INTRAVASCULAR HEAT EXCHANGE CATHETER WITH RIB CAGE-LIKE COOLANT PATH

• US 20140094883A1
• Filed: 11/13/2012
• Published: 04/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zoll Circulation Incorporated (Asahi Kasei Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Zoll Circulation Incorporated (Asahi Kasei Corporation)
• Inventors: Lim, Alex L., Gurukula, Venkata Vishnu, Helkowski, Richard A., MAFI, MASOUNEH
• Granted Patent: US 9,433,528 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/106
• 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

An intravascular heat exchange catheter has serpentine-like supply and return conduits circulating working fluid with a heat exchange system to warm or cool a patient in which the catheter is intubated.

Claims

1. A catheter, comprising:

a heat exchange supply conduit configured to supply working fluid received from a source of working fluid to a distal location;

a heat exchange return conduit communicating with the supply conduit at the distal location and configured to return working fluid to the source;

wherein at least a portion of the supply conduit and at least a portion of the return conduit are configured in a serpentine configuration when working fluid flow therethrough;

wherein serpentine portions of the supply conduit establish axially longer segments and axially shorter segments and wherein serpentine portions of the return conduit establish axially longer segments and axially shorter segments, and further wherein at least one axially shorter segment of the return conduit is bordered by and axially between transverse legs of an axially longer segment of the supply conduit and at least one axially shorter segment of the supply conduit is bordered by and axially between transverse legs of an axially longer segment of the return conduit.

2. The catheter of claim 1, wherein at least when the conduits are inflated with working fluid, a proximal-most transverse segment of the supply conduit ends at a first distally-extending axially-oriented segment, which merges at a distal end with a second transverse segment, which in turn merges at an opposite end of the second transverse segment with another distally-extending axially-oriented segment.

3. The catheter of claim 2, wherein at least when the conduits are inflated with working fluid, a distal-most transverse segment of the return conduit ends at a first proximally-extending axially-oriented segment, which merges at a proximal end with a second transverse segment, which in turn merges at an opposite end of the second transverse segment with another proximally-extending axially-oriented segment.

4. The catheter of claim 3, wherein in each conduit, lengths of the axially-oriented segment sequentially alternate between a short length and a long length, while in contrast each transverse segment has substantially the same length as the other transverse segments.

5. The catheter of claim 4, wherein a long axially-oriented segment of the supply conduit axially spans a short axially-oriented segment of the return conduit, and likewise a long axially-oriented segment of the return conduit axially spans a short axially-oriented segment of the supply conduit.

6. A catheter, comprising:

a heat exchange supply conduit configured to supply working fluid received from a source of working fluid to a distal location;

a heat exchange return conduit communicating with the supply conduit at the distal location and configured to return working fluid to the source;

wherein at least a portion of the supply conduit and/or at least a portion of the return conduit is configured in a serpentine configuration when working fluid flows therethrough.

7. The catheter of claim 6, wherein at least a portion of the supply conduit is configured in a serpentine configuration when working fluid flow therethrough.

8. The catheter of claim 6, wherein at least a portion of the return conduit is configured in a serpentine configuration when working fluid flow therethrough.

9. The catheter of claim 6, wherein at least a portion of the supply conduit and at least a portion of the return conduit are configured in a serpentine configuration when working fluid flow therethrough.

10. The catheter of claim 9, wherein serpentine portions of the supply conduit establish axially longer segments and axially shorter segments and wherein serpentine portions of the return conduit establish axially longer segments and axially shorter segments, and further wherein at least one axially shorter segment of the return conduit is bordered by and axially between transverse legs of an axially longer segment of the supply conduit and at least one axially shorter segment of the supply conduit is bordered by and axially between transverse legs of an axially longer segment of the return conduit.

11. The catheter of claim 10, wherein at least when the conduits are inflated with working fluid, a proximal-most transverse segment of the supply conduit ends at a first distally-extending axially-oriented segment, which merges at a distal end with a second transverse segment, which in turn merges at an opposite end of the second transverse segment with another distally-extending axially-oriented segment.

12. The catheter of claim 11, wherein at least when the conduits are inflated with working fluid, a distal-most transverse segment of the return conduit ends at a first proximally-extending axially-oriented segment, which merges at a proximal end with a second transverse segment, which in turn merges at an opposite end of the second transverse segment with another proximally-extending axially-oriented segment.

13. The catheter of claim 12, wherein in each conduit, lengths of the axially-oriented segment sequentially alternate between a short length and a long length, while in contrast each transverse segment has substantially the same length as the other transverse segments.

14. The catheter of claim 13, wherein a long axially-oriented segment of the supply conduit axially spans a short axially-oriented segment of the return conduit, and likewise a long axially-oriented segment of the return conduit axially spans a short axially-oriented segment of the supply conduit.

15. The catheter of claim 14, wherein short axially-oriented segments of the conduits are substantially straight and parallel to a long axis of the catheter, while long axially-oriented segments the conduits are concave.

16. An intravascular heat exchange catheter, comprising:

serpentine-like supply and return conduits circulating working fluid with a heat exchange system to warm or cool a patient in which the catheter is intubated.

17. The catheter of claim 16, wherein portions of the supply conduit establish axially longer segments and axially shorter segments and wherein portions of the return conduit establish axially longer segments and axially shorter segments, and further wherein at least one axially shorter segment of the return conduit is bordered by and axially between transverse legs of an axially longer segment of the supply conduit and at least one axially shorter segment of the supply conduit is bordered by and axially between transverse legs of an axially longer segment of the return conduit.

18. The catheter of claim 17, wherein at least when the conduits are inflated with working fluid, a proximal-most transverse segment of the supply conduit ends at a first distally-extending axially-oriented segment, which merges at a distal end with a second transverse segment, which in turn merges at an opposite end of the second transverse segment with another distally-extending axially-oriented segment.

19. The catheter of claim 18, wherein at least when the conduits are inflated with working fluid, a distal-most transverse segment of the return conduit ends at a first proximally-extending axially-oriented segment, which merges at a proximal end with a second transverse segment, which in turn merges at an opposite end of the second transverse segment with another proximally-extending axially-oriented segment.

20. The catheter of claim 18, wherein in each conduit, lengths of the axially-oriented segment sequentially alternate between a short length and a long length, while in contrast each transverse segment has substantially the same length as the other transverse segments.