Interstitial brain cooling probe and sheath apparatus

An interstitial brain heating/cooling probe comprising:

• (a) an elongated structure which includes a distal end, and a proximal end;
• (b) a heating means located in the vicinity of said distal end, the heating means configured to coagulate at least a portion of an ischemic region of a brain;
• (c) a cooling means located in the vicinity of said distal end, the cooling means configured to induce hypothermia within at least a portion of an ischemic region of a brain;
• (d) a means in the vicinity of said proximal end for fixating said interstitial brain heating/cooling probe to a head;
• (e) a means of connecting said brain heating/cooling probe to a source of heating energy, and a source of cooling fluid;
• and
• (f) a probe housing having a diaphragm, the proximal end of the elongated structure coupled to the diaphragm such that a long axis of the elongated structure orients substantially perpendicular to the diaphragm, the diaphragm providing axial displacement of the elongated structure relative to the probe housing.

Apparatus for reducing secondary ischemic brain injury comprising:

• (a) an interstitial brain heating/cooling probe;
• (b) an introducer sheath;
• (c) a control console;
• wherein said interstitial brain heating/cooling probe comprises an elongated structure which includes a distal end, and a proximal end whereby a heating means and a cooling means are provided in the vicinity of the distal end, and whereby said interstitial brain heating/cooling probe is sized and shaped such that said distal end may be slidably placed into an ischemic region of the brain through the introducer sheath, the heating means is configured to coagulate at least a portion of an ischemic region of a brain and the cooling means configured to induce hypothermia within at least a portion of an ischemic region of the brain;
• wherein said interstitial brain heating/cooling probe comprises a probe housing having a diaphragm, the proximal end of the elongated structure coupled to the diaphragm such that a long axis of the elongated structure orients substantially perpendicular to the diaphragm, the diaphragm providing axial displacement of the elongated structure relative to the probe housing;
• and
• wherein the said control console comprises a source of heating energy for said interstitial brain heating/cooling probe, and a source of cooling fluid for said interstitial brain heating/cooling probe, and a means to control the heating of the brain by said interstitial brain heating/cooling probe, and a means to control the cooling of the brain by said interstitial brain heating/cooling probe whereby said interstitial brain heating/cooling probe includes a means to connect said interstitial brain heating/cooling probe to said control console.

An interstitial probe comprising:

• a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end of the shaft configured to position within an infarcted zone of tissue;
• a cooling mechanism oriented at the distal end of the shaft the cooling mechanism configured to induce hypothermia within at least a portion of the infarcted zone of tissue;
• a coagulation mechanism oriented at the distal end of the shaft;
• and
• a probe housing having a diaphragm, the proximal end of the shaft coupled to the diaphragm such that a long axis of the shaft orients substantially perpendicular to the diaphragm, the diaphragm providing axial displacement of the shaft relative to the probe housing.

An apparatus for inducing hypothermia comprising:

• a control console;
• and
• an interstitial probe coupled to the control console, the interstitial probe having:
• a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end of the shaft configured to position within an infarcted zone of tissue;
• a cooling mechanism oriented at the distal end of the shaft, the cooling mechanism in fluid communication with the control console and configured to induce hypothermia within at least a portion of the infarcted zone of tissue;
• a coagulation mechanism oriented at the distal end of the shaft, the coagulation mechanism in electrical communication with the control console;
• and
• a probe housing having a diaphragm, the proximal end of the shaft coupled to the diaphragm such that a long axis of the shaft orients substantially perpendicular to the diaphragm, the diaphragm providing axial displacement of the shaft relative to the probe housing.

A method for inducing hypothermia in a brain having an infarcted zone of tissue comprising:

• surgically eating an opening within a skull of a head;
• inserting a sheath having a sheath housing and a sheath tube coupled to the sheath housing into the brain;
• placing a shaft of an interstitial probe within the sheath tube, the shaft having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end of the shaft positioning within the infarcted zone of tissue of the brain, the distal and of the shaft having a cooling mechanism and the distal end of the shaft having a coagulation mechanism oriented at the distal end of the shaft;
• cooling at least a portion of the infarcted zone of tissue of the brain with the cooling mechanism of the interstitial probe to induce hypothermia within at least a portion of the infarcted zone of tissue;
• and
• coagulating at least a portion of the infarcted zone of tissue of the brain with the coagulation mechanism.

An interstitial probe comprising:

• a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end of the shaft configured to position within an infarcted zone of tissue;
• a cooling mechanism oriented at the distal end of the shaft, the cooling mechanism configured to induce hypothermia within at least a portion of the infarcted zone of tissue;
• a coagulation mechanism oriented at the distal end of the shaft;
• a sheath having a sheath housing and a sheath tube coupled to the sheath housing, the sheath housing coupled to a probe housing associated with the proximal end of the shaft and the sheath tube extending about the shaft from the proximal end of the shaft to the distal end of the shaft, the sheath configured to insert within the infarcted zone of tissue;
• wherein the sheath housing comprises a pad having an antiseptic fluid, the pad oriented between the sheath housing and tissue of a surgical location.

An apparatus for inducing hypothermia comprising:

• a control console;
• and
• an interstitial probe coupled to the control console, the interstitial probe having:
• a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end of the shaft configured to position within an infarcted zone of tissue;
• a cooling mechanism oriented at the distal end of the shaft, the cooling mechanism in fluid communication with the control console and configured to induce hypothermia within at least a portion of the infarcted zone of tissue;
• a coagulation mechanism oriented at the distal end of the shaft, the coagulation mechanism in electrical communication with the control console;
• and
• a sheath having a sheath housing and a sheath tube coupled to the sheath housing, the sheath housing coupled to a probe housing associated with the proximal end of the shaft and the sheath tube extending about the shaft from the proximal end of the shaft to the distal end of the shaft, the sheath configured to insert within the infarcted zone of tissue;
• wherein the sheath housing comprises a pad having an antiseptic fluid, the pad oriented between the sheath housing and tissue of a surgical location.