Patient temperature regulation method and apparatus
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A cooling system for cooling a patient'"'"'s body intravascularly, comprising:
- a flexible catheter insertable into a vena cavae;
a flexible metallic cooling element attached to a distal end of the flexible catheter, the flexible metallic cooling element including a plurality of heat transfer segments connected by flexible joints; and
a heating blanket for applying heat to a selected portion of the patient'"'"'s body.
8 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A device and method for providing body cooling. The cooling device applies cooling to blood flowing in a vena cavae that is then distributed throughout the body. The cooling can be assisted by use of thermoregulatory drugs or warming devices to prevent shivering and vasoconstriction.
9 Citations
77 Claims
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1. A cooling system for cooling a patient'"'"'s body intravascularly, comprising:
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a flexible catheter insertable into a vena cavae;
a flexible metallic cooling element attached to a distal end of the flexible catheter, the flexible metallic cooling element including a plurality of heat transfer segments connected by flexible joints; and
a heating blanket for applying heat to a selected portion of the patient'"'"'s body. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for cooling a patient'"'"'s body intravascularly, comprising:
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providing a catheter having a cooling element attached to a distal end thereof, the cooling element having mixing-inducing surface features thereon;
inserting the catheter through the vascular system of the patient to place the cooling element in a vein that drains into the heart of a patient;
circulating fluid through the cooling element; and
transferring heat from the blood in the vein to the cooling element. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for substantially reducing platelet aggregation in a blood vessel in which blood is flowing, comprising:
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providing a catheter having a cooling element attached to a distal end thereof, the cooling element employing surface features and thereby inducing mixing in the blood;
inserting the catheter through the vascular system of the patient to place the cooling element in a blood vessel in which blood is flowing;
circulating fluid through the cooling element; and
transferring heat from the blood in the vessel to the cooling element, whereby blood is cooled and platelet aggregation is substantially reduced.
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21. A method for substantially reducing dependence on drug therapies in treating insults or injuries resulting in ischemia, comprising:
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providing a catheter having a cooling element attached to a distal end thereof, the cooling element employing mixing-inducing surface features;
inserting the catheter through the vascular system of the patient to place the cooling element in a blood vessel in which blood is flowing;
circulating fluid through the cooling element; and
transferring heat from the blood in the vessel to the cooling element, whereby blood is cooled.
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22. A method for substantially reducing cell damage during and after a myocardial infarction, comprising:
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providing a catheter having a cooling element attached to a distal end thereof, the cooling element employing mixing-inducing surface features;
inserting the catheter through the vascular system of the patient to place the cooling element in a vein selected from the group consisting of the superior vena cava, the inferior vena cava, or both;
circulating fluid through the cooling element; and
transferring heat from the blood in the vein to the cooling element, whereby at least one of platelet aggregation, oxygen demands, or the metabolic rate of the heart is reduced or bradycardia is induced. - View Dependent Claims (23)
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24. A method for substantially reducing stenoses recurring following angioplasty, comprising:
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providing a catheter having a cooling element attached to a distal end thereof, the cooling element employing mixing-inducing surface features;
performing an angioplasty or stenting operation on a blood vessel of the patient;
inserting the catheter through the vascular system of the patient to place the cooling element in the blood vessel;
circulating fluid through the cooling element; and
transferring heat from the blood in the vessel to the cooling element, whereby blood and the blood vessel wall is cooled.
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25. A method for substantially reducing reperfusion injury following reflow, comprising:
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performing a catheter having a cooling element attached to a distal end thereof, the cooling element employing mixing inducing surface features;
performing an reflow operation on a blood vessel of the patient;
inserting the catheter through the vascular system of the patient to place the cooling element in the blood vessel;
circulating fluid through the cooling element; and
transferring heat from the blood in the vessel to the cooling element, whereby blood in the vessel is cooled.
