WARMING THERAPY DEVICE INCLUDING TESLA PUMP AIR CIRCULATION
SYSTEM
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Serial No.
61/046,983, filed April 22, 2008, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference, as if fully set forth herein.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This present invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for performing warming therapy on medical patients. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for controlling air circulation in a warming therapy device through the use of a Tesla pump.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Many conventional warming therapy devices (e.g., incubators, warmers, etc.) include some type of air circulation system. Typically, the air circulation system is used for moving heated air into and out of a space surrounding a patient. For example, in a typical
'closed care' environment the patient may be covered by a hood or other member which assists in maintaining a desired temperature around the patient. In such a setting, air circulation systems are used to move heated air across the patient, in order to maintain a desired patient temperature.
[0004] For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,935,055, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in this application as if fully set forth herein, shows a conventional warming therapy device including a lying surface 1 for a patient, and a housing 8 (i.e., hood) for surrounding the patient. Also included are a fan 4 and electric drive motor 5 for rotating the fan. A circular air heater 6 surrounds the fan 4 and operates to heat the air inside the housing 8. In particular, heated air is blown by the fan 4 to first and second nozzles 11 (as shown by the directional arrows in Figure 2), where it is transmitted into the upper part of the housing 8 through parallel slots 7 which run along the two long sides of the housing. Exhaust slots 9 are provided along the two short sides of the housing 8 for collecting the air transmitted to the upper portion of the housing, and for returning such air to the area around the fan 4. [0005] However, air circulation systems of conventional warming therapy devices (such as the one discussed above) often produce unwanted noise due to either: (1) the rotation of the fan blades of the fan circulating the air, or (2) the noise generated by the fan motor. Because one of the objectives of a warming therapy device is to create a calm and soothing environment supporting an infant patient's development, excess noise is generally undesirable.
[0006] Accordingly, there is presently a need for a warming therapy device that includes an air circulation system with reduced noise, but which maintains the effectiveness and efficiency of existing air circulation systems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] An exemplary embodiment of the present invention comprises an apparatus including a patient support assembly and a Tesla pump air circulation system coupled to the patient support assembly.
[0008] An exemplary embodiment of the present invention also comprises an apparatus including a patient support assembly and a mattress tray assembly coupled to the patient support assembly, wherein the mattress tray assembly includes a Tesla pump air circulation system.
[0009] An exemplary embodiment of the present invention also comprises a method of providing warming therapy to a patient, the method including providing a Tesla pump air circulation system in proximity to a patient, providing at least one heater adjacent the Tesla pump air circulation system, and activating the Tesla pump air circulation system using at least one motor, such that air exiting the Tesla pump air circulation system is heated by the at least one heater, and subsequently supplied to the patient.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0010] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a warming therapy device according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
[0011] Figure 2 is an overhead view of the warming therapy device of Figure 1. [0012] Figure 3 is a perspective view of a Tesla pump air circulation system according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
[0013] Figure 4 is a top elevation view of the Tesla pump air circulation system shown in Figure 3, showing the housing in detail.
[0014] Figure 5 is a side partial cross-section view of the Tesla pump air circulation system shown in Figure 3, coupled to a motor.
[0015] Figure 6 is a side cross-section view of the warming therapy device according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention, showing the placement of the Tesla pump air circulation system.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0016] The present invention relates to a warming therapy device (e.g., incubator, warmer, etc.) including a Tesla pump air circulation system. In one exemplary embodiment, the warming therapy device includes a patient support assembly and a Tesla pump air circulation system coupled to the patient support assembly. As explained below, the Tesla pump air circulation system may include a plurality of rotating discs disposed within a housing, which serve to circulate air without the excess noise created by conventional air circulation systems.
