117 results about "Cryotherapy" patented technology

Ergonomic systems which provide medical therapy, comfort and enhanced function are provided. Surfaces are provided with adjustable contour, transient force damping and temperature. The technologies are applied to footwear, seating surfaces an cryotherapy devices. The cooling and cryotherapy system employ an evaporator in close proximity to skin, and therefore employ methods to reduce risk of frostbite. Advanced control and power supply options are disclosed.

Improved devices, systems, and methods for inhibiting hyperplasia in blood vessels provide controlled and safe cryotherapy treatment of a target portion within a body lumen of a patient. Efficacy of endoluminal cryogenic cooling can be enhanced by limiting cooling of target tissues using a thermal barrier disposed between a dual balloon cryotherapy catheter. Containment of both balloons can be monitored by applying a vacuum within a space between the first and second balloons, and by coupling the vacuum space to a fluid shutoff so as to inhibit flow of cryogenic fluid in response to a change in the vacuum space. Controlled cooling of the vessel can be improved by use of a nebulizer in fluid communication with a cryogenic liquid supply lumen and a gas supply lumen.

A cryotherapy system is provided with multiple cryoprobes, each of which has a shaft with a closed distal end adapted for insertion into a body and conduits for flowing a cryogenic fluid through the shaft to reduce a temperature of the distal end. A source is provided for the cryogenic fluid, and flow-control metering valves are provided in fluid communication with the conduits and source of the cryogenic fluid. A compressor is provided in fluid communication with the conduits of the cryoprobes to define a self-contained fluid system. The flow-control metering valves and the compressor are controlled by a computer processor to provide the desired flows of the cryogenic fluid through the conduits of the self-contained fluid system.

Ergonomic systems which provide medical therapy, comfort and enhanced function are provided. Surfaces are provided with adjustable contour, transient force damping and temperature. The technologies are applied to footwear, seating surfaces an cryotherapy devices. The cooling and cryotherapy system employ an evaporator in close proximity to skin, and therefore employ methods to reduce risk of frostbite. Advanced control and power supply options are disclosed.

The invention disclosed herein relates generally to immunotherapy and, more specifically, to therapeutic methods for treating tumors and cancerous tissues by first inducing necrosis or apoptosis (e.g., cryotherapy, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, ultrasound therapy, or a combination thereof applied against at least a portion of the tumor or cancerous tissue), and then delivering one or more se doses of antigen presenting cells (e.g., autologous dendritic cells) intratumourally or proximate to the tumor or cancerous tissue, but only after a selected period of time sufficient for the bioavailablity of liberated cancer-specific antigens (monitored over the selected period of time) resulting from the necrosis or apoptosis to be at or near a maximum value. The present invention provides an alternative strategy to the ex vivo loading of target antigen to antigen presenting cells such as, for example, enriched autologous dendritic cells for purposes of enhancing an immune response.

An apparatus used to apply cryotherapy comprising at least one gel pack of a predetermined size and predetermined shape, a retaining means of a predetermined size and predetermined shape which is engageable with at least a portion of a gel pack and at least a portion of a body part for retaining the gel pack in any desired orientation while being disposed on the body part. It also includes at least one variable temperature means that is engageable with at least a portion of the gel pack for sustaining a predetermined temperature the gel pack during a predetermined time period.

A method for performing cryotherapy on a target tissue region in a body includes positioning a first cooling element in a first location in a body adjacent a target tissue region, positioning a second cooling element in a second location in the body adjacent the target tissue region, and cooling the respective first and second cooling elements so as to cool the target tissue region.

The invention provides a system which comprises a medical device that delivers a combination of therapies. These therapies include the administration of radiation, biologically active materials, cryotherapy, and thermotherapy. The present invention is also directed to a method of treating body lumen surfaces using the system of the invention. A system is provided for delivering a biologically active material to a surface of a body lumen being exposed to a radioactive source. In one aspect, the system comprises an implantable medical device which has two opposing ends, each having a surface, and a middle portion. The two opposing ends comprise a biologically active material and the middle portion of the medical device is substantially free of any biologically active material. In another aspect, the system delivers a genetic material to a surface of a body lumen which is exposed to a radioactive source. Another system is provided for treating a surface of a body lumen in which the system comprises an implantable medical device which comprises a biologically active material and a device for applying a therapy source to the parts of the body lumen surface that are in contact with the opposing ends of the medical device. The therapy source may be a cryotherapy source or a thermotherapy source.

Disclosed is a cryosurgical catheter which is heated in order to prevent its freezing within the lumen of an endoscope. The catheter is to be used with an endoscope to perform cryoablation on an internal tissue; e.g., the esophagus. Electric conductivity to produce heat employs an electrical conductive coating on the catheter. Also, disclosed is a fitting for use with a catheter comprising both a connection for receiving gas and an electrical connection.

A gas-based cryotherapy probe is provided with a shaft having a closed distal end adapted for insertion into a body. A supply conduit is disposed longitudinally within the shaft for flowing gas towards the distal end, and a return conduit is disposed longitudinally within the shaft for flowing gas from the distal end. The gas is maintained at a lower pressure within the return conduit than in the supply conduit. A heat exchanger is disposed within the shaft in thermal communication with the supply conduit and return conduit to exchange heat from gas in the supply conduit to gas in the return conduit. A vacuum jacket is adapted to provide thermal isolation of the heat exchanger from the shaft.

