Patent ID: 8740959

Claim:
A system for maintaining or changing the temperature of at least a portion of the body of a subject, comprising: a heat exchange catheter having at least one recirculating-fluid-type intracorporeal heat exchanger, the heat exchange catheter being insertable into the vasculature of the subject such that the heat exchanger is in contact with blood flowing within the vasculature; an extracorporeal heat exchanger configured to be fluidly coupled to the disposable heat exchange catheter; a pump head in fluid communication with the heat exchange catheter and the extracorporeal heat exchanger, the pump head, extracorporeal heat exchanger and heat exchange catheter providing a disposable fluid circuit through which heat exchange fluid flows; a heater/cooler device in thermal communication with the disposable extracorporeal heat exchanger, the heater/cooler device configured to add heat to the heat exchange fluid or subtract heat from the heat exchange fluid flowing through the primary heat exchanger; at least one sensor for monitoring the temperature of at least a portion of the subject's body, the at least one sensor providing signals representative of the monitored temperature of the at least a portion of the subject's body; a reservoir disposed between and in fluid communication with the external heat exchanger and the pump; a pump driver configured to drive the pump head to flow heat exchange fluid through the heat exchange circuit; and a controller configured to control the pump driver in response to the signals provided by the at least one sensor to maintain or change the temperature of at least a portion of the subject.