Patent ID: 9237964
Filing Date: 2016-01-19
CPC Classification: A61B,A61F,A61M

Claim Text:
1. A method for controlling the temperature of at least a portion of the body of a human or animal subject, said method comprising the steps of: A) obtaining a heat exchange catheter system that comprises a heat exchange catheter and a controller, wherein: the heat exchange catheter comprises an elongate, flexible shaft with a proximal end and a distal end, a heat exchanger which comprises a plurality of helical tubular heat exchange balloon segments located on a distal portion of the shaft, a through lumen extending through the shaft to an opening at the distal end of the shaft, an inflow lumen and an outflow lumen, wherein each helical tubular heat exchange balloon segment is formed of non-compliant material and assumes a collapsed configuration when empty and an expanded configuration when filled with fluid, the inflow and outflow lumens being connected to the helical tubular heat exchange balloon segments such that heat exchange fluid may be circulated through the inflow lumen, through the helical tubular heat exchange balloon segments and then out of the outflow lumen; and the controller receives i) a target temperature input and ii) a sensed subject body temperature input and causes heated or cooled fluid to circulate into a first end of the heat exchanger, through the heat exchanger and out of a second end of the heat exchanger, to warm or cool the sensed subject body temperature as needed to cause the sensed subject body temperature to be approximately the same as the target temperature and to thereafter maintain the sensed subject body temperature; B) with the helical tubular heat exchange balloon segments empty and in their collapsed configurations, inserting the heat exchange catheter distal-end-first into the subject's vasculature and advancing the heat exchange catheter to a point where the heat exchanger is positioned at a location within the subject's ascending vena cava through which blood is flowing; C) causing a temperature sensor to sense the temperature of at least a portion of the subject's body and to communicate a sensed subject body temperature input to the controller; D) inputting a target temperature to the controller; and E) causing the controller to circulate heated or cooled fluid through the helical tubular heat exchange balloon segments causing them to assume their expanded configurations without fully blocking blood flow through the ascending vena cava such that blood continues to flow through the ascending vena cava and over the helical tubular heat exchange balloon segments thereby resulting in exchange of heat between the subject's flowing blood and the heated or cooled fluid being circulated through the helical tubular heat exchange balloon segments.