Temperature Reduction Therapy Approved
MedCool, Incorporated received FDA approval for the RapidCool System. The system will be marketed as a tool for patients who require temperature reduction, as well as a means to monitor a patient’s temperature.
The RapidCool system directs the majority of produced cooling to the head via a disposable helmet. The helmet directs agitated cold water to the scalp. The system also includes neck and body pads, as frequently included with tools to reduce temperature.
Targeting the head with cooling therapy increases the amount of blood flow that the body directs to the scalp. Simultaneously, the amount of blood flow directed to the periphery is decreased. This approach enables higher rates of cooling compared to other non-invasive tools.
The system rapidly cools the body to a temperature preset to between 32 and 37 degrees Celsius. The device does not interfere with other ongoing procedures, such as cardiac catheterization.
Cooling therapies have been receiving some attention recently, following a cover article in Newsweek which detailed use of hypothermia after cardiac arrest. Research suggests that mild cooling after traumatic events, such as stroke and cardiac arrest, may minimize damage sustained by the body.
July 31, 2007 Related topics: New Technology & Innovation, Monitoring, Surgery