US6110168A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for controlling a patient's body temperature by in situ blood temperature modifications
Assignee: THEMOCORPS INC
•
Filing: 1998-06-19
•
Granted: 2000-08-29
•
Expires: 2018-06-19
Abstract
Abstract The present invention provides a method and apparatus for controlling the internal body temperature of a patient. According to the present invention, a catheter is inserted through an incision into a large blood vessel of a patient. By selectively heating or cooling a portion of the catheter lying within the blood vessel, heat may be transferred to or from blood flowing within the vessel and the patient's body temperature may thereby be increased or decreased as desired. The invention will find use in treating undesirable conditions of hypothermia and hyperthermia, or for inducing a condition of artificial hypothermia when desired.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert Ginsburg
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 15:55
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61F; A61F7/00; A61F7/12; A61F7/123; A61B; A61B18/00; A61B18/04; A61B18/08; A61B18/082; A61B17/00; A61B2017/00017; A61B2017/00022; A61B2017/00084; A61B17/22; A61B2017/22051; A61B2018/00053; A61B2018/00059; A61B2018/00089; A61B2018/00095; A61F2007/0054; A61F2007/0086; A61F2007/0095; A61F2007/126; A61F7/007; A61M; A61M25/00; A61M25/10; A61M2025/1043; A61M2025/1072; A61M2025/1086; A61M25/1011
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
89 words
A method of cooling a patient by cooling blood within the patient, the method comprising the steps of: inserting a catheter having a heat transfer region into a blood vessel of the patient so that the heat transfer region of the catheter lies within the blood vessel; providing at least one heat transfer fin projecting radially outward from said catheter in the heat transfer region; and transferring heat from the blood through the heat transfer region, wherein heat transfer is enhanced by the presence of the heat transfer fin.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
89 words
A method of cooling a patient by cooling blood within the patient, the method comprising the steps of: inserting a catheter having a heat transfer region into a blood vessel of the patient so that the heat transfer region of the catheter lies within the blood vessel; providing at least one heat transfer fin projecting radially outward from said catheter in the heat transfer region; and transferring heat from the blood through the heat transfer region, wherein heat transfer is enhanced by the presence of the heat transfer fin.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method as in claim 1, wherein said catheter has a longitudinal axis, and a plurality of fins, and said fins extend radially outward along a length of said longitudinal axis, and are relatively parallel to each other.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method as in claim 1, wherein said catheter has a longitudinal axis, and said fin is a spiral configuration along a significant length of said longitudinal axis.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
132 words
A method for decreasing a patient's body temperature by cooling blood within the patient, the method comprising the steps of: inserting a catheter having a heat transfer region into a blood vessel of the patient so that the heat transfer region lies within the blood vessel: providing at least one heat transfer fin projecting radially outward from said heat transfer region; cooling the heat transfer region to a temperature lower than the blood in the vessel flowing past the heat transfer region; absorbing heat from the blood through the heat transfer region wherein heat transfer is enhanced the presence of the heat transfer fin; and maintaining the heat transfer region at the temperature lower than the blood in the vessel for sufficient time to effect a lowering of the patient's body temperature.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
132 words
A method for decreasing a patient's body temperature by cooling blood within the patient, the method comprising the steps of: inserting a catheter having a heat transfer region into a blood vessel of the patient so that the heat transfer region lies within the blood vessel: providing at least one heat transfer fin projecting radially outward from said heat transfer region; cooling the heat transfer region to a temperature lower than the blood in the vessel flowing past the heat transfer region; absorbing heat from the blood through the heat transfer region wherein heat transfer is enhanced the presence of the heat transfer fin; and maintaining the heat transfer region at the temperature lower than the blood in the vessel for sufficient time to effect a lowering of the patient's body temperature.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
