System for controlling body temperature of a patient
First Claim
1. A system for controlling body temperature of a patient, said system comprising:
- an intravascular catheter that is insertable into a blood vessel, the catheter having at least one heat exchanger which has at least one heat exchange surface capable of alternately introducing heat into and removing heat from blood flowing through the blood vessel;
a temperature sensor positioned on or in the patient'"'"'s body; and
, a control unit that receives temperature information from the temperature sensor and, in response to said temperature information, selectively causes heat to be a) delivered through the heat exchange surface into the blood or b) absorbed through the heat exchange surface from the blood, thereby maintaining the temperature of at least a portion of the patient'"'"'s body within a target temperature range;
wherein the control unit is programed such that, when the system is being used to cool a patient who'"'"'s body temperature is initially hyperthermic, the control unit will cause heat to be absorbed through the heat exchange surface from the blood until the temperature monitored by the temperature sensor has decreased to about 36.9°
C. at which time the absorption of heat through the heat exchange surface from the blood is stopped; and
wherein the control unit is further programed such that, if the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor continues to fall to a temperature of 36°
C. or below, the controller will then cause heat to be delivered through the heat exchange surface and into the blood.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for controlling the internal body temperature of a patient. According to the present invention, a catheter is inserted through an incision into a large blood vessel of a patient. By selectively heating or cooling a portion of the catheter lying within the blood vessel, heat may be transferred to or from blood flowing within the vessel and the patient'"'"'s body temperature may thereby be increased or decreased as desired. The invention will find use in treating undesirable conditions of hypothermia and hyperthermia, or for inducing a condition of artificial hypothermia when desired. The method and system further provide for the cooling of initially hypothermic patients whose blood or body temperature has been warmed above the desired target level and the warming of initially hyperthermic patients whose blood or body temperature has been cooled below the desired target temperature.
-
Citations
68 Claims
-
1. A system for controlling body temperature of a patient, said system comprising:
-
an intravascular catheter that is insertable into a blood vessel, the catheter having at least one heat exchanger which has at least one heat exchange surface capable of alternately introducing heat into and removing heat from blood flowing through the blood vessel;
a temperature sensor positioned on or in the patient'"'"'s body; and
,a control unit that receives temperature information from the temperature sensor and, in response to said temperature information, selectively causes heat to be a) delivered through the heat exchange surface into the blood or b) absorbed through the heat exchange surface from the blood, thereby maintaining the temperature of at least a portion of the patient'"'"'s body within a target temperature range;
wherein the control unit is programed such that, when the system is being used to cool a patient who'"'"'s body temperature is initially hyperthermic, the control unit will cause heat to be absorbed through the heat exchange surface from the blood until the temperature monitored by the temperature sensor has decreased to about 36.9°
C. at which time the absorption of heat through the heat exchange surface from the blood is stopped; and
wherein the control unit is further programed such that, if the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor continues to fall to a temperature of 36°
C. or below, the controller will then cause heat to be delivered through the heat exchange surface and into the blood.- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
-
-
23. A system for controlling the temperature of all or part of the body of a human or veterinary patient, said system comprising:
-
a heat exchange catheter that has a heat transfer region, said heat transfer region being configured for placement in contact with blood flowing through the patient'"'"'s vasculature to heat or cool the blood;
a temperature sensor located on said catheter, said temperature sensor generating a signal which corresponds to a sensed temperature;
a controller which receives a) a desired temperature and b) the signal which corresponds to the sensed temperature and, in response thereto, causes the heat transfer region to either heat or cool the patient'"'"'s blood as necessary to attain the desired temperature. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
-
-
49. A system for controlling body temperature of a patient, said system comprising:
-
an intravascular catheter that is insertable into a blood vessel, the catheter having at least one heat exchanger which has at least one heat exchange surface capable of alternately introducing heat into and removing heat from blood flowing through the blood vessel;
a temperature sensor positioned on or in the patient'"'"'s body; and
,a control unit that receives temperature information from the temperature sensor and, in response to said temperature information, selectively causes heat to be a) delivered through the heat exchange surface into the blood or b) absorbed through the heat exchange surface from the blood, thereby maintaining the temperature of at least a portion of the patient'"'"'s body within a target temperature range;
wherein the control unit is programed such that, when the system is being used to warm a patient who'"'"'s body temperature is initially hypothermic, the control unit will cause heat to be delivered through the heat exchange surface and into the blood until the temperature monitored by the temperature sensor has increased to about 36.9°
C. at which time the delivery of heat through the heat exchange surface and into the blood is stopped; and
wherein the control unit is further programed such that, if the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor continues to rise to a temperature of 39°
C. or above, the controller will then cause heat to be absorbed through the heat exchange surface from the blood.- View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68)
-
Specification