Title of Invention

"NEONATAL SPECIAL CARE UNIT-SEMI OPEN SYSTEM"

Abstract A neonatal care apparatus that is useful for treating premature and sick neonates. It provides warm air at desired temperature to give thermal support using two heat convectors placed on shelves on sides of the apparatus, to treat one to four neonates simultaneously, each newborn kept in a separate transparent tray on the glass surface. Four large transparent doors in front wall allow easy accessibility to the newborn for nursing. The apparatus is closed on three sides above, below, and behind, to save electricity and to minimize deviation in temperature when the doors are opened to nurse the baby. In addition there are fluorescent tube lights fixed above and below the glass surface to provide double surface photo therapy to jaundiced neonates. The apparatus also has drawers and shelves for keeping other medical gadgets and articles.
Full Text Neonatal care apparatus
Field of invention
This invention generally relates to a neonatal patient treatment apparatus, and more particularly to an improved method of thermal support for maintaining appropriate air temperature around one or more small, premature or sick neonates. In addition to thermal support, same apparatus can also provide photo therapy to these neonates if needed
Prior Art
Incubators and radiant warmers have both been used to maintain the appropriate body temperature of a small or premature neonate. Heat is transferred to the neonate via convective heat transfer. An incubator provides an enclosure, usually transparent within which warm air circulates to keep the neonate warm. A major drawback of a typical incubator is that it provides a limited access by a care provider to the infant, through a small entry port in the front panel. Some incubators have a large access door for placing the infant or taking him out of the incubator. Opening of such a large door causes rapid cooling of the air inside the incubator. Incubators are typically provided with humidification mechanism.
Unlike incubators radiant warmers do not have any canopy or enclosure and provide for continuous and open access to an infant for intervention. Radiant warmers typically have infrared heaters. Radiant heater is typically mounted on a support which is suspended above the infant support surface of the radiant warmer. Due to their open nature, there is loss of large amount of heat as compared to that in incubator. Another drawback of radiant warmer is that the infant is directly exposed to ambient nursery contaminants as noise and bright light.
Most of small, premature and sick neonates also suffer from jaundice and many of them require photo therapy. Generally a separate device, photo therapy unit is needed for providing photo therapy to jaundiced premature neonate in addition to incubator or warmer. While on photo therapy a neonate has to be kept uncovered under fluorescent lights thus making him vulnerable for hypothermia.
References Cited ( Referenced by )

