The Need

In order to provide quality patient care and appropriately manage patient comfort, medical facilities could benefit from a cost-effective method of allowing patients to cool themselves. Due to the risk of spreading pathogens and contaminants, conventional fans are often disallowed in medical environments or their use is severely restricted. Patients often have little to no control over the temperature of their environment which can affect their well-being, thus diminishing the quality of their care. Medical grade air is often available in treatment rooms, but lacks the necessary flow velocity to produce any appreciable cooling effect.

The Technology

One of The Ohio State University respiratory therapists, Jim Bott, and his colleagues invented a completely pneumatic, personal cooling device that utilizes low flow medical air and provides patients with a means of cooling themselves. On a daily basis, clinicians at the OSU Wexner Medical Center encounter patients who are too warm without the ability to cool themselves. This lack of comfort and control increases patient stress and anxiety. The new device utilizes filtered medical air and is disposable, eliminating the spread of infection from patient to patient. Unlike conventional electric fans, the device is bladeless, uses no electricity, and can be easily manipulated by the patient.

Commercial Applications

• Patient personal cooling system
• Medical devices

Benefits/Advantages

• Low medical air consumption with air entrainment technology
• Can be used anywhere with a portable air compressor
• A filter can be placed on the venturi adapter, providing clean, bacteria free air
• Multi directional and personal
• Disposable, negating any spread of infection from patient to patient
• Low cost compared to alternative means for cooling patients
• Bladeless and completely pneumatic
• No increase in room temperature as with conventional electric fans.
• A humidifier can be added for comfort.