54 words
A method as in claim 4, further comprising the step of inflating a balloon around the heat transfer region with a heat transmissive fluid, wherein the heat transfer fin projects radially outward from the balloon and the heat transmissive transfer fluid effects heat transfer from the heat transfer fin to the heat transfer region.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as in claim 4, wherein the heat transfer region is cooled to a temperature not below 10° C. to transfer heat from the blood.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
88 words
A method for inducing hypothermia by cooling blood within the patient, the method comprising the steps of: inserting a catheter having a cooling element into a blood vessel of the patient so that the cooling element lies within the blood vessel; providing a heat transfer fin projecting radially outward from the catheter in the region of the cooling element; and transferring heat from the blood through the cooling element to decrease the patient's body temperature, wherein heat transfer in enhanced by the presence of the heat transfer fin.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
88 words
A method for inducing hypothermia by cooling blood within the patient, the method comprising the steps of: inserting a catheter having a cooling element into a blood vessel of the patient so that the cooling element lies within the blood vessel; providing a heat transfer fin projecting radially outward from the catheter in the region of the cooling element; and transferring heat from the blood through the cooling element to decrease the patient's body temperature, wherein heat transfer in enhanced by the presence of the heat transfer fin.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
53 words
A method as in claim 7, further comprising the step of inflating a balloon around the cooling element with a heat transmissive fluid, wherein a plurality of heat transfer fins project radially outward from the balloon and the heat transmissive fluid effects heat transfer from the heat transfer fins to the cooling element.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method as in claim 7, wherein the cooling element has a significant longitudinal axis and the heat transfer fin extends relatively parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cooling element to form a longitudinal fin.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
49 words
A method as in claim 9, further comprising the step of providing a heat transfer catheter having a plurality of heat transfer fins, each said fin projecting radially outward along said longitudinal axis to form a longitudinal fin, each said fin relatively parallel to at least one other fin.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method as in claim 7, wherein the heat transfer fin includes radial ribs.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method as in claim 7, wherein the heat transfer fin is substantially spiral shaped.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
50 words
A method as in claim 7, wherein the catheter is defined by a longitudinal axis and circumference and wherein the heat transfer fin extends radially outward from the longitudinal axis and around the circumference of the catheter along a very short length of said longitudinal axis thereby forming radial ribs.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2308484A
Cited
US3425419A
Cited
US3369549A
Cited
US3788328A
Cited
US3726283A
Cited
US4014317A
Cited
US3995617A
Cited
US4038519A
Cited
US4111209A
Cited
US4246932A
Cited
US4686085A
Cited
US4378797A
Cited
US4840617A
Cited
US4445886A
Cited
US4298006A
Cited
US4445500A
Cited
US4470407A
Cited
US4705501A
Cited
US4540402A
Cited
US4662383A
Cited
US4701166A
Cited
US4672962A
Cited
US5019075A
Cited
US4804358A
Cited
US4661094A
Cited
US4748979A
Cited
US4750493A
Cited
US4920963A
Cited
US4754752A
Cited
US4995863A
Cited
US4899741A
Cited
US4892095A
Cited
US4819655A
Cited
US4769005A
Cited
US5106360A
Cited
US4892519A
Cited
US5041089A
Cited
US5030210A
Cited
US4909252A
Cited
US4857054A
Cited
US4941475A
Cited
US5151100A
Cited
US5191883A
Cited
US4976691A
Cited
WO1991005528A1
Cited
US5147385A
Cited
US5257977A
Cited
US5092841A
Cited
US5196024A
Cited
US5149321A
Cited
US5250070A
Cited
US5112301A
Cited
US5180364A
Cited
US5211631A
Cited
US5269758A
Cited
US5248312A
Cited
US5342301A
Cited
US5403281A
Cited
US5837003A
Cited
US5383856A
Cited
US5716386A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2003-08-29 | 2004-02-28 | 2004-08-29 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2007-08-29 | 2008-02-28 | 2008-08-29 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2011-08-29 | 2012-02-28 | 2012-08-29 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |