Datex-ohmeda, Inc.

Ohmeda Inc.

Other

General Electric Company

Boc Health Care, Inc.

Datex Ohmada, Inc.

Thomas C Jones

Christopher A Dykes

Michael H Mackin

John B Poling

David A Gloyd

Stephen J Sweeney

Steven Mitchell Falk

Michael D Leshner

Colin G Hodge

Harry E Belsinger, Jr

Vladimir Kremenchugsky

Patrick Jordan

Robert M Simenauer

Paula M Waddell

Harry E Belsinger Jr

Robert M Siminauer

A door retention system for an infant care device includes a plurality of links pivotably coupling a door with an infant care device, and an energy storage device secured to at least one of the links. The energy storage device is configured to apply a force tending to open the door exclusively when the door is in close proximity to a fully-open position. The energy storage device is also configured to apply a force tending to close the door exclusively when the door is in close proximity to a fully-closed position.

Self-closing door apparatus

An infant care apparatus having a door latching mechanism that provides a positive latching of a door to the hood of the apparatus. The mechanism has a door latching assembly that is affixed to the door and which is latched to a floating catch housing that is affixed to the hood in a manner that the floating catch housing is vertically movable with respect to the hood. When the door is moved into its closed, latched position, the door latching assembly vertically aligns the floating catch housing so that a movable latch member is correctly oriented with respect to latch openings in the floating catch housing so that the movable catch member can enter the latch openings sufficiently to assure a positive, secure latch therebetween.

Door latching mechanism for infant care apparatus

A thoracic drainage system for removing liquid from the thoracic cavity of a patient. The system includes a reusable thoracic vacuum regulator and a standard disposable collection container. A disposable water seal chamber is also provided that can be disposed of after each patient and is a separable, independent component. There is also a combination thoracic vacuum regulator having a water seal chamber removable affixed thereto to enable the water seal chamber to be readily removed from the thoracic vacuum chamber in order to carry the water seal chamber along with the patient as that patient is transported.

Disposable water seal for thoracic regulators

A vacuum system for applying vacuum to the body cavity of a patient where a flow switch is provided that is located upstream of a vacuum regulator that can be adjusted to establish the level of vacuum desired to be applied to the patient. The flow switch provides an easy device for the caregiver to activate to fully and positively occlude the vacuum line to the patient. In one embodiment, the flow switch is constructed integral with a regulator having an rotatable actuator having a knob that is rotated to adjust the level of vacuum to the patient such the a caregiver can simply push the actuator knob inwardly to occlude the flow in the patient line and thereafter rotate the actuator knob to establish the desired level of vacuum to the patient.

Push to set vacuum system

An infant warming apparatus that functions both as an infant incubator as well as an infant warmer. The apparatus has a heater that moves vertically with respect to an infant support during the change in function between an infant incubator and an infant warmer. The heater also has a door or doors that are open when the heater is at or nearing the upper position so that the heater can direct energy toward the infant to warm the infant when acting as an infant warmer and close at or shortly after the heater commences movement to the lower position. When closed, the doors isolate the heater to prevent the inadvertent touching of the heater by the infant or attending personnel and prevents the further radiating of infrared energy toward the infant.

Heater door mechanism for infant warming apparatus

An infant care apparatus is provided that includes an infant support for underlying the infant. A drawer is provided beneath the infant support and which has a center position where it is generally aligned with the infant support and which is movable bidirectionally from that center position so that it can be moved in either direction. Thus, the caregiver can sit at either lateral side of the infant care apparatus and be positioned close to that apparatus and have room for the knees by pushing the drawer out of the way. In addition, the base is configured to have generally C-shaped base members having ends that extent outwardly to provide stability for the apparatus but allow a chair to be positioned next to the infant care apparatus without hitting or being obstructed by the base.

Infant care apparatus with bidirectional sliding drawer

An infant care apparatus such as an incubator or infant warmer having a mattress for supporting the infant on an infant platform that can, at times, by fully rotated 360 degrees to obtain full access to the infant. In the incubator, a translation platform can be slid into and out of the infant compartment and the mattress tray is pivoted to that translation platform so as to rotate at a pivot point that connects the mattress tray to the translation platform. Accordingly, when all of the doors of the infant incubator are in the closed position, the mattress tray is constrained from rotational movement but that mattress tray can be rotated a full 360 degrees whenever both doors are open or when the translation platform has been moved to a position at least partially exterior of the infant compartment. In all, the apparatus provides easy and convenient access to the infant for carrying out procedures on the infant while it is still supported by the infant care apparatus.

Rotating infant mattress

An infant care center or infant care warmer having as it source of heat, a radiant heater that includes a reflector in the shape of a quadratic surface of revolution consisting of a paraboloid, an ellipsoid or a hyperboloid. The shape allows the heater to be positioned at the head of the infant care apparatus and out of the way of the attending personnel and yet deliver sufficient heat to provide warmth to the infant. An infrared energy emitter is positioned at substantially the focal point of the geometric configuration of the reflector to provide radiant energy to be reflected toward an infant resting on a planar surface underneath the heater. While out of the way of the infant and the attending personnel, the radiant heater provides a generally uniform footprint of heat to the infant.

