Medical procedure

• US 7,951,183 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2008
• Issued: 05/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Zoll Circulation Incorporated (Asahi Kasei Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Innercool therapies Incorporated (Taxus Cardium Pharmaceuticals Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dobak, John D. III
• Primary Examiner(s): GIBSON, ROY DEAN
• Application Number:
  US12/152,160
• Publication Number:
  US 20080221651A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,113 Days
• Field of Search: 607/96, 607104-107
• US Class Current: 607/106
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/02 by cooling, e.g. cryogenic techniques devices for cooling specific reflex points of the body within cell-life limits A61H39/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00292 mounted on or guided by flexible, e.g. catheter-like, means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0022 Balloons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0212 using an instrument inserted into a body lumen, e.g. catheter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0262 using a circulating cryogenic fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0056 for cooling
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0288 during operations
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/126 for invasive application, e.g. for introducing into blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/12 Devices for heating or cooling internal body cavities
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/123 using a flexible balloon containing the thermal element

Abstract

The use of an intravascular cooling element to induce hypothermia in connection with a medical procedure. According to a first aspect of the present, invention, a coronary bypass procedure is conducted in which a patient'"'"'s blood is oxygenated with the patient'"'"'s lungs and in which blood is circulated using the patient'"'"'s heart or using an intracorporeal pump. The procedure preferably comprises: (a) positioning a heat transfer element in a blood vessel of a patient; (b) cooling the body of the patient to less than 35° C., more preferably 32±2° C., using the heat transfer element; and (c) forming a fluid communicating graft between an arterial blood supply and the coronary artery. The body of the patient is preferably heated to about 37° C. using the heat transfer element subsequent to the step of forming the fluid communicating graft. According to a further aspect of the invention, a hypothermic medical procedure is provided while a patient is in a conscious or semiconscious state, comprising (a) administering a beta-blocking drug to the patient; (b) delivering a heat transfer element to a blood vessel of the patient; and (c) cooling a region of the patient or the body of the patient to less than 35° C. using the heat transfer element.

Claims

1. A hypothermic medical procedure comprising:

administering a beta-blocking drug to a patient;

delivering a heat transfer element to a blood vessel of the patient, wherein the heat transfer element comprises;

an inlet lumen to introduce a circulating working fluid; and

an outlet lumen to extract a circulating working fluid, the outlet lumen having a helical shape to induce turbulence in blood flowing past the outlet lumen and in the working fluid; and

cooling a region of the patient or the body of the patient to less than 35.degree. C. using said heat transfer element while said patient is in a conscious or semiconscious state.

2. The procedure of claim 1, wherein the beta-blocking drug is a β

1 blocker.

3. The procedure of claim 2, wherein the β

1 blocker is selected from one or more of acebutolol, atenolol, betaxolol, bisoprolol, esmolol and metoprolol.

4. The procedure of claim 1, wherein the beta-blocking drug is a β

1β

2 blocker.

5. The procedure of claim 4, wherein the β

1β

2 blocker is selected from one or more of carteolol, nadolol, penbutolol, pindolol, propranolol, sotalol and timolol.

6. The procedure of claim 4, wherein the {acute over (α

)}β

1β

2 blocker is selected from one or more of carvedilol and labetalol.

7. The procedure of claim 1, wherein the beta-blocking drug is an {acute over (α

)}β

1β

2 blocker.

8. The procedure of claim 1, wherein the beta-blocking drug is administered after delivering the heat transfer element.

9. The procedure of claim 1, wherein the body of the patient is cooled.

10. The procedure of claim 1, wherein an organ of the patient is cooled.