Claims
- 1. A method for heating or cooling at least a selected portion of a body, comprising:
inserting a catheter into the colon, the catheter including a supply lumen and a return lumen; conducting a heated or chilled fluid through the supply lumen of the catheter; and evacuating the fluid from the catheter through the return lumen.
- 2. The method of claim 1 further comprising adjusting the flow rate, pressure, or temperature of fluid flowing through the supply lumen of the catheter based at least in part on a monitored temperature of the patient.
- 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the fluid is conducted into the supply lumen at a substantially constant flow rate.
- 4. The method of claim 1 wherein the fluid is conducted into the supply lumen with a periodically interrupted flow of fluid.
- 5. The method of claim 1 further comprising monitoring a temperature differential between the fluid conducted into the supply lumen and the fluid flowing through the return lumen.
- 6. A method for heating or cooling at least a selected portion of a body, said method comprising:
inserting a catheter into the stomach, the catheter including a supply lumen and a return lumen; conducting a heated or chilled fluid through the supply lumen of the catheter; and evacuating the fluid from the catheter through the return lumen.
- 7. A method for heating or cooling at least a selected portion of a body, said method comprising:
irrigating a balloon inserted into the colon with a heated or chilled fluid; controlling at least one measurable parameter of the fluid irrigating the balloon; evacuating the fluid from the balloon; and monitoring, during the irrigation step, the at least one measurable parameter of fluid flowing out of the balloon.
- 8. The method of claim 7 wherein the at least one measurable parameter is selected from the group consisting of the flow rate of the fluid, the pressure differential between the fluid flowing into and out of the balloon, and the temperature differential between the fluid flowing into and out of the balloon.
- 9. The method of claim 7 wherein irrigating the balloon includes the step of irrigating the balloon with a continuous flow of fluid.
- 10. The method of claim 7 wherein irrigating the balloon includes the step of irrigating the balloon with a pulsed flow of fluid.
- 11. The method of claim 7, further comprising maintaining the pressure of the heated or chilled fluid in the balloon to between about 0 and 10 psi.
- 12. The method of claim 11, further comprising maintaining the pressure of the heated or chilled fluid in the balloon to between about 0 and 3 psi.
- 13. The method of claim 7, wherein the conducting includes delivering the heated or chilled fluid at a substantially constant rate.
- 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the substantially constant rate is between about 0 and 200 cc/sec.
- 15. The method of claim 7, further comprising controlling a temperature, flow rate, or pressure of the heated or chilled fluid based on a monitored pressure.
- 16. A method for heating or cooling at least a selected portion of a body, said method comprising the steps of:
inserting a catheter into the colon; conducting a heated or chilled fluid through a supply lumen of the catheter; evacuating the fluid from the return lumen of the catheter; and monitoring a temperature of the heated or chilled fluid in the supply lumen or in the return lumen and a core body temperature of the patient.
- 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising controlling the flow rate, pressure, or temperature of the heated or chilled fluid based on the monitored temperatures.
- 18. The method of claim 16, wherein the heated or chilled fluid is a chilled fluid, and further comprising chilling the fluid with a gas-driven heat exchanger.
- 19. An apparatus for heating or cooling at least a selected portion of a body, comprising:
a catheter for irrigating and evacuating a balloon for insertion into the colon with a heated or chilled fluid; means, coupled to the catheter, for controlling at least one measurable parameter of the fluid irrigating the balloon; and means for monitoring at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of: the at least one measurable parameter of fluid flowing out of the balloon while it is being irrigated and a core temperature of the body.
- 20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the at least one measurable parameter is the flow rate of the fluid irrigating the balloon.
- 21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the at least one measurable parameter is the pressure differential between the fluid flowing into and out of the balloon.
- 22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the flow of the fluid is continuous.
- 23. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising means for monitoring a temperature differential between the fluid flowing into and out of the balloon.
- 24. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said catheter includes a supply lumen having an orifice at its distal end.
- 25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said catheter further includes a return lumen, said return lumen being fluidically coupled to said supply lumen via said orifice.
- 26. A catheter, comprising:
a manifold having a proximal end with at least first and second input ports and a distal end with an output port; at least first and second flexible tubes defining a supply lumen and a return lumen, respectively, said first and second flexible tubes configured and structured for insertion into the colon and having proximal ends removably connectable to the output port of the manifold and having distal ends fluidically coupled via an orifice.
- 27. The catheter of claim 26, wherein said first and second flexible tubes are concentrically oriented with respect to one another.
- 28. The catheter of claim 26, further comprising an inflatable balloon coupled to said catheter for maintaining an operative position of said catheter when inserted into a patient.
- 29. The catheter of claim 26, further comprising a gas-driven heat exchanger for chilling the fluid.
- 30. The catheter of claim 26, further comprising a resistive heater for heating the fluid.
- 31. The catheter of claim 26, further comprising a means for monitoring a core temperature of the body, and wherein the means is an esophageal temperature probe.
- 32. The catheter of claim 26, further comprising a means for monitoring the core temperature of the body, and wherein the means is a tympanic temperature probe.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Appl. Ser. No. 60/211,406, entitled “THERAPEUTIC HEATING AND COOLING VIA TEMPERATURE MANAGEMENT OF A COLON-INSERTED BALLOON,” filed in the United States Patent and Trademark Office on Jun. 14, 2000.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60211406 |
Jun 2000 |
US |