Thermal control system

Abstract

A thermal control unit controls the temperature of a fluid delivered to one or more thermal transfer devices (e.g. thermal pads) in contact with a patient. The thermal control unit generates thermal data while being used to treat the patient and is adapted to receive thermal history data previously generated by a different thermal control unit in the treatment of that patient. Both the current and previous thermal data are displayable on the thermal control unit currently being used, thereby giving the caregiver a complete picture of the thermal history of the patient. The thermal control unit may also be adapted to transmit its thermal data, as well as the thermal history data previously received from the other thermal control unit, to still another thermal control unit. The thermal history data transfer may take place via a cable, wirelessly, by a portable flash drive, or by other means.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A thermal pad for controlling a patient's temperature, the thermal pad comprising:
 a flexible body adapted to be placed in contact with the patient, the body defining an interior in which fluid circulates;   a fluid inlet in fluid communication with the flexible body and adapted to receive the fluid from a thermal control unit adapted to control a temperature of the fluid;   a fluid outlet in fluid communication with the flexible body and adapted to return the fluid to the thermal control unit;   a transceiver;   a memory; and   a controller adapted to receive and store in the memory thermal data received from the thermal control unit, the thermal data relating to therapy applied to the patient using the thermal pad.   
     
     
         2 . The thermal pad of  claim 1  wherein at least some of the thermal data is generated from a sensor on-board the thermal control unit. 
     
     
         3 . The thermal pad of  claim 1  wherein the thermal data includes at least two of the following data items: a patient target temperature; a fluid target temperature; a patient temperature reading; a fluid temperature reading; a time at which thermal treatment started; a time at which thermal treatment ended; a flow rate of the fluid; a rate of change of the patient's temperature; a rate of change of the fluid's temperature; a time at which a temperature reading was taken; an alarm; and an identification of the thermal control unit. 
     
     
         4 . The thermal pad of  claim 2  wherein the controller is further adapted to transfer the thermal data to another device using the transceiver. 
     
     
         5 . The thermal pad of  claim 4  wherein the another device comprises a second thermal control unit, the second thermal control unit adapted to control a temperature of a fluid delivered from the second thermal control unit to the thermal pad. 
     
     
         6 . The thermal pad of  claim 5  wherein the controller is further adapted to receive and store in the memory additional thermal data received from the second thermal control unit, the additional thermal data relating to therapy applied to the patient using the thermal pad while the thermal pad is coupled to the second thermal control unit. 
     
     
         7 . The thermal pad of  claim 6  wherein the controller is further adapted to separately maintain in the memory the thermal data and the additional thermal data. 
     
     
         8 . The thermal pad of  claim 2  further comprising a port in communication with the transceiver, the port adapted to receive a physical communication medium that delivers the thermal data to the transceiver. 
     
     
         9 . The thermal pad of  claim 8  wherein the physical communication medium is a data cable adapted to couple to the thermal control unit. 
     
     
         10 . The thermal pad of  claim 2  further comprising a port for a removable flash media storage device wherein the controller is adapted to copy the received thermal data to the removable flash media storage device. 
     
     
         11 . The thermal pad of  claim 2  wherein the thermal data received from the thermal control unit does not include any identification of the patient. 
     
     
         12 . The thermal pad of  claim 2  further comprising a clock in communication with the controller, the controller adapted to record times at which the thermal data is received from the thermal control unit. 
     
     
         13 . The thermal pad of  claim 2  wherein the transceiver is a serial communication transceiver. 
     
     
         14 . The thermal pad of  claim 2  wherein the transceiver is a wireless transceiver. 
     
     
         15 . The thermal pad of  claim 14  wherein the transceiver is one of a WiFi transceiver, a Bluetooth transceiver, or a ZigBee transceiver. 
     
     
         16 . The thermal pad of  claim 1  wherein the controller is further adapted to communicate with a patient sensor that senses information about the patient. 
     
     
         17 . The thermal pad of  claim 16  wherein the patient sensor is adapted to detect patient movement. 
     
     
         18 . The thermal pad of  claim 1  wherein the thermal data includes at least three of the following data items: a patient target temperature; a fluid target temperature; a patient temperature reading; a fluid temperature reading; a time at which thermal treatment started; a time at which thermal treatment ended; a flow rate of the fluid; a rate of change of a patient's temperature; a rate of change of the fluid's temperature; a time at which a temperature reading was taken; an alarm; and an identification of the thermal control unit. 
     
     
         19 . The thermal pad of  claim 18  wherein the thermal data further includes at least one of the following: the patient's heart rate, the patient's breathing rate, the patient's oxygenation levels, another vital sign of the patient, an identification of a medication administered to the patient, or a time of Return Of Spontaneous Circulation (ROSC) of the patient. 
     
     
         20 . The thermal pad of  claim 1  wherein the thermal pad is adapted to be wrapped around one of a torso of the patient or a leg of the patient.