Abstract: A portable apparatus and method for providing a cooled liquid for vascular administration are disclosed. The portable apparatus includes a source of liquid for vascular administration, a cooling reservoir for receiving liquid from the source, and a sorption-based heat exchanger for cooling liquid in the cooling reservoir by a sorption-based process. The heat exchanger may include an evaporative area for receiving and vaporizing a refrigerant, a sorptive material for sorping vaporized refrigerant, and a heat exchange member for conducting thermal energy from liquid in the cooling reservoir into the evaporative area. Additional componentry may be provided for fluidly interconnecting and controlling the flow of liquid from the source to the cooling reservoir and from the cooling reservoir to a vascular interface device. Such componentry may be conveniently packaged in a sterilized manner together with at least the cooling reservoir.

Abstract: A portable apparatus and method for providing a cooled liquid for vascular administration are disclosed. The portable apparatus includes a source of liquid for vascular administration, a cooling reservoir for receiving liquid from the source, and a sorption-based heat exchanger for cooling liquid in the cooling reservoir by a sorption-based process. The heat exchanger may include an evaporative area for receiving and vaporizing a refrigerant, a sorptive material for sorping vaporized refrigerant, and a heat exchange member for conducting thermal energy from liquid in the cooling reservoir into the evaporative area. Additional componentry may be provided for fluidly interconnecting and controlling the flow of liquid from the source to the cooling reservoir and from the cooling reservoir to a vascular interface device. Such componentry may be conveniently packaged in a sterilized manner together with at least the cooling reservoir.

Abstract: Active cooling of a person, such as to induce mild/moderate hypothermia, is accomplished by transferring heat from the persons body. Heat transfer and patient comfort are aided by administration of an anti-shivering drug and an anti-emetic drug.

Abstract: A method and system is provided to induce mild hypothermia in a patient through controlled heating of the preoptic anterior hypothalamus (POAH) in conjunction with cooling of patient's body. The system employs an ultrasound transducer that may be positioned extracorporeally to a patient skull for emitting ultrasound energy to the POAH. The ultrasound energy heats the POAH to inhibit thermoregulatory responses of the body such that a cooling means may more effectively cool bodily tissue in order to reduce a patient's core body temperature. Feedback sensors may be positioned at various locations on the patient in order to monitor the patient's core body temperature. A control apparatus included with the system controls the amount of heat the POAH receives and the amount of cooling the body receives based on the feedback signals from the sensors.

Abstract: Active cooling of a person, such as to induce mild/moderate hypothermia, is accomplished by transferring heat from the persons body. Heat transfer and patient comfort are aided by administration of an anti-shivering drug and an anti-emetic drug.

Abstract: A medical device and method for affecting mass transfer between blood and a fluid. In one application, this mass transfer is an oxygenation of the blood. Generally, a membrane which separates the blood and fluid is moved in a predetermined manner and in a direction which is substantially parallel to that of the primary direction of the flow to augment the mass transfer efficiency/rate. Importantly, this movement of the membrane is relative to the blood mass transfer boundary layer which steepens or increases the oxygen concentration gradient and decreases the thickness of the blood mass transfer boundary layer and thereby improves upon the mass transfer efficiency/rate of oxygen into the blood.