GB2346560A - Temperature controlling means for infant incubator - Google Patents

Temperature controlling means for infant incubator Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2346560A
GB2346560A GB0010144A GB0010144A GB2346560A GB 2346560 A GB2346560 A GB 2346560A GB 0010144 A GB0010144 A GB 0010144A GB 0010144 A GB0010144 A GB 0010144A GB 2346560 A GB2346560 A GB 2346560A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
incubator
temperature
infant
access door
fan
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
GB0010144A
Other versions
GB0010144D0 (en
GB2346560B (en
Inventor
Joseph J Lessard
Jan F Wenstrup
Robert M Mcdonough
Peter Schumann
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Air Shields Inc
Original Assignee
Air Shields Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from US08/703,793 external-priority patent/US5730355A/en
Application filed by Air Shields Inc filed Critical Air Shields Inc
Publication of GB0010144D0 publication Critical patent/GB0010144D0/en
Publication of GB2346560A publication Critical patent/GB2346560A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of GB2346560B publication Critical patent/GB2346560B/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Fee Related legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • GPHYSICS
    • G05CONTROLLING; REGULATING
    • G05DSYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
    • G05D23/00Control of temperature
    • G05D23/19Control of temperature characterised by the use of electric means
    • G05D23/1927Control of temperature characterised by the use of electric means using a plurality of sensors
    • G05D23/193Control of temperature characterised by the use of electric means using a plurality of sensors sensing the temperaure in different places in thermal relationship with one or more spaces
    • G05D23/1931Control of temperature characterised by the use of electric means using a plurality of sensors sensing the temperaure in different places in thermal relationship with one or more spaces to control the temperature of one space
    • AHUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61GTRANSPORT, PERSONAL CONVEYANCES, OR ACCOMMODATION SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PATIENTS OR DISABLED PERSONS; OPERATING TABLES OR CHAIRS; CHAIRS FOR DENTISTRY; FUNERAL DEVICES
    • A61G11/00Baby-incubators; Couveuses
    • AHUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61GTRANSPORT, PERSONAL CONVEYANCES, OR ACCOMMODATION SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PATIENTS OR DISABLED PERSONS; OPERATING TABLES OR CHAIRS; CHAIRS FOR DENTISTRY; FUNERAL DEVICES
    • A61G11/00Baby-incubators; Couveuses
    • A61G11/005Baby-incubators; Couveuses with movable walls, e.g. for accessing the inside, removable walls
    • AHUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61GTRANSPORT, PERSONAL CONVEYANCES, OR ACCOMMODATION SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PATIENTS OR DISABLED PERSONS; OPERATING TABLES OR CHAIRS; CHAIRS FOR DENTISTRY; FUNERAL DEVICES
    • A61G11/00Baby-incubators; Couveuses
    • A61G11/009Baby-incubators; Couveuses with hand insertion windows, e.g. in the walls
    • AHUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61GTRANSPORT, PERSONAL CONVEYANCES, OR ACCOMMODATION SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PATIENTS OR DISABLED PERSONS; OPERATING TABLES OR CHAIRS; CHAIRS FOR DENTISTRY; FUNERAL DEVICES
    • A61G2203/00General characteristics of devices
    • A61G2203/30General characteristics of devices characterised by sensor means
    • A61G2203/46General characteristics of devices characterised by sensor means for temperature

Abstract

An apparatus for controlling the temperature of an infant incubator comprising a heater for heating air within the incubator, a fan for circulating the heated air, and a sensing means. The sensing means is responsive to at least one of an access door, the temperature inside the incubator, and the temperature of the skin of the infant, and a controlling means is responsive to said sensing means for controlling the speed of the fan and the heat generated by the heater. In a preferred embodiment, the sensing means responsive to the movement of the access door is a magnetic sensing means.

