Vascular introducer with temperature monitoring probe and systems for endovascular temperature control
First Claim
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1. An introducer sheath/temperature probe assembly comprising:
- a tubular introducer sheath having a proximal end, a distal end and a lumen which extends longitudinally therethrough, said introducer sheath being insertable into a blood vessel;
an elongate temperature probe having a temperature sensor, a distal end and a proximal end, said temperature probe being insertable, distal end first, into the lumen of the introducer sheath and useable, when inserted into the lumen of the introducer sheath, to sense the temperature of blood flowing through the blood vessel into which the introducer sheath is inserted; and
a tip member disposed on the distal end of the temperature probe such that the tip member protrudes beyond the distal end of the introducer sheath when the temperature probe is inserted into the lumen of the introducer sheath, said tip member being constructed so as not to cause substantial trauma to the wall of the blood vessel as the introducer sheath/temperature probe assembly is inserted into the blood vessel;
said temperature sensor being located within said elongate temperature probe proximal of said tip member so that said tip member may extend substantially out of the distal end of said introducer sheath while said temperature sensor resides within said lumen of said introducer sheath;
wherein said tubular introducer sheath has a proximal opening diameter on said proximal end, said temperature probe has a distal length having a first diameter and a proximal length having a second diameter, said first diameter smaller than said opening diameter and said second diameter larger than said opening diameter, and the length of the probe distal of said second diameter up to said sensor is less than the length of the lumen of said introducer sheath, and the length of said distal portion of said probe between said second diameter and the distal tip of said distal tip member is sized such that when said temperature probe is inserted through said proximal opening the portion of the temperature probe of said first diameter is inserted into the lumen of said introducer sheath but the portion of said probe having said second diameter will be blocked from entering said proximal opening, and when fully inserted into said introducer, said tip member will extend beyond the distal end of the introducer sheath but the sensor will remain within the lumen of said introducer sheath.
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Abstract
An introducer sheath/temperature probe assembly that is insertable into a blood vessel of a human or veterinary patent to measure the temperature of blood flowing through that blood vessel. The introducer sheath/temperature probe assembly may be used in conjunction with an indwelling heat exchange catheter system to warm or cool all or a portion of the patient'"'"'s body to a desired target temperature and to maintain such target temperature for a desired period of time.
96 Citations
112 Claims
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1. An introducer sheath/temperature probe assembly comprising:
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a tubular introducer sheath having a proximal end, a distal end and a lumen which extends longitudinally therethrough, said introducer sheath being insertable into a blood vessel; an elongate temperature probe having a temperature sensor, a distal end and a proximal end, said temperature probe being insertable, distal end first, into the lumen of the introducer sheath and useable, when inserted into the lumen of the introducer sheath, to sense the temperature of blood flowing through the blood vessel into which the introducer sheath is inserted; and a tip member disposed on the distal end of the temperature probe such that the tip member protrudes beyond the distal end of the introducer sheath when the temperature probe is inserted into the lumen of the introducer sheath, said tip member being constructed so as not to cause substantial trauma to the wall of the blood vessel as the introducer sheath/temperature probe assembly is inserted into the blood vessel; said temperature sensor being located within said elongate temperature probe proximal of said tip member so that said tip member may extend substantially out of the distal end of said introducer sheath while said temperature sensor resides within said lumen of said introducer sheath; wherein said tubular introducer sheath has a proximal opening diameter on said proximal end, said temperature probe has a distal length having a first diameter and a proximal length having a second diameter, said first diameter smaller than said opening diameter and said second diameter larger than said opening diameter, and the length of the probe distal of said second diameter up to said sensor is less than the length of the lumen of said introducer sheath, and the length of said distal portion of said probe between said second diameter and the distal tip of said distal tip member is sized such that when said temperature probe is inserted through said proximal opening the portion of the temperature probe of said first diameter is inserted into the lumen of said introducer sheath but the portion of said probe having said second diameter will be blocked from entering said proximal opening, and when fully inserted into said introducer, said tip member will extend beyond the distal end of the introducer sheath but the sensor will remain within the lumen of said introducer sheath. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A system for controlling the body temperature of a human or veterinary patient, said system comprising:
