Technique for using heat flow management to treat brain disorders

A method of controllably warming a hypothermic brain by heat transfer to brain tissue comprising the steps of:

• surgically cutting a heat transfer aperture into a patient's skull, thereby exposing a predetermined portion of patient's brain;
• surgically implanting into said heat transfer aperture a heat pump having one or more activity sensor elements and one or more temperature sensor elements;
• attaching a heat transfer management unit such that a micro controller of the heat transfer management unit is connected to one or more activity sensor elements and one or more temperature sensor elements contact brain tissue;
• and
• connecting the heat transfer management unit to said heat pump via a lead bundle;
• whereby responsive to signals from one or more activity sensor elements, mathematical algorithms of the heat transfer management unit determine abnormal brain activity, causing the heat pump to transfer heat to the brain tissue from a heat source, thereby heating the patient's brain.

A method for control of central nervous system tissue swelling or inflammation by controlled cooling comprising the steps of:

• surgically cutting a heat transfer aperture into a patient's skull or spine, thereby exposing a predetermined portion of patient's brain or spinal cord;
• surgically implanting into said heat transfer aperture a heat pump having one or more activity sensor elements and one or more temperature sensor elements;
• attaching a heat transfer management unit such that a micro controller of the heat transfer management unit is connected to one or more members of the group consisting of activity sensor elements and temperature sensor elements contacting brain or spinal cord tissue;
• and
• connecting the heat transfer management unit to said heat pump via a lead bundle;
• whereby responsive to signals from said one or more activity sensor elements or one or more temperature sensor elements, mathematical algorithms of the heat transfer management unit determine abnormal brain or spinal cord activity, causing the heat pump to transfer heat from the brain or spinal cord tissue to a heat sink, thereby effecting cooling.

A method of controlling swelling, inflammation or localized pain in a non-central nervous system organ by regionally or locally directed cooling to said organ comprising the steps of:

• surgically cutting an incision into a patient's musculature, fascia and body cavity linings and skin, thereby exposing a predetermined portion of said organ;
• surgically implanting through this incision a heat pump having one or more activity sensor elements and one or more temperature sensor elements;
• attaching a heat transfer management unit such that a micro controller of the heat transfer management unit is connected to one or more activity sensor elements and one or more temperature sensor elements in contact with organ tissue;
• and
• connecting the heat transfer management unit to said heat pump via a lead bundle;
• whereby responsive to signals from said one or more activity or temperature sensor elements, mathematical algorithms of the heat transfer management unit detect abnormal organ cell activity, causing the heat pump to transfer heat from the organ tissue to a heat sink, thereby cooling the patient's organ to reduce or eliminate swelling, inflammation or localized organ pain.