WATER BATH FOR HUMIDIFYING AN INTERIOR OF AN INCUBATOR

Abstract

To avoid cleaning costs and to reduce the risk of cross-contamination, a water bath for use in incubators includes a profiled receiver, open at least at the upper face, preferably at the end faces and the upper face, with receiver surfaces extending in the longitudinal direction. A prefabricated disposable vessel for liquid open at the upper face includes vessel walls that lie flush on the receiver surfaces of the receiver. Fastenings are used fix the disposable vessel on the receiver. The water bath also includes a liquid supply, designed for filling the disposable vessel with liquid.

Claims

1. A water bath for humidifying an interior of an incubator, comprising: a profiled receiver open at least at an upper face and having receiver surfaces extending in a longitudinal direction of the profiled receiver, a prefabricated disposable vessel for holding liquid open at the upper face and having vessel walls that lie flush on the receiver surfaces of the receiver, fastenings for fixing the disposable vessel on the receiver, and a liquid supply for filling the disposable vessel with liquid.

2. The water bath according to claim 1, wherein the disposable vessel is made of a flexible material.

3. The water bath according to claim 2, wherein the disposable vessel includes a substantially rectangular film having longitudinal edges and being folded along a longitudinal mid-line, the disposable vessel further including end faces, each of the end faces is provided with a weld seam running from the longitudinal mid-line to each of the longitudinal edges of the film.

4. The water bath according to claim 1, further comprising a drainage tube with a shut-off member welded into one of the two weld seams.

5. The water bath according to claim 1, wherein the receiver has a V-shaped cross section.

6. The water bath according to claim 1, wherein the receiver surfaces of the receiver are heated.

7. The water bath according to claim 6, further comprising at least one heating element arranged on a rear side of the receiver surfaces.

8. The water bath according to claim 7, wherein the at least one heating element is accommodated in a closed housing, and the receiver surfaces are a component part of the housing.

9. The water bath according to claim 1, wherein the disposable vessel protrudes slightly beyond the receiver at both end faces of the receiver.

10. The water bath according to claim 1, wherein the fastenings include openings arranged along the longitudinal edges of the disposable vessel and knobs that engage in the openings.

11. The water bath according to claim 1, wherein the liquid supply includes a tube with a valve and a float switch, the valve is opened or closed depending on a signal from the float switch, a float body of the float switch floats on a liquid surface in the disposable vessel.

12. The water bath according to claim 1, wherein the disposable vessel is made of thermoplastic.

13. The water bath according to claim 1, wherein the profiled receiver is open at the end faces and the upper face.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] The invention is explained in more detail below on the basis of an illustrative embodiment. In the figures:

[0033] FIG. 1 shows a film for producing a disposable vessel,

[0034] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the finished disposable vessel,

[0035] FIG. 3 is a plan view of the disposable vessel according to FIG. 2,

[0036] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the disposable vessel in a V-shaped receiver,

[0037] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a water bath, partially in section,

[0038] FIG. 6 is a cross section through the water bath according to FIG. 5, and

[0039] FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view through an end face of the water bath according to FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0040] FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 show a water bath 1 according to the invention for humidifying an interior of an incubator (not shown). The water bath 1 comprises as its main component parts a profiled V-shaped receiver 4, open at the end faces 2.1, 2.2 and at the upper face 3, with two receiver surfaces 6.1, 6.2 extending in the longitudinal direction 5 (see FIGS. 1-3).

[0041] The receiver 4 receives a prefabricated and flexible disposable vessel 7 for liquid, open at the upper face 3, in particular for sterile water, wherein the vessel walls 8.1, 8.2 lie flush on the receiver surfaces 6.1, 6.2 of the receiver 4 (see FIG. 6).

[0042] Fastenings for fixing the disposable vessel 7 on the receiver 4 comprise openings 9 along the longitudinal edges 10.1, 10.2 of the disposable vessel 7, and knobs 11 which engage in the openings 9.

[0043] Furthermore, the water bath 1 according to the invention has a liquid supply 12, designed for filling the disposable vessel 7 and for regulating the liquid level in the disposable vessel 7.

[0044] FIG. 1 shows a substantially rectangular film 13, made of thermoplastic, for producing the disposable vessel 7. The film 13 is delimited by the longitudinal edges 10.1, 10.2, and by end-face edges 15.1, 15.2 that extend transversely with respect to the longitudinal edges 10.1, 10.2. The film 13 is folded along a longitudinal mid-line 14 and, at the end-face edges 15.1, 15.2, is provided with a weld seam 16.1, 16.2 (see FIG. 2) running from the longitudinal mid-line 14 in the direction of each of the longitudinal edges 10.1, 10.2. A drainage tube 17 is welded into the weld seam 16.2. The drainage tube 17 has a shut-off member (not shown), for example in the form of a disposable clamp, so that the water escapes from the drainage tube 17 only when the disposable vessel 7 is to be emptied.