Description

INFANT INCUBATOR V-1 TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates, in general, to infant incubators and, in particular, to apparatus for regulating the heating of the air which is circulated through an infant incubator and introducing the heated air into the space in which an infant is placed for treatment.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The most common way for regulating the heating of the air which is circulated through an incubator is to control the power delivered to the heater. An alternative approach, although not as common, is to control the speed of a fan which forces air across the heater and through the incubator. Typically, a temperature sensor, located in the space in which an infant is placed for treatment, and a temperature sensor, attached to the infant, serve as the control for establishing and maintaining the desired temperature of the air to which the infant is exposed.
Incubators have access doors which, when opened, permit access to an infant by those attending to the infant. When an access door is opened, the ambient air can enter the incubator space in which the infant has been placed and change the conditions of the air to which the infant is exposed. As a result, incubators have been arranged with openings extending along the access doors through which incubator air passes to develop warm air curtais which are intended to serve as shields to inhibit the ambient air from entering the space in which the infant has been positioned.
Some incubators are arranged to sense either the access door being opened or a change in temperature in the space in which the infant has been placed and change the heatifig and delivery of the air which is circulated through the incubator to compensate for the change in conditions by the entry of the ambient air.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An infant incubator, constructed in accordance with the present invention, includes a hood having an access door in a wall thereof and a base upon which the hood is mounted and having a deck which with the hood defines an enclosure. The deck has openings through which air enters and leaves the enclosure. Also included in this incubator are a heater within the base for heating the air and a fan for supplying air to the heater and heated air from said heater into the enclosure through at least one of the openings and for returning air from the enclosure to the heater through at least one of the openings. An infant incubator, constructed in accordance with the present invention, further includes sensing means responsive to movement of the access door for sensing when the access door is opened and control means responsive to the sensing means for increasing the heat generated by the heater and increasing the speed of said fan when the access door is opened.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of an incubator constructed in accordance with the present invention.
Figure 2 is a top view of the heater and fan portions of the Figure 1 incubator.
Figure 3 is a side view of a sensor unit, constructed in accordance with the present invention, by which opening and closing of an access door of an incubator is sensed.
Figure 4 is a blockdiagram of the sensor and temperature control portions of an incubator constructed in accordance with the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to Figure 1, an infant incubator, constructed in accordance with the present invention, includes a hood 10 having an access door 12 in a wall 14 thereof. This incubator also has a base 16 upon which hood 10 is mounted and having a deck 18 which with the hood defines an enclosure.
Deck 18 has openings through which air enters and leaves the enclosure. For the infant incubator illustrated in Figure 1 and being described, access door 12 is in a front wall of hood 10 and the hood has a second access door 20 in a rear wall 22 of the hood. Deck 18 has openings 24 and 26 extending along front wall 14 and rear wall 22, respectively, of hood 10. As shown by the arrows in Figure 1, air enters the enclosure defined by hood 10 and deck 18 through openings 24 and 26 and leaves this enclosure through a third opening 28 extending along a third wall 29 of the hood.
When access door 12 is opened, the air passing through opening 24 in deck 18 forms a warm air curtain which serves as a barrier and reduces the effect of the ambient temperature outside the incubator on the enclosure defined by hood 10 and deck 18. Similarly, a warm air curtain is formed at opening 26 in deck 18 when access door 20 is opened.
An infant incubator, constructed in accordance with the present invention, preferably includes a first inner wall 30 and a second inner wall 31, respectively, secured to and movable with front access door 12 and rear access door 20. Inner walls 30 and 31 reduce radiant heat losses when the respective access doors are close ! and serve to carry warm air, introduced through openings 24 and 26 in deck 18, to the top of hood 10 as indicated by the arrows.
An infant incubator, constructed in accordance with the present invention, also includes a heater within base 16 for heating the air circulated through the incubator and a fan for supplying air to the heater and heated air from the heater into the enclosure defined by hood 10 and deck 18 through at least one of the openings in the deck and for returning air from this enclosure to the heater through at least one of the openings in the deck. Referring to Figure 2, a heater 32 is positioned in a first compartment 34 in the base of an incubator. A fan 36 is positioned in a second compartment 38 in the base of the incubator. As fan 36 trns, air is forced past heater 32 and conducted through suitable ducting into the enclosure defined by hood 10 and deck 18 of Figure 1 and drawn from this enclosure through suitable ducting to the fan for recirculation.
An infant incubator, constructed in accordance with the present invention, also includes sensing means responsive to movements of access doors 12 and 22 for sensing when one or both of these access doors is opened, responsive to the temperature in the enclosure defined by hood 10 and deck 18 for measuring the temperature of this enclosure, and responsive to the skin temperature of an infant being treated in the incubator for measuring the skin temperature of the infant. These sensing means include, as shown in Figure 3, a magnetic sensor composed of a magnetic reed switch 40 and a magnet 42 responsive to movement of an access door, a first temperature sensor 44, shown in Figure 1, responsive to the temperature to which an infant being treated in an incubator is exposed, and a second temperature sensor, identified in Figure 1 by reference numeral 46, responsive to the skin temperature of an infant being treated in the incubator.