US Patent No 4,936,824
FR 2587202
US Patent No. 5,149,184


June 26, 1990 Koch
1987-03-20 Nagy
September 22 , 1992 Hughes

1. US Patent No 4,936,824 June 26, 1990 Koch.etal. Invented an infant incubator having a hood that encloses the infant Compartment The heated air circulates around the infant and reenters the base through an inlet.
2. FR 2587202 1987-03-20 Nagy Ferenc , Tothferenc. ; et al Invented a device for controlling the ventilation system of an incubator
3. US Patent No. 5,149,184, September 22 , 1992 Hughes, et al.
Invented a work station with photo therapy unit in which fixture containing the light source is mounted on a vertical support to be placed on the base of the open area for work to be performed .
In context to the reference cited above and other related devices, present invention has improvement upon the prior art.
It has numerous advantages over traditional incubators, radiant warmers and photo therapy units.
Unlike incubators present invention provides easy accessibility to care givers due to its large full size four doors in front. As it is closed above below and behind less electricity is required to provide warm air in comparison to radiant warmers.
Unlike radiant warmers in this apparatus neonates are protected from bright light and noise pollution in nursery environment. Managing more than one neonate saves space and makes it economical. Use of single apparatus to provide warmth and photo-therapy makes it more convenient and cost effective.
Modern incubators and radiant warmers are complex equipment which are costly and required highly skilled nurses and doctors to operate these and highly skilled engineer to repair.
In contrast to prior art, present apparatus is simple, easy to operate and economical, yet efficiently provides warmth and phototherapy. Due to its novel features, present invention is more efficient, convenient and cost effective due to optimum utilization of electricity and space.
Object of the present invention
It has been an object of this invention to make rational use of space, energy and other medical gadgets to provide special care to 1-4 low birth weight and other high risk neonates simultaneously in a semi open system to minimize the cost of these services and for easy accessibility.
It has been an object of present invention to improve upon the prior art incubators, radiant warmers and photo therapy units to provide a single, simple, low cost, yet effective neonatal care apparatus which will maintain the appropriate temperature of the premature neonate by providing convective heat transfer and allows easy access to the care provider without compromising the thermal environment.
It has been another object of present invention to combine the advantages of incubators and radiant warmers but avoiding the inherent disadvantages.
Yet another object of present invention is to provide photo therapy and air at appropriate temperature to neonates if both are needed simultaneously, using a single apparatus.
Another object of the present invention is to provide optimum utilization of electricity and space thus reducing the cost of management of low weight and sick neonates without compromising efficiency that will be specially useful for developing countries with limited resources
Summary of invention
Accordingly the present invention relates to a neonatal care apparatus comprising a glass surface as base to place four transparent acrylic trays, a rear end wall , a pair of lateral wall , enclosed on rear , above and below , with two pair of large transparent acrylic doors in front , which can be opened fully , two heat convectors ( blowers ), two pair of thermostats and sensors to control appropriate air temperature , two sets of 4 -6 fluorescent tube lights fixed one set above and another below the glass surface, further having shelves and drawers for storing various articles and having hooks for hanging bottles of intravenous fluids.
List of preferred and optional features
In one form of the invention, the frame of the apparatus can be made of a suitable material as wood with water proof and fire retardant /resistant paint .In other form of the invention the frame of the apparatus may be made up of a metal as mild steel with fire retardant, heat stable, chemically inert, molded plastic. The doors may be made up of a suitable transparent material as acrylic ,poly carb or glass .
Brief description of the drawing
To assist with understanding the invention .reference will now be made to the
accompanying drawings, which show an example of the drawing.
Figurebl shows the front view of the apparatus with all doors closed. Figure 2
Shows inside view of the apparatus with all doors completely open to give clear
view.
Detailed description of the preferred embodiments
A neonatal care apparatus substantially as herein is described with reference to the drawings accompanying the specification.
With reference first to Fig. 1 there is illustrated the neonatal care apparatus of present invention. Figurebl shows the front view of the apparatus with all doors 1,2,3,4 closed. Figure 2 shows inside view of the apparatus with all doors 1,2,3,4 completely open to give clear inside view of the apparatus.
The apparatus has three main compartments. The upper or infant compartment has a glass surface 32 at a height convenient to nurse newborns. Four transparent, acrylic trays 28, can be placed on this glass surface 32. In each of these trays a newborn baby can be managed for giving thermo neutral environment , photo therapy and other special care .Each baby is managed in a separate tray to prevent cross infection from another baby. Managing more than one baby in one apparatus will reduce the cost of management due to rational utilization of space and electricity.
In front there are four, transparent acrylic doors 1, 2, 3, 4 which can be opened fully or partially from side to side for nursing or feeding the baby. Doors 1,2,3,4 permit movement of air around door panels as there is a small 1 cm space around the acrylic door panels. The lateral wall on both sides has openings. The
apparatus will be fully closed from above, below and behind to save electricity. This will minimize the deviation in air temperature even when front doors are opened for nursing the baby. As temperature will be uniform inside whole of the infant compartment, the lightest baby , who usually requires a higher air temperature can be covered with woolens if needed.
On both sides there are shelves 9,10,11,12,13,21 to keep medical gadgets as pulse oximeter and also to keep two heat convectors or blowers 24 , one on each side. Two additional thermostats 8 on each side will be used with each convector to cut off the electric supply if, temperature rises above the set point. Two convectors 24, placed on shelves on sides will cause horizontal movement of warm air front one end of the apparatus to the other end. Louvers in part of front wall on both sides will improve circulation of air in side infant compartment. Thus whole of the infant compartment will have uniform temperature.
Air temperature will be recorded by sensor 23 and will be displayed digitally 22. Oxygen will be provided through outlets 20, 30 . Additional air thermometers 26 will be placed , one near each newborn , to record air temperature.
Two sets of four to six fluorescent tube lights 25, 33 will be fixed, on each side, inside the upper surface ,( ceiling ) to provide photo therapy to the jaundiced newborns.Fluorescent tube lights 27 with ultraviolet filters 31 will be fixed on floor of the middle compartment to give double surface photo therapy to jaundiced newborn. The middle compartment has sliding doors 5,6,7. Lower compartment has drawers 14,15,16,17 to store articles. On top of the apparatus there are hooks 19 for hanging bottles of intra venous fluids.






1 claim
1. A neonatal care apparatus comprising a glass surface as platform to place 1 to 4. transparent, acrylic trays, a rear end wall, a pair of lateral walls with openings for air exchange, with two pairs of large acrylic doors in front, which can be opened fully, from side to side and louvers in the front walls on both sides, enclosed on rear, above and below, two heat convectors (blowers) placed on shelves on both lateral sides, two pair of thermostats and sensors to control air temperature, two set of 4 to 6 fluorescent tube lights fixed above and below the glass surface, further provided with shelves and drawers at bottom for storing various articles and having hooks for hanging bottles of intravenous fluids at top of the apparatus.
2. A neonatal care apparatus as claim 1 with two pair of large full size transparent acrylic doors in front, which can be opened fully from side to side having 1 cm space around acrylic door panels.
3. Neonatal care apparatus as claimed in claim 1, having louvers for ventilation in part of front wall in infant compartment.
4. A neonatal care support apparatus as claimed in claim 1, having 1 to 4 transparent acrylic trays.
5. A neonatal care apparatus as claimed in claim 1, having openings in two lateral walls.
6. A neonatal care apparatus as claimed in claim 1, having two heat convectors (blowers) placed on shelves, one on each side.
7. A neonatal care apparatus of claim 1, having shelves and drawers for storing various articles.
8. A neonatal care apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

Documents:

105-del-2000-abstract.pdf

105-del-2000-claims.pdf

105-del-2000-complete specification (granded).pdf

105-del-2000-correspondence-others.pdf

105-del-2000-correspondence-po.pdf

105-del-2000-description (complete).pdf

105-del-2000-drawings.pdf

105-del-2000-form-1.pdf

105-del-2000-form-19.pdf

105-del-2000-form-2.pdf


Patent Number 196812
Indian Patent Application Number 105/DEL/2000
PG Journal Number 40/2008
Publication Date 03-Oct-2008
Grant Date 12-Jan-2007
Date of Filing 07-Feb-2000
Name of Patentee CHOUDHRY SNEH PRABHA
Applicant Address C-62, Lal Kothi Scheme, Tonk Road, Jaipur 302015,India.
Inventors:
# Inventor's Name Inventor's Address
1 GUPTA ASHOK 25, CHETAK MARG. M.D. ROAD JAIPUR 302004 (RAJ.) INDIA
PCT International Classification Number A 61 G11/00
PCT International Application Number N/A
PCT International Filing date
PCT Conventions:
# PCT Application Number Date of Convention Priority Country
1 NA