Multi-tipped cooling probe
AssigneeSeacoast Technologies, Inc.
InventorsDonald J. Larnard, Dan Sachs
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and device for thermally affecting tissue. The device having a thermal member and a contact probe in thermal communication with the thermal member. The device configured to provide a way to contact tissue with the contact probe and to thereby impart a thermal change to the tissue.
Claims16
A device for thermally affecting tissue of a patient, comprising:
- a housing, the housing defining an interior volume and being at least partially insertable into an exterior opening in the patient;
- a thermal member having a thermal input side and a thermal output side, at least a portion of the thermal member being positioned within the interior volume, one of the thermal input side and the thermal output side being arrangable to provide a temperature different than the other of the thermal input side and the thermal output side;
- and
- a plurality of contact probes in thermal communication with the thermal input side configured to impart a thermal change to the tissue.
A device for thermally affecting tissue of a patient, comprising:
- a housing, the housing defining an interior volume;
- a thermal fluid input, the thermal fluid input being in fluid communication with the interior volume and configured to introduce a thermal fluid into the interior volume;
- a thermal fluid output, the thermal fluid output being in fluid communication with the interior volume and configured to remove the thermal fluid from the interior volume;
- and
- a probe, the probe being configured to be in direct thermal communication with the introduced thermal fluid.
A method of treatment of brain tissue comprising the steps of:
- creating an opening in a skull;
- inserting a plurality of contact probes into the skull and contacting the brain tissue to be treated;
- and
- affecting a temperature change of the contact probe and thereby affecting a temperature change of the brain tissue.
A method of thermally affecting brain tissue of a patient, comprising:
- inserting a contact probe into a brain cavity,
- disposing the contact probe proximate to one or more cerebrospinal fluid spaces of the brain of said patient;
- and
- affecting a temperature charge of the contact probe and thereby thermally affecting cerebrospinal fluid in the one or more cerebrospinal fluid spaces to induce a temperature change of said brain tissue.
A method of selectively cooling a first brain tissue region in a patient, comprising:
- inserting a contact probe into the brain proximate the first brain tissue region,
- disposing the contact probe to contact cerebral spinal fluid in one or more cerebrospinal fluid spaces,
- cooling the cerebral spinal fluid in the one or more cerebrospinal fluid spaces to induce cooling of the first brain tissue region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.