Portable Liquid-Fueled Catalytic Heater for Infusion Fluids

描述(申请人提供)：便携式液体燃料输液催化加热器本项目的总体目标是开发一种由液体燃料驱动的轻便、便携、低成本的装置，用于远离医疗基础设施的现场加温静脉输液。大量出血、体温过低和伴随的休克属于紧急情况，通常需要及时静脉输注大量温暖的输液，如晶体或包装红细胞。在医疗紧急情况发生后的关键第一个小时内，用温热的静脉输液现场治疗创伤受害者需要有效的便携式设备，但目前还没有这种设备。便携式静脉输液加温器将用于：偏远地区、飓风或恐怖袭击等灾害、发展中国家和野战军事医疗。该项目的主要创新是开发一种可重复使用的便携式输液加热器，该加热器使用不可燃液体燃料，为灾难情况下的全方位创伤治疗提供加热能力。现有的便携式技术以电池为动力，缺乏足够的能量来加热创伤治疗所需的高体积流量输液(高达500毫升/分钟)。该第一阶段项目将论证一种液体燃料催化加热器的设计可行性，该加热器可使用一个500毫升燃料盒加热60单位冷藏输液(用于治疗多达20名患者)。第一阶段项目将包括开发一种向催化加热器供应液体燃料的受控方法，设计催化加热器硬件，并将催化加热器与医用筒式热交换器集成在一起，最终示范用于加热冷藏输液溶液的面包板系统。将开发和分析先进原型系统的初步设计，以确定该设备用于商业应用的技术和经济可行性。在第二阶段，将实施先进的设计并进行广泛的测试，以提供通向商业产品的原型设备。商业潜力：在飓风或恐怖袭击等灾害情况下和在偏远地区进行紧急治疗时，对便携式、自给式医疗设备的需求很大。军队对野战医疗应急装备的需求也很大。拟议的设备将具有很高的商业潜力，因为它将广泛适用于紧急治疗，而且成本低，使用寿命长。与公共卫生相关：该项目的总体目标是开发一种由液体燃料驱动的轻型、便携式、低成本的静脉输液加温设备，用于距离医疗基础设施超过一小时的现场医疗护理。大量出血、体温过低和伴随的休克状态属于紧急情况，通常需要及时静脉输注大量温暖的输液，如晶体或包装的红细胞。这种便携式静脉输液加温器将显著改善偏远地区、飓风或恐怖袭击等灾难、发展中国家和野战军事医疗领域的紧急病人护理和预后。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Portable Liquid-Fueled Catalytic Heater for Infusion Fluids The overall objective of this project is to develop a lightweight, portable, low-cost device powered by liquid fuel for warming intravenous fluids in-the-field distant from medical infrastructure. Excessive hemorrhage, hypothermia and the accompanying shock are among the emergency conditions that often require timely intravenous infusion of large volumes of warmed infusion fluids such as crystalloid or packed red cells. On-site treatment of trauma victims with warmed, intravenous fluids during the critical first hour after the onset of a medical emergency requires effective portable equipment that is not yet available. The portable intravenous fluid warmer would be used in: remote areas, disasters such as hurricanes or terrorist attacks, developing countries, and field military medicine. The major innovation of this project is development of a reusable, portable heater for infusion fluids that uses a non-flammable liquid fuel to provide heating capacity for the full range of trauma treatment in disaster situations. Existing portable technology, powered by batteries, lacks sufficient energy to heat the high volumetric flow rate infusions (up to 500 milliters/minute) needed in trauma treatment. This Phase I project will demonstrate feasibility of a design for a liquid-fueled catalytic heater for warming 60 units of refrigerated infusion fluids (for treating up to 20 patients) using one 500-mL fuel cartridge. The Phase I project will include development of a controlled method for supplying liquid fuel to a catalytic heater, design of the catalytic heater hardware, and integration of the catalytic heater with a medical cartridge-type heat exchanger, culminating in demonstration of a breadboard system for heating refrigerated infusion solutions. A preliminary design for an advanced prototype system will be developed and analyzed to determine the technical and economic feasibility of the device for commercial applications. In Phase II, the advanced design will be implemented and extensively tested to provide a prototype device leading to a commercial product. Commercial Potential: There is a large need for portable, self-powered medical devices for emergency treatment in disaster situations, such as hurricanes or terrorist attacks, and in remote areas. The military also has a great need for emergency equipment for field medical treatment. The proposed device would have high commercial potential since it would have widespread applicability for emergency treatment and would be low-cost and have a long service life. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The overall objective of this project is to develop a lightweight, portable, low-cost intravenous fluid warming device powered by liquid fuel for in-the-field medical care more than one hour distant from medical infrastructure. Excessive hemorrhage, hypothermia and the accompanying shock state are among the emergency conditions that often demand timely intravenous infusion of large volumes of warmed infusion fluids such as crystalloid or packed red cells. This portable, intravenous fluid warmer would significantly improve emergency patient care and outcomes in remote areas, disasters such as hurricanes or terrorist attacks, developing countries, and field military medicine.