A hand-operated cooling device for cryotherapy for treating pain, includes a main body and a receptacle, which can be inserted at least partially into the main body, for the exchangeable accommodation and insertion of a gas pressure vessel. The main body includes a manual gas outlet actuation arrangement, which can effects the outflow of a gas from the gas pressure vessel when the receptacle is inserted. The receptacle includes a cooling surface, which can be cooled by the outflowing gas and by the gas pressure vessel jacket, wherein the gas can be conducted inside the main body and inside the receptacle by a gas conducting arrangement and can exit at the receptacle adjacent to the cooling surface. Commercially available gas pressure vessels, can be inserted into the cooling device, so that a simple and cost-effective use of therapeutic OT medical cryotherapy having a pleasant cooling effect is made possible.

A cryotherapy system is provided with multiple cryoprobes, each of which has a shaft with a closed distal end adapted for insertion into a body and conduits for flowing a cryogenic fluid through the shaft to reduce a temperature of the distal end. A source is provided for the cryogenic fluid, and flow-control metering valves are provided in fluid communication with the conduits and source of the cryogenic fluid. A compressor is provided in fluid communication with the conduits of the cryoprobes to define a self-contained fluid system. The flow-control metering valves and the compressor are controlled by a computer processor to provide the desired flows of the cryogenic fluid through the conduits of the self-contained fluid system.

The present invention relates to devices and methods for planning and supervising minimally invasive surgery. Included are enhancements to systems for planning, monitoring, and controlling cryosurgery.

A method for performing cryotherapy on a target tissue region in a body includes positioning a first cooling element in a first location in a body adjacent a target tissue region, positioning a second cooling element in a second location in the body adjacent the target tissue region, and cooling the respective first and second cooling elements so as to cool the target tissue region.

Methods and devices for enhanced ultrasound detection based upon changing temperature and ultrasound reflectivity of a temperature-dependent contrast agent bound to an ultrasound target are disclosed. The methods and devices can be used for enhanced imaging alone or in conjunction with drug delivery, with therapeutic approaches such as hyperthermia or cryotherapy or with other imaging modalities.

A therapeutic garment includes a brassiere having opposed first and second shoulder straps formed with opposed first and second breast-receiving cups, respectively, each having an outer surface. A reusable gel pack for heat or cold therapy is suspended from the first and second shoulder straps, extends downwardly from the first and second shoulder straps to the first and second breast-receiving cups, and overlies and extends across the outer surfaces of the first and second breast-receiving cups to provide heat or cold therapy to the first and second breast-receiving cups at the outer surface of each of the first and second breast-receiving cups.

A gas-based cryotherapy probe is provided with a shaft having a closed distal end adapted for insertion into a body. A supply conduit is disposed longitudinally within the shaft for flowing gas towards the distal end, and a return conduit is disposed longitudinally within the shaft for flowing gas from the distal end. The gas is maintained at a lower pressure within the return conduit than in the supply conduit. A heat exchanger is disposed within the shaft in thermal communication with the supply conduit and return conduit to exchange heat from gas in the supply conduit to gas in the return conduit. A vacuum jacket is adapted to provide thermal isolation of the heat exchanger from the shaft.

The invention relates to a new dispensing device for pressurized containers of coolants for cryotherapy, with a manual opening / closing valve, which includes a dispenser body suited to be permanently fixed to said container, a valve-opening element and a cap with teeth resting against said valve-opening element to cause the opening of the valve. In one embodiment, at least one tube or duct for application of the coolant, at one end of which at least one applicator pad or filter is partially and removably inserted, is permanently built in and integral with said dispenser body.

The invention relates to a cryotherapy system through natural orifice of human body, which comprises a flexible cryoprobe, a frozen host, and a gas cylinder, wherein the gas cylinder is connected with the flexible cryoprobe directly or connected with the flexible cryoprobe through the frozen host, making gas of the gas cylinder enter into the frozen host and passing different precooling controls and entering into the flexible cryoprobe lastly. The gas conducts throttling and refrigerating on the internal cutting head of the fore-end of the flexible cryoprobe, thereby getting into the pathological tissue of external cutting head conducting decalescence and freezing the pathological tissue. The cryotherapy system through natural orifice of human body adopts carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, alkaline air and nitrogen as coolants, wherein alkaline air or nitrogenprecools in the frozen host and then conducts throttling and refrigerating while outputted into the cutting head and gains the temperature below 120o Celsius, which has larger refrigerating range easily, killing the pathological tissue thoroughly. The cryotherapy system through natural orifice of human body provides a new therapeutic scheme for problems of unreachable hard needle puncture and high risk on tumors of cavity.

