System and method for doubled use of patient temperature control catheter

• US 8,888,832 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2011
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zoll Circulation Incorporated (Asahi Kasei Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Zoll Circulation Incorporated (Asahi Kasei Corporation)
• Inventors: Lim, Alex L., Gurukula, Venkata Vishnu, Dabrowiak, Jeremy T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dvorak, Linda
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH, KAITLYN ELIZABETH
• Application Number:
  US13/247,159
• Publication Number:
  US 20130079857A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,147 Days
• Field of Search: 607/105
• US Class Current: 607/105
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00084 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0054 with a closed fluid circuit, e.g. hot water
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0056 for cooling
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0096 with a thermometer
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0261 medicated
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/126 for invasive application, e.g. for introducing into blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/123 using a flexible balloon containing the thermal element

Abstract

An apparatus for exchanging heat in a patient has a first elongated heat exchange catheter carrying circulating working fluid to and from a heat exchange system and a second elongated heat exchange catheter carrying circulating working fluid to and from the heat exchange system. The apparatus has a connector supporting proximal portions of both catheters while distal portions of the catheters are disposed inside a patient'"'"'s vasculature to exchange heat with the patient.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a first elongated heat exchange catheter carrying circulating working fluid to and from a heat exchange system;

a second elongated heat exchange catheter carrying circulating working fluid to and from the heat exchange system; and

a connector supporting proximal portions of both catheters while distal portions of the catheters are disposed inside a patient'"'"'s vasculature to exchange heat with the patient, wherein the catheters each have a heat exchange segment established by an elongated generally cylindrical balloon.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the connector is a Y-shaped connector.

3. An apparatus, comprising:

a first elongated heat exchange catheter carrying circulating working fluid to and from a heat exchange system;

a second elongated heat exchange catheter carrying circulating working fluid to and from the heat exchange system; and

a connector supporting proximal portions of both catheters while distal portions of the catheters are disposed inside a patient'"'"'s vasculature to exchange heat with the patient, wherein the catheters each have at least one heat exchange segment established by a series of non-straight, non-helical links through which the working fluid flows serially from link to link.

4. An apparatus, comprising:

a first elongated heat exchange catheter carrying circulating working fluid to and from a heat exchange system;

a second elongated heat exchange catheter carrying circulating working fluid to and from the heat exchange system; and

a connector supporting proximal portions of both catheters while distal portions of the catheters are disposed inside a patient'"'"'s vasculature to exchange heat with the patient, wherein the catheters each have at least one heat exchange segment established by a straight central supply tube surrounded by three helical return tubes.

5. An apparatus, comprising:

a first elongated heat exchange catheter carrying circulating working fluid to and from a heat exchange system;

a second elongated heat exchange catheter carrying circulating working fluid to and from the heat exchange system; and

a connector supporting proximal portions of both catheters while distal portions of the catheters are disposed inside a patient'"'"'s vasculature to exchange heat with the patient, wherein the catheters each have at least one heat exchange segment established by alternating segments of bellows regions and fluted regions.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the fluted regions have helical flutes.

7. A method, comprising:

providing a first elongated heat exchange catheter carrying circulating working fluid to and from a heat exchange system;

providing a second elongated heat exchange catheter carrying circulating working fluid to and from the heat exchange system; and

using a connector supporting proximal portions of both catheters and disposing distal portions of the catheters inside a patient'"'"'s vasculature to exchange heat with the patient, wherein the catheters have at least one heat exchange segment established by a series of non-straight, non-helical links through which the working fluid flows serially from link to link.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the connector is a Y-shaped connector.

9. A method, comprising:

providing a first elongated heat exchange catheter carrying circulating working fluid to and from a heat exchange system;

providing a second elongated heat exchange catheter carrying circulating working fluid to and from the heat exchange system; and

using a connector supporting proximal portions of both catheters and disposing distal portions of the catheters inside a patient'"'"'s vasculature to exchange heat with the patient, wherein the catheters have at least one heat exchange segment established by an elongated generally cylindrical balloon.

10. A method, comprising:

providing a first elongated heat exchange catheter carrying circulating working fluid to and from a heat exchange system;

providing a second elongated heat exchange catheter carrying circulating working fluid to and from the heat exchange system; and

using a connector supporting proximal portions of both catheters and disposing distal portions of the catheters inside a patient'"'"'s vasculature to exchange heat with the patient, wherein the catheters have at least one heat exchange segment established by a straight central supply tube surrounded by three helical return tubes.

11. A method, comprising:

providing a first elongated heat exchange catheter carrying circulating working fluid to and from a heat exchange system;

providing a second elongated heat exchange catheter carrying circulating working fluid to and from the heat exchange system; and

using a connector supporting proximal portions of both catheters and disposing distal portions of the catheters inside a patient'"'"'s vasculature to exchange heat with the patient, wherein the catheters have at least one heat exchange segment established by alternating segments of bellows regions and fluted regions.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the fluted regions have helical flutes.

13. A system, comprising:

plural elongated heat exchange catheters carrying circulating working fluid to and from a heat exchange system; and

a connector supporting proximal portions of the catheters while distal portions of the catheters are disposed inside a patient'"'"'s vasculature to exchange heat with the patient, wherein the catheters have at least one heat exchange segment established by a straight central supply tube surrounded by three helical return tubes.

14. A system, comprising:

plural elongated heat exchange catheters carrying circulating working fluid to and from a heat exchange system; and

a connector supporting proximal portions of the catheters while distal portions of the catheters are disposed inside a patient'"'"'s vasculature to exchange heat with the patient, wherein the catheters have at least one heat exchange segment established by an elongated generally cylindrical balloon.

15. A system, comprising:

plural elongated heat exchange catheters carrying circulating working fluid to and from a heat exchange system; and

a connector supporting proximal portions of the catheters while distal portions of the catheters are disposed inside a patient'"'"'s vasculature to exchange heat with the patient, wherein the catheters have at least one heat exchange segment established by a series of non-straight, non-helical links through which the working fluid flows serially from link to link.

16. A system, comprising:

plural elongated heat exchange catheters carrying circulating working fluid to and from a heat exchange system; and

a connector supporting proximal portions of the catheters while distal portions of the catheters are disposed inside a patient'"'"'s vasculature to exchange heat with the patient, wherein the catheters have at least one heat exchange segment established by alternating segments of bellows regions and fluted regions.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the fluted regions have helical flutes.