System and method for patient temperature control

摘要

A patient temperature control system and method are provided for automated temperature control according to a programmed protocol. In one aspect, at least one programmed protocol may be established for each of a plurality of patient thermal therapy phases. In turn, the temperature of a thermal exchange medium may be controlled, based at least in part, upon the programmed protocol, during each of the phases. In another aspect, a plurality of programmed protocols may be established, wherein a selected one of the protocols (e.g. selected by a user at a user interface) may be utilized for automated temperature control during patient thermal therapy. The protocol(s) may include a target patient temperature and/or a set duration for one or more of the phase of thermal therapy. Further, the protocol(s) may be user-definable and modifiable during therapy. In a multi-phase configuration, automatic termination and initiation of successive phases may be selectively established by a user, based on target patient temperature data and/or set duration data on a phase-specific basis.

主权项

1. A method for controlling a temperature of a thermal exchange medium of a patient temperature control system, comprising:
establishing a programmed protocol in response to user input at a user interface for each of a plurality of phases that are non-overlapping in time, said plurality of phases including at least two successive phases, wherein a target patient temperature is established in response to said user input for each of said plurality of phases, and wherein a set phase duration is established in response to said user input for at least one of said plurality of phases; receiving a sensor output signal of a measured patient temperature on an ongoing basis, wherein said measured patient temperature is a measured core body temperature; and, controlling automatically a temperature of a thermal exchange medium of a patient temperature control system, based at least in part upon said programmed protocol, during at least a portion of each of said plurality of phases, wherein for each given phase of said plurality of phases said controlling comprises comparing said measured patient temperature to said corresponding target patient temperature for said given phase, and wherein said controlling further comprises both automatically terminating and initiating together, respectively, a first phase and a second phase of said at least two successive phases upon a determination by said comparing that said measured patient temperature has reached the target patient temperature for said first phase of said at least two successive phases.