Apparatus for altering the body temperature of a patient
AssigneeLife Recovery Systems HD, LLC
InventorsRobert Schock, Marc Cote
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus for altering the body temperature of a patient comprises a cover for covering at least a portion of a patient's body and a compliant support adapted to underlie and generally conform to the shape of the portion of the patient's body to define a well adjacent to the patient's body portion for accumulating heat transfer liquid. The cover and compliant support cooperatively define an enclosure for receiving the portion of the patient's body and are constructed to conduct a heat transfer liquid into direct contact with the portion of the patient's body received in the enclosure to promote heat transfer between the patient's body and the heat transfer liquid.
Claims105
Apparatus for altering the body temperature of a patient, the apparatus comprising:
- a cover for covering at least a portion of a patient's body;
- a compliant support adapted to underlie and generally conform to the shape of the portion of the patient's body to define a well adjacent to the patient's body portion for accumulating heat transfer liquid;
- the cover and compliant support cooperatively defining an enclosure for receiving the portion of the patient's body and being constructed to conduct a heat transfer liquid into direct contact with the portion of the patient's body received in the enclosure to promote heat transfer between the patient's body and the heat transfer liquid.
Apparatus for altering the body temperature of a patient, said apparatus comprising:
- an enclosure adapted for receiving at least the torso and the legs of a patient, said enclosure being capable of conforming to the shape and size of the patient's body to thereby accommodate patients of various shapes and sizes;
- and
- a liquid delivery system capable of driving heat transfer liquid into the enclosure for direct contact with at least a portion of the patient's torso received in the enclosure to promote heat transfer between the patient's body and the heat transfer liquid.
Apparatus for adjusting the body temperature of a patient, the apparatus comprising:
- an enclosure defining an interior space for receiving at least a portion of a patient's body therein and constructed for directing heat transfer fluid into direct contact with the portion of the patient's body received therein, the enclosure being formed at least in part of a flexible material;
- a fluid passage in the enclosure constructed and arranged for directing the heat transfer liquid into the enclosure, at least a portion of the fluid passage being defined by the flexible material;
- a hold-open received in the portion of the fluid passage defined by the flexible material to hold the passage open and permit flow of a heat transfer liquid through the fluid passage past the hold-open.
Apparatus for adjusting the body temperature of a patient in a supine position, said apparatus comprising:
- an enclosure defining an interior space for receiving a portion of a patient's body;
- at least one inlet disposed above said portion of the patient's body for directing heat transfer liquid into said interior space to flow over the patient's body portion, and
- at least one inlet disposed below said portion of the patient's body when received in the interior space for directing heat transfer liquid into said interior space to flow under the patient's body portion.
Apparatus for adjusting the body temperature of a patient, the apparatus comprising:
- an enclosure defining an interior space for receiving at least a portion of a patient's body therein;
- an inlet in the enclosure for allowing a heat transfer liquid to flow into the enclosure for direct contact with the portion of the patient's body received in the enclosure to promote heat transfer between the patient's body and the heat transfer liquid;
- and
- an outlet in the enclosure for allowing the heat transfer liquid to be exhausted from the enclosure;
- a flow restrictor in fluid communication with the outlet for maintaining a predetermined amount of heat transfer liquid in the enclosure.
A system operable in a liquid cooling mode and a gas cooling mode for adjusting the body temperature of a patient, the system comprising:
- an enclosure defining an interior space for receiving at least a portion of a patient's body therein,
- a liquid delivery system for controlling the temperature of liquid and driving the liquid into the enclosure in the liquid cooling mode into direct contact with the patient's body portion when received in the enclosure;
- a gas delivery system for controlling the temperature of gas and driving the gas into the enclosure in the gas cooling mode into direct contact with the patient's body portion when received in the enclosure.
Apparatus for adjusting the body temperature of a patient, the apparatus comprising;
- an enclosure defining an interior space for receiving at least a portion of a patient's body therein, the enclosure being generally contiguous with the portion of the patient's body received in the interior space of the enclosure, the enclosure being adapted to admit a heat transfer fluid into direct contact with the portion of the patient's body received in the enclosure to promote heat transfer between the patient's body and the heat transfer fluid, and
- a filtration system for filtering the heat transfer fluid.
Apparatus for adjusting the body temperature of a patient, the apparatus comprising;
- an enclosure defining an interior space for receiving at least a portion of a patient's body therein, the enclosure being adapted to admit a heat transfer fluid into direct contact with the portion of the patient's body received in the interior space to promote heat transfer between the patient's body and the heat transfer fluid, and
- the enclosure including indicia arranged for positioning a portion of the patient's body relative to the enclosure.
