Patent ID: 7318834
Filing Date: 2008-01-15
Classification: A61F

Abstract:
1. A method for hypothermia and rewarming of the cerebrospinal fluid in the brain comprising the steps of: (a) providing a heat-exchange ventricular catheter; (b) simultaneously with (a) providing a drainage ventricular catheter; (c) internally implanting the distal ends of the heat exchange and drainage catheters into the cerebral ventricle through a burr hole or twist drill; whereby the catheters are placed within the ventricle using ventricular catheter introducers anchored into a slit opening and perforated hole to the distal ends of the catheters respectively, the distal end of the catheter placed above the level of foramen Monro within the ventricle; (d) connecting the proximal end of the heat-exchange catheter to an infusion system; (e) providing an infusion system containing sterile physiologic solution being at a temperature other than that of the cerebrospinal fluid, wherein a sterile physiologic solution flows in a fluid line into the heat-exchange catheter, the sterile physiologic solution of known chemical constituents, and prepared to preserve cell metabolic energy stores; (f) providing an infusion pump programmed to deliver the sterile physiologic solution at a predetermined rate; (g) infusing the sterile physiologic solution directly into the cerebral ventricles; (h) mixing the sterile physiologic solution with cerebrospinal fluid and altering the temperature of the fluid bathing the regulatory centers in the brain, whereby the sterile physiologic solution mixes with the chemistry of the cerebrospinal fluid bathing the regulatory centers in order to maintain neuronal viability; (i) draining excess cerebrospinal fluid through the drainage catheter to maintain the desired intracranial pressure; (j) providing pulsatile movement of cerebrospinal fluid to cause heat exchange spreading throughout the brain and spinal cord; (k) altering the temperature of cerebrospinal fluid and blood bathing wider brain areas including those involved in regulation of temperature, pain, and emotional stress and further thereby altering central afferents to the neurons in both the preoptic anterior hypothalamus and posterior hypothalamus; (l) resetting the body temperature based on the temperature of the cerebrospinal fluid; (m) modulating physical pain by promoting antinociceptive response; (n) reducing psychological pain by reducing stimulation of periaqueductal gray area of the brain stem; (o) reducing intracranial pressure by physical contraction of the cerebrospinal fluid volume in response to hypothermia; (p) reducing intracranial pressure and spinal subdural pressure gradients by drainage of excess cerebrospinal fluid; (q) improving neuronal cell energy stores by decreasing the cerebral metabolic rate; and (r) reducing overall brain temperature by reducing metabolic heat production.