Forced air warming unit
View Patent ↗Both the flow rate and the temperature of the air exiting a forced air warming unit are regulated in response to a single act or operation of a single element of control on a manually-operated remote control.
1. A method for warming a person clothed in a clinical garment with a convective warming device mounted therein using a forced air warming unit and a remote control apparatus connected to the forced air warming device, the method comprising the steps of:
connecting an air hose between the convective device and the forced air warming unit;
manually operating a single control element on the remote control apparatus to change a control signal S;
controlling the forced air warming unit to provide a stream of thermally conditioned air having a flow rate V corresponding to the control signal;
controlling the forced air warming unit to provide a stream of thermally conditioned air having a temperature T corresponding to the control signal;
reducing the rate of change (∂T/∂S) of the air stream temperature with respect to the control signal responsive to an increase in the control signal; and
reducing the rate of change ∂(∂T/∂S)/∂S with respect to the control signal of the rate of change (∂T/∂S) of the air stream temperature with respect to the control signal responsive to an increase in the control signal.
2. The method of claim 1 comprising the additional step of:
increasing the rate of change (∂V/∂S) of the air stream flow rate with respect to the control signal responsive to an increase in the control signal.
3. The method of claim 2 comprising the additional step of:
increasing the rate of change (∂V/∂S) of the air stream flow rate with respect to the control signal responsive to a decrease in the control signal below a predetermined control signal value.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the single control element includes a potentiometer whose position determines the control signal and the step of manually operating includes manually adjusting the position of the potentiometer.
5. A method for warming a person clothed in a clinical garment with a convective warming device mounted therein using a forced air warming unit and a remote control apparatus connected to the forced air warming device, the method comprising the steps of:
connecting an air hose between the convective device and the forced air warming unit;
manually operating a single control element on the remote control apparatus to change a control signal S;
controlling the forced air warming unit to provide a stream of thermally conditioned air having a flow rate V corresponding to the control signal;
controlling the forced air warming unit to provide a stream of thermally conditioned air having a temperature T corresponding to the control signal;
reducing the rate of change (∂T/∂S) of the air stream temperature with respect to the control signal responsive to an increase in the control signal; and
increasing the rate of change (∂V/∂S) of the air stream flow rate with respect to the control signal responsive to an increase in the control signal; and
increasing the rate of change (∂V/∂S) of the air stream flow rate with respect to the control signal responsive to a decrease in the control signal below a predetermined control signal value.
6. The method of claim 5 , comprising the additional step of: reducing the rate of change ∂(∂T/∂S)/∂S with respect to the control signal of the rate of change (∂T/∂S) of the air stream temperature with respect to the control signal responsive to an increase in the control signal.
7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the single control element includes a potentiometer whose position determines the control signal and the step of manually operating includes manually adjusting the position of the potentiometer.