FPGA-based automated forced-air device for body temperature regulation

• Main Authors: Kaw, Pierreson Peter M., Mendoza, Kevin Christopher G., Natividad, Lawrence F., Reyes, Marie Rose V.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2008
• Subjects: Body temperature > Regulation; Medical instruments and apparatus; Field programmable gate arrays; Information display systems; Programmable logic devices; Engineering
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/14387
• Institution: De La Salle University

Hypothermia is known as the drop in a person's core body temperature. Patients experience a range of mild to severe hypothermia after general anesthetics are applied for surgery. Forced-air devices are used to increase and maintain body temperature in order to prevent damage to the patient's body due to hypothermia. This device forces heated air into a blanket, which in turn becomes a medium to apply heat to the patient. However, today's existing forced-air devices are manually operated. This project aims to create an automated forced-air device using a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) development board. Through automation, the patient's temperature readings are read constantly and heater levels are changed as soon as the patient's body requires it. The temperature accuracy of heater outputs are increased by manipulating them based on feedback from the blanket itself. Also, this device periodically logs and displays temperature readings in order for doctors to analyze the patient's body temperature response. These factors enable the device to require less human operation and less human error.