Infant incubator

Abstract

An infant incubator in which the heater for heating the air circulated through the incubator and the speed of the fan which forces air across the heater to circulate through the incubator are controlled to increase the temperature of the heated air and delivery of the heated air to the space in which an infant has been placed for treatment when an access door of the incubator has been opened. The increase in temperature and delivery of the heated air is caused by a sensor which senses when the access door is opened.

What is claimed:  
     
       1. An infant incubator comprising: 
       a hood having an access door in a wall thereof;  
       a base upon which said hood is mounted and having a deck which with said hood defines an enclosure and has openings through which air enters and leaves said enclosure;  
       a heater within said base for heating the air;  
       a fan for supplying air to said heater and heated air from said heater into said enclosure through at least one of said openings and for returning air from said enclosure to said heater through at least one of said openings;  
       sensing means responsive to movement of said access door for sensing when said access door is opened; and  
       control means responsive to said sensing means for:  
       (a) increasing the heat generated by said heater, and  
       (b) increasing the speed of said fan  
       when said access door is opened. 
     
     
       2. An infant incubator according to  claim 1  wherein said sensing means include: 
       (a) a magnetic reed switch mounted to said base, and  
       (b) a magnet mounted to said access door of said hood movable with said access door into and out of the range of said magnetic reed switch.  
     
     
       3. An infant incubator according to  claim 2  further including a first temperature sensor positioned in said enclosure for sensing the temperature of the air within said enclosure and a second temperature sensor adapted for attachment to the skin of an infant being treated in the incubator. 
     
     
       4. An infant incubator according to  claim 3  wherein said control means are also responsive to said first temperature sensor and said second temperature sensor for controlling: 
       (a) the amount of increased heat generated by said heater and the time period over which said increased heat is generated, and  
       (b) the amount of increased speed of said fan and the time period said fan is operated at said increased speed.  
     
     
       5. Apparatus for controlling the temperature of an infant incubator comprising: 
       a heater for heating air circulated within an incubator;  
       a fan for circulating heated air within the incubator;  
       sensing means responsive to at least one of:  
       (a) movement of an access door for sensing when the access door is opened,  
       (b) the temperature to which an infant being treated in an incubator is exposed, and  
       (c) the temperature of the skin of an infant being treated in an incubator; and  
       control means responsive to said sensing means for controlling:  
       (a) the heat generated by said heater, and  
       (b) the speed of said fan.  
     
     
       6. Apparatus according to  claim 5  wherein: 
       (a) said sensing means include:  
       (1) a magnetic sensor responsive to movement of an access door of an incubator for sensing when the access door is opened,  
       (2) a first temperature sensor responsive to the temperature to which an infant being treated in an incubator is exposed, and  
       (3) a second temperature sensor responsive to the skin temperature of an infant being treated in an incubator, and  
       (b) said control means are responsive to:  
       (1) magnetic sensor for increasing:  
       (i) the heat generated by said heater, and  
       (ii) increasing the speed of said fan  
       when said access door is opened, and  
       (2) at least one of:  
       (i) said first temperature sensor, and  
       (ii) said second temperature sensor  
       for controlling:  
       (i) the amount of increased heat generated by said heater and the time period over which said increased heat is generated, and  
       (ii) the amount of increased speed of said fan and the time period said fan is operated at said increased speed.  
     
     
       7. Apparatus according to  claim 6  wherein said magnetic sensor includes: 
       (a) a magnetic reed switch mounted to a base of an incubator, and  
       (b) a magnet mounted to an access door of an incubator and movable with the access door into and out of the range of said magnetic reed switch.  
     
     
       8. An infant incubator according to  claim 1  wherein: 
       (a) said access door is in a front wall of said hood,  
       (b) said hood has a second access door in a rear wall of said hood, and  
       (c) said deck has:  
       (1) openings extending along said front wall and said rear wall through which air enters said enclosure, and  
       (2) an opening extending along a third wall of said hood and through which air leaves said enclosure.  
     
     
       9. An infant incubator comprising: 
       a hood having a first access door in a front wall thereof and a second access door in a rear wall thereof;  
       a base upon which said hood is mounted and having a deck which with said hood defines an enclosure and has first and second openings extending along said front wall of said hood and said rear wall of said hood, respectively, through which air enters said enclosure and only one opening extending along a third wall of said hood through which air leaves said enclosure;  
       a heater within said base for heating the air;  
       a fan for supplying air to said heater and heated air from said heater into said enclosure through said first opening and said second opening and for returning air from said enclosure to said heater through said opening extending along said third wall;  
       sensing means responsive to movement of said first access door and movement of said second access door for sensing when either of said access doors is opened; and  
       control means responsive to said sensing means for increasing at least one of:  
       (a) the heat generated by said heater, and  
       (b) the speed of said fan  
       when either of said access doors is opened. 
     
