Abstract: An infant care apparatus such as an incubator or infant warmer having a mattress for supporting the infant on an infant platform that can, at times, by fully rotated 360 degrees to obtain full access to the infant. In the incubator, a translation platform can be slid into and out of the infant compartment and the mattress tray is pivoted to that translation platform so as to rotate at a pivot point that connects the mattress tray to the translation platform. Accordingly, when all of the doors of the infant incubator are in the closed position, the mattress tray is constrained from rotational movement but that mattress tray can be rotated a full 360 degrees whenever both doors are open or when the translation platform has been moved to a position at least partially exterior of the infant compartment. In all, the apparatus provides easy and convenient access to the infant for carrying out procedures on the infant while it is still supported by the infant care apparatus.

Abstract: A quick change vehicle door includes a carrier sub-assembly having at least one hinge and a latch, and a closure sub-assembly having an inner panel and an outer panel detachably received by the carrier sub-assembly.

Abstract: An infant warming apparatus that functions both as an infant incubator as well as an infant warmer. The apparatus has a heater that moves vertically with respect to an infant support during the change in function between an infant incubator and infant warmer. A powered motive system, such as an electric motor, powers the movement of the heater between its upper and its lower positions. The heater also has a door or doors that are open when the heater is at or nearing the upper position so that the heater can direct energy toward the infant to warm the infant when acting as an infant warmer. The doors close at or shortly after the heater commences movement to the lower position. When closed, the doors isolate the heater to prevent the inadvertent touching of the heater by the infant or attending personnel and prevents the further radiating of infrared energy towards the infant. The mechanism operates automatically without any reminder to the user or action by the user.

Abstract: An infant care center or infant care warmer having as it source of heat, a radiant heater that includes a reflector in the shape of a quadratic surface of revolution consisting of a paraboloid, an ellipsoid or a hyperboloid. The shape allows the heater to be positioned at the head of the infant care apparatus and out of the way of the attending personnel and yet deliver sufficient heat to provide warmth to the infant. An infrared energy emitter is positioned at substantially the focal point of the geometric configuration of the reflector to provide radiant energy to be reflected toward an infant resting on a planar surface underneath the heater. While out of the way of the infant and the attending personnel, the radiant heater provides a generally uniform footprint of heat to the infant.

Abstract: An infant care apparatus that has a canopy that can be moved vertically with respect to an infant pedestal on which the infant is positioned. In the preferred embodiment, the canopy contain a radiant heater that can be moved from a lower position enclosing the infant in an infant compartment to an upper position where the infant compartment is open. The canopy is affixed to a movable frame member that is, in turn, movably mounted on a stationary frame member. A constant force spring or springs are used to interconnect between the stationary frame member and the movable frame member and the springs are designed so as to achieve a counterbalancing of the canopy and associated components such that the weight of such canopy and components is neutralized. Thus, a standard, inexpensive motor can be used to raise and lower the canopy without complex synchronization between two motors and yet the unit moves smoothly and without misalignment.

Abstract: An infant warming apparatus that functions both as an infant incubator as well as an infant warmer. The apparatus has a heater that moves vertically with respect to an infant support during the change in function between an infant incubator and infant warmer. A powered motive system, such as an electric motor, powers the movement of the heater between its upper and its lower positions. The heater also has a door or doors that are open when the heater is at or nearing the upper position so that the heater can direct energy toward the infant to warm the infant when acting as an infant warmer. The doors close at or shortly after the heater commences movement to the lower position. When closed, the doors isolate the heater to prevent the inadvertent touching of the heater by the infant or attending personnel and prevents the further radiating of infrared energy towards the infant. The mechanism operates automatically without any reminder to the user or action by the user.

Abstract: A method for downscaling an image from a sensor color filter array space having the step of determining an initial image size. The method also has steps of determining a set of stride lengths, locating a single color pixel of interest, and generating a full color pixel. An apparatus having a processor and a memory coupled to the processor for performing the above steps is also disclosed.

Abstract: An infant care apparatus such as an incubator or infant warmer having a mattress for supporting the infant on an infant platform that can, at times, by fully rotated 360 degrees to obtain full access to the infant. In the incubator, a translation platform can be slid into and out of the infant compartment and the mattress tray is pivoted to that translation platform so as to rotate at a pivot point that connects the mattress tray to the translation platform. Accordingly, when all of the doors of the infant incubator are in the closed position, the mattress tray is constrained from rotational movement but that mattress tray can be rotated a full 360 degrees whenever both doors are open or when the translation platform has been moved to a position at least partially exterior of the infant compartment. In all, the apparatus provides easy and convenient access to the infant for carrying out procedures on the infant while it is still supported by the infant care apparatus.