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26. A method for cooling a patient'"'"'s body intravascularly, comprising:
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providing a catheter having a cooling element attached to a distal end thereof, the cooling element having mixing-inducing surface features thereon;
inserting the catheter through the vascular system of the patient to place the cooling element in the inferior vena cava of a patient;
circulating fluid through the cooling element; and
transferring heat from the blood in the inferior vena cava to the cooling element.
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27. A method for cooling a patient'"'"'s body intravascularly, comprising:
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providing a catheter having a cooling element attached to a distal end thereof, the cooling element having mixing-inducing surface features thereon;
inserting the catheter through the vascular system of the patient to place the cooling element in the iliac vein of a patient;
circulating fluid through the cooling element; and
transferring heat from the blood in the iliac vein to the cooling element.
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28. A method for cooling a patient'"'"'s body intravascularly, comprising:
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providing a catheter having a cooling element attached to a distal end thereof, the cooling element having mixing-inducing surface features thereon;
inserting the catheter through the vascular system of the patient to place the cooling element in the femoral vein of a patient;
circulating fluid through the cooling element; and
transferring heat from the blood in the femoral vein to the cooling element.
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29. A method of treating a human body, comprising:
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inserting a flexible conductive heat transfer element into a vein from a distal location; and
circulating a working fluid through the flexible conductive heat transfer element to modify the temperature of the blood in the vein, thereby modifying the temperature of the body.
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30. A method of treating a human body, comprising:
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inserting a flexible heat transfer element into a vein from a distal location, the flexible heat transfer element having mixing-inducing surface features on the exterior thereof; and
circulating a working fluid through the flexible heat transfer element to modify the temperature of the blood in the vein, thereby modifying the temperature of the body.
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31. A method of treating a human body, comprising:
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inserting a flexible heat transfer element into a vein from a distal location, the flexible heat transfer element having mixing-inducing surface features on the interior thereof; and
circulating a working fluid through the flexible heat transfer element to modify the temperature of the blood in the vein, thereby modifying the temperature of the body.
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32. A method of treating a human body, comprising:
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inserting a flexible heat transfer element into a vein from a distal location, the flexible heat transfer element having mixing-inducing features on the surface thereof;
circulating a working fluid through the flexible heat transfer element to modify the temperature of the blood in the vein, thereby modifying the temperature of the body; and
modifying the temperature of at least a portion of the surface of the human body by a surface heater or cooler.
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33. A method of modifying the temperature of a human body, comprising:
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inserting a heat transfer element into a portion of the vasculature from a distal location, the heat transfer element having mixing-inducing features;
circulating a working fluid through the heat transfer element to modify the temperature of the blood in the vasculature, thereby modifying the temperature of the body. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A method of modifying the temperature of a human body, comprising:
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inserting a heat transfer element into a portion of the vasculature from a distal location, the heat transfer element having a mixing-inducing shape;
circulating a working fluid through the heat transfer element to modify the temperature of the blood in the vasculature, thereby modifying the temperature of the body. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 48, 49)
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47. A method of modifying the temperature of a human body, comprising:
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inserting a heat transfer element into a portion of the vasculature from a distal location, the heat transfer element having a segmented shape;
circulating a working fluid through the segmented heat transfer element to modify the temperature of the blood in the vasculature, thereby modifying the temperature of the body.
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50. A cooling system for cooling a patient'"'"'s body intravascularly, comprising:
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a flexible catheter insertable into a blood vessel;
a flexible cooling element attached to a distal end of the flexible catheter; and
a heating blanket for applying heat to a selected portion of the patient'"'"'s body, wherein the heating blanket includes an electrical resistance heater.