Referring to Figure 3, which shows the sensing means for access door 12 of hood 10, the sensing means for each door include magnetic reed switch 40 mounted to base 16 and magnet 42 mounted to the access door and movable with the access door into and out of the range of the magnetic reed switch. After access door 12, with magnet 42, is moved a predetermined amount, for example 15 degrees, the magnet comes within the range of magnetic reed switch 40 and the magnetic reed switch is actuated.
When access door 12 is closed and magnet 42 moves out of the range of magnetic reed switch 40, the magnetic reed switch opens.
It is common practice to measure the temperature of the enclosure defined by hood 10 and deck 18 and the skin temperature of an infant being treated in an incubator and to use such temperature measurements to regulate the temperature in the enclosure.
An infant incubator, constructed in accordance with the present invention, also includes control means responsive to the magnetic sensor 40, 42 for increasing the heat generated by heater 32 and increasing the speed of fan 36 when an access door is opened. The control means are also responsive to the first temperature sensor 44 and the second temperature sensor 46 for controlling the amount of increased heat generated by heater 32 and the time period over which the increased heat is generated and the amount of increased speed of fan 36 and the time period the fan is operated at the increased speed.
Referring to Figure 4, as one or both of the access doors of an incubator are opened, the magnetic reed switch 42 or 48 associated with the open door or doors closes and signals are supplied to inputs to a heater control processing module 50 and a fan control processing module 52 which, in turn, develop control signals which are supplied from outputs of heater control processing module 50 and a fan control processing module 52 to heater 32 and fan 36 for increasing the heat generated by heater 32 and increasing the speed of fan 36 when an access door is opened. As one or both of the access doors is opened, there is no immediate effect on the air temperature within hood 10 at the location of temperature sensor 44 nor on the skdn temperature of the infant at the location of skin temperature sensor 46. Yet it is known that the air temperature in the vicinity of the infant drops when one or both of the access doors is opened. Consequently, the magnetic sensors associated with the access doors"override"the usual control function of air temperature sensor 44 and skin temperature sensor 46 to increase the heat generated by heater 32 and to increase the speed of fan 36 when an access door is opened. When the effect of the access door being opened is sensed by air temperature sensor 44 and by skin temperature sensor 46, control of heater 32 and fan 36 retrns to air temperature sensor 44 and skin temperature sensor 46 and the amount of increased heat generated by heater 32 and the time period over which the increased heat is generated and the amount of increased speed of fan 36 and the time period the fan is operated at the increased speed are controlled by air temperature sensor 44 and skin temperature sensor 46 in the usual manner.
It is common practice to include in an infant incubator an alarm indicator when either the difference in actual infant skin temperature and a predetermined set point exceeds a predetermined threshold or the difference in actual air temperature within hood 10 and a predetermined set point exceeds a predetermined threshold. Typically, the alarm indication is delayed a prescribed period of time if the difference between the measured effect and the predetermined set point is due, for example, to a change caused by the operator of the incubator. For example, a significant drop in the skin temperature of the infant due to a change in the condition of the infant or a significant drop in the temperature of the air in the hood due to a failure in the air heating unit, each of which would cause the thresholds to be exceeded, should be alarmed immediately. In contrat, for example, opening an access door or raising the predetermined set point for the temperature of the air within the hood or raisingthe predetermined set point for the skin temperature of the infant, each of which can cause the difference in actual infant skin temperature and a predetermined set point to exceed a predetermined threshold or the difference in actual air temperature within the hood and a predetermined set point to exceed a predetermined threshold, should not be alarmed and would, in the absence of a delay in the alarm indication, indicate an alarm condition. Therefore, sufficient time is provided before an alarm condition is indicated for the incubator to stabilize when a condition, which might otherwise indicate an alarm condition, is created by the operator of the incubator.
Preferably, an incubator, constructed in accordance with the present invention, includes a third temperature sensor 52, shown in Figures 1 and 4, for sensing the ambient temperature outside the incubator and controlling the delay, if any, in actuation of an alarm indicator 54, shown in Figure 4, when the difference between the actual infant skin temperature and a predetermined set point exceeds a predetermined threshold or the difference in actual air temperature within hood 10 and a predetermined set point exceeds a predetermined threshold. Ambient temperature can be a factor which determines rate at which readings of skin temperature and temperature of the air within the hood recover from readings affected by operator induced changes. Consequently, the control means include an alarm control module 56 which is responsive to ambient temperature sensor 52 for controlling alarm indicator 54 to delay actuation of the alarm indicator depending upon the ambient temperature. For example, the lower the ambient temperature, the longer the delay in actuation of alarm indicator 54 after an open access door is closed.
In addition, ambient temperature sensor 52 can be used to control the heater 32 and fan 36 speed and this is indicated in Figure 4 by the connections between ambient temperature sensor 52 and heater control processing module 48 and fan control processing module 50. Because ambient temperature can affect the temperature of the air within hood 10, the ambient temperature, at the time an access door is closed, can be another input to controlling heater 32 and fan 36. A range of ambient temperatures can be established by which the power delivered to heater 32 and the speed of fan 36 can be set to be dependent upon the particular ambient temperature at the time the access door was closed.
While there have been descnibed preferred embodiments of the present invention, it should be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims (6)

