Brain resuscitation apparatus and method

• US 6,485,450 B1
• Filed: 03/16/1998
• Issued: 11/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Organ Recovery Systems, Inc. (Shanghai Genext Medical Technology Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Life Science Holdings, Inc. (Sanofi )
• Inventors: Owen, Donald R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Millin, V.
• Assistant Examiner(s): O'Hara, Kelly
• Application Number:
  US09/039,557
• Time in Patent Office: 1,716 Days
• Field of Search: 128/898, 604/152, 604/24, 604/507, 604/28, 604/4
• US Class Current: 604/24
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 1/02 Preservation of living parts
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 1/0247 for perfusion, i.e. for circulating fluid through organs, blood vessels or other living parts
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 1/0284 Temperature processes, i.e. using a designated change in temperature over time
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 16/00 Devices specially adapted for vivisection or autopsy similar devices for medical purposes, see the relevant groups for such devices ; autopsy tables A61G13/0027
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3606 cooled
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3673 thermo-electric, e.g. Peltier effect, thermocouples, semi-conductors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/50 with microprocessors or computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/0693 Brain, cerebrum
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 3/0229 Devices operating in a closed circuit, i.e. recycling the irrigating fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14 Infusion devices, e.g. infusing by gravity; Blood infusion; Accessories therefor

Abstract

A resuscitation apparatus includes a fluid pathway in fluid communication with a source of medical fluid, an interface unit for attaching the fluid pathway to the cardiovascular system of a mammal suffering from impaired blood flow in order to establish an artificial circulation in the mammal utilizing the medical fluid, and heat exchange apparatus that provides intense cooling to quickly chill the medical fluid a sufficient amount to slow a metabolic rate of an organ of a mammal into which the medical fluid is introduced. A method of treating anoxic and/or ischemic brain injury in a mammal suffering from impaired blood flow includes utilizing heat exchange apparatus that provides intense cooling to quickly chill a medical fluid a sufficient amount to slow a metabolic rate of a brain of a mammal into which the medical fluid is introduced, and introducing the chilled medical fluid into the cardiovascular system of a mammal suffering from impaired blood flow in order to establish an artificial circulation in the mammal, whereby the mammal remains substantially neurologically intact.

Claims

1. A resuscitation apparatus, comprising:

a fluid pathway in fluid communication with a source of medical fluid;

an interface unit for attaching the fluid pathway to the cardiovascular system of a mammal suffering from impaired blood flow in order to establish an artificial circulation in the mammal utilizing the medical fluid; and

heat exchange apparatus in the fluid pathway that provides intense cooling to quickly chill the medical fluid a sufficient amount to slow a metabolic rate of an organ of a mammal into which the medical fluid is introduced.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the source of medical fluid is a reservoir in fluid communication with the fluid pathway.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a pressure source for pressurizing the medical fluid within the reservoir.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the reservoir comprises at least one bag of medical fluid and the pressure source comprises a compressor in fluid communication with a pressure cuff disposed around said bag.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the reservoir comprises at least one bag of medical fluid and the pressure source comprises a compressed gas tank in fluid communication with a pressure cuff disposed around said bag.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heat exchange apparatus utilizes expansion of a cryogenic fluid in a non-recirculating expansion chamber to chill the medical fluid.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the chamber includes at least one wall formed of a material having high thermal conductivity and high resistivity to low temperature, and the heat exchange apparatus further comprises a fluid path assembly adjacent the chamber for circulating therethrough the medical fluid.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising at least two containers, the heat exchange apparatus comprising a cryogenic fluid heat exchange apparatus between and in fluid communication with both of said containers to permit chilling of the medical fluid through the cryogenic fluid heat exchange apparatus as the medical fluid is passed back and forth between the at least two containers prior to introducing the medical fluid into the fluid pathway.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a control valve within the fluid pathway which is shiftable between a position in which medical fluid flows through the fluid pathway to prime the fluid pathway and a position in which the medical fluid is directed through the fluid pathway to the interface unit to be introduced into a mammal.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a recirculation fluid pathway in fluid communication with the fluid pathway, and a recirculation interface unit for attaching the recirculation fluid pathway to a blood vessel of the mammal.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a recirculation pump, a recirculation heat exchange apparatus and a combined pump filtration, oxygenation and/or debubbler apparatus in fluid communication with the recirculation fluid pathway.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the recirculation heat exchange apparatus utilizes expansion of a compressed cryogenic fluid in a non-recirculating expansion chamber to chill the medical fluid.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the chamber includes at least one wall formed of a material having high thermal conductivity and high resistivity to low temperature;

and the recirculation heat exchange apparatus further comprises a fluid path assembly adjacent the chamber for circulating therethrough medical fluid.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the combined pump filtration, oxygenation and/or debubbler apparatus comprises a plurality of stackable support members assembled to form one or more modules, each module capable of one of pumping, filtering, oxygenating and debubbling a fluid.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the modules comprise a filtration module, an oxygenation module, a debubbler module and one or more pump modules.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a control valve which is shiftable between a position in which medical fluid is diverted from the fluid pathway into the recirculation fluid pathway to prime the recirculation fluid pathway, and a position in which medical fluid is blocked from passing directly from the fluid pathway into the recirculation fluid pathway.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the resuscitation apparatus is portable.

