초록 ▼

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 excha

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.

대표청구항 ▼

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 in

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. 2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein for said at least a portion of each of said plurality of phases said controlling step further comprises: setting automatically said temperature of the thermal exchange medium based at least in part upon said measured patient temperature and said corresponding target patient temperature comprising said programmed protocol. 3. A method as recited in claim 1, said establishing step further comprising: establishing said programmed protocol in response to user input at said user interface to comprise different target patient temperatures for at least a first set of two of said plurality phases. 4. A method as recited in claim 3, said establishing step further comprising: establishing said programmed protocol in response to user input at said user interface to comprise the same target patient temperatures for at least a second set of two of said plurality of phases. 5. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein said plurality of phases comprises at least three successive phases, and wherein said phases comprising said first set of two of said plurality of phases are successive and automatically terminated and initiated together, and said phases comprising said second set of two of said plurality of phases are successive and automatically terminated and initiated together. 6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said at least one of said plurality of phases is said second phase of said at least two successive phases, said establishing step further comprising: establishing said programmed protocol in response to said user input at said user interface to comprise a set phase duration for at least another one of said plurality of phases; and, wherein said controlling further comprises both automatically terminating and initiating together, respectively, said second phase and said at least another phase of said plurality of phases upon expiration of said set phase duration for said second phase of said plurality of phases. 7. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein for said at least another one of said plurality of phases, said controlling step further comprises: setting automatically said temperature of the thermal exchange medium based at least in part upon both said corresponding set phase duration and said corresponding target patient temperature comprising said programmed protocol. 8. A method as recited in claim 1, said establishing step further comprising: receiving said user input in predetermined computerized record fields. 9. A method as recited in claim 1, said establishing step further comprising: repeating said establishing step to establish a plurality of programmed protocols; andproviding said user interface for user selection of one of said plurality of programmed protocols for use in said controlling step. 10. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising: outputting to a user at said user interface, during at least a portion of at least any one of said plurality of phases, information based upon: a target patient temperature adjustment rate for said at least any one of said plurality phases; and,at least one of the following: said ongoing measured patient temperature; andan ongoing measured temperature of said thermal exchange medium. 11. A method as recited in claim 10, said outputting step comprising: displaying said information at said user interface. 12. A method as recited in claim 11, said displaying step comprising: presenting said information in a plurality of different plots, wherein each of said plurality of different plots are presented on a graphic temperature/time scale basis. 13. A method as recited in claim 10, further comprising: determining automatically said target patient temperature adjustment rate based at least in part upon said programmed protocol. 14. A method as recited in claim 10, further comprising one of the following: determining automatically said target patient temperature adjustment rate based at least in part on said target patient temperatures comprising said programmed protocol for successive ones of said plurality of phases; anddetermining automatically said target patient temperature adjustment rate based at least in part on said target patient temperature for said at least one of said plurality of phases and said measured patient temperature. 15. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising: outputting to a user at said user interface, during at least a portion of said at least two successive phases, information based upon: a target patient temperature adjustment rate for said at least two successive phases; and,at least one of the following: said ongoing measured patient temperature; andan ongoing measured temperature of said thermal exchange medium; wherein said information is presented in a plurality of different plots, wherein each of said plurality of different plots are presented on a graphic temperature/time scale basis. 16. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising: modifying said programmed protocol for at least one of said plurality of phases, after said establishing step, in response to user input at said user interface prior to completion of said at least one of said plurality of phases; andusing automatically said modified programmed protocol in said controlling step in completing said at least one of said plurality of phases. 17. A method as recited in claim 16, said modifying step comprising: displaying at said user interface at least one of said target patient temperature and said set phase duration for said at least one of said plurality of phases;providing an interactive user control for direct modification and display, in response to user input at user interface, of said at least one of said target patient temperature and said set phase duration for said at least one of said plurality of phases. 18. A method as recited in claim 1, said establishing further comprising: setting at least one alarm condition specific to at least any one and less than all of said plurality of phases in response to user input at said user interface; andmonitoring automatically a condition corresponding with said at least one alarm condition during said at least any one and less than all of said plurality of phases. 19. A method as recited in claim 18, further comprising: providing automatically an alarm output to a user in response to said monitoring step during said at least any one and less than all of said plurality of phases. 20. A method for controlling a temperature of a thermal exchange medium of a patient temperature control system, comprising: establishing a plurality of programmed protocols, wherein for each one of the plurality of programmed protocols a corresponding protocol is established in response to user input at a user interface for each of a corresponding plurality of phases that are non-overlapping in time, each of said corresponding plurality of phases including at least two successive phases, wherein a target temperature is established for at least one of said corresponding plurality of phases, and wherein a set phase duration is established for at least one of said corresponding 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 the programmed protocol corresponding with a selected one of said plurality of programmed protocols, wherein for each given phases of said corresponding plurality of phases for the selected one of said plurality of programmed protocols said controlling comprises comparing said measured patient temperature to said corresponding target patient temperature for said given phase, and wherein said controlling comprises both automatically terminating and initiating together, respectively, a first phase and a second phase of said corresponding at least two successive phases upon a determination by said comparing that said measured patient temperature has reached the target temperature for said first phase of said at least two successive phases. 