The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 07, 1998
Filed:
Mar. 06, 1996
John W Stoughton, Indianapolis, IN (US);
United Medical Manufacturing Co., Indianapolis, IN (US);
Abstract
An apparatus for patient safety protection in a medical device with a heater. A heater configuration for a medical device, such as a haemodialysis machine, is disclosed in which a shock hazard to the patient from the heater elements due to a single fault condition is eliminated. The invention comprises an insulation layer formed between the heater elements and a grounded metal plate. A single fault condition is prevented from creating a shock hazard to the patient (which is considered to be the dialyser fluid) because any break down of the insulation layer which brings the heater elements 14 into contact with the grounded metal plate will result in a large current flowing to ground (rather than to the patient), thereby causing a fuse in the circuit to trip. Tripping of the fuse removes power from the heating elements, thereby preventing any further possibility of contact between the live electrical heater element and the dialyser fluid (i.e. the patient). Both the insulation layer and the ground connection to the grounded metal plate would have to fail (a double fault condition) in order to present a shock hazard to the patient.