Circulating fluid hypothermia method and apparatus

• US 20010007951A1
• Filed: 02/16/2001
• Published: 07/12/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zoll Circulation Incorporated (Asahi Kasei Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Innercool therapies Incorporated (Taxus Cardium Pharmaceuticals Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dobak, John D. III
• Granted Patent: US 6,818,011 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/106
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0212 using an instrument inserted into a body lumen, e.g. catheter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0262 using a circulating cryogenic fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0056 for cooling
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/126 for invasive application, e.g. for introducing into blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/12 Devices for heating or cooling internal body cavities

Abstract

A method and apparatus for performing hypothermia of a selected organ without significant effect on surrounding organs or other tissues. A flexible coaxial catheter is inserted through the vascular system of a patient to place the distal tip of the catheter in an artery feeding the selected organ. A chilled perfluorocarbon fluid is pumped through an insulated inner supply conduit of the catheter to cool a flexible bellows shaped heat transfer element in the distal tip of the catheter. The heat transfer bellows cools the blood flowing through the artery, to cool the selected organ, distal to the tip of the catheter.

Claims

1. A method for causing hypothermia, said method comprising:

providing a circulating fluid apparatus having a chiller and a flexible catheter, said catheter having an inner lumen and a hollow flexible heat transfer element adjacent its distal tip;

inserting said catheter through the vascular system of a patient to place said heat transfer element in a portion of the vasculature;

supplying chilled fluid to said inner lumen of said catheter;

cooling the interior of said heat transfer element with said chilled fluid;

cooling blood flowing in said portion of the vasculature with said heat transfer element; and

returning said fluid to said chiller.

2. A method for selective organ hypothermia, said method comprising:

providing a circulating fluid apparatus having a chiller and a flexible coaxial catheter, said catheter having an insulated inner lumen and a hollow flexible heat transfer element adjacent its distal tip;

inserting said catheter through the vascular system of a patient to place said heat transfer element in a feeding artery of a selected organ;

supplying chilled perfluorocarbon fluid to said insulated inner lumen of said coaxial catheter;

cooling the interior of said heat transfer element with said chilled perfluorocarbon fluid;

cooling blood flowing in said feeding artery with said heat transfer element, to enable said cooled blood to flow distally into said selected organ and cool said organ; and

returning said perfluorocarbon fluid to said chiller.

3. A method for selective organ hypothermia, said method comprising:

providing a coaxial catheter, said catheter having an insulated inner lumen and a metallic heat transfer element;

introducing said coaxial catheter into the vascular system of a patient to place said metallic heat transfer element in a feeding artery of an organ of the patient;

cooling said metallic heat transfer element by circulating a refrigerant through said insulated inner lumen of said coaxial catheter;

cooling blood in said feeding artery by contact with said cooled metallic heat transfer element; and

cooling said organ by flow of said cooled blood through said feeding artery.

4. A method for selective brain hypothermia, comprising:

providing a flexible coaxial catheter, said flexible catheter having an insulated inner lumen and a flexible metallic heat transfer element;

introducing said flexible coaxial catheter into the vascular system of a patient to place said flexible metallic heat transfer element in the carotid artery of the patient;

cooling said flexible metallic heat transfer element by circulating a refrigerant through said insulated inner lumen of said flexible coaxial catheter;

cooling blood in said carotid artery by contact with said cooled flexible metallic heat transfer element; and

cooling the brain of the patient by flow of said cooled blood through said carotid artery.

5. A method for selective hypothermia of the heart of a patient, comprising:

providing a flexible coaxial catheter, said flexible coaxial catheter having an

insulated inner lumen and a flexible metallic heat transfer element;

introducing said flexible coaxial catheter into the vascular system of a patient to place said flexible metallic heat transfer element in a feeding artery of the heart of the patient;

cooling said flexible metallic heat transfer element by circulating a refrigerant through said insulated inner lumen of said flexible coaxial catheter;

cooling blood in said feeding artery by contact with said cooled flexible metallic heat transfer element; and

cooling the heart of the patient by flow of said cooled blood through said feeding artery.

6. An apparatus for selective organ hypothermia, said apparatus comprising:

a circulating unit adapted for chilling and circulating a fluid;

a flexible elongated catheter;

a flexible tubular outer catheter body on said catheter;

a flexible fluid supply tube within said outer catheter body, a proximal end of a central lumen of said fluid supply tube being connected in fluid flow communication with an outlet of said circulating unit;

a fluid return lumen within said outer catheter body, a proximal end of said fluid return lumen being connected in fluid flow communication with an inlet of said circulating unit; and

a flexible heat transfer element mounted to a distal end of said outer catheter body, said heat transfer element having a partially helical shape to increase the surface area available for heat transfer.

7. A cooling apparatus, comprising:

a circulating unit adapted for chilling and circulating a fluid;

a flexible elongated catheter;

a flexible tubular outer catheter body on said catheter;

a flexible, insulated, supply tube within said outer catheter body, a proximal end of a central lumen of said supply tube being connected in fluid flow communication with an outlet of said circulating unit;

a return lumen within said outer catheter body, said return lumen substantially surrounding said fluid supply tube, a proximal end of said return lumen being connected in fluid flow communication with an inlet of said circulating unit; and

a flexible heat transfer element mounted to a distal end of said outer catheter body, said heat transfer element having a partially helical shape to increase the surface area available for heat transfer;

wherein said fluid supply tube comprises a wall having insulating properties to reduce heat transfer from said return lumen to said central lumen of said fluid supply tube.

8. An apparatus for causing hypothermia, said apparatus comprising:

a circulating unit adapted for chilling and circulating a fluid;

a flexible elongated catheter;

a flexible tubular outer catheter body on said catheter;

a flexible fluid supply tube within said outer catheter body, a proximal end of a central lumen of said fluid supply tube being connected in fluid flow communication with an outlet of said circulating unit;

a fluid return lumen within said outer catheter body, a proximal end of said fluid return lumen being connected in fluid flow communication with an inlet of said circulating unit; and

a flexible heat transfer element mounted to a distal end of said outer catheter body, said heat transfer element having an at least partially ballooned shape to increase the surface area available for heat transfer.

9. An apparatus for causing hypothermia, said apparatus comprising:

a circulating unit adapted for chilling and circulating a fluid;

a flexible elongated catheter;

a flexible tubular outer catheter body on said catheter;

a flexible fluid supply tube within said outer catheter body, a proximal end of a central lumen of said fluid supply tube being connected in fluid flow communication with an outlet of said circulating unit;

a fluid return lumen within said outer catheter body, a proximal end of said fluid return lumen being connected in fluid flow communication with an inlet of said circulating unit; and

a flexible heat transfer element mounted to a distal end of said outer catheter body, said heat transfer element having an at least partially oval shape to increase the surface area available for heat transfer.