Brain cooling apparatus and method for cooling the brain

A method for treating or preventing at least one of brain, brain stem and associated nervous tissue injuries in a mammal suffering from decreased or compromised blood flow to the brain, comprising:

• placing on a head of a mammal an enveloping means, the enveloping means comprising a helmet configured to rest unsupported on the head of a mammal, the helmet including outer and inner shells with at least one cavity intermediate the outer and inner shells for holding a coolant fluid within the at least one cavity;
• lowering the metabolism of the brain of the mammal by activating a manually activated and controlled coolant source in communication with the enveloping means, the coolant source providing a coolant fluid instantaneously chilled upon activation to a temperature sufficient to slow the metabolism of the brain of the mammal a sufficient amount so that the mammal remains neurologically intact while efforts are made to restore regular blood flow to the brain of the mammal;
• and
• pressing a radially inward surface of the enveloping means against the head of a mammal with an inflatable bladder.

A method for treating or preventing at least one of brain, brain stem and associated nervous tissue injuries in a mammal suffering from decreased or compromised blood flow to the brain, comprising:

• placing on a head of a mammal an enveloping means, the enveloping means comprising a helmet configured to rest unsupported on the head of a mammal, the helmet including outer and inner shells with at least one cavity intermediate the outer and inner shells for holding a coolant fluid within the at least one cavity;
• lowering the metabolism of the brain of the mammal by activating an instantaneously activatable coolant source disposed at least one of on an outer surface of the outer shell of the helmet and within the at least one cavity and in communication with the enveloping means, the coolant source providing a coolant fluid instantaneously chilled upon activation to a temperature sufficient to slow the metabolism of the brain of the mammal a sufficient amount so that the mammal remains neurologically intact while efforts are made to restore regular blood flow to the brain of the mammal;
• and
• pressing a radially inward surface of the enveloping means against the head of a mammal with an inflatable bladder.

A portable apparatus for treating or preventing at least one of brain, brain-stem and associated nervous tissue injuries in a mammal suffering from decreased or compromised blood flow to the brain, comprising:

• a helmet configured to rest unsupported on the head of a mammal, the helmet including outer and inner shells with at least one cavity intermediate the outer and inner shells for holding a coolant fluid within the at least one cavity;
• a manually activated and controlled coolant source in communication with the helmet, the coolant source instantaneously providing a coolant fluid chilled to a temperature sufficient to slow the metabolism of the brain, whereby when the coolant source is activated, the helmet becomes instantly chilled rapidly cooling the brain to a temperature sufficient to slow the metabolism of the brain a sufficient amount so that the mammal remains neurologically intact while efforts are made to restore regular blood flow to the brain of the mammal;
• and
• an inflatable bladder that presses a radially inward surface of the helmet against the head of a mammal when inflated.

A portable apparatus for treating or preventing at least one of brain, brain-stem and associated nervous tissue injuries in a mammal suffering from decreased or compromised blood flow to the brain, comprising:

• a helmet configured to rest unsupported on the head of a mammal, the helmet including outer and inner shells with at least one cavity intermediate the outer and inner shells for holding a coolant fluid within the at least one cavity;
• an instantaneously activatable coolant source in communication with the helmet, the coolant source being disposed at least one of on the outer shell of the helmet and within the at least one cavity and providing a coolant fluid chilled to a temperature sufficient to slow the metabolism of the brain, whereby when the coolant source is activated, the helmet becomes instantly chilled rapidly cooling the brain to a temperature sufficient to slow the metabolism of the brain a sufficient amount so that the mammal remains neurologically intact while efforts are made to restore regular blood flow to the brain of the mammal;
• and
• an inflatable bladder that presses a radially inward surface of the helmet against the head of a mammal when inflated.