21. A method as recited in claim 20, further comprising: providing a user interface adapted for user selection of said selected one of the plurality of programmed protocols for use in said controlling step. 22. A method as recited in claim 20, wherein for each one of the plurality of programmed protocols said one of said corresponding plurality of phases is said second one of said at least two successive phases of said corresponding plurality of phases, and wherein said selected one of said plurality of programmed protocols comprises a set phase duration for another one of said corresponding plurality of phases. 23. A method as recited in claim 20, wherein for each of said plurality of phases corresponding with said selected one of the plurality of programmed protocols said controlling step further comprises: setting automatically said temperature of the thermal exchange medium based at least in part upon said measured patient temperature and said corresponding target patient temperature. 24. A computer-based system for controlling a temperature of a thermal exchange medium of a patient temperature control system, comprising: a user interface for receiving user input and providing corresponding output signals; and,a programmable control module for receiving a sensor output signal of a measured patient temperature that is a measured core body temperature, and for receiving said output signals to establish a programmed protocol by storing control data in corresponding relation to each of a plurality of different patient temperature control phases that are non-overlapping in time, said plurality of different patient control phases including at least two successive phases, wherein a target patient temperature is established in response to said user input at said user interface for each of said plurality of different patient control phases, wherein a set phase duration is established in response to said user input at said user interface for at least one of said plurality of different patient control phases, and wherein said programmable control module comprises control logic for utilizing said stored control data to provide output control signals to a thermal exchanger of a patient temperature control system in corresponding relation to each of said plurality of different patient temperature control phases;wherein for each given phase of said plurality of different patient temperature control phases said programmable control module control logic is operable to compare a measured patient temperature to said corresponding target patient temperature for said given phase, and wherein said programmable control module control logic is operable to both automatically terminate and automatically initiate together, respectively, a first phase and a second phase of said at least two successive phases upon a determination by said comparison of said measured patient temperature to said corresponding target patient temperature for said given phase that said measured patient temperature has reached the target patient temperature for said first one of said at least two successive phases. 25. A system as recited in claim 24, wherein said programmable control module is operable to store at least two protocols comprising corresponding, different control data, and wherein said user interface is employable by a user to select either of said at least two protocols for use by said programmable control module in generating said output control signals. 26. A system as recited in claim 24, wherein said user interface is employable to modify said control data stored by said programmable control module. 27. A system as recited in claim 24, wherein said user interface includes: a graphic display to visually present a plot of a target patient temperature adjustment rate based on said stored control data. 28. A system as recited in claim 27, wherein said graphic display is operable to display a plot of said measured patient temperature in corresponding time relation to said plot of said target patient temperature adjustment rate. 29. A system as recited in claim 28, wherein said graphic display is operable to display a plot of a measured temperature of a thermal exchange medium employed in said patient temperature control system in corresponding time relation to said plot of said target patient temperature adjustment rate. 30. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said plurality of phases includes at least three successive phases, and wherein for a third one of said at least three successive phases, said controlling step further comprises: setting said temperature of the thermal exchange medium based at least in part upon both a corresponding set phase duration and corresponding target patient temperature comprising said programmed protocol. 31. A method as recited in claim 30, wherein for said third one of said at least three successive phases said controlling step further comprises: comparing said measured patient temperature to said target patient temperature; andautomatically terminating said third one of said at least three successive phases at least partially in response to said comparing step. 32. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein said establishing step further comprises: presenting a screen at said user interface in relation to each of the plurality of phases, wherein for each of the plurality of phases said user interface is adapted to receive user input parameters in a plurality of predetermined fields, to establish at least one of a patient high temperature alert level and a patient low temperature alert level, and at least one of a thermal exchange medium high temperature limit and a thermal exchange medium low temperature limit. 33. A method as recited in claim 32, wherein said controlling automatically utilizes an established value for said at least one of a thermal exchange medium high temperature limit and a thermal exchange medium low temperature limit during said first phase. 34. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein said presenting step comprises: presenting said plurality of different plots in a graphic display region in relation to a common horizontal time scale. 35. A method as recited in claim 34, wherein said presenting step comprises: presenting said target patient temperature adjustment rate and said ongoing measured patient temperature in relation to a first temperature scale on a first side of said graphic display region; and,presenting said ongoing measured temperature of said thermal exchange medium in relation to a second temperature scale on a second side of said graphic display region. 36. A method as recited in claim 18, wherein said at least one alarm condition is one of the following: a patient high temperature alert level; and,a patient low temperature alert level.