Patent ID: 7041122

Claim:
An inflatable blanket for covering and bathing a patient in a thermally-controlled inflating medium comprising: an inflatable apparatus having (a) a flexible base sheet with a plurality of exhaust ports, (b) a flexible overlaying sheet attached to the base sheet to define at least one inflatable chamber between the base sheet and the overlaying sheet, (c) an inlet port to receive the thermally-controlled inflating medium that can enter the at least one inflatable chamber, (d) a periphery that is uninflatable and not entirely surrounded by the inflatable chamber, and (e) at least two spot welds and each spot weld is capable of having an aperture therein; an elongated tie strap having two terminal ends and at each terminal end is a turnable locking mechanism, each tumable locking mechanism is capable of forming the aperture or entering the aperture of one spot weld and being positioned to removably secure the tie strap to the blanket.