possible risk of infection. Compared to a cold air therapy device having a special air reservoir, the cold air therapy device according to the present invention may be manufactured at low cost and may be used in a more flexible way. Due to the compact configuration with fewer different components, performance of service and maintenance work is advantageously simplified.
Thus, the germ load and/or the bacterial load should be reduced at least significantly and ideally as completely as possible. For example, the germ load and/or the bacterial load may be reduced by at least 50%, advantageously by at least 90% and, preferably, by at least 99%.
A vast variety of methods is conceivable for performing disinfection, for example, directing the air flow to be applied to the body surface through a chemical disinfectant such as hydrogen peroxide, chlorine, ozone, alcohol, or the like. Disinfection methods based on electromagnetic radiation, heat supply or plasma may also be used. Each method of disinfection shows its specific advantages and disadvantages.
The germ load and/or the bacterial load are usually distributed homogeneously in the entire air flow to be applied to the body surface. Therefore, the entire air flow to be disinfected by the air disinfection device should also be disinfected as uniformly as possible in order to prevent parts of the air flow to be applied to the body surface from possibly being insufficiently disinfected. This must be taken into account when designing the air disinfection device.
Advantageous embodiments and further configurations result from the dependent claims and from the description when taken in conjunction with the Figures.
According to a further embodiment, the air disinfection device may comprise at least one UV light source. UV light refers to electromagnetic radiation in the wavelength range between 100 nm and 380 nm, which has a germicidal effect, particularly in the wavelength range between 100 nm and 280 nm, and is therefore suitable for reducing the germ load and/or bacterial contamination of air which is irradiated with such UV light, at the same time being used easily and safely advantageously when compared to, for example, chemical or radioactive disinfection methods.
According to a further embodiment, the air disinfection device may comprise a housing and may be arranged in such a way that the cooled air flow passes through the housing during operation, wherein the UV light source is positioned inside the housing. By means of a housing which is suitably provided for this purpose, the air disinfection device may be configured in such a way that the air flow through the air disinfection device is as uniform as possible. This prevents insufficiently disinfected air from being applied to the body surface.
In accordance with a further embodiment, the housing of the air disinfection device may comprise a funnel-shaped outlet region. Such an outlet region reduces the occurrence of eddy currents when the air flow exits the housing. This allows the airflow to be irradiated with UV light in a uniform manner, which prevents insufficiently disinfected air from being applied to the body surface.
According to another embodiment, the at least one UV light source may be positioned in a central area of the housing of the air disinfection device with respect to a flow direction of the cooled air flow. In this configuration, the air flow to be disinfected may flow around the at least one UV light source, preferably in laminar form. This reduces the impact of the UV light source on the air flow in an advantageous manner and ensures uniform disinfection of the air flow.
According to another embodiment, the air disinfection device may comprise a tube of transparent material through which the air flow to be applied to the body surface flows. The at least one UV light source may be positioned outside the tube. The separation of the at least one UV light source from the air flow to be disinfected prevents the UV light source from adversely affecting the air flow. The material used for the tube should be transparent in the wavelength range of UV light, wherein possible materials include glass or plastic.
According to another embodiment, the air disinfection device may comprise a multitude of UV light sources. This may advantageously increase the radiation power acting on the air flowing through the air disinfection device, which in turn increases the degree of reduction of the germ load and/or the bacterial load of the air flow to be applied to the body surface.
According to another embodiment, UV light sources may be arranged in a ring shape. This configuration has proven to be particularly advantageous, as the volume fraction of the air flow illuminated by the UV light sources is particularly high in this case, without causing unfavorable turbulences in the air flow to be disinfected.
According to another embodiment, the at least one UV light source may be arranged in such a way that the air flow to be applied to the body surface flows through the air disinfection device along a meandering or spiral path. This increases the dwell time of the air to be disinfected in the air disinfection device. During this time the UV radiation acts on the air flow and the higher radiation dose absorbed further reduces the germ load and/or the bacterial load of the air flow.
According to another embodiment, at least one interior surface of the housing may be covered or coated with a UV light reflecting material, preferably aluminum. For example, at least one interior surface of the housing may be covered with aluminum foil. Alternatively, the housing may also be made of aluminum or covered with, for example, polytetrafluorethylene or polycarbonate. This causes UV light to be reflected from the housing wall back into the airflow. The intensity of the UV light acting on the airflow is thus advantageously increased, which further reduces the germ load and/or bacterial load of the airflow to be applied to the body surface.
According to another embodiment, the air disinfection device may be positioned at the cold air outlet. In particular, the air disinfection device may be integral with the cold air outlet. In this configuration, the air flow to be applied to the body surface is disinfected at the last moment before being applied to the body surface. This is an advantageous way to avoid that the air flow is again exposed to a germ load on its way from the air disinfection device to the application location.
An air filter may be provided in accordance with a further embodiment. The filter is preferably arranged in the direction of the air flow behind the air disinfection device, but may also be arranged in the direction of the air flow in front of the air disinfection device or at another location in the air flow line. In this way the germ load of the air flow may be further reduced. Other inorganic dirt particles may also be filtered with an air filter of this type, which is also highly desirable upon application to body surfaces, particularly in the case of open wounds.
