as shown in fig1 the apparatus of the present invention includes a flexible catheter assembly 10 , fed by a refrigeration compressor unit 12 , which can include a condenser . the compressor unit 12 has an outlet 14 and an inlet 16 . the catheter assembly 10 has an outer flexible catheter body 18 , which can be made of braided pbax or other suitable catheter material . the catheter body 18 must be flexible , to enable passage through the vascular system of the patient to the feeding artery of the selected organ . the inner lumen 19 of the catheter body 18 serves as the return flow path for the expanded refrigerant . the catheter assembly 10 also has an inner flexible refrigerant supply conduit 20 , which can be made of nylon , polyimide , nitinol , or other suitable catheter material . the length and diameter of the catheter body 18 and refrigerant supply conduit 20 are designed for the size and location of the artery in which the apparatus will be used . for use in the internal carotid artery to achieve hypothermia of the brain , the catheter body 18 and refrigerant supply conduit 20 will have a length of approximately 70 to 100 centimeters . the catheter body 18 for this application will have an outside diameter of approximately 2 . 5 millimeters and an inside diameter of approximately 2 . 0 millimeters , and the refrigerant supply conduit will have an outside diameter of approximately 1 . 0 millimeter and an inside diameter of approximately 0 . 75 millimeter . a supply conduit 20 of this diameter will have a refrigerant pressure drop of only approximately 0 . 042 atmospheres per 100 centimeters . the return flow path through a catheter body 18 of this diameter will have a refrigerant pressure drop of only approximately 0 . 064 atmospheres per 100 centimeters . the compressor outlet 14 is attached in fluid flow communication , by known means , to a proximal end of the refrigerant supply conduit 20 disposed coaxially within said catheter body 18 . the distal end of the refrigerant supply conduit 20 is attached to an expansion element , which in this embodiment is a capillary tube 22 having a lenght of approximately 15 to 25 centimeters . the capillary tube 22 can be made of polyimide or nitinol , or other suitable material , and it can be a separate element attached to the supply conduit 20 , or it can be an integral portion of the supply conduit 20 . for the internal carotid artery application , the capillary tube 22 will have an outside diameter of approximately 0 . 6 millimeter and an inside diameter of approximately 0 . 25 millimeter . the expansion element , such as the capillary tube 22 , has an outlet within a chamber of a flexible heat transfer element such as the hollow flexible tube 24 . the tube 24 shown in this embodiment is flexible but essentially straight in its unflexed state . the heat transfer element must be flexible , to enable passage through the vascular system of the patient to the feeding artery of the selected organ . for the internal carotid application the flexible tube 24 will have a length of approximately 15 centimeters , an outside diameter of approximately 1 . 9 millimeters and an inside diameter of approximately 1 . 5 millimeters . the heat transfer element also includes a plug 26 in the distal end of the flexible tube 24 . the plug 26 can be epoxy potting material , plastic , or a metal such as stainless steel or gold . a tapered transition of epoxy potting material can be provided between the catheter body 18 and the flexible tube 24 . a refrigerant , such as freon , is compressed , condensed , and pumped through the refrigerant supply conduit 20 to the expansion element , or capillary tube , 22 . the refrigerant vaporizes and expands into the interior chamber of the heat transfer element , such as the flexible tube 24 , thereby cooling the heat transfer element 24 . blood in the feeding artery flows around the heat transfer element 24 , thereby being cooled . the blood then continues to flow distally into the selected organ , thereby cooling the organ . a second embodiment of the heat transfer element is shown in fig2 . this embodiment can be constructed of a tubular material such as nitinol , which has a temperature dependent shape memory . the heat transfer element 28 can be originally shaped like the flexible tube 24 shown in fig1 at room temperature , but trained to take on the coiled tubular shape shown in fig2 at a lower temperature . this allows easier insertion of the catheter assembly 10 through the vascular system of the patient , with the essentially straight but flexible tubular shape , similar to the flexible tube 24 . then , when the heat transfer element is at the desired location in the feeding artery , such as the internal carotid artery , refrigerant flow is commenced . as the expanding refrigerant , such as a 50 / 50 mixture of pentafluoroethane and 1 , 1 , 1 trifluoroethane or a 50 / 50 mixture of difluoromethane and pentafluoroethane , cools the heat transfer element down , the heat transfer element takes on the shape of the heat transfer coil 28 shown in fig2 . this enhances the heat transfer capacity , while limiting the length of the heat transfer element . a third embodiment of the expansion element and the heat transfer element is shown in fig3 . this embodiment of the expansion element is an orifice 30 , shown at the distal end of the refrigerant supply conduit 20 . the outlet of the orifice 30 discharges into an expansion chamber 32 . in this embodiment , the heat transfer element is a plurality of hollow tubes 34 leading from the expansion chamber 32 to the refrigerant return lumen 19 of the catheter body 18 . this embodiment of the heat transfer element 34 can be constructed of a tubular material such as nitinol , which has a temperature dependent shape memory , or some other tubular material having a permanent bias toward a curved shape . the heat transfer element