Methods of treating tumors by administering compounds to a patient are provided. Compounds such as pro drugs, e.g., 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA), may be administered to the patient orally, by injection, intravenously, or topically, which then accumulate preferentially as compounds such as protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) in tumor cells. After such accumulation, compounds such as PpIX are then activated in various aspects to treat tumors cells, thereby treating cancer. Cancers such as glioblastoma may be treated.

Disclosed herein is a system, apparatus and method directed to patient temperature control. The system can include a control module configured to provide fluid that is heated or cooled, a heating and cooling system configured to couple with the control module and receive the fluid, and a temperature sensor coupled to the control module, the temperature sensor configured to measure a body temperature of a patient and provide signals to the control module that indicate the body temperature. The system can include a neurostimulation device coupled to the control module to provide neurostimulation to the patient. The control module can include logic, stored on non-transitory, computer-readable medium that, when executed by one or more processors, causes performance of operations including generation and transmission of first instructions to the neurostimulation device causing initiation of a first neurostimulation procedure.

Disclosed are methods of obtaining zero vergence ultrasound waves for providing sonodynamic therapy with ultrasound waves that do not converge and do not diverge. The method includes coupling a sonodynamic therapy device with an array of flat piezoelectric transducers to a skin surface. A controller is configured to generate an electrical drive signal at a frequency, modulate the drive signal, and drive the transducer with the modulated drive signal at the frequency to produce a zero vergence ultrasound wave to produce an average acoustic intensity sufficient to activate a sonosensitizer in a treatment region without damaging healthy cells in the treatment region.

A low profile temperature transducer has a working surface for placement against a body surface and a first output. The transducer is a flat laminate composed of alternating conductive and dielectric layers. The laminate defines at least one slotline antenna for exposure to the body surface to pick up thermal emissions from the underlying tissue at depth. A feed network having a characteristic impedance is connected to the first output and a slotline-to-stripline transition is connected between the at least one antenna and the feed network, the transition providing a match between the impedance at the at least one antenna and the characteristic impedance. Also, a temperature sensor may be present at the working surface to detect the body surface temperature under the transducer, that surface temperature being used to calculate actual temperature at depth.

A warming device for perioperative use includes a clinical garment and a convective thermal blanket supported on an inside surface of the clinical garment. A mechanism may be provided to releasably attach the thermal blanket to the clinical garment.

A combination patient-transfer and intraoperative heater device has a top and bottom chamber separated by a barrier. The patient rests on the top chamber, which has a plurality of apertures for discharge of temperature-controlled filtered heated or cooled air at a regulated pressure for patient comfort and mitigation of infection. Heated or cooled filtered air is delivered to the area surrounding the patient, maintaining body temperature during anaesthesia. The bottom chamber has a plurality of apertures. When air pressure is low or off, the bottom chamber is flat and un-inflated. When air pressure is increased, air enters the bottom chamber and the apertures emit air, creating an air cushion facilitating lateral movement of the lifter device. The device performs two functions that now require separate devices and air blowers, it saves space and reduces both costs and complexity in the operating room while mitigating risk of infection.

A method for maintaining and/or increasing body temperature of a patient may involve delivering heat to a first location on a limb of the patient, delivering heat to a second location on the limb, apart from the first location, and applying intermittent compression to a third location on the limb, located between the first location and the second location. A device for maintaining and/or increasing body temperature of a patient may include a sleeve for positioning over at least part of one of the patient's limbs, first and second heat delivery members coupled with the sleeve, and an intermittent compression member coupled with the sleeve between the first and second heat delivery members.

Disclosed are methods of obtaining zero vergence ultrasound waves for providing sonodynamic therapy with ultrasound waves that do not converge and do not diverge. The method includes coupling a sonodynamic therapy device with an array of flat piezoelectric transducers to a skin surface. A controller is configured to generate an electrical drive signal at a frequency, modulate the drive signal, and drive the transducer with the modulated drive signal at the frequency to produce a zero vergence ultrasound wave to produce an average acoustic intensity sufficient to activate a sonosensitizer in a treatment region without damaging healthy cells in the treatment region.

The invention pertains to hardware and methods for direct injection, into the left ventricle of the heart of a patient or animal in cardiac arrest or in incipient cardiac arrest—using a 14-18 gauge cannula typically equipped with a retractable trocar—of an adequate amount of chilled saline or cryoprotective solution to create flow of chilled blood through the two carotid arteries, the two vertebral arteries, and the brain, to cool the brain or other vital organs. Generally, enough saline or cryoprotective solution is injected under high enough pressure to create a 30% baseline common carotid blood flow. The cannula arrangement with coordinated sharpened-tip retractable trocar, together with its surrounding flexible and rigid shield(s), diaphragm and stopcock(s), provides a sterile, self-sealing system suitable for use either in “the field” or in a hospital setting.

A clinical garment for patient warming including a front body panel having a first edge, an opposite second edge, an insulated sheet comprising an insulated layer positioned between an outer layer a film layer, a permeable layer adjacent to the film layer of the insulated sheet, a blanket section defined by a lower portion of the insulated sheet sealed to a lower portion of the permeable along a top edge, a bottom edge, and opposite first and second side edges of the blanket section, and at least one inlet port extending into the blanket section. The garment further includes a first back panel secured to at least a portion of the first edge of the front body panel and a second back panel secured to at least a portion of the second edge of the front body panel.