Apparatus for altering the body temperature of a patient, said apparatus comprising:
- an enclosure adapted for receiving at least a portion of a patient's body, the enclosure including regions;
- a pump capable of driving heat transfer fluid into the enclosure for direct contact with the portion of the patient's body received in the enclosure to promote heat transfer between the patient's body and the heat transfer fluid;
- and
- at least one valve for selectively adjusting the flow path of the heat transfer fluid such that the heat transfer fluid can be directed to one or more regions of the enclosure.
Apparatus for altering the body temperature of a patient, said apparatus comprising:
- an enclosure having an interior space adapted for receiving at least a portion of a patient's body;
- a liquid delivery system capable of driving heat transfer liquid into the interior space of the enclosure for direct contact with at least a portion of the patient's body received in the enclosure to promote heat transfer between the patient's body and the heat transfer liquid;
- and
- a plurality of inlets in fluid communication with the interior space of the enclosure for allowing the heat transfer liquid driven by the liquid delivery system to pass through the inlet and into the interior space of the enclosure, said inlets being positioned for directing the heat transfer liquid to preselected parts of the portion of the patient's body received in the interior space of the enclosure such that a greater volume of heat transfer liquid flows over the preselected parts of the portion of the patient's body than non-selected parts of the portion of the patient's body.
Apparatus for adjusting the body temperature of a patient, the apparatus comprising;
- an enclosure defining an interior space for receiving at least a portion of a patient's body therein, the enclosure being adapted to admit a heat transfer fluid into direct contact with the portion of the patient's body received in the enclosure to promote heat transfer between the patient's body and the heat transfer fluid, and
- a head rest adapted to position the patient's head at an angle that causes the patient's breathing passageway to open.
Apparatus for altering the body temperature of a patient, the apparatus comprising:
- a compliant support sized and shaped for receiving a portion of the patient's body and constructed to conduct a heat transfer liquid into direct contact with the portion of the patient's body received in the enclosure to promote heat transfer between the patient's body and the heat transfer liquid, said compliant support being adapted to underlie and generally conform to the shape of the portion of the patient's body to define a well adjacent to the patient's body portion for accumulating heat transfer liquid;
- and
- a liquid delivery system for driving the heat transfer liquid into the enclosure.
Apparatus for altering the body temperature of a patient, the apparatus comprising:
- a support adapted to define an enclosure for receiving the portion of the patient's body therein, said support being constructed to conduct a heat transfer liquid into direct contact with the portion of the patient's body received in the enclosure to promote heat transfer between the patient's body and the heat transfer liquid;
- a cover being selectively moveable between a first position in which the cover generally covers the patient, and a second position in which the cover does not cover the patient;
- and
- a liquid delivery system for driving the heat transfer liquid into the enclosure, said liquid delivery system being operable with the cover in the first position, and operable with the cover in the second position.
A method for adjusting the body temperature of a patient, the method comprising:
- enclosing at least a portion of a patient's body within an interior space of an enclosure, the enclosure having an inlet for receiving a heat transfer liquid into the interior space, and an outlet in fluid communication with the interior space of the enclosure for exhausting the heat transfer liquid from the enclosure;
- directing the heat transfer liquid through the inlet of the enclosure into the interior space for flow over the patient's body in direct liquid contact therewith to promote heat transfer between the patient's body and the heat transfer liquid to the outlet of the enclosure;
- and
- directing a heat transfer gas into the interior space for flow over the patient's body in direct contact therewith to promote heat transfer between the patient's body.
A method for adjusting the body temperature of a patient, the method comprising:
- filling a pneumatic support with a fluid for supporting and substantially underlying a portion of the patient's body;
- enclosing at least a portion of a patient's body within an interior space at a location overlying said pneumatic support;
- and
- directing a heat transfer liquid into the interior space of the enclosure for flow over the patient's body in direct liquid contact therewith to promote heat transfer between the patient's body and the heat transfer liquid.
A method for adjusting the body temperature of a patient, the method comprising:
- enclosing at least a portion of a patient's body within an interior space of an enclosure, the enclosure having an inlet for receiving heat transfer liquid into the interior space, and an outlet in fluid communication with the interior space of the enclosure for exhausting the heat transfer liquid from the enclosure;
- directing the heat transfer liquid through the inlet of the enclosure into the interior space for flow over the patient's body in direct liquid contact therewith to promote heat transfer between the patient's body and the heat transfer liquid to the outlet of the enclosure;
- and
- maintaining a predetermined height of heat transfer liquid in the enclosure.
A method as set forth in 103 wherein the heat transfer liquid is maintained in the enclosure at a height between about 7 cm and 15 cm.
A method as set forth in 104 wherein the heat transfer liquid is maintained in the enclosure at a height of about 12 cm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.