Inflatable convective pad for surgery
View Patent ↗An inflatable convective pad for warming a person during surgery has two ends, two sides, and at least two openings, each located in an area of the pad between the two ends and between a respective side and the center of the pad. The openings, which may be in the form of slits, allow the threading of a sheet or the person's arms through the pad to restrain the arms during surgery.
1. An inflatable convective pad, comprising:
first and second layers joined by a seal around a common periphery to form a pneumatic structure, the first layer being air permeable and including an air permeable surface, the pad has a head end, a foot end, a side, and a central axis;
at least one inlet port opening into the pneumatic structure; and
a head inactive area near the head end of the inflatable convective pad;
spaced-apart seals within the common periphery each positioned between the central axis and the side, and an arm slit in each of the spaced-apart seals that is generally parallel to the side and the central axis,
wherein the spaced-apart seals are continuously closed,
wherein each of the spaced-apart seals establishes an elongate uninflatable area,
wherein each arm slit has a length at least 3 times the length of the head inactive area.
2. The inflatable convective pad of claim 1 , wherein each arm slit includes an elongate line of weakness.
3. The inflatable convective pad of claim 2 , wherein the elongate line of weakness is selectively opened to define an opening through the inflatable convective pad.
4. The inflatable convective pad of claim 3 , further comprising an inactive area near a first end of the pad.
5. The inflatable convective pad of claim 4 , wherein the spaced-apart seals are generally parallel.
6. The inflatable convective pad of claim 1 , further comprising one or more retaining flaps on the first or the second layer.
7. An inflatable convective pad for warming a person, comprising:
first and second layers joined by a seal around a common periphery to form a pneumatic structure, the first layer being air permeable and including an air permeable surface, the pad has a head end, a foot end, a side, and a central axis;
at least one inlet port opening into the pneumatic structure, the at least one inlet port opening having an opening and a collar of stiff material surrounding the opening;
two elongate seals within the common periphery each positioned between the central axis and the side; and
two arm slits, wherein each arm slit is in a different one of the elongate seals for forming an opening in the different one of the elongate seals,
wherein each arm slit has a length of at least one-half of a length of the pneumatic structure measured between the head end and the foot end.
8. The inflatable convective pad of claim 7 , wherein each arm slit comprises a line of weakness.
9. The inflatable convective pad of claim 8 , further comprising an inactive area near a first end of the inflatable convective pad.
10. The inflatable convective pad of claim 9 , further comprising an inactive area near a second end of the inflatable convective pad, the second end opposing the first end.
11. The inflatable convective pad of claim 10 , wherein the elongate seals are continuously closed.
12. The inflatable convective pad of claim 7 , further comprising one or more retaining flaps on the first or the second layer.