Magnetorheological elastomer and magnetorheological fluid for clinical wrap

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11484440-B2
Application number	US-201916389154-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 19, 2019
Priority date	Apr 20, 2018
Publication date	Nov 1, 2022
Grant date	Nov 1, 2022

Abstract

A reinforcing clinical wrap is provided with integral thermal management. The clinical wrap includes a fluid circuit for a heat transfer medium to circulate between a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet. A shape conforming medium is disposed within a portion of the clinical wrap providing selective reinforcement support of the portion of the clinical wrap to conform to a surface of a patient. Non-limiting examples of the shape conforming medium may include a magnetorheological elastomer, a magnetorheological elastomer, a magnetorheological foam, a UV curable resin, and a phase change material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A reinforcing clinical wrap with integral thermal management, the clinical wrap comprising:
a fluid inlet;
a fluid outlet;
a first set of channels providing a fluid circuit for a heat transfer medium to circulate between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet;
a second set of channels providing fluid communication through a portion of the clinical wrap configured to interface with a patient, the second set of channels being shaped to selectively maintain the clinical wrap in a configuration to immobilize at least a portion of the patient; and
a shape conforming medium disposed in the second set of channels providing selective reinforcement support of the portion of the clinical wrap to conform to a surface of a patient, and wherein the shape conforming medium comprises a magnetorheological fluid and exhibits a variable viscosity in response to exposure to a magnetic field, the clinical wrap being configured to wrap around a body portion of a patient.

2. The clinical wrap according to claim 1 , wherein the magnetorheological fluid comprises a distribution of ferromagnetic particles with a range of densities to minimize particle settling and agglomeration.

3. The clinical wrap according to claim 1 , further comprising an electrically conductive circuit disposed throughout the clinical wrap and configured to selectively generate a magnetic field.

4. The clinical wrap according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid circuit is configured to circulate a heat transfer medium selected from the group consisting of air and water.

5. The clinical wrap according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second sets of channels are arranged in an alternating side-by-side alignment with one another.

6. The clinical wrap according to claim 1 , wherein the first set of channels defines at least two thermal zones configured for selectively maintaining different temperatures.

7. The clinical wrap according to claim 1 , wherein the second set of channels defines at least two pressure zones configured for selectively maintaining different pressures.

8. The clinical wrap according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one pressure sensor configured to detect a pressure at an interface between the clinical wrap and the patient.

9. A system for stabilizing a patient with a reinforcing clinical wrap having integral thermal management, the system comprising:
a clinical wrap comprising:
a fluid circuit for circulating a heat transfer medium between a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet;
a set of channels providing fluid communication through a portion of the clinical wrap configured to interface with the patient, the set of channels being shaped to selectively maintain the clinical wrap in a configuration to immobilize at least a portion of the patient; and
a shape conforming medium disposed in the set of channels configured to provide selective reinforcement support of the portion of the clinical wrap to conform to a surface of a patient when a magnetic field is generated,
the clinical wrap being configured to wrap around a body portion of a patient;

a heat exchanger configured to maintain a predetermined temperature of the heat transfer medium; and
a controller configured to selectively activate a generation of the magnetic field.

10. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the shape conforming medium comprises a magnetorheological fluid and exhibits a variable viscosity in response to exposure to the magnetic field.

11. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the clinical wrap further comprises an electrically conductive circuit disposed throughout the clinical wrap and configured to selectively generate the magnetic field.

12. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the set of channels is shaped to selectively maintain the clinical wrap at a predetermined configuration to immobilize at least a portion of the patient.

13. The system according to claim 9 , further comprising an electromagnet selectively activated by the controller and configured to generate the magnetic field, wherein the electromagnet is disposed adjacent a patient support surface of a patient support apparatus.

Assignees

• Stryker Corp

Inventors

• Taylor Gregg
• Titov Alexey
• Phan Hieu

Classifications

• C08L57/00

  Compositions of unspecified polymers obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds · CPC title

• C08K2003/0856

  Iron · CPC title

• C08K2003/0812

  Aluminium · CPC title

• C08L2203/02

  for biomedical use · CPC title

• A47G2009/004

  comprising magnets · CPC title