Selective organ hypothermia method and apparatus

• US 20050240250A1
• Filed: 06/23/2005
• Published: 10/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/1998
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Philips Electronics North America Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Philips Electronics North America Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Dobak, John D. III
• Application Number:
  US11/159,656
• Publication Number:
  US 20050240250A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/105
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0056 for cooling
• 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

Abstract

A method and apparatus for performing hypothermia of a selected organ without significant effect on surrounding organs or other tissues. A flexible catheter is inserted through the vascular system of a patient to place the distal tip of the catheter in an artery feeding the selected organ. A compressed refrigerant is pumped through the catheter to an expansion element near the distal tip of the catheter, where the refrigerant vaporizes and expands to cool a flexible heat transfer element in the distal tip of the catheter. The heat transfer element cools the blood flowing through the artery, to cool the selected organ, distal to the tip of the catheter.

Claims

1. A method for treating anoxic damage caused by a disruption of blood supply, comprising the acts of:

inducing hypothermia in the patient,

wherein hypothermia is induced by circulating a heat exchange fluid through a catheter positioned in the patient'"'"'s central venous system.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a shape of the catheter transforms from an original shape to a shape having an enhanced heat transfer surface area upon circulation of the heat exchange fluid therethrough.

3. A method for treating anoxic damage caused by a disruption of blood supply to the brain, comprising the acts of:

inducing hypothermia in the patient,

wherein hypothermia is induced by circulating a heat exchange fluid through a catheter positioned in the patient'"'"'s central venous system.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein a shape of the catheter transforms from an original shape to a shape having an enhanced heat transfer surface area upon circulation of the heat exchange fluid therethrough.