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51. A method for changing a patient'"'"'s body temperature intravascularly while controlling the patient'"'"'s thermoregulatory setpoint, comprising:
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providing a catheter having a heat exchange element at a portion thereof;
inserting the catheter through the vascular system of the patient to place the heat exchange element in a blood vessel;
circulating fluid through the heat exchange element;
transferring heat from the blood in the vessel to the heat exchange element; and
administering a thermoregulatory drug to the patient. - View Dependent Claims (52)
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53. A method for changing a patient'"'"'s body temperature intravascularly while controlling patient shivering, comprising:
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providing a catheter having a heat exchange element at a portion thereof;
inserting the catheter through the vascular system of the patient to place the heat exchange element in a blood vessel;
circulating fluid through the heat exchange element;
transferring heat from the blood in the vessel to the heat exchange element; and
administering an antishivering drug to the patient. - View Dependent Claims (54)
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55. A system for modifying the temperature of a patient'"'"'s body intravascularly, comprising:
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a flexible catheter insertable into a blood vessel;
a flexible heat transfer element attached to a distal end of said flexible catheter; and
a heat transfer blanket, wherein said heat transfer blanket includes a heat transfer device adapted to transfer heat between said blanket and a portion of the patient'"'"'s body. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57, 58, 59, 60)
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61. A method for substantially reducing cell damage during angioplasty, comprising:
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providing a catheter having a cooling element attached to a distal end thereof;
inserting the catheter through the vascular system of the patient to place the cooling element in a first location in a blood vessel, circulating fluid through the cooling element;
transferring heat from the blood in the vein to the cooling element; and
performing angioplasty on the blood vessel at a location proximal of the first location.
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62. A method for cooling a patient'"'"'s body intravascularly, comprising:
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providing a catheter having a cooling element attached to a distal end thereof;
inserting the catheter through the vascular system of the patient to place the cooling element in a vein that drains into the heart of a patient;
circulating fluid through the cooling element; and
transferring heat from the blood in the vein to the cooling element. - View Dependent Claims (63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71)
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72. A method for substantially reducing platelet aggregation in a blood vessel in which blood is flowing, comprising:
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providing a catheter having a cooling element attached to a distal end thereof;
inserting the catheter through the vascular system of the patient to place the cooling element in a blood vessel in which blood is flowing;
circulating fluid through the cooling element; and
transferring heat from the blood in the vessel to the cooling element, whereby blood is cooled and platelet aggregation is substantially reduced.
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73. A method for substantially reducing dependence on drug therapies in treating insults or injuries resulting in ischemia, comprising:
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providing a catheter having a cooling element attached to a distal end thereof;
inserting the catheter through the vascular system of the patient to place the cooling element in a blood vessel in which blood is flowing;
circulating fluid through the cooling element; and
transferring heat from the blood in the vessel to the cooling element, whereby blood is cooled.
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74. A method for substantially reducing cell damage during and after a myocardial infarction, comprising:
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providing a catheter having a cooling element attached to a distal end thereof;
inserting the catheter through the vascular system of the patient to place the cooling element in a vein selected from the group consisting of the superior vena cava, the inferior vena cava, or both;
circulating fluid through the cooling element; and
transferring heat from the blood in the vein to the cooling element, whereby at least one of platelet aggregation, oxygen demands, or the metabolic rate of the heart is reduced or bradycardia is induced. - View Dependent Claims (75)
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76. A method for substantially reducing stenoses recurring following angioplasty, comprising:
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providing a catheter having a cooling element attached to a distal end thereof;
performing an angioplasty or stenting operation on a blood vessel of the patient;
inserting the catheter through the vascular system of the patient to place the cooling element in the blood vessel;
circulating fluid through the cooling element; and
transferring heat from the blood in the vessel to the cooling element, whereby blood and the blood vessel wall is cooled.
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77. A method for substantially reducing reperfusion injury following reflow, comprising:
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providing a catheter having a cooling element attached to a distal end thereof;
performing an reflow operation on a blood vessel of the patient;
inserting the catheter through the vascular system of the patient to place the cooling element in the blood vessel;
circulating fluid through the cooling element; and
transferring heat from the blood in the vessel to the cooling element, whereby blood in the vessel is cooled.
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Specification