Surgical drape leak detection method and apparatus

Abstract

A sterile surgical drape for use with a system for thermally treating a sterile medium is accomplished by a drape including liquid sensitive material that changes color upon contact with liquid to indicate the presence of a leak. The liquid sensitive material may be placed between the drape and a receiving basin or affixed to the drape in the form of indicia symbolically directing placement of the drape over the system. The system may include a single basin and be of the type that either thermally cools or heats the sterile medium, or the system may include a plurality of basins with each basin either thermally cooling or heating the sterile medium. The drape typically includes liquid sensitive material affixed thereto in the form of various indicia indicating which portions of the drape are placed over the corresponding portions of the thermal treatment system. The indicia may further include symbols indicating the center of a basin, the direction to unfold the drape after removing the drape from its package, the proper orientation of the drape when placed on the system, and alignment of the drape on the system such that the drape overhangs the top surface of the system for a sufficient length to reduce the risk of contamination to the sterile medium. The liquid sensitive material detects leaks within the drape while assisting the operator in properly aligning and placing the drape over the system.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.