     
       10. An infant incubator according to  claim 3  further including: 
       (a) a third temperature sensor for sensing ambient temperature outside the incubator,  
       (b) an alarm indicator for developing an alarm indication when at least one of:  
       (1) a difference in actual infant skin temperature and a predetermined set point exceeds a predetermined threshold, and  
       (2) a difference in actual air temperature within said hood and a predetermined set point exceeds a predetermined threshold, and  
       (c) means responsive to said third temperature sensor for delaying an alarm indication by said alarm indicator by a time period dependent upon the ambient temperature if at least one of:  
       (1) a difference in actual infant skin temperature and a predetermined set point exceeds a predetermined threshold, and  
       (2) a difference in actual air temperature within hood and a predetermined set point exceeds a predetermined threshold,  
        exists and such difference is caused by the operator of the incubator changing operation of the incubator.  
     
     
       11. An infant incubator according to  claim 3  wherein: 
       (a) said sensing means include a third temperature sensor for sensing ambient temperature outside the incubator, and  
       (b) said control means are responsive to said third temperature sensor for:  
       (1) controlling the heat generated by said heater, and  
       (2) controlling the speed of said fan  
       after said access door has been closed.  
     
     
       12. Apparatus according to  claim 5  further including: 
       (a) a third temperature sensor for sensing ambient temperature outside an incubator,  
       (b) an alarm indicator for developing an alarm indication when at least one of:  
       (1) a difference in actual infant skin temperature and a predetermined set point exceeds a predetermined threshold, and  
       (2) a difference in actual air temperature within the hood of an incubator and a predetermined set point exceeds a predetermined threshold, and  
       (c) means responsive to said third temperature sensor for delaying an alarm indication by said alarm indicator by a time period dependent upon the ambient temperature if at least one of:  
       (1) a difference in actual infant skin temperature and a predetermined set point exceeds a predetermined threshold, and  
       (2) a difference in actual air temperature within a hood of an incubator and a predetermined set point exceeds a predetermined threshold,  
        exists and such difference is caused by the operator of the incubator changing operation of the incubator.  
     
     
       13. An infant incubator according to  claim 5  wherein: 
       (a) said sensing means include a third temperature sensor for sensing ambient temperature outside the incubator, and  
       (b) said control means are responsive to said third temperature sensor for:  
       (1) controlling the heat generated by said heater, and  
       (2) controlling the speed of said fan  
       after said access door has been closed.  
     
     
       14. An infant incubator according to  claim 9  wherein said sensing means include: 
       (a) a magnetic reed switch mounted to said base, and  
       (b) a magnet mounted to said access door of said hood movable with said access door into and out of the range of said magnetic reed switch.  
     
     
       15. An infant incubator according to  claim 14  further including a first temperature sensor positioned in said enclosure for sensing the temperature of the air within said enclosure and a second temperature sensor adapted for attachment to the skin of an infant being treated in the incubator. 
     
     
       16. An infant incubator according to  claim 15  wherein said control means are also responsive to said first temperature sensor and said second temperature sensor for controlling: 
       (a) the amount of increased heat generated by said heater and the time period over which said increased heat is generated, and  
       (b) the amount of increased speed of said fan and the time period said fan is operated at said increased speed.  
     
     
       17. An infant incubator comprising: 
       
         a hood having an access door in a wall thereof;  
       
       
         a base upon which said hood is mounted and having a deck which with said hood defines an enclosure filled with air;  
       
       
         openings through which air enters and leaves said enclosure;  
       
       
         an electrical heating system within said base for supplying heated air into said enclosure through at least one of said openings to raise the temperature of the air within the enclosure and for returning air from said enclosure through at least one of said openings; and  
       
       
         a source of electrical power connected to said electrical heating system when said access door is opened for increasing the rate of temperature increase of the air in the enclosure. 
       
     
     
       18. The incubator of  claim 17 , wherein the electrical heating system comprises an electrical heater for warming up the air prior to the supplying of heated air to the enclosure through the at least one of the openings. 
     
     
       19. The incubator of  claim 18 , wherein the electrical heating system comprises an electrical fan for increasing the flow of heated air supplied to the enclosure through the at least one of the openings. 
     
     
       20. The incubator of  claim 17 , wherein the electrical heating system comprises an electrical fan for increasing the flow of heated air supplied to the enclosure through the at least one of the openings. 
     
     
       21. The incubator of  claim 17 , including an temperature sensor located in the incubator and responsive to a temperature of an infant located in the incubator to connect the source of electrical power to said electrical heating system when the sensed temperature drops below a desired value. 
     
     
       22. The incubator of  claim 17 , including an temperature sensor located in the incubator and responsive to a temperature of the air in the incubator to connect the source of electrical power to said electrical heating system when the sensed temperature drops below a desired value. 
     
