The present invention provides a liquid cooling and oxygenation device comprising: a container for holding a liquid; a cooling means for cooling the liquid in the container to a temperature of less than about 15 C.; a means for supplying an oxygen-enriched gas to the cooled liquid in the container; and a means for dispensing the cooled, oxygenated liquid.

A method, and apparatus for the controlled acceleration, and/or retardation of the body's inflammatory response generally comprises a foam pad for insertion substantially into a wound site, a heating, a cooling pad for application over the wound site, a wound drape or sealing enclosure of the foam pad, the heating, and cooling pad at wound site. The foam pad is placed in fluid communication with a vacuum source for promotion of the controlled acceleration or retardation of the body's inflammatory response. The heating, and cooling provision controls the local metabolic function as part of the inflammatory response.

Contemplated herein is an automated microscope slide antigen recovery and staining apparatus and method that features a plurality of individually operable miniaturized pressurizable reaction compartments for individually and independently processing a plurality of individual microscope slides. The apparatus preferably features independently movable slide support elements each having an individually heatable heating plate. Each slide support element may support a microscope slide. Each microscope slide can be enclosed within an individual pressurizable reaction compartment. Pressures exceeding 1 atm or below 1 atm can be created and maintained in the reaction compartment prior to, during or after heating of the slide begins. Because of the ability to pressurize and regulate pressure within the reaction compartment, and to individually heat each slide, each slide and a liquid solution or reagent thereon can be heated to temperatures that could not be obtained without the enclosed pressurized environment of the reaction compartment. A reagent dispensing strip having a plurality of reconfigurable reagent modules may also be used.

Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure provide method and apparatus for effecting (e.g., lightening) an appearance of skin by cooling or freezing small separated surface regions of the skin to produce regions of local hypopigmentation. The width of the regions can be, for example, smaller than about 1 mm or 0.5 mm, and a distance between these frozen regions can be greater than about 3 times the width of the regions. An exemplary apparatus can be provided that includes a plurality of spatially-separated thermally conductive arrangements that can be affixed or otherwise coupled to a base. For example, the conductive arrangements can be regions of conductive material provided in or proximal to a thermal insulator, or thermally conductive protrusions affixed to the base. The conductive arrangements can be cooled and then contacted with the skin surface to produce the small regions of hypopigmentation.

One aspect of the invention provides a slurry comprising: a plurality of sterile ice particles having a largest cross-sectional dimension less than about 1.5 mm; and a biocompatible surfactant. Another aspect of the invention provides a slurry including: a plurality of sterile ice particles having a largest cross-sectional dimension less than about 1.5 mm; a biocompatible surfactant; and a foam comprising a plurality of gas bubbles. Another aspect of the invention provides a slurry including: a plurality of sterile ice particles having a largest cross-sectional dimension less than about 1.5 mm; and a biocompatible excipient. Another aspect of the invention provides a slurry including: a plurality of sterile ice particles having a largest cross-sectional dimension less than about 1.5 mm; and a lipolytic agent.

A method in which a location is determined on the skin that is proximate to a sensory nerve that is associated with a painful condition. At least one needle of a cryogenic device is inserted into the location on the skin such that the needle is proximate to the sensory nerve. The device is activated such that the at least one needle creates a cooling zone about the sensory nerve, thereby eliminating or reducing severity of the painful condition.

A non-user assisted, portable, entirely self-managed capable hypothermia device to eliminate hair loss caused by the side effects of certain chemotherapy treatments or to reduce the metabolic rate of ischemic tissue along with the severity of swelling is disclosed. The device consists of a conformal cap system, a thermally conductive liquid located between the body part to be cooled and the cap system, thermal transfer fluids, phase change materials, thermally insulated cooler, physical measuring devices, mechanical and electrical components, a smart user interface device, a battery, and an uninterruptible power controller.

Disclosed herein is a method of alleviating symptoms of ocular surface discomfort, the method comprising: topically applying a cold slurry adjacent to a corneal limbus of an eye of a patient, wherein the cold slurry comprises water and a freezing point depressant, wherein the topical application of the cold slurry is configured to cause a degree of numbing of a cornea of the eye for a period of time, and wherein an ocular sensation of the eye is restored following the period of time.

Disclosed herein is a method of alleviating symptoms of ocular surface discomfort, the method comprising: topically applying a cold slurry adjacent to a corneal limbus of an eye of a patient, wherein the cold slurry comprises water and a freezing point depressant, wherein the topical application of the cold slurry is configured to cause a degree of numbing of a cornea of the eye for a period of time, and wherein an ocular sensation of the eye is restored following the period of time.

Systems and methods for a medical device configured to provide cooling to a tissue region are provided. The medical device may be configured to noninvasively cool the tissue region to a predetermined operating temperature via a two-phase heat transfer process. In some aspects, the medical device can be configured to be in communication with a vacuum to provide a suction to the medical device. In some aspects, the medical device can be adapted to a medical device to noninvasively cool the tissue region near a fractional treatment area.