Patent ID: 7255709

Claim:
An indwelling heat exchange catheter, comprising: at least one catheter tube; at least one closed loop heat exchanger extending from the catheter tube; at least one temperature sensor, the temperature sensor being thermally insulated from the closed loop heat exchanger, wherein the heat exchanger is configured for placement in a blood vessel while not blocking the vessel to allow blood to flow around the beat exchanger for facilitating heat exchange between the blood and the heat exchanger; at least one guide-wire tube extending from the catheter tube; and a wire extending through the catheter tube, the temperature sensor being affixed to the wire, wherein the wire comprises: a curved end curving back over an inner surface of a straight segment, the temperature sensor being affixed to the inner surface of the straight segment of the wire slightly spaced from the curved end of the wire such that the sensor is disposed in the bloodstream without touching a wall of the blood vessel when positioned in a body.