Selective organ hypothermia method and apparatus
First Claim
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1. A method for selective organ hypothermia, said method comprising:
- providing a flexible catheter, said catheter having an expansion element 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 compressed refrigerant to said expansion element;
expanding said refrigerant through said expansion element to cool the interior of said hollow heat transfer element;
cooling blood flowing in said feeding artery with said heat transfer element, to enable said blood to flow distally into said selected organ and cool said organ.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for performing hypothermia of a selected organ without significant effect on surrounding organs or other tissues. A flexible 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 compressed refrigerant is pumped through the catheter to an expansion element near the distal tip of the catheter, where the refrigerant vaporizes and expands to cool a flexible heat transfer element in the distal tip of the catheter. The heat transfer element cools the blood flowing through the artery, to cool the selected organ, distal to the tip of the catheter.
308 Citations
10 Claims
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1. A method for selective organ hypothermia, said method comprising:
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providing a flexible catheter, said catheter having an expansion element 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 compressed refrigerant to said expansion element;
expanding said refrigerant through said expansion element to cool the interior of said hollow heat transfer element;
cooling blood flowing in said feeding artery with said heat transfer element, to enable said blood to flow distally into said selected organ and cool said organ. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
forming said heat transfer element as a hollow tube; and
creating a temperature change in said heat transfer element to transform said heat transfer element to a hollow coiled tube.
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4. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising;
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forming said heat transfer element as a hollow tube; and
creating a temperature change in said heat transfer element to transform said heat transfer element to a hollow tube coiled around said refrigerant supply conduit.
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5. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:
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forming said heat transfer element as a hollow tube in the form of a loop having two sides; and
creating a temperature change in said heat transfer element to transform said loop to a double helix.
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6. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:
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forming said heat transfer element as a hollow tube in the form of a loop having two sides; and
creating a temperature change in said heat transfer element to transform each said side of said loop to a coil.
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7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said heat transfer element comprises a plurality of hollow tubes leading from said expansion element to a refrigerant return path in said catheter, said method further comprising expanding said plurality of hollow tubes outwardly.
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8. A method for selective organ hypothermia, comprising:
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providing a cooling catheter, said catheter having a metallic heat transfer element;
introducing said cooling 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 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.
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9. A method for selective brain hypothermia, comprising:
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providing a flexible cooling catheter, said flexible catheter having a flexible metallic heat transfer element;
introducing said flexible cooling 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 flexible catheter;
cooling blood in said carotid artery by contact with said cooled metallic heat transfer element; and
cooling the brain of the patient by flow of said cooled blood through said carotid artery.
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10. A method for selective hypothermia of the heart of a patient, comprising:
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providing a flexible cooling catheter, said flexible catheter having a flexible metallic heat transfer element;
introducing said flexible cooling 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 flexible catheter;
cooling blood in said feeding artery by contact with said cooled metallic heat transfer element; and
cooling the heart of the patient by flow of said cooled blood through said feeding artery.
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Specification