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an introducer sheath/temperature probe assembly comprising i) a tubular introducer sheath having a proximal end, a distal end and a lumen which extends longitudinally therethrough, said introducer sheath being insertable into a blood vessel and ii) an elongate temperature probe having a temperature sensor, a distal end and a proximal end, said temperature probe being insertable, distal end first, into the lumen of the introducer sheath and useable, when inserted into the lumen of the introducer sheath, to sense the temperature of blood flowing through the blood vessel into which the introducer sheath is inserted and iii) a tip member disposed on the distal end of the temperature probe such that the tip member protrudes beyond the distal end of the introducer sheath when the temperature probe is inserted into the lumen of the introducer sheath, said tip member being constructed so as not to cause substantial trauma to the wall of the blood vessel as the introducer sheath/temperature probe assembly is inserted into the blood vessel, said temperature sensor being located within said elongate temperature probe proximal of said tip member so that said tip member may extend substantially out of the distal end of said introducer sheath while said temperature sensor resides within said lumen of said introducer sheath; a heat exchange catheter having a heat exchanger that is positionable within the vasculature of the patient and useable to alternately add heat to and remove heat from the patient'"'"'s blood; a heater/cooler apparatus for alternately heating and cooling the heat exchanger of the heat exchange catheter, thereby adjusting the amount and direction of heat exchange occurring between the heat exchanger and the patient'"'"'s blood; a controller which receives i) a target temperature input and ii) an indication of the body temperature sensed by the temperature probe when the temperature probe is inserted into the introducer sheath, said controller being operative to control the heater/cooler apparatus in response to the received indication of the body temperature to heat or cool the patients body to approximately the target temperature; wherein the temperature probe comprises first and second temperature sensors such that the temperature probe generates first and second temperature signals indicative of the temperature of the blood flowing through the blood vessel into which the introducer sheath/temperature probe assembly is inserted; and wherein the controller receives the first and second temperature signals and determines whether the difference between the first and second temperature signals exceeds a predetermined maximum acceptable temperature difference. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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47. A system for controlling the body temperature of a human or veterinary patient, said system comprising:
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a tubular introducer sheath having a proximal end, a distal end and a lumen which extends longitudinally therethrough, said introducer sheath being insertable into a blood vessel; an elongate temperature probe having a temperature sensor, a distal end and a proximal end, said temperature probe being insertable, distal end first, into the lumen of the introducer sheath to form a temperature probe/introducer sheath assembly; a heat exchange catheter having a heat exchanger through which a heat exchange fluid flows, said heat exchange catheter being positionable within the vasculature of the patient and useable to alternately add heat to and remove heat from the patient'"'"'s blood; a heater/cooler apparatus for alternately heating and cooling a heat exchange fluid that flows through the heat exchanger said heater/cooler apparatus comprising i) a housing having an opening formed therein;
ii) a heating/cooling element positioned within the housing; and
iii) a cassette which contains heat exchange fluid and is connected to the heat exchange catheter such that the heat exchange fluid may be circulated through the heat exchanger of the heat exchange catheter, said cassette being insertable through the opening and into the housing to a position adjacent the heating/cooling element such that the heating/cooling element will heat or cool the heat exchange fluid contained within the cassette; anda controller which receives a target temperature input and an indication of the body temperature sensed by the temperature probe when the temperature probe is inserted into the introducer sheath, said controller being operative to control the heater/cooler apparatus in response to the received indication of the body temperature to heat or cool the patient'"'"'s body to approximately the target temperature; wherein the temperature probe comprises first and second temperature sensors such that the temperature probe generates first and second temperature signals indicative of the temperature of the blood flowing through the blood vessel into which the introducer sheath/temperature probe assembly is inserted; and wherein the controller receives the first and second temperature signals and determines whether the difference between the first and second temperature signals exceeds a predetermined maximum acceptable temperature difference. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72)
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73. A system for controlling the body temperature of a human or veterinary patient, said system comprising:
