Method and apparatus for providing a recommended skin temperature

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10966615-B2
Application number	US-201615163195-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 24, 2016
Priority date	Dec 7, 2015
Publication date	Apr 6, 2021
Grant date	Apr 6, 2021

Abstract

A method and apparatus includes an infant holding area, a display area, a heating system for warming the infant holding area, an environmental sensor, a physiological sensor, and a processor. The processor is configured to receive an environmental sensor input from the environmental sensor and a physiological sensor input from the physiological sensor. The processor is configured to determine a recommended skin temperature based on the environmental sensor input and the physiological sensor input. The processor is configured to display the recommended skin temperature on the display area.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for receiving an infant comprising:
an infant holding area;
a display area;
a heating system for warming the infant holding area;
an environmental sensor operable to generate an environmental sensor input related to an environmental condition in the infant holding area;
a skin temperature sensor operable to generate a skin temperature input related to a skin temperature of the infant;
a physiological sensor operable to generate a physiological sensor input, wherein the physiological sensor is selected from the group consisting of a blood temperature sensor, a breathing rate sensor, a tidal breathing airflow sensor, a blood volume sensor, a weight sensor, and a heart rate sensor; and
a processor configured to receive the environmental sensor input from the environmental sensor, the skin temperature input from the skin temperature sensor, and the physiological sensor input from the physiological sensor, wherein the processor is configured to determine a recommended skin temperature needed to maintain a core temperature of the infant at a desired core temperature based on the environmental sensor input, the skin temperature input and the physiological sensor input, and wherein the processor is configured to display the recommended skin temperature on the display area.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the environmental sensor is selected from the group consisting of an air velocity sensor, an air temperature sensor, and an air humidity sensor.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to receive a patient attribute input and determine the recommended skin temperature based on the patient attribute input, the environmental sensor input, the skin temperature input, and the physiological sensor input.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the patient attribute input is selected from the group consisting of a patient weight, a patient length, a patient gestational age, and a patient postnatal age.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising a user interface device, and wherein the processor is configured to receive the patient attribute input from the user interface device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to calculate an estimated difference between a skin temperature detected by the skin temperature sensor and the core temperature of the infant as a step in determining the recommended skin temperature.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the heating system comprises a radiant heater.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the heating system comprises a convective heater.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the heating system comprises a resistive heating element.

10. A method for providing a recommended skin temperature of an infant within an apparatus including an infant holding area, a display area, a heating system for warming the infant holding area, an environmental sensor located within the infant holding area, a skin temperature sensor, a physiological sensor, and a processor, the method comprising:
receiving, with the processor, an environmental sensor input from the environmental sensor;
receiving, with the processor, a skin temperature sensor input from the skin temperature sensor;
receiving, with the processor, a physiological sensor input from the physiological sensor;
determining, with the processor, a recommended skin temperature needed to maintain a core temperature of the infant at a desired core temperature based on the environmental sensor input, the skin temperature sensor input, and the physiological sensor input; and
displaying the recommended skin temperature on the display area.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the environmental sensor input is selected from the group consisting of an air velocity, an air temperature, and an air humidity.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the physiological sensor input is selected from the group consisting of a blood temperature, a breathing rate, a tidal breathing airflow, a blood volume, a weight, and a heart rate.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising receiving a patient attribute input and wherein determining the recommended skin temperature comprises determining the recommended skin temperature based on the environmental sensor input, the skin temperature sensor input, the physiological sensor input and the patient attribute input.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising selecting the recommended skin temperature.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising controlling the heating system with the processor to maintain the recommended skin temperature based on additional environmental sensor input from the environmental sensor and additional physiological sensor input from the physiological sensor.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein controlling the heating system with the processor is performed in real-time based on the additional environmental sensor input and the additional physiological input.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Starr Karen
• Falk Steven
• Utturkar Yogen Vishwas

Classifications

• A61G11/00

  Baby-incubators; Couveuses · CPC title

• A61B5/7278

  Artificial waveform generation or derivation, e.g. synthesizing signals from measured signals · CPC title

• A61F7/0053

  Cabins, rooms, chairs or units for treatment with a hot or cold circulating fluid · CPC title

• A61F2007/006

  of gas · CPC title

• A61F2007/0093

  programmed · CPC title