Selective organ cooling apparatus and method
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A catheter for modifying the temperature of an organ, comprising:
- a catheter shaft having first and second lumens therein;
a flexible metal heat transfer tip adapted to transfer heat between blood flowing around the heat transfer tip and a working fluid circulated in through the first lumen and out through the second lumen; and
structures on the exterior of the heat transfer tip shaped and sized to induce a turbulence intensity of at least 0.05 in blood flowing around the heat transfer tip.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A selective organ heat transfer device with deep irregularities in a turbulence-inducing exterior surface. The device can have a plurality of elongated, articulated segments, each having a turbulence-inducing exterior surface. A flexible joint connects adjacent elongated, articulated segments. An inner lumen is disposed within the heat transfer segments. The inner lumen is capable of transporting a pressurized working fluid to a distal end of the heat transfer element.
155 Citations
43 Claims
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1. A catheter for modifying the temperature of an organ, comprising:
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a catheter shaft having first and second lumens therein;
a flexible metal heat transfer tip adapted to transfer heat between blood flowing around the heat transfer tip and a working fluid circulated in through the first lumen and out through the second lumen; and
structures on the exterior of the heat transfer tip shaped and sized to induce a turbulence intensity of at least 0.05 in blood flowing around the heat transfer tip.
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2. A selective organ heat transfer device, comprising:
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a flexible catheter capable of insertion to a vessel in the vascular system of a patient;
a single heat transfer segment attached to a distal end of said catheter; and
a helical ridge and a helical groove formed on said single heat transfer segment. - View Dependent Claims (3)
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4. A selective organ heat transfer device, comprising:
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a flexible catheter capable of insertion to a vessel in the vascular system of a patient;
a plurality of heat transfer segments attached to a distal end of said catheter;
a flexible joint disposed between each pair of said plurality of heat transfer segments, such that the local convective heat transfer coefficient of each said segment is greater than that of each said flexible joint. - View Dependent Claims (5)
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6. A selective organ heat transfer device, comprising:
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a flexible catheter capable of insertion to a selected feeding artery in the vascular system of a patient;
a heat transfer element attached to a distal end of said catheter, said heat transfer element comprising a plurality of heat transfer segments;
a flexible joint connecting each of said heat transfer segments to adjacent said heat transfer segments;
a helical ridge and a helical groove formed on each said heat transfer segment, said helical ridge and helical groove being shaped and arranged to create mixing in surrounding fluid; and
an inner tube disposed within said heat transfer element, said inner tube being connected in fluid flow communication with an inner tube within said catheter;
wherein said helical ridge on each said heat transfer segment has an opposite helical twist to said helical ridges on adjacent said heat transfer segments.
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7. A selective organ heat transfer device, comprising:
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a flexible catheter capable of insertion to a selected feeding artery in the vascular system of a patient;
a heat transfer element attached to a distal end of said catheter, said heat transfer element having an exterior diameter substantially less than the inner diameter of the selected feeding artery;
a plurality of protrusions axially staggered along an exterior surface of said heat transfer element, said protrusions having a height at least equal to the boundary layer thickness of flow in the feeding artery; and
an inner coaxial tube disposed within said heat transfer element, said inner coaxial tube being connected in fluid flow communication with an inner coaxial tube within said catheter.
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8. A selective organ heat transfer device, comprising:
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a flexible catheter capable of insertion to a selected feeding artery in the vascular system of a patient;
a heat transfer element attached to a distal end of said catheter;
a plurality of exterior surface irregularities on said heat transfer element, said exterior surface irregularities being shaped and arranged to create turbulence in surrounding fluid, said exterior surface irregularities having a depth at least equal to the boundary layer thickness of flow in the feeding artery;
a plurality of protrusions axially staggered along an interior surface of said heat transfer element, said interior protrusions being shaped and arranged to create turbulence in fluid within said heat transfer element, said interior protrusions having a height at least equal to the boundary layer thickness of flow within said heat transfer element; and
an inner coaxial tube disposed within said heat transfer element, said inner coaxial tube being connected in fluid flow communication with an inner coaxial tube within said catheter.
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9. A selective organ heat transfer device comprising:
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a flexible coaxial catheter capable of insertion to a selected feeding artery in the vascular system of a patient;
a heat transfer element comprising a plurality of heat transfer segments attached to a distal end of said catheter;
a helical ridge and a helical groove on each said heat transfer segment, each said helical groove having a depth at least equal to the boundary layer thickness of flow in the feeding artery;
a flexible joint connecting each of said heat transfer segments to adjacent said heat transfer segments; and
an inner coaxial tube disposed within said heat transfer element, said inner coaxial tube being connected in fluid flow communication with an inner coaxial tube within said catheter;
wherein said helical ridge on each said heat transfer segment has an opposite helical twist to said helical ridges on adjacent said heat transfer segments.
