Patent ID: 7566341

Claim:
A heat exchange catheter for heating or cooling at least a portion of the body of a human or animal patient, said heat exchange catheter comprising: a catheter shaft having an inflow lumen and an outflow lumen extending longitudinally therethrough, said outflow lumen being separate from said inflow lumen; and at least one heat exchange balloon element comprising a plurality of expandable tubes helically disposed about the catheter shaft, said expandable tubes being fluidly connected to the inflow and outflow lumens such that heat exchange fluid may circulate in the inflow lumen, through the expandable tubes and out of the outflow lumen, the circulation of fluid through said expandable tubes causing the expandable tubes to expand to an expanded configuration; the balloon element being insertable into the vasculature of the patent patient and having a curvilinear configuration when heat exchange fluid is being circulated therethrough; wherein a first plug member forms a substantially fluid tight seal of the central lumen around the catheter shaft and a second plug member is located in the outflow lumen distal of the first plug member and forms a substantially fluid tight seal between the outflow lumen and the central lumen.