Fast changing heating-cooling device and method

A method of selectively destroying a plurality of cells and/or tissue of a living organism, comprising:

• providing a surgical probe having a surface to be brought into contact with cells and/or tissue of a living organism, said surface being capable of being cooled and/or heated and being capable of undergoing fast temperature changes, the fast-changing temperature changing from above room temperature to below about -50.degree. C. and vice versa, and the fast-changing temperature changing from above to below 0.degree. C. and vice versa at a sub-minute speed, said probe comprising:
• a heat exchanger coupled to an orifice, the orifice opening into a jacket;
• the jacket being in contact with the surface that is heated and/or cooled, the jacket forming a reservoir capable of housing a fluid in contact with the surface that is heated and/or cooled;
• two gas sources providing two gases, a first and a second gas, each of the two gas sources being independently connected to the heat exchanger, the first gas liquifying when expanding through the orifice, the second gas having an inversion temperature lower than a temperature obtained by liquification of the first gas;
• and
• means for allowing and stopping a flow of each of the two gases through the orifice;
• contacting the cells to be destroyed with the surface of the probe;
• and
• causing extreme temperature changes to take place at the surface of the probe to cool and/or heat the cells in contact with the surface thereby destroying said cells, said extreme temperature changes being from the initial temperature of the surface down to about -190.degree. C. up to about 205.degree. C. or changes between said extreme temperatures of about -190.degree. C. and 205.degree. C.

A method of accelerating and intensifying cryodestruction of a plurality of cells and/or tissue of a living organism, comprising:

• providing a surgical probe having a surface to be brought into contact with cells and/or tissue of a living organism, said surface being capable of being cooled and/or heated and being capable of undergoing fast temperature changes, the fast-changing temperature changing from above room temperature to below about -50.degree. C. and vice versa, and the fast-changing temperature changing from above to below about 0.degree. C. and vice versa at a sub-minute speed, said probe comprising:
• a heat exchanger coupled to an orifice, the orifice opening into a jacket;
• the jacket being in contact with the surface that is heated and/or cooled, the jacket forming a reservoir capable of housing a fluid in contact with the surface that is heated and/or cooled;
• two gas sources providing two gases, a first and a second gas, each of the two gas sources being independently connected to the heat exchanger, the first gas liquifying when expanding through the orifice, the second gas having an inversion temperature lower than a temperature obtained by liquification of the first gas;
• and
• means for allowing and stopping a flow of each of the two gases through the orifice;
• contacting the cells to be destroyed with the surface of the probe;
• and
• causing extreme temperature changes to take place at the surface of the probe to cool and/or heat the cells in contact with the surface thereby destroying said cells, said extreme temperature changes being from the initial temperature of the surface down to about -190.degree. C. up to about 205.degree. C. or changes between said extreme temperatures of about -190.degree. C. and 205.degree. C.

A probe for industrial, non-medical use for cooling and/or heating another surface other than a human body, said probe having a probe surface to be brought into contact with said other surface, said probe surface being capable of being cooled and/or heated and being capable of undergoing fast temperature changes, the fast-changing temperature changing from above room temperature to below about -50.degree. C. and vice versa, and the fast-changing temperature changing from above to below about 0.degree. C. and vice versa at a sub-minute speed, said probe comprising:

• a heat exchanger coupled to an orifice, the orifice opening into a jacket;
• the jacket being in contact with the probe surface that is heated and/or cooled, the jacket forming a reservoir capable of housing a fluid in contact with the probe surface that is heated and/or cooled;
• two gas sources providing two gases, a first and a second gas, each of the two gas sources being independently connected to the heat exchanger, the first gas liquifying when expanding through the orifice, the second gas having an inversion temperature lower than a temperature obtained by liquification of the first gas;
• and
• means for allowing and stopping a flow of each of the two gases through the orifice.