Abstract: A cost effective digital image capture apparatus such as a digital camera that operates in both still mode and video mode, using a common programmable image processing chain and fixed optics. The full resolution of the image sensor (yielding raw image data) may be used in still mode, with adequate signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) achieved either from the scene ambient lighting or from supplemental light supplied by a strobe. In video mode, the apparatus may be configured to capture video image data by programming the parameters for image processing methodologies such as scaling, decorrelation, and encoding into a look-up table (LUT) which in turn configures logic circuitry to spatially scale and compress if necessary the raw image data in order to meet storage and transmission bandwidth constraints for video images. In video mode, adequate SNR may be achieved despite the lower light conditions, encountered, for example, during videoconferencing, by averaging pixels together during scaling.

Abstract: An incubator having a mattress tray that underlies and supports an infant. The mattress tray is movable from a first position where it is entirely within the controlled atmosphere of the infant compartment to a second position outside that infant compartment and when moved to the second position, a warm flow of air is provided to warm the infant . The outside position of the mattress thereby allows considerable access to the infant to carry out procedures by attending personnel that would not be possible within the confined infant compartment and yet the invent is warmed by the flow of warm air.

Abstract: An infant warming apparatus that functions both as an infant incubator as well as an infant warmer. The apparatus has a heater that moves vertically with respect to an infant support during the change in function between an infant incubator and infant warmer. A powered motive system, such as an electric motor, powers the movement of the heater between its upper and its lower positions. The heater also has a door or doors that are open when the heater is in it upper position so that the heater can direct energy toward the infant to warm the infant when acting as an infant warmer. When closed, the doors isolate the heater to prevent the inadvertent touching of the heater by the infant or attending personnel. A safety interlock system is provided that prevents the heater from being activated unless it is in its upper position and the door or doors are fully open.

Abstract: An infant care apparatus that has a infant bed tilt mechanism that can be accessed by the user in close proximity to the infant mattress and at the mattress level. When the infant care apparatus is an infant incubator, the tilt mechanism is operable internal of the infant compartment. The user can thus be carrying out some procedure on the infant within that infant compartment of the incubator or at the level of the infant bed of an infant warmer and be able to alter the tilt angle of the infant bed without breaking the semi sterile conditions surrounding the infant and its close proximity by manipulation of a actuating mechanism that is situated at the level of the infant bed and in close proximity to the infant. The tilt mechanism itself has a lead screw rotatable mounted to the infant bed and which passes through a threaded nut that is resiliently affixed to the base of the incubator or infant warmer.

Abstract: A patient probe disconnect alarm where the patient probe is provided with a vacuum that is formed in a chamber between the patient probe and the skin of the infant. The level of vacuum is monitored within the chamber and whenever the level of vacuum lessens beyond a predetermined vacuum level, the monitor senses a probe disconnect and provides an alert to the user that there is a loss of integrity in the probe affixation to the infant.

Abstract: An infant incubator having a base and a hood positioned atop of the base to form an infant compartment therebetween. The hood has a front access door that is hinged so as to move between an open and a closed position. The edge of the door opposite the hinged part has a magnetic strip that mates with a strip of magnetically attractable material positioned on the edge of the hood opening such that the door is retained in its closed position by a magnetic force. At least one door handle is mounted to the door at or near the end of the magnetic strip at the top of the door and can be pulled to open the door. The door is sufficiently flexible that pulling the handle causes a peeling effect such that relatively little force need be exerted to open the door from the corner, yet considerable force is required to open the door from inside the incubator by an infant residing therein.

Abstract: A heated humidifier for an infant incubator wherein the flow of air through the humidifier that picks up water vapor from the surface of the water is controlled in response to the temperature of the heater used to heat the water. In the preferred embodiment, the heater is an active heater located above the surface of the water and includes an extruded heat exchanger that depends downwardly from the heater to below the level of the water. A thermal actuator is located in good heat transfer association with the extruded heat exchanger at a point above the surface of the water and that thermal actuator controls the position of a valve in the outlet of the humidifier.

Abstract: An infant incubator tilt mechanism is disclosed that allows infinite adjustment of the tilt angle of the infant mattress within certain limits. The mechanism includes a bent rod positioned within the infant incubator itself and underlying the infant bed and which has an offset portion that engages a bed lifter. As the bent rod is rotated about an axis, the bent rod moves the bed lifter to raise and/or lower the infant bed. One end of the bent rod extends outwardly to the exterior of the infant compartment and is rotatable by an exterior mechanism having a lead screw that is rotated by the operator to cause lateral movement of a link mechanism along an axis at about ninety degrees to the axis of rotation of the bent rod. The lateral movement of the link is again translated into rotational movement and connects to the bent rod to translate that rotational movement to the bent rod. The entire tilt mechanism is readily removable so as to be easily cleaned.

Abstract: A needle valve including a deformable seal positioned between the distal end of the needle and a hard, mechanical seat between the needle and the valve housing. The deformable seal is able to seal around the movable needle but is protected from serious deformation by the hard mechanical seat that is located so as to prevent the needle from entering the deformable seat beyond a predetermined amount. Thus the deformable seal does not extrude due to the entrance of the needle and wear is reduced.