Cryotherapy devices and methods to limit ischemic injury side effects
AssigneeBioheat Transfer, LLC
InventorsKenneth R. Diller, Sepideh Khoshnevis, Robert Matthew Brothers
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In one embodiment, an apparatus that provides cooling and mechanical and/or electrical simulation to the treated site may be used to overcome the problems associated with cryotherapy. In one embodiment, a cryotherapy device for producing a cooling effect for treating tissue includes a temperature control device which alters the temperature of at least a portion of the tissue being treated during treatment; and a blood flow device that alters the blood flow rate through the portion of the tissue being treated during and following treatment.
Claims49
A method for local therapeutic cooling of tissue comprising:
- coupling a cryotherapy device to a portion of the tissue, wherein the cryotherapy device comprises a temperature control device and a blood flow device;
- operating the temperature control device to alter the temperature of a portion of the tissue;
- operating the blood flow device to alter the flow rate of blood through the portion of the tissue.
A cryotherapy device for producing a cooling effect for treating tissue comprising:
- a temperature control device which alters the temperature of at least a portion of the tissue being treated during treatment;
- and
- a blood flow device that alters the blood flow rate through the portion of the tissue being treated during and following treatment.
A method for reducing the risk of cold-induced ischemic injury during cryotherapy by administering a composition comprising flavanols to a subject in need of cryotherapy, wherein the administered flavanols increase the bioavailability of nitric oxide, thereby attenuating the extent of vasoconstriction caused by local cooling of tissue.
A method for preventing ischemic injury during cyrotherapy comprising:
- coupling a cryotherapy device to a portion of the tissue, wherein the cryotherapy device comprises a temperature control device and a blood flow stimulation device;
- operating the temperature control device to alter the treatment temperature of a portion of the tissue;
- and
- operating the blood flow stimulation device to increase the flow rate of blood through the portion of the tissue.
A method for preventing ischemic injury and thermal injury during cryotherapy comprising:
- coupling a cryotherapy device to a portion of the tissue, wherein the cryotherapy device comprises a temperature control device, a heat transfer limiting thermal barrier, and a blood flow stimulation device;
- operating the thermal barrier as sequential compression device periodically for which there are periods of time when the device is active interspersed with periods in which the device is inactive;
- operating the temperature control device to alter the temperature of a portion of the tissue;
- and
- operating the blood flow stimulation device to increase the flow rate of blood through the portion of the tissue.
A device for applying cryotherapy to a region of a mammal without causing a state of prolonged ischemia, comprising:
- a cryotherapy device for applying to a portion of the tissue, wherein the cryotherapy device comprises a temperature control device, a thermal barrier device and a blood flow stimulation device;
- a temperature control device that can modulate the temperature of the cryotherapy device to a designated value based on a feedback signal;
- a thermal barrier device having designated heat conduction properties that can regulate the temperature drop between the cooling source in the cryotherapy device and the skin;
- and,
- a blood flow stimulation device that can cause an increased flow of fresh blood to the tissue in the treatment region on demand and that can be operated periodically according to a designated pattern and that can be operated independently of the temperature control device feature so that blood flow may be stimulated during times when cooling is or is not actively applied to the treatment region so as to avoid the occurrence of prolonged periods of profound ischemia.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.