Apparatus for controlling the temperature of an area of the body

An apparatus for use with a temperature controlled fluid circulating device, said apparatus for controlling a temperature of a surgically sterile area of a body which surgically sterile area surrounds a surgical region of the body following surgery, said apparatus comprising:

• a sterile fluid circulating blanket;
• said fluid circulating blanket having a first side and a second side;
• said fluid circulating blanket having two parallel elongated blanket portions and a connecting blanket portion therebetween;
• said parallel elongated blanket portions having first ends and second ends with said connecting blanket portion being at said first ends to form an elongated opening between said parallel elongated blanket portions;
• said fluid circulating blanket having fluid connection hose means extending from an edge of said second end of each of said parallel elongated blanket portions;
• said fluid connection hose means including an extended end adapted to be connected to the fluid circulating device;
• a sterile support envelope surrounding said fluid circulating blanket to enclose at least said first side and said second side within an interior of said support envelope;
• said support envelope including an inside surface adjacent said first side and an outside surface adjacent said second side;
• said support envelope having two parallel elongated envelope portions and a connecting envelope portion therebetween;
• said parallel elongated envelope portions having envelope first ends and envelope second ends with said connecting envelope portion being at said envelope first ends to form an elongated envelope opening between said parallel elongated envelope portions;
• said elongated envelope opening being in alignment with said elongated opening of said fluid circulating blanket;
• said inside surface and said outside surface being joined at least at an edge of said elongated envelope opening;
• means for securely positioning said support envelope, with said fluid circulating blanket therein, with said inside surface of said support envelope against the surgically sterile area of the body;
• said means for securely positioning is for aligning said elongated opening and said elongated envelope opening with the surgical region when said inside surface is against the surgically sterile area;
• said inside surface of said support envelope including cloth material;
• and
• said outside surface of said support envelope including insulation material.

An apparatus for use with a temperature controlled fluid circulating device, said apparatus for controlling a temperature of a surgically sterile area of a body which surgically sterile area surrounds a surgical region of the body following surgery, the surgery including a mid-line incision of a knee, the mid-line incision defining the surgical region, the surgically sterile area of the body being at opposite first and second sides of the knee and the mid-line incision thereof, said apparatus comprising:

• a sterile fluid circulating blanket;
• said fluid circulating blanket having a first side and a second side;
• said fluid circulating blanket having two parallel elongated blanket portions and a connecting blanket portion therebetween;
• said parallel elongated blanket portions having first ends and second ends with said connecting blanket portion being at said first ends to form an elongated opening between said parallel elongated blanket portions;
• said fluid circulating blanket having fluid connection hose means extending from an edge of said second end of each of said parallel elongated blanket portions;
• said fluid connection hose means including an extended end adapted to be connected to the fluid circulating device;
• a sterile support envelope surrounding said fluid circulating blanket to enclose at least said first side and said second side within an interior of said support envelope;
• said support envelope including an inside surface adjacent said first side and an outside surface adjacent said second side;
• said support envelope having two parallel elongated envelope portions and a connecting enveloper portion therebetween;
• said parallel elongated envelope portions having envelope first ends and envelope second ends with said connecting envelope portion being at said envelope first end to form an elongated envelope opening between said parallel elongated envelope portions;
• said elongated envelope opening being in alignment with said elongated opening of said fluid circulating blanket;
• said inside surface and said outside surface being joined at least at an edge of said elongated envelope opening;
• means for securely positioning said support envelope, with said fluid circulating blanket therein, with said inside surface of said support envelope against the surgically sterile area of the body;
• said means for securely positioning is for aligning said elongated opening and said elongated envelope opening with the mid-line incision when said inside surface is against the opposite first and second sides of the knee;
• said elongated opening and said elongated envelope opening including an opening width of at least 1/2 inch and an opening length of at least 8 inches for alignment with the mid line incision;
• said inside surface of said support envelope including cloth material;
• and
• said outside surface of said support envelope including insulation material.