Patent ID: 6679906
Filing Date: 2004-01-20
Classification: A61B,A61F

Abstract:
A catheter system for sensing the temperature of a patient, the catheter system comprising:a fluid flow heat exchange catheter having a shaft and a heat exchange region controlled by a flow of heat exchange fluid; a temperature probe lumen, the lumen defining an aperture that is located proximal of the heat exchange region; a deployable temperature probe, the temperature probe including a temperature sensor and a signal carrying mechanism that extends from the temperature sensor to a location outside of the patient, the temperature probe having an undeployed configuration and a deployed configuration, the temperature probe being movable between the undeployed and deployed configurations; and a removable constraint that constraints the amount of movement of the temperature probe within the temperature probe humen, the temperature probe moving to the deployed configuration upon removal of the constraint by an operator; wherein when the temperature probe is in the deployed configuration, the temperature sensor is located further from the shaft than when the temperature probe is in the undeployed configuration; and wherein the temperature sensor generates a signal representing a sensed temperature and the signal carrying mechanism transmits the signal from the temperature sensor to the location outside the patient.