Patient temperature control catheter with outer sleeve cooled by inner sleeve

• US 9,283,112 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2014
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2011
• 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., Helkowski, Richard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dvorak, Linda
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ekrami, Yasamin
• Application Number:
  US14/509,271
• Publication Number:
  US 20150025607A1
• Time in Patent Office: 524 Days
• Field of Search: 607/105, 606 20- 25
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 2007/0094 using a remote control
• 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: A61M 2025/0004 having two or more concentrically arranged tubes for forming a concentric catheter system
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/18 with alarm
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3368 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/00 Catheters; Hollow probes dilators A61M29/00; peritoneal catheters A61M1/285; tracheal tubes A61M16/04; for drainage A61M27/00; for uterus, vagina or rectum A61M31/00 ; for measuring or testing A61B; materials for catheters A61L29/00

Abstract

A catheter has an inner sleeve through which refrigerant circulates to and from a source of refrigerant. The catheter also has an outer sleeve surrounding the inner sleeve, including a distal end thereof. The outer sleeve is filled with a frozen biocompatible substance. The refrigerant is separated from the biocompatible substance by one or more walls of the inner sleeve such that the refrigerant is isolated from a patient in whom the catheter is positioned by both the inner sleeve and the frozen biocompatible substance. The refrigerant circulates through the catheter when the catheter is positioned in the patient to maintain the biocompatible substance frozen as heat is transferred from the patient to the biocompatible substance.

Claims

1. A method for cooling a patient in whom a catheter is disposed, comprising:

disposing a biocompatible fluid in a first chamber of the catheter;

freezing the biocompatible fluid using refrigerant circulating through a second chamber of the catheter; and

monitoring signals from a refrigerant sensor in the first chamber to actuate at least one alarm responsive to detecting refrigerant in the first chamber.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the refrigerant is a fluorinated hydrocarbon.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the biocompatible fluid is saline.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the biocompatible fluid is frozen.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the refrigerant circulating through the catheter maintains the biocompatible substance frozen as the patient is cooled.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the catheter has an inner sleeve defining the second chamber through which the refrigerant circulates to and from a source of refrigerant and an outer sleeve defining the first chamber and surrounding the inner sleeve including a distal end thereof that is filled with the biocompatible fluid.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the inner sleeve has an opening juxtaposed with a proximal end of the inner sleeve and a closed distal end opposite the proximal end such that refrigerant may enter the inner sleeve only through the proximal end and cannot pass through the distal end.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the sleeves are coaxial with each other.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the refrigerant sensor communicates with a control system engaged with the catheter and the method includes, responsive to detecting refrigerant between the first chamber and the second chamber, generating a signal to the control system for causing the control system to activate an audible and/or visual alarm.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising:

monitoring temperature of the biocompatible fluid; and

responsive to a determination that the temperature of the biocompatible fluid exceeds the freezing temperature of the biocompatible fluid, circulating refrigerant in the second chamber.