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a tubular introducer sheath having a proximal end, a distal end and a lumen which extends longitudinally therethrough, said introducer sheath being insertable into a blood vessel; an elongate temperature probe having a proximal end, a distal end, a first temperature sensor and a second temperature sensor, said temperature probe being insertable, distal end first, into the lumen of the introducer sheath to form a temperature probe/introducer sheath assembly, said temperature probe being operative to generate first and second signals indicating the temperature of blood flowing through the blood vessel as sensed by the first and second temperature sensors; a heat exchange catheter having a heat exchanger that is positionable within the vasculature of the patient and useable to alternately add heat to and remove heat from the patient'"'"'s blood; a heater/cooler apparatus for alternately heating and cooling the heat exchanger of the heat exchange catheter, thereby adjusting the amount and direction of heat exchange occurring between the heat exchanger and the patient'"'"'s blood; a controller which receives a target temperature input and an indication of the body temperature sensed by the temperature probe when the temperature probe is inserted into the introducer sheath, said controller being operative to control the heater/cooler apparatus in response to the received indication of the body temperature to heat or cool the patients body to approximately the target temperature; said controller performing at least one function selected from the group of functions consisting of; a) receiving the first and second temperature signals and determining whether the difference between the first and second temperature signals exceeds a predetermined maximum acceptable temperature difference; b) causing the system to shut down when the difference between the first and second temperature signals exceeds the predetermined maximum acceptable temperature difference; c) causing an error signal to be emitted when the difference between the first and second temperature signals exceeds the predetermined maximum acceptable temperature difference; and d) selecting one of the temperature signals as a driver signal if the difference between the first and the second temperature signal does not exceed a predetermined maximum amount. - View Dependent Claims (74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95)
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96. A system for controlling the body temperature of a human or veterinary patient, said system comprising:
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an introducer sheath/temperature probe assembly comprising i) a tubular introducer sheath having a proximal end, a distal end and a lumen which extends longitudinally therethrough, said introducer sheath being insertable into a blood vessel, ii) an elongate temperature probe having a temperature sensor, a distal end and a proximal end, said temperature probe being insertable, distal end first, into the lumen of the introducer sheath and useable, when inserted into the lumen of the introducer sheath, to sense the temperature of blood flowing through the blood vessel into which the introducer sheath is inserted and iii) a tip member disposed on the distal end of the temperature probe such that the tip member protrudes beyond the distal end of the introducer sheath when the temperature probe is inserted into the lumen of the introducer sheath, said tip member being constructed so as not to cause substantial trauma to the wall of the blood vessel as the introducer sheath/temperature probe assembly is inserted into the blood vessel, said temperature sensor being located within said elongate temperature probe proximal of said tip member so that said tip member may extend substantially out of the distal end of said introducer sheath while said temperature sensor resides within said lumen of said introducer sheath; a heat exchange catheter having a heat exchanger that is positionable within the vasculature of the patient and useable to alternately add heat to and remove heat from the patients blood; a heater/cooler apparatus for alternately heating and cooling the heat exchanger of the heat exchange catheter, thereby adjusting the amount and direction of heat exchange occurring between the heat exchanger and the patients blood; a controller which receives i) a target temperature input and ii) an indication of the body temperature sensed by the temperature probe when the temperature probe is inserted into the introducer sheath, said controller being operative to control the heater/cooler apparatus in response to the received indication of the body temperature to heat or cool the patient'"'"'s body to approximately the target temperature; wherein the heat exchanger on the heat exchange catheter comprises a flowing fluid heat exchanger and wherein the heater/cooler apparatus comprises at least one apparatus for alternately heating or cooling a heat exchange fluid and at least one apparatus for circulating the heated or cooled heat exchange fluid through the heat exchanger of the heat exchange catheter; and wherein the heater/cooler apparatus comprises i) a housing having an opening formed therein;
ii) a heating/cooling element positioned within the housing; and
iii) a cassette which contains heat transfer fluid and is connected to the heat exchange catheter such that the heat transfer fluid may be circulated through the heat exchanger of the heat exchange catheter, said cassette being insertable through the opening and into the housing to a position adjacent the heating/cooling element such that the heating/cooling element will heat or cool the heat transfer fluid contained within the cassette;wherein the temperature probe comprises first and second temperature sensors such that the temperature probe generates first and second temperature signals indicative of the temperature of the blood flowing through the blood vessel into which the introducer sheath/temperature probe assembly is inserted; wherein the controller receives the first and second temperature signals and determines whether the difference between the first and second temperature signals exceeds a predetermined maximum acceptable temperature difference; and wherein the controller causes the system to perform a responsive action when the difference between the first and second temperature signals exceeds the comprising at least one action selected from the group consisting of;
a) causing the system to shut down and b) causing an error signal to be emitted. - View Dependent Claims (97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112)
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Specification