[0017] Tesla pumps have existed for some time, and have been described in prior patents, such as U.S. Pat. No. 1,061,206, the specification of which is hereby incorporated by reference into this application as if fully set forth herein. Although Tesla pumps have been used in the past for the circulation of liquids, such as water, they are not used conventionally for the circulation of gases, such as air. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,441,322 describes a multi-stage wet steam turbine which includes a Tesla pump 60, for circulating liquids, such as water. Tesla pumps have also been used in the medical field for blood circulation (e.g., Medtronic Bio-Pump® Plus Centrifugal Blood Pump; http://www.medtronic.com/cardsurgery/arrested_heart/centrifugal_pump.html). However, Tesla pumps have never been used in connection with patient care devices, such as warming therapy devices, and certainly have never been used to circulate heated air in a warming therapy device, as described in the present application. [0018] Figures 1 and 2 show a warming therapy device 10 according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The warming therapy device 10 includes a radiant heater head 20, a patient support assembly 30, and a mattress tray assembly 40. The mattress tray assembly 40 may include a hood 45 which has a top portion 46 which pivots about one or more axes 47. The hood 45 may also include one or more side walls 48 which may be slideable, removable, pivotable or rotatable. The mattress tray assembly 40 may also include a mattress tray 41 (containing a mattress) disposed within a recessed support base 42.
[0019] The mattress tray 41 may be made rotatable within the support base 42 up to three hundred and sixty degrees (360°). Figure 2 specifically shows the mattress tray 41 rotated approximately ninety degrees (90°) with respect to the position shown in Figure 1. Figure 2 also shows the top portion 46 of the hood 45 rotated up so that it is approximately ninety degrees (90°) with respect to the mattress tray 41. Li the exemplary embodiment shown in Figure 2, the side walls 48 of the hood 45 are capable of sliding vertically within a portion of the mattress tray assembly 40, so that they may become disposed, partially or completely, below the plane of the mattress tray 41.
[0020] The warming therapy device 10 may optionally include a backplane 50, to which ventilation hoses and other devices may be coupled through, for example, interconnection nozzles 51. For example, the backbone may include one or more of: (1) nozzles of various sizes and configurations for attaching hoses and lines for medical treatment (e.g., ventilation hoses), (2) a camera, (3) examination lights, and (4) bilirubin treatment lights (i.e., lights designed to reduce bilirubin levels in infants, as are known in the art).
[0021] An infant patient 80 (shown in Fig. 6) may be placed on a mattress of the mattress tray 41 for medical treatment. Medical treatment may be in the form of 'open care' treatment, where the hood 45 is not utilized, or may be in the form of 'closed care' treatment, where the hood 45 is used to enclose the infant patient. For example, 'closed care' treatment may comprise providing a heated environment for the infant patient (e.g., an environment with a temperature of 35 degrees Centigrade (35°C)/95 degrees Fahrenheit (95°F) or greater). [0022] Air circulation is an important aspect of many warming therapy devices. In some conventional warming therapy devices, heated air is circulated within an enclosure containing the infant patient (e.g., within the enclosure formed by the mattress tray assembly
40 and the hood 45 in Figs. 1-2). Air circulation may be achieved in many different ways, but is most typically accomplished through the use of centrifugal 'bird cage' type systems with rotating fan blades. These types of systems often create unwanted noise due to either the rotation of the fan blades themselves, or the noise generated by the fan motor. Noise is generally undesirable in an incubation environment (because the objective is to create a calm and soothing environment supporting the infant patient's development), and therefore an air circulation system with reduced noise would be beneficial.
[0023] The warming therapy device 10 according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention solves this problem through the use of a Tesla pump air circulation system 100. The Tesla pump air circulation system 100 is preferably integrated into the patient support assembly 30, so as to be capable of circulating air to an infant patient placed on a mattress of the mattress tray assembly 40. Because the Tesla pump air circulation system 100 does not include moving fan blades, it creates much less noise than a conventional centrifugal 'bird cage' type air circulation systems. The Tesla pump air circulation system 100 facilitates air circulation through the warming therapy device 10, and to an infant patient. For example, in the 'closed care' scenario noted above, the Tesla pump air circulation system 100 may be used to provide heated air to the infant patient disposed on the mattress tray assembly 40 (e.g., either directly, or through air ducts within the mattress tray assembly).
