Joseph Jseph Pierre

US Patent:

7658756, Feb 9, 2010

Filed:

Apr 12, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/401957

Inventors:

Joseph Pierre - Brockton MA, US
Rachel Starr - Randolph MA, US

Assignee:

Smiths Medical ASD, Inc. - Rockland MA

International Classification:

A61F 7/00
F16L 55/10

US Classification:

607107, 607104, 138 89

Abstract:

An inflatable convective thermal blanket is designed to have at least one section on its top surface that has securely mounted thereon at least one fluid absorbent mechanism for absorbing fluids from a subject that is placed onto the blanket, or from fluids fallen onto the blanket from other sources. The one section is configured onto the blanket in such a way that it forms a well for collecting the fluids. The fluid absorbent mechanism, which may be in the form of a pad, would absorb the collected fluid to thereby minimize evaporative and cooling effects on the subject. Instead of mounting it on top of the blanket, the fluid absorbent pad may be mounted to the underside of the blanket, with appropriate holes and/or openings provided at the fluid collecting section, so that the collected fluids are drained onto the fluid absorbent pad. To enhance the input flow of air to the blanket, as well as to enable the blanket to be flatly folded for storage or shipping, a collapsible retainer mechanism is provided at the input port(s) of the blanket. The retainer mechanism opens up to a shape that facilitates the mating of an air hose to the input port.

US Patent:

7666214, Feb 23, 2010

Filed:

Apr 12, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/401956

Inventors:

Joseph Pierre - Brockton MA, US
Rachel Starr - Randolph MA, US
Gregory Hughes - Hanover MA, US

Assignee:

Smiths Medical ASD, Inc. - Rockland MA

International Classification:

A61F 7/00

US Classification:

607104, 607107, 607108

Abstract:

An inflatable convective thermal blanket is designed to have at least one section on its top surface that has securely mounted thereon at least one fluid absorbent mechanism for absorbing fluids from a subject that is placed onto the blanket, or from fluids fallen onto the blanket from other sources. The one section is configured onto the blanket in such a way that it forms a well for collecting the fluids. The fluid absorbent mechanism, which may be in the form of a pad, would absorb the collected fluid to thereby minimize evaporative and cooling effects on the subject. Instead of mounting it on top of the blanket, the fluid absorbent pad may be mounted to the underside of the blanket, with appropriate holes and/or openings provided at the fluid collecting section, so that the collected fluids are drained onto the fluid absorbent pad. To enhance the input flow of air to the blanket, as well as to enable the blanket to be flatly folded for storage or shipping, a collapsible retainer mechanism is provided at the input port(s) of the blanket. The retainer mechanism opens up to a shape that facilitates the mating of an air hose to the input port.

US Patent:

8048137, Nov 1, 2011

Filed:

Dec 28, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/646458

Inventors:

Joseph Pierre - Brockton MA, US
Rachel Starr - Randolph MA, US

Assignee:

Smiths Medical ASD, Inc. - Rockland MA

International Classification:

A61F 7/00

US Classification:

607107, 607104, 607109

Abstract:

Each leg of a U tube blanket is configured to have at least one row of holes extending substantially along the length thereof. The size of the holes is incrementally increased from the proximal portion that is closest to the air inlet cross section of the blanket where heated air is input to the blanket for inflating the same to the distal portion of the legs of the blanket. For an embodiment of the inventive blanket, the plurality of vent holes along each leg of the blanket are grouped into a number of sections, for illustration purposes three, with the vent holes in each section having the same dimension. With the size of the holes being incrementally larger along the leg away from the heat source, a greater amount of warm air is output at the distal portion of the blanket to compensate for the distance the warm air needs to travel before it is vented from the blanket. As a result, a substantially evenly distributed bath of warm air is output from the legs of the blanket to the sides of the patient so that the patient is evenly warmed along his entire body. Straps that are separable from the legs of the blanket are provided to secure the blanket to the patient.

US Patent:

8172890, May 8, 2012

Filed:

Feb 18, 2009

Appl. No.:

12/379260

Inventors:

Joseph Pierre - Brockton MA, US
Rachel Starr - Randolph MA, US
Alan Stec - East Bridgewater MA, US

Assignee:

Smiths Medical ASD, Inc. - Rockland MA

International Classification:

A61F 7/00

US Classification:

607108

Abstract:

A combination underbody and overbody blanket has first and second portions sandwiching a middle portion. The first portion may be shorter than the second portion. An opening is provided at the middle portion, or at a location that overlaps the middle and first portions. The opening has a dimension sufficiently large to enable the head of a patient to pass through. At least one air inlet is provided at the middle portion to allow air to be input into the blanket. The blanket is configured in the shape of a poncho, with the first portion covering the front torso of the patient and the second portion covering the back of the patient. A tearable seal is provided at the first portion that allows the first portion to be separated into two halves to expose the front upper torso of the patient and/or to facilitate the placement of the middle portion about the neck and onto the shoulders of the patient.