Radiant heater for infant warmers

An infant care apparatus that has a canopy that can be moved vertically with respect to an infant pedestal on which the infant is positioned. In the preferred embodiment, the canopy contain a radiant heater that can be moved from a lower position enclosing the infant in an infant compartment to an upper position where the infant compartment is open. The canopy is affixed to a movable frame member that is, in turn, movably mounted on a stationary frame member. A constant force spring or springs are used to interconnect between the stationary frame member and the movable frame member and the springs are designed so as to achieve a counterbalancing of the canopy and associated components such that the weight of such canopy and components is neutralized. Thus, a standard, inexpensive motor can be used to raise and lower the canopy without complex synchronization between two motors and yet the unit moves smoothly and without misalignment. In addition, two sets of stationary and movable frame members can be used and position the motor and its lifting mechanism in only one of the sets of frame members without creating a misalignment of the frame members as the canopy is raised and lowered.

Lift mechanism for infant care apparatus canopy

An infant warming apparatus that functions both as an infant incubator as well as an infant warmer. The apparatus has a heater that moves vertically with respect to an infant support during the change in function between an infant incubator and infant warmer. A powered motive system, such as an electric motor, powers the movement of the heater between its upper and its lower positions. The heater also has a door or doors that are open when the heater is at or nearing the upper position so that the heater can direct energy toward the infant to warm the infant when acting as an infant warmer. The doors close at or shortly after the heater commences movement to the lower position. When closed, the doors isolate the heater to prevent the inadvertent touching of the heater by the infant or attending personnel and prevents the further radiating of infrared energy towards the infant. The mechanism operates automatically without any reminder to the user or action by the user. A vent is also provided in the heater housing that ventilates the housing when the heater is in its upper position and closes to confine the housing when the heater is in its lower position. A mechanism automatically closes the vent when the heater moves from its upper position to its lower position and opens the vent when the heater moves from its lower position to its upper position.

An incubator having a mattress tray that underlies and supports an infant. The mattress tray is movable from a first position where it is entirely within the controlled atmosphere of the infant compartment to a second position outside that infant compartment and when moved to the second position, a warm flow of air is provided to warm the infant . The outside position of the mattress thereby allows considerable access to the infant to carry out procedures by attending personnel that would not be possible within the confined infant compartment and yet the invent is warmed by the flow of warm air.

Incubator mattress tray with warming function

An infant warming apparatus that functions both as an infant incubator as well as an infant warmer. The apparatus has a heater that moves vertically with respect to an infant support during the change in function between an infant incubator and infant warmer. A powered motive system, such as an electric motor, powers the movement of the heater between its upper and its lower positions. The heater also has a door or doors that are open when the heater is in it upper position so that the heater can direct energy toward the infant to warm the infant when acting as an infant warmer. When closed, the doors isolate the heater to prevent the inadvertent touching of the heater by the infant or attending personnel. A safety interlock system is provided that prevents the heater from being activated unless it is in its upper position and the door or doors are fully open. In addition, the interlock system also monitors the downward movement of the heater and discontinues that downward movement if the heater reaches a predetermined position and the door or doors are still in the open position. As a further interlock safety feature, a sensor also senses when the heater has reached its lower position and stops further downward movement of the heater.

Heater door safety interlock for infant warming apparatus

An infant care apparatus that has a infant bed tilt mechanism that can be accessed by the user in close proximity to the infant mattress and at the mattress level. When the infant care apparatus is an infant incubator, the tilt mechanism is operable internal of the infant compartment. The user can thus be carrying out some procedure on the infant within that infant compartment of the incubator or at the level of the infant bed of an infant warmer and be able to alter the tilt angle of the infant bed without breaking the semi sterile conditions surrounding the infant and its close proximity by manipulation of a actuating mechanism that is situated at the level of the infant bed and in close proximity to the infant. The tilt mechanism itself has a lead screw rotatable mounted to the infant bed and which passes through a threaded nut that is resiliently affixed to the base of the incubator or infant warmer. A braking mechanism allows the user to unlock the lead screw quietly so that it is free to rotate smoothly to adjust the tilt angle of the infant bed and then relock the lead screw quietly to prevent its rotation with respect to the infant bed to lock the infant bed into that new tilt angle.

Tilt mechanism for infant care apparatus

A patient probe disconnect alarm where the patient probe is provided with a vacuum that is formed in a chamber between the patient probe and the skin of the infant. The level of vacuum is monitored within the chamber and whenever the level of vacuum lessens beyond a predetermined vacuum level, the monitor senses a probe disconnect and provides an alert to the user that there is a loss of integrity in the probe affixation to the infant.

Growing community of inventors

Columbia, MD, United States of America

Thomas C Jones