Patent ID: 6743250
Filing Date: 2004-06-01
Classification: A61F

Abstract:
A portable system for rapidly changing and controlling the temperature of body, limb, head or other portion of the body of a mammal using energy transfer between a liquid which is water or other aqueous liquid and skin of the mammal, by direct liquid-to-skin contact, comprising:(a) a mummy bag, sized to conform to shape of the body or the portion of the body of the mammal, having an upper end with an adjustable opening, a closed lower end and made of at least one layer of a water-proof materials with a liquid inlet at the lower end and upper end having a liquid outlet; (b) a water-proof seam on upper surface of the water-proof material of the which can be unsealed and then resealed, providing an opening sufficiently large to allow insertion into the mummy bag of the body or the portion of the body of the mammal whose temperature is to be controlled; (c) along the sides of the mummy bag, imbedded in the water-proof materials, a series of inflatable bladders running from the lower end to the upper end of the mummy bag along the body or the portion of the body of the mammal which can be inflated to improve the conformance of the mummy bag to the shape of the body or the portion of the body of the mammal whose temperature is controlled while at the same time providing channels for the liquid to flow between the bladders and along the skin of the mammal; (d) means for transporting the liquid, to and into the lower end of the mummy bag through the liquid inlet from a supply of the liquid; (e) means for transporting the liquid in the mummy bag through the liquid outlet which is located at the upper end of the mummy bag between two collars which can be adjusted independently by inflatable bladders or straps to conform to the neck of the body of the mammal or the upper most part of the portion of the body of the mammal, to a storage container, to a drain or to a discharge point; and (f) a separate outer covering of the mummy bag made of a tough insulating fabric material, having a plurality of circumferential straps which serve as lifting points when the mammal bag is moved and which after the bladders and amount of liquid are set, are used to adjust the total volume of the combination of the mammal or the portion of the mammal and the liquid in the mummy bag to surround the body or portion of the body of the mammal in the liquid so as float the mammal or the portion of the mammal, controlling the amount of body weight which is supported by contact with the mummy bag and the rate of liquid flow along the body of the mammal.