Method and apparatus for hemostasis and compartmentalization of a bleeding internal bodily organ

Abstract

The present invention concerns methods and apparatus for compartmentalizing and carrying out hemostasis of a massively bleeding internal bodily organ of a patient. Generally, the apparatus includes a flexible compartment-defining structure having physical dimensions sufficient to generally conform to the gross geometry of a substantial portion of the organ. The flexible compartment-defining structure has an inner and outer surface, and is configurable so as surround and compartmentalize a substantial portion of the organ, with the inner surface facing the external surface of the organ. The apparatus of the present invention can be used to carry out hemostasis and/or the collection of blood for reprocessing and subsequent introduction to the patient by auto-transfusion. In another embodiment of the present invention, apparatus manipulates the surface-temperature of an internal bodily organ is also provided. Such apparatus further includes a flexible fluid-containable structure disposed over a substantial portion of the outer surface of the flexible compartment-defining structure, and is adapted for the passage of a gas or fluid therethrough in order to control the surface-temperature of the organ. In yet another embodiment of the present invention, a computer-graphic modelling and computer control system are provided in order to programmably control the surface-temperature and surface-pressure of the organ, while carrying out the methods of the present invention.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.