Personal warming systems and apparatuses for use in hospitals and other settings, and associated methods of manufacture and use

Abstract

Personal warming systems and apparatuses for use in hospitals and other settings are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a heating pad for warming a patient during a hospital procedure can include a heating element and a patient support portion. The heating element can include one or more radiolucent, or at least generally radiolucent, features. The radiolucent features can include conductive paths supported by a flexible substrate. The conductive paths can include conductive yarns oriented in linear and/or non-linear patterns on the flexible substrate. In one aspect of this embodiment, the conductive yarns can include conductive strands having a metallic plating, such as silver plating.

1 . A heating element comprising: 
 a flexible substrate; and    a plurality of conductive strands supported by the flexible substrate, each of the conductive strands having: 
 a core portion; and  
 a conductive portion carried by the core portion, wherein each of the conductive strands is configured to generate heat by conducting electricity.  
   
   
   
       2 . The heating element of  claim 1  wherein the flexible substrate includes a fabric material, and wherein the plurality conductive of strands are interwoven with the fabric material.  
   
   
       3 . The heating element of  claim 1  wherein the flexible substrate includes a nylon weave, and wherein the plurality of conductive strands are interwoven with the nylon weave.  
   
   
       4 . The heating element of  claim 1  wherein the flexible substrate includes a fabric material, wherein each of the conductive strands includes a non-conductive core and metallic plating, and wherein the plurality of conductive strands are interwoven with the fabric material.  
   
   
       5 . The heating element of  claim 1  wherein the flexible substrate includes a nylon weave, wherein each of the conductive strands includes a nylon core with a silver portion, and wherein the plurality of conductive strands are interwoven with the nylon weave.  
   
   
       6 . The heating element of  claim 1  wherein the core portion of each of the conductive strands is at least generally non-conductive.  
   
   
       7 . The heating element of  claim 1  wherein the conductive portion of each of the conductive strands includes metal.  
   
   
       8 . The heating element of  claim 1  wherein each of the conductive strands includes a nylon core with metallic plating.  
   
   
       9 . The heating element of  claim 1  wherein each of the conductive strands includes a nylon core with silver plating.  
   
   
       10 . The heating element of  claim 1  wherein the conductive portion of each of the conductive strands includes silver having a thickness of about 100 microns or less.  
   
   
       11 . The heating element of  claim 1  wherein the conductive portion of each of the conductive strands includes silver having a thickness of about 10 microns or less.  
   
   
       12 . The heating element of  claim 1  wherein the conductive portion of each of the conductive strands includes silver having a thickness of about 5 microns or less.  
   
   
       13 . The heating element of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of conductive strands forms a non-linear pattern on the flexible substrate.  
   
   
       14 . The heating element of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of conductive strands forms a repeating geometric pattern on the flexible substrate.  
   
   
       15 . The heating element of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of non-conductive strands, wherein each of the non-conductive strands is entwined with at least one of the conductive strands to form a plurality of conductive yarns supported by the flexible substrate.  
   
   
       16 . The heating element of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of non-conductive strands, wherein each of the non-conductive strands is entwined with at least one of the conductive strands to form a plurality of conductive yarns, and wherein the plurality of conductive yarns are woven into the flexible substrate.  
   
   
       17 . The heating element of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a first conductive lead supported by the flexible substrate, the first conductive lead coupled to the plurality of conductive strands and configured to be biased at a first electrical potential; and    a second conductive lead supported by the flexible substrate and spaced apart from the first conductive lead, the second conductive lead coupled to the plurality of conductive strands and configured to be biased at a second electrical potential to cause electrical current to flow through each of the conductive strands and generate heat.    
   
   
       18 . The heating element of  claim 1  wherein the core portion of each of the conductive strands includes nylon yarn of about 100 denier or less.  
   
   
       19 . The heating element of  claim 1  wherein the core portion of each of the conductive strands includes nylon yarn of about 33 denier or less.  
   
   
       20 . The heating element of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of polyester strands, wherein each of the polyester strands is entwined with at least one of the conductive strands to form a plurality of conductive yarns, wherein the plurality of conductive yarns are interwoven with the flexible substrate.  
   
   
       21 - 102 . (canceled)