Fluid circulating pad

DETAILED DESCRIPTION FIG.
1 shows a patient treatment pad 1 which is formed by a pair of flexible thermoplastic panels sealed together about a peripheral seal 2 to define a sealed internal chamber with an inlet port 3 connected to an inlet tube 4.
An outlet port 5 is sealed to an outlet tube 6.
Inlet tube 4 and outlet tube 6 have connectors 7 and 8 connected to their respective ends.
A circulating pump (not shown) can join to connectors 7 and 8.
The fluid circulating pad is segregated into a series of fields 9, 10, 11 and 12 by partitions such as 13 and 14.
It is preferable to have the major fields connected in series, such as in serpentine fashion as shown in FIG.
1.
Thus as liquid enters inlet tube 4, it is forced to flow in a serpentine manner as shown by dotted line 15.
In this manner liquid is forced to all areas of the pads to maintain proper temperature control of the entire pad area.
In the pads it is desirable to include four or more separate fields, none of which occupies more than 1/2 of the pad's treatment area.
Within each partitioned field of the pad are a series of intersecting passages with portions having generally parallel sides to create a waffle like grid pattern with rectangular or diamond shaped sealed portions between the passages.
In the enlarged section of FIG.
4, the passages are indicated as 20 and 21 that intersect at 23.
A rectangular sealed section 24 seals the two thermoplastic panels of the pad together.
Such rectangular seal provides generally parallel sides to the passage that provides a more pronounced zigzag path for the fluid than a pad sealed with round buttons as the Gaymar T-pad.
The waffle grid pattern allows the circulating liquid to flow in several different directions.
Thus, if a crease in the folded pad should block off one particular passage, such as 20, liquid can detour around crimped passage 20 and still flow through the serpentine series connected fields.
Thus, the partitioning system between the fields provide major directional guidance for the liquid, while the waffle grid pattern within each field provides a random circulation within the field as liquid flows from an inlet of the field to an outlet of the field