Patient temperature regulation method and apparatus
View Patent ↗A device and method for providing body cooling. The cooling device applies cooling to blood flowing in a vena cavae that is then distributed throughout the body. The cooling can be assisted by use of thermoregulatory drugs or warming devices to prevent shivering and vasoconstriction.
1. A method for cooling a patient's body intravascularly, comprising:
providing a catheter having a cooling element attached to a distal end thereof, the cooling element having mixing-inducing surface features thereon;
inserting the catheter through the vascular system of the patient to place the cooling element in a vein that drains into the heart of a patient;
circulating fluid through the cooling element; and
transferring heat from the blood in the vein to the cooling element, further comprising applying cooling via a cooling device to a substantial portion of the surface area of the patient.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cooling device is a cooling blanket.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising administering a thermoregulatory drug to the patient.
4. A method of treating a human body, comprising:
inserting a flexible conductive heat transfer element into a vein from a distal location, the flexible heat transfer element having mixing-inducing surface features on the surface thereof;
circulating a working fluid through the flexible conductive heat transfer element to modify the temperature of the blood in the vein, thereby modifying the temperature of the body; and
modifying the temperature of at least a portion of the surface of the human body by a surface cooler.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein said mixing-inducing features create a turbulence intensity of at least about 0.05.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein said mixing-inducing features include at least one helical invagination.
7. The method of claim 5 , wherein said mixing-inducing features include at least one protrusion.
8. The method of claim 5 , wherein said mixing-inducing features create a mixing characterized by a Nusselt number of at least about 5.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein said mixing-inducing features include at least one helical invagination.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein said mixing-inducing features include at least one protrusion.