Adaptive motor speed control in an infant incubator
AssigneeHill-Rom Services, Inc.
InventorRonald S. Kolarovic
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An infant incubator of the type having an enclosure within which the infant is held and an air circulation system with a heater and a motor driven blower is disclosed. An adaptive motor speed controller having a sensor providing an indication of the stability of the temperature of the infant is coupled to the blower motor and controls the motor speed at least in part based on the stability of the temperature of the infant. While the infant's temperature is stable, the motor speed is reduced within limits.
Claims48
An infant care unit of the type having a platform upon which an infant rests, a canopy over the infant providing an enclosure with a controlled environment for the infant, and an air circulation system having a heater and a blower driven by a blower motor to circulate warm air in the enclosure, the care unit comprising a control system for the air circulation system, the control system including one or more sensors for determining the stability of the temperature of the infant and providing an output indicative of that temperature, and a speed controller for the blower motor, the speed controller being operatively connected to the one or more temperature sensors to vary the speed of the blower motor dependent upon the stability of the temperature of the infant, whereby the blower motor speed is determined at least in part by the stability of the temperature of the infant.
A blower speed controller for an incubator having a blower for circulating air around an infant, the blower speed controller comprising one or more sensors for determining the stability of the temperature of the infant, the blower speed controller being responsive at least in part to the output of the one or more sensors to vary the blower speed and thereby vary the circulation of air in the incubator.
A method for varying the blower speed of an incubator air circulation system of the type comprising a blower motor and a motor speed control circuit for circulating air into an enclosure of the incubator, the method comprising the steps of sensing the stability of the temperature of an infant within the incubator and controlling the speed of the blower motor based at least in part on the stability of the temperature of the infant.
A control system controlling the volume of fluid circulated within an incubator carrying an infant, the control system comprising a temperature sensor positioned to sense the stability of the temperature of the infant and providing a temperature signal in response thereto, and fluid flow circuitry operatively coupled to the temperature sensor, the fluid flow circuitry being configured to establish the volume of fluid circulated within the incubator in response to the temperature signal.
An incubator for an infant, the incubator comprising a platform carrying the infant, a canopy cooperating with the platform to define a chamber receiving the infant, a sensor positioned to sense the stability of the temperature of the infant, the sensor providing a temperature stability signal in response thereto, and a blower assembly including a fan, a motor, and a controller, the motor operating the fan to circulate air within the incubator, the controller being operatively coupled to the motor and to the sensor, the controller establishing the speed of the motor and the speed of the fan in response to the temperature stability signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.