Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for treating a patient having a sympathetically mediated disease associated at least in part with augmented peripheral chemoreflex or heightened sympathetic activation. The treatments include ablating one or more peripheral chemoreceptors or associated afferent nerves to reduce or remove afferent neural signals from the peripheral chemoreceptor.

Abstract: Methods and percutaneous devices for assessing, and treating patients having sympathetically mediated disease, involving augmented peripheral chemoreflex and heightened sympathetic tone by reducing chemosensor input to the nervous system via percutaneous carotid body ablation.

Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for treating a patient having a sympathetically mediated disease associated at least in part with augmented peripheral chemoreflex or heightened sympathetic activation. The treatments include ablating one or more peripheral chemoreceptors or associated afferent nerves to reduce or remove afferent neural signals from the peripheral chemoreceptor.

Abstract: Methods and devices for assessing, and treating patients having sympathetically mediated disease, involving augmented peripheral chemoreflex and heightened sympathetic tone by reducing chemosensor input to the nervous system via carotid body ablation.

Abstract: Methods and endovascular catheters for assessing, and treating patients having sympathetically mediated disease, involving augmented peripheral chemoreflex and heightened sympathetic tone by reducing chemosensor input to the nervous system via transmural carotid body modulation using a catheter with an ionic liquid stream electrode.

Abstract: Methods, devices, and systems for carotid body modulation via accessing a target site with an endovascular approach through a superficial temporal artery.

Abstract: Methods and endovascular catheters for assessing, and treating patients having sympathetically mediated disease, involving augmented peripheral chemoreflex and heightened sympathetic tone by reducing chemosensor input to the nervous system via transmural carotid body ablation.

Abstract: Methods and devices for assessing, and treating patients having sympathetically mediated disease, involving augmented peripheral chemoreflex and heightened sympathetic tone by reducing chemosensor input to the nervous system via carotid body ablation.

Abstract: Methods and cryogenic devices for assessing, and treating patients having sympathetically mediated disease, involving augmented peripheral chemoreflex and heightened sympathetic tone by reducing chemosensor input to the nervous system via carotid body ablation.

Abstract: Methods and percutaneous devices for assessing, and treating patients having sympathetically mediated disease, involving augmented peripheral chemoreflex and heightened sympathetic tone by reducing chemosensor input to the nervous system via percutaneous carotid body ablation.

Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for treating a patient having a sympathetically mediated disease associated at least in part with augmented peripheral chemoreflex or heightened sympathetic activation. The treatments include ablating one or more peripheral chemoreceptors or associated afferent nerves to reduce or remove afferent neural signals from the peripheral chemoreceptor.

Abstract: A thermal cap that can fit a variety of head sizes is disclosed. The cap can include a shell having a fluid inlet and outlet, a sealing mechanism and removable sizing layers disposed within the shell. Depending upon the size of a patient's head, sizing layers can either be added to or removed from the outer shell to maintain a fluid circulation space between the head and the rigid shell and allow substantially even distribution of a thermal fluid about the scalp of the patient during operation. The shell is preferably rigid and an elastomeric member can seal the periphery of the cap to the patient's head to prevent leakage. Other types and aspects of thermal cap systems are also disclosed.

Abstract: Various types of body heating or cooling devices are described in the present disclosure. Such devices, and associated methods, can utilize two separated thermal transfer fluids to promote heating or cooling of a body part. For example, a cooling cap can include a rigid shell and a flexible seal that form a fluid containment space with a patient's head. The rigid shell can include a fluid circulation apparatus disposed within the fluid containment space, and be coupled to a console pump to form a closed loop circulation system. A volume of fluid can be introduced into the fluid containment space to contact the patient's scalp. The console pump can then circulate a thermal transfer fluid through the fluid circulation apparatus to reduce the temperature of a fluid held within the fluid containment space.

Abstract: A thermal delivery system includes a base unit having a thermal regulation source and a console configured to deliver cooling fluid to a body-cooling device to induce hypothermia and aid in resuscitation of a patient. When a user docks the console with the base station, the console thermally contacts the thermal regulation source. The thermal regulation source alters the temperature of fluid held by the console for an indefinite period of time. In the case where a patient, at a location remote from the thermal delivery system, requires induction of hypothermia, a user detaches the console from the base station and transports the console to the patient's location. The configuration of the thermal delivery system allows the base station to thermally adjust the temperature of the fluid held by the console for an extended period of time, thereby minimizing a delay in transporting a console having the thermally adjusted fluid to the patient.