  1. CLAIMS 1. Apparatus for controlling the temperature of an infant incubator comprising: a heater for heating air circulated within an incubator; a fan for circulating heated air within the incubator ; sensing means responsive to at least one of: (a) movement of an access door for sensing when the access door is opened, (b) the temperature to which an infant being treated in an incubator is exposed, and (c) the temperature of the skin of an infant being treated in an incubator; and control means responsive to said sensing means for controlling: (a) the heat generated by said heater, and (b) the speed of said fan.
  2. 2. Apparatus according to Claim 1 wherein: (a) said sensing means include: (1) a magnetic sensor responsive to movement of an access door of an incubator for sensing when the access door is opened, (2) a first temperature sensor responsive to the temperature to which an infant being treated in an incubator is exposed, and (3) a second temperature sensor responsive to the skin temperature of an infant being treated in an incubator, and (b) said control means are responsive to: (1) magnetic sensor for increasing: (i) the heat generated by said heater, and (ii) increasing the speed of said fan when said access door is opened, and (2) at least one of: (i) said first temperature sensor, and (ii) said second temperature sensor for controlling: (i) the amount of increased heat generated by said heater and the time period over which said increased heat is generated, and (ii) the amount of increased speed of said fan and the time period said fan is operated at said increased speed.
  3. 3. Apparatus according to Claim 2 wherein said magnetic sensor includes: (a) a magnetic reed switch mounted to a base of an incubator, and (b) a magnet mounted to an access door of an incubator and movable with the access door into and out of the range of said magnetic reed switch.
  4. 4. Apparatus according to any preceding claim further including: (a) a third temperature sensor for sensing ambient temperature outside an incubator, (b) an alarm indicator for developing an alarm indication when at least one of: (1) a difference in actual infant skin temperature and a predetermined set point exceeds a predetermined threshold, and (2) a difference in actual air temperature within the hood of an incubator and a predetermined set point exceeds a predetermined threshold, and (c) means responsive to said third temperature sensor for delaying an alarm indication by said alarm indicator by a time period dependent upon the ambient temperature if at least one of: (1) a difference in actual infant skin temperature and a predetermined set point exceeds a predetermined threshold, and (2) a difference in actual air temperature within a hood of an incubator and a predetermined set point exceeds a predetermined threshold, exists and such difference is caused by the operator of the incubator changing operation of the incubator.
  5. 5. An infant incubator according to any one of Claims 1 to 3 wherein: (a) said sensing means includes a third temperature sensor for sensing ambient temperature outside the incubator, and (b) said control means are responsive to said third temperature sensor for: (1) controlling the heat generated by said heater, and (2) controlling the speed of said fan after said access door has been closed.
  6. 6. An infant incubator substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings.
GB0010144A 1996-08-27 1997-07-31 Infant incubator Expired - Fee Related GB2346560B (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US08/703,793 US5730355A (en) 1996-08-27 1996-08-27 Infant incubator
GB9716091A GB2316617B (en) 1996-08-27 1997-07-31 Infant incubator

