Abstract: An improved warm air blower system for providing a compact source of pressurized air that can be utilized for delivering warm or ambient air to a patient through, for example, a warming blanket. The warm air blower system can include a compression unit and a plenum chamber having a plenum member with a curvilinear interior surface, the plenum member interior surface has a plurality of surface indentations to enable the formation of controlled local turbulence adjacent the interior surface to reduce friction and noise as the compressed air moves across the interior surface. The warm air blower system can be appropriately mounted on a vertical pole, bed, stand or floor mounted. Air filters can be used to filter the air before and after induction to the compression unit. The safe operation of the warm air blower system is appropriately controlled and monitored by a control unit that includes a thermostat.

Abstract: A system and method for pressurizing bags of physiological fluids include a control valve for providing deflation of a bladder that compresses the bags. The toggle portion of the control valve is movable between a first and second position respectively for inflation and deflation of the bladder. When the toggle portion is in the first position, the control valve connects a source of pressurized air to the bladder, and when the toggle portion is in the second position, the control valve allows the bladder to exhaust directly to the atmosphere through an outlet port in the valve. The size of the outlet port is so large that it creates only very little resistance to the discharged air.