According to another embodiment, a ventilation device may be provided which is configured to generate the air flow to be applied to the body surface. The ventilation device allows the cold air therapy device to be used independently by means of the integral ventilation device without having to rely on other devices such as external ventilation systems.
The above embodiments and configurations may be combined with each other as desired, if it is sensible. Further possible configurations, further embodiments and implementations according to the present invention also include combinations of features according to the present invention described above or below with regard to the exemplary embodiments which are not explicitly mentioned. In particular, the skilled person may also add individual aspects as improvements or additions to the respective basic form according to the present invention.
The present invention will be explained in more detail below in conjunction with the embodiments presented in the schematic figures, wherein:
The enclosed Figures are intended to provide a better understanding of the embodiments according to the present invention. The Figures illustrate embodiments and serve in connection with the description to explain the principles and concepts according to the present invention. Further embodiments and many of the advantages mentioned above may result from the drawings. The elements shown in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.
In the Figures of the drawing, identical elements, features and components, which are functionally identical and have the same effect, are each indicated by the same reference signs, unless otherwise specified.
The air guiding device 3 enables cooled air to be directed from the cooling device 2 to the cold air outlet 4 in the form of an air flow. By means of the cold air outlet 4, the cooled air flow directed from the cooling device 2 via the air guiding device 3 may be applied to a body surface to be cooled. The air disinfection device 5 reduces the germ load and/or bacterial load of the air cooled by the cooling device 2, which air flows through the air guiding device 3 to the cold air outlet 4.
The air disinfection device 5 is shown schematically in
Preferably, the air guiding device 3 is formed as a hose manufactured from a flexible, airtight material, for example plastic.
With respect to the configuration shown in
According to this embodiment, it is also preferable that the air disinfection device 5 is easy to maintain and/or to replace in the event of a malfunction, as the air disinfection device 5 may be accessed easily.
The UV light source 7 is arranged centrally in relation to a direction of air flow. The germ load and/or the bacterial load of the air flowing through the housing 6 is reduced by the UV light which is emitted by the UV light source 7.
The effect of the air disinfection device 5 shown in
In the embodiment shown in
In the embodiment shown in
In the embodiment shown in
The tube 10 separates the UV light source 7 from the air flow, which is therefore not affected by the UV light source 7, without preventing the disinfecting effect of the UV light of the UV light source 7 on the air flow.
According to the exemplary embodiment shown in
In the embodiments shown so far, it has not been explicitly shown how the air disinfection device 5, in particular the housing 6 or the tube 10 thereof, is inserted into the flow path of the air flow directed towards the body region, for example within an air guiding device 3. It is preferred that the housing 6, or the tube 10, respectively, is formed to correspond to the flow path of the air flow, as defined by the cross-section of the air guiding device 3, for example. By adapting the housing to the cross-section of the air guiding device, any turbulence in the air flow may be reduced. It is preferred that a uniform irradiation acting on the air flow is achieved by a turbulence-free air flow.
The UV light sources 7 shown so far may preferably be configured as low-pressure mercury vapor lamps, which have a high efficiency and output, at comparatively low cost. The advantageously high intensity of the UV light emitted by low-pressure mercury vapor lamps results in a correspondingly high radiation dose absorbed by the air flowing through them.
Alternatively, the UV light sources 7 may also be configured as LEDs or lasers. LEDs have an advantageously small size and may therefore be mounted in a variety of ways, allowing more flexible configurations of the air disinfection device 5. Several UV light sources 7 may also be provided, as well as in any combination of the above-mentioned embodiments.
The ventilation device 12 generates an air flow, by means of which ambient air is directed from outside the device housing 11 through the air filter 13 and the ventilation device 12 to the cooling device 2. From the cooling device 2, the air flow which is now cooled down is directed through an air guiding device 3 to a cold air outlet 4, by means of which the cooled air flow may be applied to a body region.
With reference to
Each of the positions 14 shown in
For the sake of simplicity, the air guiding device 3 is shown in
Even though only one exemplary embodiment of an air disinfection device has been used to explain the principles of the present invention, it is of course also conceivable to provide a number of air disinfection devices in a cold air therapy device 1, wherein the air disinfection devices may be configured similarly of differently.
Air flowing through the housing 6 flows between the ring of UV light sources 7 and the wall of housing 6. In this configuration, the air flow is only slightly obstructed by the UV light sources 7 such that creation of undesirable turbulence is avoided. In addition, the UV light emitted by the UV light sources 7 is reflected by the UV light reflecting material 15, which advantageously increases the effective intensity of the UV light acting on the air, and thus increases the efficiency of the disinfection.
Alternatively to the arrangement shown in
Preferably, the UV light reflecting material 15 may comprise aluminum, particularly aluminum foil, polytetrafluoroethylene, particularly in the form of a foil, and/or polycarbonate. The housing 6, for example, may be made of aluminum, which simplifies the manufacturing of the air disinfection device 5. Polytetrafluoroethylene has an advantageously high reflection factor of at least 95%. It is relatively inexpensive to coat the housing 6 with aluminum foil. Using polycarbonate as a reflective material is also inexpensive and easy to produce by means of injection molding.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2019 211 247.1 | Jul 2019 | DE | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2020/064681 | 5/27/2020 | WO |
