Hypothermia devices and methods

• US 8,439,960 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2008
• Issued: 05/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Theranova, Llc
• Original Assignee: Velomedix, Inc.
• Inventors: Burnett, Daniel Rogers, Hall, Gregory W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lucchesi, Nicholas
• Assistant Examiner(s): LANDRY II, GERALD ERNEST
• Application Number:
  US12/169,566
• Publication Number:
  US 20090076573A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,771 Days
• Field of Search: 604/6.13, 604/6.16, 604/27, 604/29, 604/113, 604/508, 607/104, 607/105
• US Class Current: 607/105
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0063 for cooling
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0086 with a thermostat
• 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

A method of providing hypothermia to a patient including the steps of inserting a fluid delivery member into a peritoneal cavity of the patient; delivering hypothermia fluid from a fluid source into the peritoneal cavity through the delivery member; and limiting fluid pressure within the peritoneal cavity without providing feedback control to the fluid source. The invention also provides an apparatus for practicing the method.

Claims

1. A method of providing hypothermia to a patient comprising:

inserting a fluid delivery member into a peritoneal cavity of the patient;

delivering hypothermia fluid from a fluid source into the peritoneal cavity through the delivery member; and

limiting fluid pressure within the peritoneal cavity without providing feedback control to the fluid source by extracting fluid from the peritoneal cavity by opening a pressure relief valve when the pressure reaches a predetermined pressure.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the fluid source comprises a fluid container, the step of limiting fluid pressure further comprising limiting a height of the container over the patient.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the delivering step comprises commencing delivery of fluid through the delivery member automatically when an outlet port of the delivery member enters the peritoneal cavity.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising activating a heat exchange element within the peritoneal cavity.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising cooling the fluid in the cavity using an endothermic reaction.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising cooling the fluid using a compressed gas.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising cycling a fixed volume of fluid into and out of the peritoneal cavity.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the fluid comprises a hypertonic ice slurry and a hypotonic cold fluid.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the hypertonic ice slurry and a hypotonic cold fluid together are isotonic.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the inserting step comprises inserting the fluid delivery member transgastrically.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the inserting step comprises inserting the fluid delivery member transrectally.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising measuring patient temperature.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein measuring patient temperature comprises measuring patient temperature in a trachea.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein measuring patient temperature comprises measuring patient temperature in an esophagus.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein measuring patient temperature comprises measuring patient temperature in a bladder.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing automated circulation to the patient with a CPR machine.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising contacting an exterior surface of the patient with a cooling blanket.

18. A method of providing hypothermia to a patient comprising:

inserting a fluid delivery member into a peritoneal cavity of the patient;

delivering hypothermia fluid with a pump from a fluid source into the peritoneal cavity through the delivery member; and

limiting fluid pressure within the peritoneal cavity without providing feedback control to the fluid source by limiting torque on a moving pump component.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the fluid source comprises a fluid container, the step of limiting fluid pressure further comprising limiting a height of the container over the patient.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the delivering step comprises commencing delivery of fluid through the delivery member automatically when an outlet port of the delivery member enters the peritoneal cavity.

21. The method of claim 18 further comprising activating a heat exchange element within the peritoneal cavity.

22. The method of claim 18 further comprising cooling the fluid in the cavity using an endothermic reaction.

23. The method of claim 18 further comprising cooling the fluid using a compressed gas.

24. The method of claim 18 further comprising cycling a fixed volume of fluid into and out of the peritoneal cavity.

25. The method of claim 18 wherein the fluid comprises a hypertonic ice slurry and a hypotonic cold fluid.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the hypertonic ice slurry and a hypotonic cold fluid together are isotonic.

27. The method of claim 18 wherein the inserting step comprises inserting the fluid delivery member transgastrically.

28. The method of claim 18 wherein the inserting step comprises inserting the fluid delivery member transrectally.

29. The method of claim 18 further comprising measuring patient temperature.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein measuring patient temperature comprises measuring patient temperature in a trachea.

31. The method of claim 29 wherein measuring patient temperature comprises measuring patient temperature in an esophagus.

32. The method of claim 29 wherein measuring patient temperature comprises measuring patient temperature in a bladder.

33. The method of claim 18 further comprising providing automated circulation to the patient with a CPR machine.

34. The method of claim 18 further comprising contacting an exterior surface of the patient with a cooling blanket.

35. A method of providing hypothermia to a patient comprising:

inserting a fluid delivery member into a peritoneal cavity of the patient;

delivering hypothermia fluid from a fluid source into the peritoneal cavity through the delivery member;

measuring patient temperature in a trachea; and

limiting fluid pressure within the peritoneal cavity without providing feedback control to the fluid source.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein the fluid source comprises a fluid container, the step of limiting fluid pressure further comprising limiting a height of the container over the patient.

