Abstract: A sterile surgical drape for use with a system for thermally treating sterile medium is accomplished by a drape including indicia symbolically directing placement of the drape over the system. The system may include a single or plurality of basins for thermally cooling and/or heating the sterile medium. The drape includes various indicia indicating which portions of the drape are placed over the corresponding portions of the thermal treatment system. The indicia may include symbols indicating the center of the basins, the direction to unfold the drape after removing the drape from its package, the proper orientation of the drape when placed on the system, and alignment of the drape on the system such that the drape overhangs the top surface of the system for a sufficient length to reduce the risk of contamination to the sterile medium. The indicia assist the operator in properly aligning and placing the drape over the system to ensure sterility.

Abstract: Sterile surgical fluid is maintained at substantially its freezing temperature to prevent both melting and formation of solid ice pieces in surgical slush and to provide a supply of near freezing fully liquid phase sterile fluid as required. Slush is initially formed in a refrigeration mode wherein a basin containing sterile fluid medium is cooled to well below the freezing temperature of the medium to thereby rapidly lower the medium temperature. Upon formation of the slush the system is placed in a maintain mode wherein the container temperature is kept at or near the freezing temperature of the medium to selectively provide either slush or near freezing liquid. In the preferred embodiment the maintain mode is effected by electrically energizing one or more thermoelectric modules and de-energizing a refrigeration system in which the refrigerant fluid is passed through an evaporator disposed in thermal energy transfer relation to the basin.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for preventing damage to drapes and to heating and cooling mechanisms used in conjunction with apparatus for containing and thermally treating sterile liquid, and to preserving the sterile field when using such apparatus. A surgical drape is combined with a sensor, preferably attached to the drape, to detect whether or not liquid is present in a drape container conforming to a heating/cooling basin. An alternative embodiment employs sensors at opposite surfaces of the drape to measure conductance and, thereby, leakage through the drape. A microprocessor in each embodiment receives a signal representing, for example, an electrical conductance measurement from the sensors and determines if liquid is present, or alternatively if the conductance is sufficient to represent the presence of a leak.

Abstract: A sterile drape assembly includes a sheet of sterile drape material bonded to a disk-like member. The drape establishes a sterile field atop a surgical slush machine and is conformable to a cooling basin to provide a drape container impervious to the sterile slush medium. The disk-like member is preferably bonded to the bottom of the drape container and is engageable by a movable member projecting into the basin. The movable member (e.g., a longitudinally reciprocable vertical shaft) moves the member and the drape to dislodge frozen pieces of the sterile medium that attach to the sides of the drape container.

Abstract: A sterile drape assembly includes a sheet of sterile drape material bonded to a disk-like member. The drape establishes a sterile field atop a surgical slush machine and is conformable to a cooling basin to provide a drape container impervious to the sterile slush medium. The disk-like member is preferably bonded to the bottom of the drape container and is engageable by a movable member projecting into the basin. The movable member (e.g., a longitudinally reciprocable vertical shaft) moves the member and the drape to dislodge frozen pieces of the sterile medium that attach to the sides of the drape container.

Abstract: Sterile surgical slush is maintained at substantially its freezing temperature to prevent both melting and formation of solid ice pieces. The slush is initially formed in a refrigeration mode wherein a basin containing sterile fluid medium is cooled to well below the freezing temperature of the medium to thereby rapidly lower the medium temperature. Upon formation of the slush the system is placed in a maintain mode wherein the container temperature is kept at the freezing temperature of the medium. In the preferred embodiment the maintain mode is effected by electrically energizing one or more thermoelectric modules and deenergizing a refrigeration system in which the refrigerant fluid is passed through an evaporator disposed in thermal energy transfer relation to the basin. In alternative embodiments the refrigeration system itself is controlled to keep the container temperature at the freezing point during the maintain mode.

Abstract: Frozen pieces of sterile medium, such as saline, are dislodged from a sterile drape container in a surgical slush producing machine a manipulating the drape relative to the cooled basin to which the drape container conforms. Manipulation of the drape is achieved by pushing, twisting, pulling, lifting, etc., on the drape to displace it from the basin. Such movement of the drape may be effected on a continuous and automatic basis, or by manual means using a member or implement to facilitate drape movement. The system cabinet includes a refrigerated compartment for pre-chilling sterile liquid to be used in forming the surgical slush.

Abstract: Frozen pieces o sterile medium, such as saline, are dislodged from a sterile drape container in a surgical slush producing machine by manipulating the drape relative to the cooled basin to which the drape container conforms. Manipulation of the drape is achieved by pushing, twisting, pulling, lifting, etc. on the drape to displace it from the basin. Such movement of the drape may be effected on a continuous and automatic basis, or by manual means using a member or implement to facilitate drape movement. The system cabinet includes a refrigerated compartment for pre-chilling sterile liquid to be used in forming the surgical slush.