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US 7,077,858 B2Granted
Flexible heat exchangers for medical cooling and warming applications
AssigneeCoolhead Technologies, Inc.
InventorsR. David Fletcher, Yunquan Chen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A flexible heat exchanger is suitable for heating or cooling living subjects. The heat exchanger has a a volume having at least one inlet for receiving a heat exchange fluid and at least one outlet. A flexible heat exchange plate that isessentially impermeable to the heat exchange fluid is penetrated by substantially rigid thermally conductive members. The members provide paths of high thermal conductivity through the plate. The heat exchange fluid may be water.
Claims29
A flexible heat exchanger for warming or cooling a living subject, the heat exchanger comprising:
- a volume having at least one inlet for receiving a heat exchange fluid and at least one outlet;
- a flexible sheet-like heat exchange plate essentially impermeable to the heat exchange fluid, the plate comprising a plurality of substantially rigid thermally conductive members extending through a flexible material of the plate from an outer surface of the flexible material into the volume, wherein the thermally conductive members project into the volume and have bases that project past the outer surface of the flexible material;
- and wherein the volume is defined between the plate and a flexible sheet-like back wall spaced apart from the plate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.