Heating/cooling system for indwelling heat exchange catheter

• US 7,287,398 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2004
• Issued: 10/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Zoll Circulation Incorporated (Asahi Kasei Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alsius Corporation (Asahi Kasei Corporation)
• Inventors: Stelea, Stelica, Noda, Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Jiang; Chen Wen
• Application Number:
  US10/913,127
• Publication Number:
  US 20050028551A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,180 Days
• Field of Search: 624/34, 624/30, 622/351, 607/105, 607/96, 600/256, 738/617.7, 738/613.3, 738/618.7, 738/617.9, 731/99
• US Class Current: 62/434
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0054 with a closed fluid circuit, e.g. hot water
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0093 programmed
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0096 with a thermometer
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/126 for invasive application, e.g. for introducing into blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/0085 Devices for generating hot or cold treatment fluids
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/12 Devices for heating or cooling internal body cavities
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 15/0069 Magnetic couplings
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2/18 with similar tooth forms F04C2/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 29/0064 Magnetic couplings
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 13/024 a magnetic coupling
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/606 Mounting in cavities
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2400/01 Heaters
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/0253 with variable speed
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/1351 of the cooled fluid upstream or downstream of the evaporator
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 17/02 for circulating liquids, e.g. brine

Abstract

A cooling system for an indwelling heat exchange catheter includes a heat exchange bath that is configured to receive a conduit that carries saline to and from the catheter. A heating/cooling fluid is in the bath and exchanges heat with the saline. The heating/cooling fluid flows through a heat exchanger that includes a refrigerant and two variable speed DC compressor for removing heat from the refrigerant. A gear pump circulates the working fluid to and from the catheter and is removably engaged with a pump support platform.

Claims

1. A heat exchange system for an indwelling closed loop heat exchange catheter, comprising:

a heat exchange bath configured to receive a conduit carrying working fluid to and from the catheter, the working fluid not being blood; and

a flow detector in communication with the conduit for detecting when working fluid is flowing through the conduit, wherein the flow detector comprises;

a clear housing;

a paddle wheel rotatably disposed therein; and

at least three infrared transmitter/receiver light emitting diode pairs, each infrared transmitter/receiver light emitting diode pair establishing a signal path through the housing.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the infrared transmitter/receiver light emitting diode pairs outputs a signal representing motion of the paddle wheel.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the peddle wheel comprises:

at least three paddles, the three paddles being arranged such that one of the signal paths established by the infrared transmitter/receiver light emitting diode pairs is always unblocked by the paddles.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the infrared transmitter/receiver light emitting diode pairs are arranged relative to the paddle wheel such that one of the signal paths established by the infrared transmitter/receiver light emitting diode pairs is always unblocked by the paddle wheel.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a processor connected to the infrared transmitter/receiver light emitting diode pairs, the processor including a program for detecting when fluid is flowing through the flow detector based on signals from the infrared transmitter/receiver light emitting diode pairs.