Patient thermal regulation system

A system for regulating a core body temperature of a person having a core body temperature and blood vessels, the system comprising:

• a pressure applicator configured to apply pressure to a portion of the person to vasodilate blood vessels of the person within the portion,
• a heating and cooling device configured to heat and cool the portion of the person,
• a temperature sensor adapted to be coupled to the person, and
• a control apparatus coupled to the heating and cooling device, the control apparatus having a controller configured to vary the amount of heat and cool supplied by the heating and cooling device in response to a difference in temperature between a preset temperature programmed into the controller and an actual core body temperature of the person received by the controller from the temperature sensor on the person such that the controller maintains the actual core body temperature of the person at substantially the preset temperature.

A control apparatus for regulating an actual core body temperature of a patient using a sleeve configured to cover an extremity of the patient and a temperature sensor coupled to the patient, the patient having a core body temperature and blood vessels, the apparatus comprising:

• a housing,
• an input device coupled to the housing and configured to allow a user to input a desired core body temperature for the patient,
• a heating and cooling device configured to heat and cool the patient, and
• a controller contained within the housing and electrically coupled to the input device to allow the controller to receive the desired temperature, the controller being configured to supply a medium to the sleeve to provide a pressure on the extremity of the patient to vasodilate blood vessels in the extremity, the controller being configured to receive an input indicating the actual core body temperature from the temperature sensor on the patient and to compare the desired temperature to the actual core body temperature of the patient measured by the temperature sensor on the patient and being coupled to the heating and cooling device to vary the heat and cool of the medium supplied to the sleeve based upon any difference between the actual core body temperature and the desired core body temperature to regulate the actual core body temperature of the patient to substantially the desired temperature.

A system for regulating the core body temperature of a person having a core body temperature and blood vessels, the system comprising

• a sleeve configured to cover a portion of a person,
• a tube having a first end coupled to the sleeve and a second end positioned away from the sleeve,
• a heating and cooling device configured to heat and cool the portion of the person,
• a temperature sensor adapted to be coupled to the person, and
• a control apparatus coupled to the second end of the tube and having a controller configured to supply a medium through the tube to the sleeve to cause the sleeve to cyclically compress the portion of the person to vasodilate blood vessels in the portion of the person, the controller further being coupled to the heating and cooling device to vary a temperature of the medium in response to a difference in temperature between a preset temperature programmed into the controller and an actual core body temperature of the person as measured by the temperature sensor on the person such that the controller communicates with the heating and cooling device to maintain the core body temperature of the person at substantially the preset temperature.