US Patent:

8197525, Jun 12, 2012

Filed:

Feb 13, 2009

Appl. No.:

12/379160

Inventors:

Joseph Pierre - Brockton MA, US
Rachel Starr - Randolph MA, US
Alan Stec - East Bridgewater MA, US

Assignee:

Smiths Medical ASD, Inc. - Rockland MA

International Classification:

A61F 7/00

US Classification:

607104

Abstract:

A full body blanket has a central bonded strip that extends from a distal end of an upper portion of the blanket to the foot end of the blanket to divide the main body of the blanket into two longitudinal portions. A discontinuous slit or tearable line is provided along the length of the strip to enable the longitudinal portions to be separable from each other by a user applying a force along the tearable strip. The strip may be torn anywhere along its entire length so that the longitudinal portion to be removed from the patient may be folded back anywhere along the length of the strip to selectively expose particular body parts of the patient. The blanket is inflated by heated air, and the heated air is circulated by channels that extend longitudinally along each of the longitudinal portions. Rows of apertures provided along the channels at the layer of the blanket that makes contact with the patient output the heated air to warm the patient.

US Patent:

8608788, Dec 17, 2013

Filed:

Mar 31, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/078400

Inventors:

Rachel Starr - Randolph MA, US
Joseph Pierre - Brockton MA, US
Daniel Reardon - Abington MA, US
Alan Stec - East Bridgewater MA, US

Assignee:

Smiths Medical ASD, Inc. - Rockland MD

International Classification:

A61F 7/00

US Classification:

607108

Abstract:

A convective underbody blanket has a head portion and a body portion. Provided at the head portion is a non-inflatable head area surrounded by a channel that has arranged thereat at least one row of air apertures that are oriented toward the non-inflatable head area when the channel is inflated. At the body portion there is provided a non-inflatable body area. Along each longitudinal side of the body area there is at least one longitudinal channel. Each of the longitudinal channels is in fluid communication with the channel that surrounds the non-inflatable head area. The longitudinal channels that sandwich the non-inflatable body area extend substantially along the length of the non-inflatable body area and are in fluid communication with each other by way of a cross channel formed at the foot end of the blanket. The configuration of the blanket allows air input to the blanket to be circulated through the various channels, so that the heated air output from the different rows of apertures formed at the various channels has substantially the same temperature. The different rows of apertures may be provided at different areas along the blanket.

US Patent:

20080286092, Nov 20, 2008

Filed:

May 18, 2007

Appl. No.:

11/798974

Inventors:

Joseph Pierre - Brockton MA, US
Rachel Starr - Randolph MA, US
David G. Roome - Honeoye NY, US

Assignee:

Smiths Medical ASD, Inc. - Rockland MA

International Classification:

F01D 25/04

US Classification:

415119, 415206

Abstract:

To reduce the noise level of air convective warmer, the air filter of the warmer is fitted with an air intercept mechanism to disrupt the flow of air that traverses inside the interior cavity of the air filter. By thus disrupting the air flow, the noise that otherwise would have been generated due to a non-interrupted air stream flow is lowered. The air intercept mechanism may be in the form of at least one partition positioned inside the interior cavity of the air filter. Alternatively, double-ended open tubes may be used, so long as the interior cavity of the filter is sealed, with only the tubes providing the passages for air to output from the air filter. Yet a third embodiment of the air reduction filter has an air impermeable material covering at least one portion of the surface area of the filtering material to prevent the inflow air from directly entering into the interior cavity of the air filter through the covered surface area.

US Patent:

20080288034, Nov 20, 2008

Filed:

May 18, 2007

Appl. No.:

11/798973

Inventors:

Joseph Pierre - Brockton MA, US
Rachel Starr - Randolph MA, US

Assignee:

Smiths Medical ASD, Inc. - Rockland MA

International Classification:

A61F 7/08

US Classification:

607107

Abstract:

A convective blanket has multiple sets of discontinuous bonding strips that bond or attach its upper layer to its lower layer to form a number of air flow guides within the blanket. There is at least one set of substantially parallel discontinuous strips proximate to the air input port of the blanket and another set of substantially parallel discontinuous strips remote from the air input port. For each set of in parallel discontinuous bond strips, the respective distal and proximal ends of each successive strips are aligned with the distal and proximal ends of a corresponding substantially in parallel strip to effect a cross channel so that air flowing along the air flow guide may escape to different sections of the blanket. To output the heated air from the blanket, respective single rows of successively spaced air holes are formed adjacent to and substantially along the length of the discontinuous bond strips that are located proximate to the air input port. For those sets of discontinuous bond strips that are remote from the air input port, there is provided adjacent to and substantially along the length of each of those strips multiple rows of successively spaced holes.