Abstract: A cooling system includes a console and a tissue cooling device such as a head-cooling device. An operator applies the head-cooling device to the head of a patient at risk for ischemic injury. The console provides a cooling fluid to a fluid circulation space located between the cooling device and the patient's head under a positive gage pressure. Direct contact between the cooling fluid and the patient's head provides a relatively rapid induction of systemic hypothermia in the patient, thereby minimizing or preventing ischemic injury in the patient. The console also removes air from a channel disposed about an inner rim of the cooling device, using a negative gage pressure. Such removal of the air from the channel seals the rim of the cooling device to the head of the patient, including portions of the channel in contact with hair of the patient's head, and minimizes leaking of the cooling fluid beyond the rim of the cooling device.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method for inducing therapeutic levels of hypothermia in a patient in the emergent care setting. The system consists of a small battery operated console and one or more garments. The garments are connected to the console by one or more umbilicals. The console provides cold fluid to the garments under pressure and the garment cools the surface of the body. Fluid returns from the garment back to the console in a closed loop fashion. The console contains an electrical battery and a thermal battery that provides operation of the system for more than one hour. The cooling capacity of the system is sufficient to induce therapeutic levels of hypothermia in approximately 30 to 90 minutes in most patients. Use of the system does not preclude any therapeutic or diagnostic interventions that are commonly performed in the emergent care setting.

Abstract: A cooling system includes a pressurized liquid refrigerant source having a liquid refrigerant and a cooling garment coupled to the liquid refrigerant source. The cooling garment defines chambers containing a heat transfer fluid. During operation, a user places the cooling garment in thermal communication with a body portion of a subject. As the cooling garment receives the liquid refrigerant from the pressurized source, the liquid refrigerant thermally contacts the heat transfer fluid and evaporates, thereby reducing the temperature of the heat transfer fluid. The heat transfer fluid, in turn, reduces the temperature of the body portion in thermal communication with the cooling garment. The heat transfer fluid acts to substantially evenly distribute cooling, as provided by the evaporation of the liquid refrigerant, to the body portion contacting the cooling garment to minimize localized “cold spots” within the chamber.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus and method for reducing secondary brain injury. The apparatus includes a brain-cooling probe and a control console. The brain-cooling probe cools the brain to prevent secondary injury by cooling the cerebrospinal fluid within one or more brain ventricles. The brain-cooling probe withdraws a small amount of cerebrospinal fluid from a ventricle into a cooling chamber located ex-vivo in close proximity to the head. After the cerebrospinal fluid is cooled it is then reintroduced back into the ventricle. This process is repeated in a cyclical or continuous manner in order to achieve and maintain a predetermined brain ventricle temperature lower than normal body temperature. The apparatus and method disclosed provides effective brain ventricle cooling without the need to introduce extra-corporeal fluids into the brain.

Abstract: Medical devices including a substrate that are expandable from a compressed state to an expanded state; a coating on the substrate, the coating having a drug agent incorporated therein; and a sheath over the coating. The sheath is expandable from a compressed state to an expanded state and has at least one perforation therein. The medical devices are configured such that when the substrate is in a compressed state, the sheath is also in a compressed state and the perforation is substantially closed. When the substrate is in an expanded state, the sheath is also in an expanded state and the perforation is substantially open. The invention also includes a method of using the medical devices for the controlled, localized delivery of a drug agent to a target location within a mammalian body.

Abstract: A cooling system includes a pressurized liquid refrigerant source having a liquid refrigerant and a cooling garment coupled to the liquid refrigerant source. The cooling garment defines chambers containing a heat transfer fluid. During operation, a user places the cooling garment in thermal communication with a body portion of a subject. As the cooling garment receives the liquid refrigerant from the pressurized source, the liquid refrigerant thermally contacts the heat transfer fluid and evaporates, thereby reducing the temperature of the heat transfer fluid. The heat transfer fluid, in turn, reduces the temperature of the body portion in thermal communication with the cooling garment. The heat transfer fluid acts to substantially evenly distribute cooling, as provided by the evaporation of the liquid refrigerant, to the body portion contacting the cooling garment to minimize localized “cold spots” within the chamber.