A method of improving brain function in a hypothermic patient is provided. The method comprises administering to the patient an amount of a fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) effective to increase RNA binding motif 3 (RBM3) production in nerve cells of the patient. The method is useful, for example, where the patient is or will be undergoing cardiac surgery or spinal surgery, such as requiring deep hypothermia circulatory arrest (DHCA), or is subject to an emergency preservation and resuscitation (EPR) method, or where a patient suffers from mild/moderate/severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrest (VFCA), subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), subdural hematoma (SH), cerebral vasospasm, neonatal abusive head trauma (a.k.a. shaken baby syndrome), neonatal hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), asphyxia cardiac arrest (ACA), treatment of spinal injury, prophylaxis in spinal surgery, stroke, and drug overdose.

A thermal transfer device for providing thermal treatment to a patient. A patient support portion supporting and contacting the patient includes a first segment of a fluid flow path to receive a fluid from a fluid source. A flexible covering coupled and movable relative to the patient support portion defines a space therebetween that substantially conforms to the patient. The flexible covering includes a second segment of the fluid flow path. The fluid is circulated through an inlet, an outlet, and fluid flow path for supplying heat to or removing heat from the patient support portion and the flexible covering. A fluid circulation system with a controller may selectively adjust heat transfer from temperature zones defining the patient support portion. The thermal transfer device or a mattress cover may provide for controlling the microclimate, or conditions at or near the interface between the patient and the patient support portion.

A method of improving brain function in a hypothermic patient is provided. The method comprises administering to the patient an amount of a fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) effective to increase RNA binding motif 3 (RBM3) production in nerve cells of the patient. The method is useful, for example, where the patient is or will be undergoing cardiac surgery or spinal surgery, such as requiring deep hypothermia circulatory arrest (DHCA), or is subject to an emergency preservation and resuscitation (EPR) method, or where a patient suffers from mild/moderate/severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrest (VFCA), subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), subdural hematoma (SH), cerebral vasospasm, neonatal abusive head trauma (a.k.a shaken baby syndrome), neonatal hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), asphyxia cardiac arrest (ACA), treatment of spinal injury, prophylaxis in spinal surgery, stroke, and drug overdose.

A thermal accessory controller comprising an input conduit providing a liquid path for a thermal liquid from the thermal accessory controller to a thermal accessory, an output conduit providing a liquid path for the thermal liquid from the thermal accessory to the thermal accessory controller, a first liquid pump in liquid communication with the input conduit and the output conduit, and a thermal liquid reservoir in liquid communication with the first liquid pump. The thermal accessory controller includes a first liquid block in liquid communication with the first liquid pump, the first liquid block including an internal channel for transferring the thermal liquid, and a second liquid block including an internal channel for transferring a coolant liquid. The thermal accessory controller includes a heating component in liquid communication with the first liquid pump, a cooling component in liquid communication with the second liquid block, and a heat transfer component configured to transfer heat from the first liquid block to the second liquid block.

A thermal accessory controller for controlling the temperature of a thermal accessory. The thermal accessory controller comprises a liquid reservoir for storing a thermal liquid that circulates through the thermal accessory, a temperature control system (TCS) in liquid communication with the liquid reservoir that adjusts the temperature of the thermal liquid according to a TCS target temperature value, and a control unit that controls the temperature control system using the TCS target temperature value. The control unit receives a TCS target temperature, receives a temperature measurement from a temperature sensor, and determines a magnitude of a difference between the TCS target temperature and the temperature measurement. The control unit executes a proportional-integral-differential (PID) algorithm to cause the temperature control system to adjust the temperature of the thermal liquid based on the difference between the TCS target temperature and the temperature measurement.

A system and method are provided, the system including a monitoring device to monitor sensory data of a patient and to provide a sensory data response thereto, and a control unit configurable to cool or warm circulated fluid through at least one contact pad for thermal exchange with the patient. The monitoring device can be configured to monitor a patient physiological response to a change in temperature of the patient (e.g. pursuant to induced hypothermia therapy), wherein a monitoring signal is provided by the monitoring device. A processor can be provided to process the monitoring signal and provide an output employable by medical personnel. The processor can be programmed to control automatically a temperature of the circulated fluid to cool or warm the patient in different treatment phases in accordance with a predetermined protocol, and process the sensory data signal to provide an output signal indicative of a sensory measurement.

Embodiments include a heating blanket. The heating blanket may include a heating element and a shell covering the heating element. The heating element has elastic properties and is disposed in the shape of a sheet. The shell may have one or more sheets of polymeric material bonded together adjacent a perimeter of the heating element. One or more wires having malleable properties are secured within the shell. The wires allow the heating blanket to be secured to a patient.

Methods for treating fluid overload in a subject comprise shifting fluids directly and non-invasively from an interstitial compartment of the subject to skin of the subject through controlled local sweating. Methods of the invention allow for removal of excess fluid from the interstitial compartment of the subject and treat fluid overload in the subject. Sweat stimulation systems comprise a chamber and first and second relative humidity sensors. The chamber is sized to fit around a body part of a subject, comprises an inlet and an outlet, and is configured such that air flows through the chamber from the inlet to the outlet. The first relative humidity sensor is operably located inside the inlet, and the second relative humidity sensor is operably located proximate the outlet.

An electric blanket including a flexible sheet-like heating element, a shell comprising two flexible sheets covering the heating element, one or more welds coupling the sheet of the shell about the edges to hermetically seal the heating element there between; and a flexible insulating layer extending over the heating element and covered by the shell providing at least one of thermal insulation and electrical insulation, wherein the heating element is held in position between the two sheets of the shell without using connectors that pierce the two sheets.

This invention relates to various methods and systems of using therapeutic hypothermia to treat medical conditions such as cardiac arrest, myocardial ischemia, cerebral ischemia, ischemia, stroke, traumatic brain or spinal cord injuries and hypoxic-ischemic injury.