18. A portable resuscitation apparatus, comprising:

a portable casing;

a reservoir disposed within the portable casing for holding therein a medical fluid;

a fluid pathway disposed within the portable casing and in fluid communication with the reservoir;

an interface unit for attaching the fluid pathway to the cardiovascular system of a mammal suffering from impaired blood flow in order to establish an artificial circulation in said mammal; and

docking apparatus that allows the portable resuscitation apparatus to be removably attached to a heat exchange apparatus in order to maintain the medical fluid within the reservoir chilled an amount sufficient to slow a metabolic rate of an organ of a mammal into which the medical fluid is introduced until the portable resuscitation apparatus is needed.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the heat exchange apparatus comprises a thermoelectric device.

20. A portable resuscitation apparatus, comprising:

a portable casing;

a reservoir disposed within the portable casing for holding therein a medical fluid;

a fluid pathway at least partially disposed within the portable casing and in fluid communication with the reservoir;

an interface unit for attaching the fluid pathway to the cardiovascular system of a mammal suffering from impaired blood flow in order to establish an artificial circulation in said mammal;

heat exchanger apparatus in fluid communication with the reservoir for chilling medical fluid within the reservoir a sufficient amount to slow a metabolic rate of an organ of a mammal into which the medical fluid is introduced; and

a control unit that controls the introduction of medical fluid from the reservoir into the fluid pathway to prime the fluid pathway prior to allowing fluid communication between the fluid pathway and the interface unit.

21. A method of reducing anoxic and/or ischemic injury in a mammal suffering from impaired blood flow, comprising:

utilizing heat exchange apparatus that provides intense cooling to quickly chill a medical fluid a sufficient amount to slow a metabolic rate of an organ of a mammal into which the medical fluid is introduced; and

introducing the chilled medical fluid into the cardiovascular system of a mammal suffering from impaired blood flow in order to establish an artificial circulation in the mammal, whereby said organ remains substantially intact.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising introducing the medical fluid into the cardiovascular system from a pressurized reservoir.

23. The method of claim 22, comprising pressurizing the reservoir by activating a pressure cuff surrounding the reservoir.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising passing the medical fluid back and forth between at least two containers of reservoir through the heat exchange apparatus to chill the medical fluid a sufficient amount to slow a metabolic rate of the organ of a mammal prior to introducing the chilled medical fluid into said cardiovascular system.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the heat exchange apparatus utilizes expansion of a cryogenic fluid in a non-recirculating expansion chamber to chill the medical fluid.

26. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

withdrawing medical fluid from the mammal;

circulating the withdrawn medical fluid through said heat exchange apparatus; and

reintroducing the medical fluid into the mammal.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

providing a recirculation pump and a recirculation heat exchange apparatus in fluid communication with the recirculation fluid pathway; and

passing the medical fluid withdrawn from the mammal through the recirculation heat exchange apparatus in order to chill the medical fluid a sufficient amount to slow a metabolic rate of the organ of a mammal.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

oxygenating and degassing the medical fluid withdrawn from the mammal prior to reintroducing the medical fluid into the mammal.

29. The method of claim 21, wherein said organ of a mammal is a brain, said brain remaining substantially neurologically intact.

30. A method of reducing anoxic and/or ischemic injury in a mammal suffering from impaired blood flow, comprising:

removably attaching a portable resuscitation apparatus to a heat exchange apparatus in order to maintain medical fluid within said apparatus chilled a sufficient amount to slow a metabolic rate of an organ of a mammal into which the medical fluid is introduced;

detaching the portable resuscitation apparatus from said heat exchange apparatus; and

introducing chilled medical fluid from the detached portable resuscitation apparatus into the cardiovascular system of a mammal suffering from impaired blood flow in order to establish an artificial circulation in the mammal utilizing the medical fluid.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the portable resuscitation apparatus comprises a medical fluid reservoir, a fluid pathway in fluid communication with the reservoir and an interface unit for attaching the fluid pathway to the cardiovascular system of a mammal;

and said method further comprises;

introducing chilled medical fluid from the reservoir into the fluid pathway to prime the fluid pathway prior to allowing fluid communication between the fluid pathway and the interface unit to introduce chilled medical fluid from the detached portable resuscitation apparatus into the cardiovascular system of said mammal.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein said organ of a mammal is a brain.

33. An apparatus for reducing anoxic and/or ischemic injury in a mammal suffering from impaired blood flow, comprising:

heat exchange means for providing intense cooling to quickly chill a medical fluid a sufficient amount to slow a metabolic rate of an organ of a mammal into which the medical fluid is introduced; and

fluid introduction means for introducing the chilled medical fluid into the cardiovascular system of a mammal suffering from impaired blood flow in order to establish an artificial circulation in the mammal, whereby said organ remains substantially intact.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the apparatus is portable.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein said organ of a mammal is a brain, said brain remaining substantially neurologically intact.

36. An apparatus for reducing anoxic and/or ischemic injury in a mammal suffering from impaired blood flow, comprising:

attaching means for removably attaching a portable resuscitation apparatus to a heat exchange apparatus in order to maintain medical fluid within said apparatus chilled a sufficient amount to slow a metabolic rate of an organ of a mammal into which the medical fluid is introduced;

detachment means for detaching the portable resuscitation apparatus from the heat exchange apparatus; and

fluid introduction means for introducing chilled medical fluid from the detached portable resuscitation apparatus into the cardiovascular system of a mammal suffering from impaired blood flow in order to establish an artificial circulation in the mammal utilizing the medical fluid.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein said organ of a mammal is a brain.