tubes 34 can be essentially straight , originally , at room temperature , but trained to take on the outwardly flexed “ basket ” shape shown in fig3 at a lower temperature . this allows easier insertion of the catheter assembly 10 through the vascular system of the patient , with the essentially straight but flexible tubes . then , when the heat transfer element 34 is at the desired location in the feeding artery , such as the internal carotid artery , refrigerant flow is commenced . as the expanding refrigerant cools the heat transfer element 34 down , the heat transfer element takes on the basket shape shown in fig3 . this enhances the heat transfer capacity , while limiting the length of the heat transfer element . a fourth embodiment of the heat transfer element is shown in fig4 . this embodiment can be constructed of a material such as nitinol . the heat transfer element 36 can be originally shaped as a long loop extending from the distal end of the catheter body 18 , at room temperature , but trained to take on the coiled tubular shape shown in fig4 at a lower temperature , with the heat transfer element 36 coiled around the capillary tube 22 . this allows easier insertion of the catheter assembly 10 through the vascular system of the patient , with the essentially straight but flexible tubular loop shape . then , when the heat transfer element 36 is at the desired location in the feeding artery , such as the internal carotid artery , refrigerant flow is commenced . as the expanding refrigerant cools the heat transfer element down , the heat transfer element takes on the shape of the coil 36 shown in fig4 . this enhances the heat transfer capacity , while limiting the length of the heat transfer element 36 . fig4 further illustrates that a thermocouple 38 can be incorporated into the catheter body 18 for temperature sensing purposes . yet a fifth embodiment of the heat transfer element is shown in fig5 , and 7 . in this embodiment , an expansion element , such as a capillary tube or orifice , is incorporated within the distal end of the catheter body 18 . this embodiment of the heat transfer element can be constructed of a material such as nitinol . the heat transfer element is originally shaped as a long loop 40 extending from the distal end of the catheter body 18 , at room temperature . the long loop 40 has two sides 42 , 44 , which are substantially straight but flexible at room temperature . the sides 42 , 44 of the long loop 40 can be trained to take on the double helical shape shown in fig6 at a lower temperature , with the two sides 42 , 44 of the heat transfer element 40 coiled around each other . alternatively , the sides 42 , 44 of the long loop 40 can be trained to take on the looped coil shape shown in fig7 at a lower temperature , with each of the two sides 42 , 44 of the heat transfer element 40 coiled independently . either of these shapes allows easy insertion of the catheter assembly 10 through the vascular system of the patient , with the essentially straight but flexible tubular loop shape . then , when the heat transfer element 40 is at the desired location in the feeding artery , such as the internal carotid artery , refrigerant flow is commenced . as the expanding refrigerant cools the heat transfer element down , the heat transfer element 40 takes on the double helical shape shown in fig6 or the looped coil shape shown in fig7 . both of these configurations enhance the heat transfer capacity , while limiting the length of the heat transfer element 40 . as shown in fig8 through 11 , the heat transfer element 24 can have external fins 46 , 48 attached thereto , such as by welding or brazing , to promote heat transfer . use of such fins allows the use of a shorter heat transfer element without reducing the heat transfer surface area , or increases the heat transfer surface area for a given length . in fig8 and 9 , a plurality of longitudinal fins 46 are attached to the heat transfer element 24 . the heat transfer element 24 in such an embodiment can have a diameter of approximately 1 . 0 millimeter , while each of the fins 46 can have a width of approximately 0 . 5 millimeter and a thickness of approximately 0 . 12 millimeter . this will give the heat transfer element an overall diameter of approximately 2 . 0 millimeters , still allowing the catheter to be inserted into the internal carotid artery . in fig1 and 11 , a plurality of annular fins 48 are attached to the heat transfer element 24 . the heat transfer element 24 in such an embodiment can have a diameter of approximately 1 . 0 millimeter , while each of the fins 48 can have a width of approximately 0 . 5 millimeter and a thickness of approximately 0 . 12 millimeter . this will give the heat transfer element an overall diameter of approximately 2 . 0 millimeters , still allowing the catheter to be inserted into the internal carotid artery . while the particular invention as herein shown and disclosed in detail is fully capable of obtaining the objects and providing the advantages hereinbefore stated , it is to be understood that this disclosure is merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention and that no limitations are intended other than as described in the appended claims .
a method and apparatus for performing hypothermia of a selected organ without significant effect on surrounding organs or other tissues . a flexible catheter is inserted through the vascular system of a patient to place the distal tip of the catheter in an artery feeding the selected organ . a compressed refrigerant is pumped through the catheter to an expansion element near the distal tip of the catheter , where the refrigerant vaporizes and expands to cool a flexible heat transfer element in the distal tip of the catheter . the heat transfer element cools the blood flowing through the artery , to cool the selected organ , distal to the tip of the catheter .