     
       23. The incubator of  claim 22 , including an temperature sensor located in the incubator and responsive to a temperature of an infant located in the incubator and the air in the incubator to connect the source of electrical power to said electrical heating system when either of the sensed temperature drops below a desired value. 
     
     
       24. An infant incubator comprising: 
       
         a deck, a hood defining an enclosure with the deck;  
       
       
         at least one access door coupled to the hood for movement relative thereto between an open position and a closed position;  
       
       
         a sensor operatively coupled to the access door and configured to indicate the position of the access door relative to the hood; and  
       
       
         an electric fan configured to circulate air within the enclosure, the fan being operatively coupled to the sensor so that the fan operates at a fan speed. 
       
     
     
       25. The infant incubator of  claim 24 , wherein the speed of the fan increases when the access door moves away from the closed position. 
     
     
       26. The infant incubator of  claim 24 , wherein the sensor is a magnetic reed switch mounted to the hood and further comprising a magnet mounted to the access door, and 
       
         wherein the magnet is positioned to lie adjacent to the magnetic reed switch when the access door is in the closed position, and  
       
       
         wherein the magnetic reed switch is the control for the connection. 
       
     
     
       27. The infant incubator of  claim 26 , wherein the magnetic reed switch provides a signal in response to the position of the access door and further comprising a fan control processing module coupled to the magnetic reed switch and coupled to the fan, the fan control processing module being configured to control the speed of the fan, the fan control processing module receiving the signal from the magnetic reed switch and controlling the speed of the fan in response thereto. 
     
     
       28. The infant incubator of  claim 24 , further comprising a heater configured to heat the air going into the enclosure, the heater being operatively coupled to the sensor so that the heater generates heat in response to the position of the access door. 
     
     
       29. The infant incubator of  claim 28 , wherein the sensor provides a position signal in response to the position of the access door, 
       
         a temperature sensor providing a temperature signal in response to the temperature of the air within the enclosure,  
       
       
         a controller coupled to each of: the sensor, the temperature sensor, the heater, and the fan, and  
       
       
         wherein the controller controls the heat generated by the heater and the speed of the fan in response to the position signal and the temperature signal. 
       
     
     
       30. The infant incubator of  claim 29 , further comprising a second temperature sensor coupled to the controller and providing an ambient temperature signal in response to the temperature outside of the enclosure, 
       
         a third temperature sensor coupled to the controller and providing an infant temperature signal in response to the temperature of an infant being treated within the enclosure, and  
       
       
         wherein the controller controls the heat generated by the heater and the speed of the fan in response to the position signal, the temperature signal, the ambient temperature signal, and the infant temperature signal. 
       
     
     
       31. The infant incubator of  claim 30 , wherein the controller includes an alarm control, 
       
         an alarm indicator coupled to the alarm control, and  
       
       
         wherein the alarm indicator providing an alarm indication in response to the position signal, the temperature signal, the ambient temperature signal, and the infant temperature signal. 
       
     
     
       32. The infant incubator of  claim 24 , further comprising a temperature sensor configured to indicate the temperature outside of the enclosure, the fan being operatively coupled to the temperature sensor so that the fan operates at a fan speed responsive to the temperature outside of the enclosure. 
     
     
       33. An infant incubator comprising: 
       
         a hood having at least one access door in a wall thereof;  
       
       
         a deck which with said hood defines an enclosure and openings through which air enters and leaves said enclosure;  
       
       
         a heater;  
       
       
         a first air passageway leading from the heater to at least one of the openings;  
       
       
         a second air passageway extending from another one of the openings in the enclosure to the inlet of the heater;  
       
       
         a fan in one of said passageways;  
       
       
         an electric power source input connected to the fan through a control;  
       
       
         a door position sensor coupled between said door and said control to activate the control when said access door is opened to increase the speed of said fan. 
       
     
     
       34. The incubator of  claim 33 , also including a connection from the power supply control to the heater, and wherein the sensing means increases the flow of power to the heater when said access door is opened. 
     
     
       35. Apparatus for controlling the temperature of an infant incubator comprising: 
       
         an incubator enclosure having at least one access door;  
       
       
         a heater;  
       
       
         a circulation passageway leading from the heater into the enclosure and from the enclosure into the heater;  
       
       
         a fan in the circulation passageway;  
       
       
         a power source input connected to the fan and heater through a control;  
       
       
         the control connecting the power source to the fan and heater when at least one of:  
       
         a )  a door open or shut position indicator indicates the access door is opened;    
         b )  a first temperature sensor measuring the skin temperature of an infant in the enclosure sensing a temperature below that desired; and    
         c )  a temperature sensor measuring the temperature of the air in the enclosure below that desired.