IN-LINE MICROWAVE WARMER FOR BLOOD AND INTRAVENOUS FLUIDS

HYPOVOLEMIC SHOCK, SECONDARY TO TRAUMATIC EXSANGUINATION, IS THE MOST COMMON CAUSE OF DEATH IN SEVERELY INJURED SOLIDERS. TREATMENT OF HYPOVOLEMIC SHOCK AND ATTENDANT HYPOTHERMIA IS THE SUBJECT OF THE STUDY PROPOSED HERE. TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM OF HYPOTHERMIA AND ITS ASSOCIATED COAGULOPATHY AND CARDIAC DYSFUNCTION OCCURING WITH TRAUMA, A DEVICE IS PROPOSED THAT IS CAPABLE OF IN-LINE HEATING OF BLOOD AND INTRVENOUS (IV) FLUIDS. THE DESIGN IS BASED ON A MICROWAVE GENERATOR CAPABLE OF UNIFORM HEATING OF FLUIDS DURING THE INFUSION PROCESS. THIS DEVICE WOULD BE SMALL IN SIZE AND SUITABLE FOR FIELD USE. AN IN-LINE UNIT OVERCOMES THE DELAY INHERENT WITH REMOTE WARNING AND THE COOLING OCCURRING IN A COLD ENVIRONMENT DURING TRANSPORT OF FLUID OR BLOOD HEATED AT A REMOTE LOCATION. KEY INNOVATIONS IN THE PROPOSED DESIGN INCLUDE: UNIFORM IN-LINE HEATING WITHOUT THE "HOT SPOTS"NORMALLY ASSOCIATED WITH MICROWAVE OVEN CHAMBERS; NON-INVASIVE TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE FLUID PATH; AND USE OF ONLY A SHORT LENGTH OF NORMAL INTRAVENOUS TUBING WITHIN THE HEATING CAVITY ITSELF. STANDARD LABORATORY TESTS WILL BE PERFORMED TO COMPARE THE CONSTITUENCY OF BLOOD SAMPLES EXPOSED TO MICROWAVE HEATING WITH EQUIVALENT UNHEATED SAMPLES.