Cold therapy is an established practice used in the medical profession to treat certain limb injuries, such as sprained or strained arm or leg muscles or injuries to joints. Generally, these types of injuries should be chilled to slow blood flow, which reduces swelling, pain, and further damage. Cold therapy is also an established practice used to treat migraine and other types of headaches. A typical course of cold therapy treatment is to apply ice for a specified period to the injured region of a limb, the neck, face, or head. Alternatively, a pack or bag containing a chemical agent that reacts (endothermically) to produce cold may be applied to the injured region, the neck, face, or head.

Combined brachytherapy and ablation devices and methods. A combined brachytherapy and cryotherapy method, includes: inserting an ablation device into tissue of a subject; ablating tissue within an ablation zone of the device; detaching and removing a first part of the device while leaving a second part of the device in the tissue, the first part contacting the ablation zone; and inserting a brachytherapy rod into the second part of the device when the second part is detached from the first part, the brachytherapy rod connected to base at one end and retaining at least one radioactive seed at an opposing end, the brachytherapy rod configured and dimensioned so that when it is inserted into the device up to the base, the at least one radioactive seed is in the ablation zone.

A cryotherapy system includes a cryotherapy catheter having an inflatable balloon portion and a pressure regulator. The inflatable balloon portion includes an outer balloon and an inner balloon within the outer balloon. The inner balloon is configured to receive during a cryotherapy procedure a cryogenic agent for extracting heat from body tissue at a desired location. The inflatable balloon portion is at a distal end of the cryotherapy catheter. The pressure regulator is adapted to maintain a positive pressure between the inner balloon and the outer balloon during a cryotherapy procedure.

The proposed invention relates to the field of physical therapy and can be used for the treatment and prophylaxis of a number of diseases, and also for health-improving purposes, including improving the stamina, for instance, of athletes. The installation for conducting general air cryotherapy comprises a closed-type cryogenic chamber (1) with a door (2) with heat insulation (3) and a heat sensor (8), a refrigeration machine (7) with a condenser and a power and control unit (9), and a coolant supply line (6), wherein the refrigeration machine (7) has two cascades, and an evaporator (4) with a ventilator (5) is installed into the ceiling or wall of the cryogenic chamber (1) and is connected by means of the coolant supply line (6) to the double-cascade refrigeration machine (7), and wherein a heat control valve (12) is installed at the inlet to the evaporator (4), and the cryogenic chamber (1) is equipped with a valve for equalizing pressure with the outside environment (11), and wherein said valve (11) has an electric heater, the door (2) of the cryogenic chamber (1) is made entirely transparent and is equipped, as is the frame thereof, with an electric heater, and a control console with a sensor panel (13) is installed on the external surface of the cryogenic chamber (1). The proposed installation is more reliable than the prototype and the dimensions and cost of the installation are significantly decreased. The proposed installation can be used for the purposes of treatment and prophylaxis in the fields of rheumatoid arthritis, neurology, dermatology, traumatology and orthopedics, states of depression and stress, and in sports medicine.

In one embodiment, an apparatus that provides cooling and mechanical and / or electrical simulation to the treated site may be used to overcome the problems associated with cryotherapy. In one embodiment, a cryotherapy device for producing a cooling effect for treating tissue includes a temperature control device which alters the temperature of at least a portion of the tissue being treated during treatment; and a blood flow device that alters the blood flow rate through the portion of the tissue being treated during and following treatment.

The invention discloses a self-circulation liquid cooling system and a cryotherapy device with the same. The self-circulation liquid cooling system comprises a cold compress device, a refrigeration device, a circulation pipeline, a water pump, a detection device and a control device. The refrigeration device is provided with a water storage structure and a refrigeration structure; the circulation pipeline comprises a water inlet pipeline and a water return pipeline, and the water inlet pipeline and the water return pipeline are connected between the cold compress device and the water storage structure; the water pump is arranged on the circulation pipeline; the detection device comprises a temperature sensor and a pressure sensor; the control device is respectively connected with the detection device, the electromagnetic valve and the water pump. The cryotherapy device thereof comprises the self-circulation liquid cooling system and a shell structure used for installation of the self-circulation liquid cooling system. The shell structure comprises a tank used for installation of the water pump, the refrigeration device and the circulation pipeline. The control device is mounted on the side wall of the tank, a cooling structure for cooling of the refrigeration structure is mounted on the tank below the refrigeration device, and the circulation pipeline penetrates the side wall of the tank to be connected with the cold compress device outside the tank.

A cryotherapy system, including, an elongated cryotherapy device having a proximal end and a distal end shaped and sized to be positioned inside a body lumen, including:a cryo inflow path fluidically connecting a cryogenic fluid source with the distal end of the cryotherapy device, wherein the cryo inflow path is configured to allow cryogenic flow from the cryogenic fluid source into the body lumen;an optics assembly configured to visualize a field of view between the distal end and a target region inside the body lumen;a washing inflow path fluidically connecting a washing fluid source with at least one washing opening configured to aim washing fluid towards the optics assembly in the distal end and / or towards the field of view.

Methods and devices for enhanced ultrasound detection based upon changing temperature and ultrasound reflectivity of a temperature-dependent contrast agent bound to an ultrasound target are disclosed. The methods and devices can be used for enhanced imaging alone or in conjunction with drug delivery, with therapeutic approaches such as hyperthermia or cryotherapy or with other imaging modalities.