# US 5,350,359 A · Control, treatment and/or diagnosis of physiological conditions with degassed perfluorocarbon liquid > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,350,359 A - Document ID: US5350359A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 07/916,332 - Filed: 1992-07-16 - Granted: 1994-09-27 - Earliest claimed: 1992-07-16 - Assignees: Temple University of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education - Inventors: Thomas H. Shaffer; Marla R. Wolfson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5350359A ## CPC - A61M 1/00: Suction or pumping devices for medical purposes; Devices for carrying-off, for treatment of, or for carrying-over, body-liquids; Drainage systems (catheters A61M25/00; tube connectors, tube couplings, valves or branch units specially adapted for medical use A61M39/00; devices for taking samples of blood A61B5/15; filters implantable into blood vessels A61F2/01) - A61M 3/00: Medical syringes, e.g. enemata; Irrigators (A61M5/00 takes precedence; pistons A61M5/315) - A61F 7/00: Heating or cooling appliances for medical or therapeutic treatment of the human body (hyperthermia using electric or magnetic fields or ultrasound A61N) - A61M 5/44: having means for cooling or heating the devices or media - A61M 2202/02: Gases - A61M 2202/04: Liquids - A61M 2202/0476: Oxygenated solutions - A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)} - A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C) ## Abstract This invention pertains to the use of a degassed perfluorocarbon ("PFC") liquid as a method of removing gas emboli from parts of a patient's internal anatomy. Moreover, the invention can be used as a method of imaging parts of a patient's internal anatomy. Furthermore, the invention can also be used as a way of delivering biological agents to parts of a patient's internal anatomy which contain or are surrounded by gas emboli and/or which are to be imaged. In this invention, a degassed PFC liquid is delivered to a region within the patient's internal anatomy which contains gas emboli and/or which is to be imaged. If gas emboli are present, the degassed liquid is permitted to absorb at least a portion of the emboli. Thereafter, the emboli-containing liquid is removed from the patient or is used as an imaging agent. If gas emboli are not present, the cite is imaged before the degassed liquid reaches atmospheric equilibrium. Thereafter, the liquid is removed from the patient. Moreover, by mixing a biological agent with the degassed PFC liquid, the mixture can be used as a way of topically treating parts within a patient's internal anatomy. Furthermore, by regulating the temperature of the degassed liquid, it can also be used as a way of hypo- or hyperthermically treating the patient. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A process for removing gas emboli from a cavity, space, void or gap present in or around a patient's gastrointestinal tract, uterus, bladder, nasal cavity, sinus cavity or acoustic canal, said process comprising the steps of: (a) degassing a perfluorocarbon liquid, (b) delivering the degassed perfluorocarbon liquid to a cavity, space, void or gap present in or around the patient's gastrointestinal tract, uterus, bladder, nasal cavity, sinus cavity or acoustic canal containing a gas emboli, (c) permitting the degassed perfluorocarbon liquid to absorb at least a portion of the gas emboli to form an emboli-containing perfluorocarbon liquid, and (d) removing from the cavity, space, void or gap present in or around the patient's gastrointestinal tract, uterus, bladder, nasal cavity, sinus cavity or acoustic canal the emboli-containing perfluorocarbon liquid. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A process as recited in claim 1, wherein a biological agent is mixed with the degassed perfluorocarbon liquid after step (a) but prior to step (b), and wherein at least some of the biological agent is permitted to be released from the perfluorocarbon liquid after step (b) but prior to step (d). ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A process as recited in claim 1, wherein a biological agent is mixed with the perfluorocarbon liquid during step (a), and wherein at least some of the biological agent is permitted to be released from the perfluorocarbon liquid after step (b) but prior to step (d). ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A process as recited in claim 1, wherein a biological agent is mixed with the perfluorocarbon liquid prior to step (a), and wherein at least some of the biological agent is permitted to be released from the perfluorocarbon liquid after step (b) but prior to step (d). ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A process as recited in claim 1 wherein, prior to step (b), the perfluorocarbon liquid is heated to a temperature designed to hypothermically treat the patient. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) A process as recited in claim 5, wherein a biological agent is mixed with the degassed perfluorocarbon liquid after step (a) but prior to step (b), and wherein at least some of the biological agent is permitted to be released from the perfluorocarbon liquid after step (b) but prior to step (d). ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) A process as recited in claim 5, wherein a biological agent is mixed with the perfluorocarbon liquid during step (a), and wherein at least some of the biological agent is permitted to be released from the perfluorocarbon liquid after step (b) but prior to step (d). ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) A process as recited in claim 5, wherein a biological agent is mixed with the perfluorocarbon liquid prior to step (a), and wherein at least some of the biological agent is permitted to be released from the perfluorocarbon liquid after step (b) but prior to step (d). ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A process as recited in claim 1, wherein, prior to step (b), the perfluorocarbon liquid is heated to a temperature designed to hypothermically treat the patient. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) A process as recited in claim 9, wherein a biological agent is mixed with the degassed perfluorocarbon liquid after step (a) but prior to step (b), and wherein at least some of the biological agent is permitted to be released from the perfluorocarbon liquid after step (b) but prior to step (d). ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) A process as recited in claim 9, wherein a biological agent is mixed with the perfluorocarbon liquid during step (a), and wherein at least some of the biological agent is permitted to be released from the perfluorocarbon liquid after step (b) but prior to step (d). ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) A process as recited in claim 9, wherein a biological agent is mixed with the perfluorocarbon liquid prior to step (a), and wherein at least some of the biological agent is permitted to be released from the perfluorocarbon liquid after step (b) but prior to step (d).