37. The method of claim 35 wherein the delivering step comprises commencing delivery of fluid through the delivery member automatically when an outlet port of the delivery member enters the peritoneal cavity.

38. The method of claim 35 further comprising activating a heat exchange element within the peritoneal cavity.

39. The method of claim 35 further comprising cooling the fluid in the cavity using an endothermic reaction.

40. The method of claim 35 further comprising cooling the fluid using a compressed gas.

41. The method of claim 35 further comprising cycling a fixed volume of fluid into and out of the peritoneal cavity.

42. The method of claim 35 wherein the fluid comprises a hypertonic ice slurry and a hypotonic cold fluid.

43. The method of claim 42 wherein the hypertonic ice slurry and a hypotonic cold fluid together are isotonic.

44. The method of claim 35 wherein the inserting step comprises inserting the fluid delivery member transgastrically.

45. The method of claim 35 wherein the inserting step comprises inserting the fluid delivery member transrectally.

46. The method of claim 35 further comprising providing automated circulation to the patient with a CPR machine.

47. The method of claim 35 further comprising contacting an exterior surface of the patient with a cooling blanket.

48. A method of providing hypothermia to a patient comprising:

inserting a fluid delivery member into a peritoneal cavity of the patient;

delivering hypothermia fluid from a fluid source into the peritoneal cavity through the delivery member;

measuring patient temperature in an esophagus; and

limiting fluid pressure within the peritoneal cavity without providing feedback control to the fluid source.

49. The method of claim 48 wherein the fluid source comprises a fluid container, the step of limiting fluid pressure further comprising limiting a height of the container over the patient.

50. The method of claim 48 wherein the delivering step comprises commencing delivery of fluid through the delivery member automatically when an outlet port of the delivery member enters the peritoneal cavity.

51. The method of claim 48 further comprising activating a heat exchange element within the peritoneal cavity.

52. The method of claim 48 further comprising cooling the fluid in the cavity using an endothermic reaction.

53. The method of claim 48 further comprising cooling the fluid using a compressed gas.

54. The method of claim 48 further comprising cycling a fixed volume of fluid into and out of the peritoneal cavity.

55. The method of claim 48 wherein the fluid comprises a hypertonic ice slurry and a hypotonic cold fluid.

56. The method of claim 55 wherein the hypertonic ice slurry and a hypotonic cold fluid together are isotonic.

57. The method of claim 48 wherein the inserting step comprises inserting the fluid delivery member transgastrically.

58. The method of claim 48 wherein the inserting step comprises inserting the fluid delivery member transrectally.

59. The method of claim 48 further comprising providing automated circulation to the patient with a CPR machine.

60. The method of claim 48 further comprising contacting an exterior surface of the patient with a cooling blanket.

61. A method of providing hypothermia to a patient comprising:

inserting a fluid delivery member into a peritoneal cavity of the patient;

delivering hypothermia fluid from a fluid source into the peritoneal cavity through the delivery member;

measuring patient temperature in a bladder; and

limiting fluid pressure within the peritoneal cavity without providing feedback control to the fluid source.

62. The method of claim 61 wherein the fluid source comprises a fluid container, the step of limiting fluid pressure further comprising limiting a height of the container over the patient.

63. The method of claim 61 wherein the delivering step comprises commencing delivery of fluid through the delivery member automatically when an outlet port of the delivery member enters the peritoneal cavity.

64. The method of claim 61 further comprising activating a heat exchange element within the peritoneal cavity.

65. The method of claim 61 further comprising cooling the fluid in the cavity using an endothermic reaction.

66. The method of claim 61 further comprising cooling the fluid using a compressed gas.

67. The method of claim 61 further comprising cycling a fixed volume of fluid into and out of the peritoneal cavity.

68. The method of claim 61 wherein the fluid comprises a hypertonic ice slurry and a hypotonic cold fluid.

69. The method of claim 68 wherein the hypertonic ice slurry and a hypotonic cold fluid together are isotonic.

70. The method of claim 61 wherein the inserting step comprises inserting the fluid delivery member transgastrically.

71. The method of claim 61 wherein the inserting step comprises inserting the fluid delivery member transrectally.

72. The method of claim 61 further comprising providing automated circulation to the patient with a CPR machine.

73. The method of claim 61 further comprising contacting an exterior surface of the patient with a cooling blanket.