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10. A selective organ heat transfer device, comprising:
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a flexible catheter capable of insertion to a selected vessel in the vascular system of a patient;
a heat transfer element attached to a distal end of said catheter, said heat transfer element being formed of a single segment;
a helical ridge and a helical groove formed on said heat transfer segment, said helical groove having a depth great enough to create turbulence in fluid surrounding said heat transfer segment; and
an inner tube disposed within said heat transfer segment, said inner tube being connected in fluid flow communication with an inner tube within said catheter. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
a plurality of said heat transfer segments; and
a flexible joint connecting each of said heat transfer segments to adjacent said heat transfer segments.
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12. A heat transfer device as recited in claim 11, wherein said flexible joint comprises a bellows.
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13. A heat transfer device as recited in claim 11, wherein:
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a single helical ridge and a single helical groove are formed on each said heat transfer segment; and
said helical ridge on each said heat transfer segment has an opposite helical twist to said helical ridge on each adjacent said heat transfer segment.
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14. A selective organ heat transfer device, comprising:
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a flexible catheter capable of insertion to a selected vessel in the vascular system of a patient;
a heat transfer element attached to a distal end of said catheter;
a single helical ridge and a single helical groove formed on said heat transfer element, said helical groove having a depth great enough to create turbulence in fluid surrounding said heat transfer element; and
an inner tube disposed within said heat transfer element, said inner tube being connected in fluid flow communication with an inner tube within said catheter. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
a single helical ridge and a single helical groove are formed on each said heat transfer segment; and
said helical ridge on each said heat transfer segment has an opposite helical twist to said helical ridge on each adjacent said heat transfer segment.
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18. A catheter for modifying the temperature of a body, comprising:
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a catheter shaft;
a flexible, thermally conductive, heat transfer tip adapted to transfer heat between blood flowing around said heat transfer tip and an interior of said heat transfer tip; and
structures on the exterior of said heat transfer tip, said structures being shaped and sized to induce mixing in blood flowing around said heat transfer tip to a turbulence intensity level of at least about 0.05. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
first and second lumens in said catheter shaft; and
a working fluid circulated in through said first lumen and out through said second lumen to accomplish said heat transfer.
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20. The catheter recited in claim 18, wherein said heat transfer tip is made of metal.
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21. The catheter recited in claim 18, further comprising mixing-inducing surface features disposed on said interior of said heat transfer tip.
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22. The catheter recited in claim 21, wherein said mixing-inducing surface features are protrusions.
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23. The catheter recited in claim 21, wherein said mixing-inducing surface features include a helix.
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24. A catheter for modifying the temperature of a body, comprising:
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a catheter shaft;
first and second lumens in said catheter shaft;
a flexible, thermally conductive, heat transfer tip adapted to transfer heat between blood flowing around said heat transfer tip and an interior of said heat transfer tip;
a working fluid circulated in through said first lumen and out through said second lumen to accomplish said heat transfer; and
structures on said interior of said heat transfer tip, said structures being shaped and sized to induce mixing in said working fluid to a turbulence intensity level of at least about 0.05.
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25. A heat transfer device, comprising:
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first and second elongated segments, each said segment having a mixing-inducing irregular exterior surface;
a flexible articulating joint connecting said first and second elongated segments; and
a tubular conduit disposed substantially coaxially within said first and second elongated, articulated segments, said conduit having an inner lumen for transporting a pressurized working fluid to a distal end of said elongated, articulated segments. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A method of treating an organ, comprising:
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providing a segmented heat transfer element for insertion into a feeder artery;
inserting the heat transfer element into a feeder artery from a distal location; and
changing the temperature of the heat transfer element to modify the temperature of the blood in the feeder artery, thereby selectively modifying the temperature of the organ. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37)
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38. A method of treating an organ, comprising:
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inserting a heat transfer element into a feeder artery from a distal location;
inducing mixing in blood flowing in the feeder artery to induce a turbulence intensity level of at least about 0.05; and
changing the temperature of the heat transfer element to modify the temperature of the blood in the feeder artery, thereby selectively modifying the temperature of the organ. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41)
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42. A method of treating an organ, comprising:
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providing a flexible conductive metallic heat transfer element for insertion into a feeder artery;
inserting the heat transfer element into a feeder artery from a distal location; and
changing the temperature of the heat transfer element and inducing mixing in blood flowing in the feeder artery to modify the temperature of the blood in the feeder artery, thereby selectively modifying the temperature of the organ.
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43. A method of treating an organ, comprising:
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providing a flexible conductive metallic heat transfer element for insertion into a feeder artery;
inserting the heat transfer element into a feeder artery from a distal location;
circulating a working fluid through the heat transfer element to accomplish heat transfer;
inducing mixing in the working fluid; and
changing the temperature of the heat transfer element to modify the temperature of the blood in the feeder artery, thereby selectively modifying the temperature of the organ.
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Specification