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GB0010144D0 GB0010144D0 (en) 2000-06-14
GB2346560A true GB2346560A (en) 2000-08-16
GB2346560B GB2346560B (en) 2001-02-14

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Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US9295601B2 (en) 2011-01-07 2016-03-29 Koninklijke Philips N.V. Incubator assembly and associated control apparatus that controls specific humidity
WO2016153472A1 (en) * 2015-03-23 2016-09-29 Advanced Imaging Research, Inc. Isolette environment controller and method
US9772634B2 (en) 2011-01-07 2017-09-26 Koninklijke Philips N.V. Incubator assembly and associated control apparatus that controls humidity rate
EP3273841A4 (en) * 2015-03-27 2018-10-24 Nokia Technologies Oy Method and apparatus for detecting body-related temperature changes

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN110858436B (en) * 2018-08-22 2021-07-23 上海宜链物联网有限公司 Quilt kicking prevention device and method

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1990009771A1 (en) * 1989-02-27 1990-09-07 Air-Shields, Inc. Incubator with remote control and display module
US5316542A (en) * 1992-02-14 1994-05-31 Dragerwerk Aktiengesellschaft Coupled control of operating parameters of an incubator
EP0749743A2 (en) * 1995-06-20 1996-12-27 Ohmeda Inc. Magnetic door seal for infant incubator
WO1997011663A1 (en) * 1995-09-25 1997-04-03 Hill-Rom, Inc. Controller for a patient warming device

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1990009771A1 (en) * 1989-02-27 1990-09-07 Air-Shields, Inc. Incubator with remote control and display module
US5316542A (en) * 1992-02-14 1994-05-31 Dragerwerk Aktiengesellschaft Coupled control of operating parameters of an incubator
EP0749743A2 (en) * 1995-06-20 1996-12-27 Ohmeda Inc. Magnetic door seal for infant incubator
WO1997011663A1 (en) * 1995-09-25 1997-04-03 Hill-Rom, Inc. Controller for a patient warming device

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US9295601B2 (en) 2011-01-07 2016-03-29 Koninklijke Philips N.V. Incubator assembly and associated control apparatus that controls specific humidity
US9772634B2 (en) 2011-01-07 2017-09-26 Koninklijke Philips N.V. Incubator assembly and associated control apparatus that controls humidity rate
WO2016153472A1 (en) * 2015-03-23 2016-09-29 Advanced Imaging Research, Inc. Isolette environment controller and method
US10543141B2 (en) 2015-03-23 2020-01-28 Advanced Imaging Research, Inc. Isolette environment controller and method
EP3273925B1 (en) * 2015-03-23 2021-11-03 Advanced Imaging Research, Inc. Isolette environment controller and method
EP3273841A4 (en) * 2015-03-27 2018-10-24 Nokia Technologies Oy Method and apparatus for detecting body-related temperature changes
US11033240B2 (en) 2015-03-27 2021-06-15 Nokia Technologies Oy Method and apparatus for detecting body-related temperature changes

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB0010144D0 (en) 2000-06-14
GB2346560B (en) 2001-02-14

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PCNP Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee

Effective date: 20140731