Method for operating a temperature control, apparatus for a medical examination apparatus, a temperature control apparatus, and a medical examination apparatus

A temperature control apparatus for a medical examination apparatus, said medical examination apparatus executing an examination procedure on a patient that causes a heat input into the body of the patient, said temperature control apparatus comprising:

• at least one temperature modifier;
• a processor provided, during said examination procedure, with an electronic representation of at least one ambient condition on the body of the patient, and at least one examination parameter that describes said examination procedure;
• said processor being configured to use said at least one ambient condition and said at least one examination parameter as inputs to a heat balance model that models whether a state of balance exists between heat production in the body of the patient during, said examination procedure, and heat loss by the patient during said examination procedure, from which a heat balance state of the patient is determined as an output of the heat balance model;
• said processor being configured to determine, from said heat balance of the patient provided as the output of said heat balance model, a value of a control parameter for said temperature modifier that controls at least one ambient parameter that is influenced by said temperature modifier, said value being determined so as to operate said temperature modifier to maintain or restore equality, during said examination procedure, of said heat production and said heat loss;
• and
• said processor being configured to provide said control parameter, having said value, from said processor to said temperature modifier at a selected time relative to said examination procedure, and thereby operating said temperature modifier with said control parameter at said value.

A medical examination apparatus comprising:

• a medical examination scanner that executes an examination procedure on a patient that causes a heat input into the body of the patient;
• at least one temperature modifier;
• a processor provided, during said examination procedure, with an electronic representation of at least one ambient condition on the body of the patient, and at least one examination parameter that describes said examination procedure;
• said processor being configured to use said at least one ambient condition and said at least one examination parameter as inputs to a heat balance model that models whether a state of balance exists between heat production in the body of the patient during said examination procedure, and heat loss by the patient during said examination procedure, from which a heat balance of the patient is determined as an output of the heat balance model;
• said processor being configured to determine, from said heat balance of the patient provided as the output of said heat balance model, a control parameter for said temperature modifier that controls at least one ambient parameter that is influenced by said temperature modifier, said value being determined so as to operate said temperature modifier to maintain or restore equality, during said examination procedure, of said heat production and said heat loss;
• and
• said processor being configured to provide said control parameter, having said value, from said processor to said temperature modifier at a selected time relative to said examination procedure, and thereby operating said temperature modifier with said control parameter at said value.

A non-transitory, computer-readable data storage medium encoded with programming instructions, said storage medium being loaded into a computer that operates a temperature control apparatus for a medical examination apparatus, said medical examination apparatus executing an examination procedure on a patient that causes a heat input into the body of the patient, and said temperature control apparatus comprising at least one temperature modifier, said programming instructions causing said computer to:

• receive, during said examination procedure, an electronic representation of at least one ambient condition on the body of the patient, and at least one examination parameter that describes said examination procedure;
• use said at least one ambient condition and said at least one examination parameter as inputs to a heat balance model that models whether a state of balance exists between heat production in the body of the patient that occurs during said examination procedure, and heat loss by the patient during said examination procedure, from which a heat balance state of the patient is determined as an output of the heat balance model;
• from said heat balance of the patient provided as the output of said heat balance model, determine a value of a control parameter for said temperature modifier that controls at least one ambient parameter that is influenced by said temperature modifier, said value being determined so as to operate said temperature modifier to maintain or restore equality, during said examination procedure, of said heat production and said heat loss;
• and
• provide said control parameter, having said value, from said computer to said temperature modifier at a selected time relative to said examination procedure, and thereby operate said temperature modifier with said control parameter at said value.