[0045] With only two weld seams 16.1, 16.2 and one hole-punching operation to produce the openings 9, the disposable vessel 7 is able to be produced efficiently and at low cost.

[0046] It will be seen from FIG. 4 how the disposable vessel 7 produced is inserted into the receiver 4, and how it is fixed to the receiver 4 by means of the knobs 11 which engage in the openings 9 along the longitudinal edges 10.1, 10.2 of the film 13 or of the disposable vessel 7. Fixing the disposable vessel 7 using a multiplicity of knobs 11 has the effect that the disposable vessel 7 is positioned exactly with respect to the receiver 4 and lies, free from folds, with the vessel walls 8.1, 8.2 on the receiver surfaces 6.1, 6.2 of the receiver 4. Moreover, the knobs 11, together with the holes 9, facilitate simple mounting of the disposable vessel 7 in the receiver 4.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 6, a heating element 18 is arranged on the rear of the two receiver surfaces 6.1, 6.2. The heating element 18 is an electrical resistance heater, which is configured as a mat and is affixed to the rear of the receiver surfaces 6.1, 6.2. The mat extends over almost the entire length of the receiver 4, and also from the bottom thereof in the direction of the upper face 3 of the water bath 1, to such an extent that the heating element 18 reaches almost to the height of the maximum liquid level 19 in the disposable vessel 7.

[0048] In order to substantially suppress a direct input of heat into the interior of the incubator through the heating element 18, the heating element 18 is accommodated in a closed housing 20, which is delimited by a housing floor 21, side walls 21.1, 21.2, end walls 23 and the profiled V-shaped receiver 4 (see FIGS. 6 and 7). The knobs 11 for fixing the disposable vessel 7 on the receiver 4 are fastened to the side walls 21.1, 21.2 of the housing 20.

[0049] FIGS. 6 and 7 shows that the liquid supply 12 of the water bath 1 has a tube 24 with an electrically actuated valve. The tube 24 is connected to a liquid port (not shown) in the interior of the incubator, which liquid port is fed from an external water conduit. The valve is opened and closed depending on the signal from a float switch 26. A float body 27 of the float switch 26 is mounted rotatably on a holder 28 which is screwed onto the housing 20. The float body 27 of the float switch 26 floats on the liquid surface 29 in the disposable vessel 7 and, depending on the liquid level in the disposable vessel 7, outputs a signal via a signal cable 30 to a controller, which opens the electrically actuated valve when there is a minimum liquid level and closes said valve when the maximum liquid level 19 is reached.

[0050] The water bath 1 according to the invention is placed on the floor in the interior of the incubator. The disposable vessel 7, open at the upper face, is located underneath a condensation unit which recondenses the water in the gas mixture in the incubator and thereby permits regulation of the relative humidity of the gas mixture. The recondensed water drips directly back into the disposable vessel 7.

[0051] For inserting the disposable vessel 7 into the receiver 4 and removing it therefrom, it is not necessary to take the receiver 4 out of the incubator.

[0052] To empty the disposable vessel 7 before it is removed, the clamp of the drainage tube 17 is manually opened. The water running off can either be collected in a separate receptacle or can be discharged through a drainage system arranged in the incubator near the bottom thereof.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0053] 1 water bath [0054] 2.1, 2.2 end faces [0055] 3 upper face [0056] 4 receiver [0057] 5 longitudinal direction [0058] 6.1, 6.2 receiver surfaces [0059] 7 disposable vessel [0060] 8.1, 8.2 vessel walls [0061] 9 openings [0062] 10.1, 10.2 longitudinal edges [0063] 11 knobs [0064] 12 liquid supply [0065] 13 film [0066] 14 longitudinal mid-line [0067] 15.1, 15.2 end-face edges [0068] 16.1, 16.2 weld seam [0069] 17 drainage tube [0070] 18 heating element [0071] 19 maximum liquid level [0072] 20 housing [0073] 21 housing floor [0074] 22.1, 22.2 side walls [0075] 23 end wall [0076] 24 tube [0077] 26 float switch [0078] 27 float body [0079] 27 holder [0080] 29 liquid surface [0081] 30 signal cable