Patent ID: 7731739

Claim:
Apparatus for altering the body temperature of a patient, the apparatus comprising an inflatable mattress defining an interior space for receiving at least a portion of a patient's body therein, the inflatable mattress having at least one inlet passage for conducting a heat transfer liquid into direct contact with the portion of the patient's body received in the interior space to promote heat transfer between the patient's body and the heat transfer liquid, the inflatable mattress including a first zone being inflatable to a first pressure and a second zone being inflatable to a second pressure greater than the first pressure, the inflatable mattress in an inflated condition defining a well for receiving the portion of the patient therein, wherein the well comprises a pocket sized and shaped for receiving the head and neck of the patient, a broader region for receiving the torso of the patient, and a tapered pocket for receiving the legs and feet of the patient.