Therapeutic hypothermia instrument

• US 4,483,341 A
• Filed: 12/09/1982
• Issued: 11/20/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eleonra M., Witteles
• Original Assignee: Atlantic Richfield Company (BP PLC)
• Inventors: Witteles, Eleonora M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coven, Edward M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hindenburg, Max F.
• Application Number:
  US06/448,114
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: 128/303.1, 128/399-403, 128/DIG. 27, 128/784, 62/3, 62/335
• US Class Current: 606/21
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0075 using a Peltier element, e.g. near the spot to be heated or cooled
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/00 Heating or cooling appliances for medical or therapeutic treatment of the human body heating or cooling means in connection with bedsteads or mattresses A47C21/00 ; massage, therapeutic baths A61H; hyperthermia using electric or magnetic fields or ultrasound A61N; electric heating elements H05B
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/12 Devices for heating or cooling internal body cavities
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 21/00 Machines, plants or systems, using electric or magnetic effects
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2321/0021 with a static fixed magnet
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2321/0023 with modulation, influencing or enhancing an existing magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/00 Energy efficient heating, ventilation or air conditioning [HVAC]

Abstract

An implantable hypothermia instrument for the in-situ treatment of oncological disorders includes a cylindrical casing terminating at a first end in a concave tumor-abutting portion of a thermoconductive material which is thermally adjacent the cold junction of a cascaded three-component solid state cooler and shaped to partially surround the target tissue in order to provide a convergent freezing effect. The cooler comprises a thermoelectric first cooling section, a thermomagnetic second cooling section and an Ettingshausen third cooling section connected thermally in parallel to afford a stepped temperature reduction across a wide thermal gradient and to provide a temperature level, freezing rate and repetitive freeze/thaw cycles sufficient for tumor necrosis.

Claims

1. A hypothermia instrument for the application of cytostatic freezing temperatures to selected portions of the body, said instrument comprising:

an outer casing;

an outwardly concave cold end of heat conducting material at a first end of the casing;

a hot end of heat conducting material at a second end of the casing opposite the first end;

an array of thermally consecutive cooling means having serially increasing cooling ability disposed between the hot end and the cold end, the hot end serving as a heat sink for a thermoelectric Peltier first cooling means, said first cooling means serving as a heat sink for a thermoelectric-thermomagnetic Peltier second cooling means, said second cooling means serving as a heat sink for a thermomagnetic Ettingshausen third cooling means, the third cooling means serving as a heat sink for the cold end and pumping heat therefrom through the preceding cooling means to the hot end;

means providing electric current to said array and means for interrupting said current,

said array being capable of producing a cold end temperature of about 100°

kelvin.

2. An instrument according to claim 1 which is constructed of biocompatible material and is implantable in the body, and wherein the thermoelectric Peltier first cooling means is capable of providing a temperature of about 190°

kelvin, the thermoelectric-thermomagnetic secon cooling means is capable of providing a temperature of about 150°

kelvin, and the thermomagnetic Ettingshausen third cooling means is capable of providing a temperature of about 100°

kelvin.

3. An instrument according to claim 2 wherein the current for the array of cooling means is provided by a battery contained in said hot end.

4. An instrument according to claim 2 which further includes a temperature sensing means extending from the outwardly concave cold end to determine the temperature produced within the selected body portion.

5. A hypothermia instrument for the application of cytostatic freezing temperatures to selected portions of the body, said instrument comprising an outer casing;

an outwardly concave head portion of heat-conducting material;

solid state cooling means with said casing in a heat-exchanging relationship with the head portion and adapted to produce a sub-freezing temperature at said head portion, said cooling means including a first Peltier effect means disposed as a heat sink for a second Peltier effect means having a first applied magnetic field thereacross, said second Peltier means disposed as a heat sink for an Ettingshausen effect means including a second applied magnetic field thereacross, the Ettingshausen effect means disposed as a heat sink for said head portion; and

means providing electric current to the cooling means and means for interrupting said current.

6. An instrument according to claim 5, wherein the first cooling means is capable of producing a temperature of about 190°

delvin at a hot end of the second cooling means which, in turn, is capable of producing a temperature of about 150°

kelvin at a hot end of the third cooling means which in turn, is capable of producing a temperature of about 100°

kelvin at the head portion.

7. An instrument according to claim 6 wherein current for the array of cooling means is provided by a battery contained in said hot end.

8. An instrument according to claim 6, which further includes a temperature sensing means extending form the outwardly concave head portion, said sensing means adapted to determine the temperature produced within the selected body portion.

9. A method for the in-situ necrosis of a tumor in a body, comprising the steps of;

providing an instrument comprising an outer casing with an outwardly concave cold end of heat conducting material at a first end thereof and a hot end of heat conducting material at a second end of the casing, with an array of thermally consecutive cooling means disposed between the hot end and the cold end with serially increasing freezing ability, wherein the hot end serves as a heat sink for a thermoelectric Peltier first cooling means, the first cooling means serves as a heat sink for a thermoelectric-thermomagnetic Peltier second cooling means and the second cooling means serves as a heat sink for a thermomagnetic Ettingshausen third cooling means, with the third cooling means in turn serving as a heat sink for the cold end and pumping heat therefrom to the hot end, and means providing electric current to said array and means for interrupting said current;

implanting said instrument in the body with the concavity of the cold end adjacent to and facing the tumor;

allowing current to flow for a time sufficient to cause a portion of the tumor to be frozen and reduced to a temperature of at least 213°

kelvin;

interrupting the current for a time sufficient to cause said portion to thaw and to allow necrotic tissue formed by the freezing to be carried away by body processes; and

repeating the allowing and interrupting steps.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the first cooling means provides a temperature of about 190°

kelvin, the second cooling means provides a temperature of about 150°

kelvin, and the third cooling means provides a temperature of about 100°

kelvin.

11. A method for the in-situ necrosis of a tumor in the body, comprising the steps of:

providing an instrument comprising an outer casing, an outwardly concave head portion of heat conducting material and cooling means within said casing in a heat exchanging relationship with the head portion and adapted to produce a sub-freezing temperature, said cooling means including a first Peltier effect means disposed as a heat sink for and providing a temperature of about 190°

kelvin to a hot end of a second Peltier effect means having a first applied magnetic field thereacross, said second Peltier means disposed as a heat sink of r and providing a temperature of about 150°

kelvin to a hot end of an Ettingshausen effect means including a second applied magnetic field thereacross, wherein the Ettingshausen effect means serves as a heat sink for and provides a temperature of about 100°

kelvin to said head portion, and means providing electric current to the cooling means and means for interrupting said current;

implanting the instrument in the body with the concavity of the head portion adjacent to and facing the tumor;

allowing current to flow for a time sufficient to allow a portion of the tumor to be frozen and reduced to a temperature of at least 213°

kelvin;

interrupting the current for a time sufficient to allow necrotic tissue formed by the freezing to thaw; and

repeating the allowing and interrupting steps.