Perioperative warming device

Abstract

A perioperative warming device includes a clinical garment having an inside surface supporting a convective apparatus with multiple stacked sections. One section of the convective apparatus is adapted to provide comfort warming by convection. Another section of the convective apparatus is adapted to provide therapeutic warming by convection.

1 . A perioperative warming device, comprising: 
 a clinical garment with an inside surface; and    a convective apparatus supported on the inside surface;    the convective apparatus including first and second sections sharing at least one common member, the first section adapted to provide comfort warming by convection and the second section adapted to provide therapeutic warming by convection.    
   
   
       2 . The perioperative warming device of  claim 1 , wherein the first section includes a permeable surface facing the inside surface, and the second section includes a permeable surface facing away from the inside surface.  
   
   
       3 . The perioperative warming device of  claim 2 , wherein the common member includes an impermeable sheet, further including: 
 a first permeable sheet;    the first permeable sheet joined to a first side of the impermeable sheet to form the first section and    a first inlet port opening into the first section.    
   
   
       4 . The perioperative warming device of  claim 3 , further including: 
 a second permeable sheet;    the second permeable sheet joined to a second side of the impermeable sheet to form the second section and    a second inlet port opening into the second section.    
   
   
       5 . The perioperative warming device of  claim 4  wherein the first permeable sheet has a first permeability, the second permeable sheet has a second permeability, and the second permeability is greater than the first permeability.  
   
   
       6 . The perioperative warming device of  claim 5 , wherein the second permeability is at least twice the permeability of the first permeability.  
   
   
       7 . The perioperative warming device of  claim 4 , wherein the first permeable sheet includes a first plurality of first apertures for circulating pressurized air from inside the first section through the first permeable sheet, the second permeable sheet includes a second plurality of apertures for circulating pressurized air from inside the second section through the second permeable sheet, and the first plurality is less than the second plurality.  
   
   
       8 . The perioperative warming device of  claim 7 , wherein the first plurality is no greater than half the second plurality.  
   
   
       9 . The perioperative warming device of  claim 4 , further including a plurality of vents, each vent opening through the first and second permeable sheets and the impermeable sheet.  
   
   
       10 . The perioperative warming device of  claim 1 , wherein the convective apparatus further includes a permeable sheet of material, the first section includes a portion of the permeable sheet of material, and the second section includes substantially the entire permeable sheet of material.  
   
   
       11 . The perioperative warming device of  claim 1 , wherein the convective apparatus further includes a sheet of permeable material, a first impermeable sheet of material substantially coextensive with the sheet of permeable material, a second impermeable sheet of material sandwiched between the first impermeable sheet of material and the permeable sheet of material, a continuous seal joining the first impermeable sheet of material to the permeable sheet of material at a common periphery, a pair of spaced apart intermittent seals joining the second impermeable sheet of material to the permeable sheet of material, a first inlet port opening through the first and second impermeable sheets of material to space between the second sheet of impermeable material and the sheet of permeable material, and a second inlet port opening through the first impermeable sheet of material to space between the first sheet of impermeable material and the sheet of permeable material between one of the intermittent seals and the continuous seal.  
   
   
       12 . The perioperative warming device of  claim 11 , wherein the first section includes the second inlet port and at least one portion of the sheet of permeable material between the first sheet of impermeable material and the sheet of permeable material between one of the intermittent seals and the continuous seal.  
   
   
       13 . The perioperative warming device of  claim 11 , wherein the first section includes the second inlet port and two portions of the sheet of permeable material, a first portion between the first sheet of impermeable material and the sheet of permeable material between a first of the intermittent seals and the continuous seal, and the second portion between the first sheet of impermeable material and the sheet of permeable material between a second of the intermittent seals and the continuous seal.  
   
   
       14 . The perioperative warming device of  claim 11 , wherein the second section includes the first inlet port and substantially the entire sheet of permeable material.  
   
   
       15 . A perioperative warming device, comprising: 
 a clinical garment with an inside surface; and    a convective apparatus supported on the inside surface;    the convective apparatus including: 
 an impermeable sheet;  
 a first permeable sheet joined to a first side of the impermeable sheet to form a first inflatable section;  
 a first inlet port opening into the first section  
 a second permeable sheet joined to a second side of the impermeable sheet to form a second inflatable section and  
 a second inlet port opening into the second section.  
   
   
   
       16 . The perioperative warming device of  claim 15 , wherein the first permeable sheet faces the inside surface and the second permeable sheet faces away from the inside surface.  
   
   
       17 . The perioperative warming device of  claim 16 , wherein the first permeable sheet has a first permeability, the second permeable sheet has a second permeability, and the second permeability is greater then the first permeability.  
   
   
       18 . The perioperative warming device of  claim 17 , wherein the second permeability is at least twice the permeability of the first permeability.  
   
   
       19 . The perioperative warming device of  claim 18  wherein the first permeable sheet includes a first plurality of first apertures for circulating pressurized air from inside the first section through the first permeable sheet, the second permeable sheet includes a second plurality of apertures for circulating pressurized air from inside the second section through the second permeable sheet, and the first plurality is less than the second plurality.  
   
   
       20 . The perioperative warming device of  claim 19 , wherein the first plurality is no greater than half the second plurality  
   
   
       21 . The perioperative warming device of  claim 17 , further including means for securing the convective apparatus to a person.  
   
   
       22 . The perioperative warming device of  claim 21 , wherein the means for securing include double-sided adhesive.  
   
   
       23 . The perioperative warming device of  claim 17 , further including a plurality of vents, each vent opening through the first and second permeable sheets and the impermeable sheet.  
   
   
       24 . The perioperative warming device of  claim 17 , further including means for conducting air from a first side of the convective apparatus through the first and second permeable sheets and the impermeable sheet to a second side of the convective apparatus.  
   
   
       25 . A perioperative warming device, comprising: 
 a clinical garment with an inside surface; and    a convective apparatus supported on the inside surface;    the convective apparatus including: 
 a permeable sheet of material;  
 a first impermeable sheet of material substantially coextensive with the sheet of permeable material;  
 a second impermeable sheet of material sandwiched between the first impermeable sheet of material and the permeable sheet of material;  
 a continuous seal joining the first impermeable sheet of material to the permeable sheet of material at a common periphery;  
 a pair of spaced apart intermittent seals joining the second impermeable sheet of material to the permeable sheet of material;  
 a first inlet port opening through the first and second impermeable sheets of material to space between the second sheet of impermeable material and the sheet of permeable material; and  
 a second inlet port opening through the first impermeable sheet of material to space between the first sheet of impermeable material and the sheet of permeable material between one of the intermittent seals and the continuous seal.  
   
   
   
       26 . A method for warming a person perioperatively using a warming device constituted of a clinical garment and a dual-section convective apparatus supported on an inside surface of the clinical garment, comprising: 
 dressing a person with the clinical garment preoperatively;    coupling a first section of the convective apparatus to a first source of warmed pressurized air;    convectively warming the person for comfort by way of the first section; and    venting warmed air from a first side of the convective apparatus through the convective apparatus to a second side of the convective apparatus.