Mammalian subject heating unit using radiant heat

Claim 1

Whole body hyperthermia apparatus capable of providing hyperthermic core temperature conditions in live mammalian subjects while minimizing risk to the subject comprising: a wall member and a pair of end walls defining a closed cavity suitable for receiving the body of the subject with the head and neck of the subject extending through an opening in one of said end walls outside the closed cavity, said one end wall having closure means at said opening for providing a substantially air tight seal at said opening about the neck of the subject to prevent air circulation to and from said cavity, said wall member extending completely around the body of the subject when received therein, said wall member being formed of a material capable of radiating heat and having a radiant heat enhancing emissivity; means for positioning the body of the subject in a generally central position in the cavity; electric heating means mounted on the exterior of said wall member generating a heat input to the wall member for providing a sufficient quantity of radiant heat from the wall member directly to the body of the subject to increase the core temperature of the subject by radiant heating by a physiologically significant amount in a desired period of time, said wall member and heating means providing such radiant heat generally uniformly over the entire area of the wall member to minimize convection air currents in said cavity and at a power density low enough to limit the temperature of the air near said wall member at approximately 65° C. and the skin temperature of the subject at approximately 42.5° C. while achieving a hyperthermic condition of approximately 41.8° C. as measured rectally in the subject; and circuit means connected to a source of electrical power for energizing said electric heating means.