Initial heater control for radiant infant warmer

摘要

A system and method for controlling the initial start up of a radiant heater (35) used in an infant care apparatus. The system and method provides power to the radiant heater in excess of the 100% rated power of the heater for an initial energisation period of time to cause a more rapid heating of the heater. An initial power is set for the heater to adopt following the initial energisation and the system uses that power to determine the period of time that the heater is provided with the excess power and discontinues that excess power after the determined period of time so that the control of the heater is returned to a normal heating algorithm to thereafter provide the control of power to the heater. By use of the excess power upon initial energisation start-up of the radiant heater, the heater more rapidly provides heat to an infant being cared for in the infant care apparatus. In the preferred embodiment, the system and method is used with an infant care apparatus that can be converted from an incubator function to a infant warmer by moving a radiant heater (35) from a lower position where it is not activated to an upper position where the radiant heater is activated.