[0024] Figure 3 shows a perspective view of a Tesla pump air circulation system 100 according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The system 100 includes a plurality of rotating discs 110 disposed within a housing 150 (shown in Fig. 4) into which air is drawn in (at air inlet port 120), and pushed out (at air outlet port 130). The discs 110 preferably rotate in a clockwise direction, but may alternatively be configured to rotate in a counter-clockwise direction. The Tesla pump air circulation system 100 is preferably disposed within the mattress tray assembly 40 so as to be able to circulate air within an enclosure formed by the mattress tray assembly 40 and the hood 45. For example, the mattress tray assembly 40 may include a plurality of ducts (not shown) formed therein for facilitating air flow into the warming therapy device 10, and out to the infant patient disposed on the mattress tray assembly 40.
[0025] Figure 4 shows a top elevation view of the Tesla pump air circulation system
100 according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention, which specifically shows the housing 150 which surrounds the plurality of discs 110. The housing 150 comprises a substantially circular main portion in which the plurality of discs 110 rotate, and substantially linear outlet portion which terminates in an air outlet port 130. The plurality of discs rotate about an axis of rotation 155, which is also the axis of rotation of a motor 200 which powers the Tesla pump air circulation system 100 (as shown in Fig. 5). The housing 150 operates to contain the air which enters the system 100 through air inlet port 120, and only permits air to escape through air outlet port 130.
[0026] Figure 5 shows a side partial cross-section view of the Tesla pump air circulation system 100 according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention, coupled to a motor 200. As noted above, the plurality of discs rotate about an axis of rotation 155, which is the same as the axis of rotation of the motor 200. Figure 5 also shows rods 160 within the housing 150 which operate to secure the plurality of discs 110 to one another. The rods 160 may be made of metal, plastic, or any other suitable material know to those of ordinary skill in the art. The arrows in Figure 5 show the direction of the air flow inside the Tesla pump air circulation system 100. The air comes in through the air inlet port 120, and proceeds through the gaps between the plurality of discs 110. Once in the gaps, the air is pushed toward the outer edges of the housing 150 by the rotation of the plurality of discs 110. Once the air reaches the portion of the housing 150 which contains the air outlet port 130, it exits the Tesla pump air circulation system 100 (and preferably enters the enclosure containing the infant patient, or enters ductwork which leads to the infant patient).
[0027] Figure 6 shows a side cross-section view of the warming therapy device 10, showing the placement of the Tesla pump air circulation system 100 within the mattress tray assembly 40 at a position underneath the mattress tray 41, and the infant patient 80. Figure 6 shows a mattress 43 disposed on the mattress tray 41, on which is disposed the infant patient 80. Figure 6 also shows a convective heater 60 which is disposed within the mattress tray assembly 40. The convective heater 60 operates to heat the air which passes through the mattress tray assembly 40. As shown, air is drawn in from outside the warming therapy device 10 by the Tesla pump air circulation system 100, and then circulated over the convective heater 60. After passing over the convective heater and being heated, the air is circulated to the infant patient 80 disposed on the mattress 43. Due partially to the configuration of the hood 45, the heated air passes over the body of the infant patient 80, and back into the Tesla pump air circulation system 100. This process creates a heated 'microenvironment' of the desired temperature for the infant patient 80.
[0028] Although the efficiency of the above-described Tesla pump air circulation system 100 may be less than efficiency of a conventional centrifugal 'bird cage' type systems with rotating fan blades, the overall power consumption of the warming therapy device 10 is not increased in the first exemplary embodiment because the Tesla pump air circulation system 100 will provide more heating, thus reducing the heating required by the convective heater 60 of the warming therapy device 10. In short, any loss of efficiency introduced by the Tesla pump air circulation system 100 translates directly into additional heat added to the overall heating system (e.g., Tesla pump air circulation system 100 and convective heater 60). Thus, the overall performance of the heating system (in terms of heating and moving air) is at least equivalent to conventional heating systems (e.g., centrifugal 'bird cage' type with convective heaters), if not improved.
[0029] Although an exemplary embodiment of the present invention has been described above for use in procedures involving infant patients, those of ordinary skill in the art will realize that the warming therapy device 10, and Tesla pump air circulation system
100 according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, may be used for other types of operations and procedures, including for children and adults.
[0030] Although the invention has been described in terms of exemplary embodiments, it is not limited thereto. Rather, the appended claims should be construed broadly to include other variants and embodiments of the invention which may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and range of equivalents of the invention. This disclosure is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the embodiments discussed herein.