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Assignees
Member
NeuroIntactNeuroIntact is a medical device company based in Baltimore, Maryland, focused on developing targeted temperature management (TTM) therapies to preserve neurological function in critical care settings, including stroke, traumatic brain injury, and cardiac arrest. The company specializes in intranasal delivery of TTM, aiming to optimize brain temperature while minimizing systemic effects and side effects seen with whole-body cooling. Backed by recent funding and industry partnerships, NeuroIntact is advancing its devices through clinical evaluation and commercialization, with a focus on improving patient outcomes and care for both military and civilian populations.
NeuroIntact is a medical device company based in Baltimore, Maryland, focused on developing targeted temperature management (TTM) therapies to preserve neurological function in critical care settings, including stroke, traumatic brain injury, and cardiac arrest. The company specializes in intranasal delivery of TTM, aiming to optimize brain temperature while minimizing systemic effects and side effects seen with whole-body cooling. Backed by recent funding and industry partnerships, NeuroIntact is advancing its devices through clinical evaluation and commercialization, with a focus on improving patient outcomes and care for both military and civilian populations.
Publication Number
US-10406022-B2
Publication Date
2019-09-10
Expiration Date
Abstract
A system for cooling the brain of a human subject, includes a cooling subsystem which inputs a flow of air or breathable gas, cool the air or breathable gas, and output cooled air or breathable gas which is delivered to a human subject. A flow control device to controls a flow rate of the flow of the air or breathable gas input to the cooling subsystem and a flow rate of the cooled air or breathable gas delivered to the human subject. One or more flow rate sensors measure at least a flow rate of flow of cooled air or breathable gas. One or more temperature sensors measure at least a temperature of a brain and the temperature of the flow of cooled air or breathable gas. A controller adjusts a cooling rate, the temperature, and the flow rate of flow of cooled air or breathable gas delivered to the human subject to cool the brain of the human subject.
Core Innovation
The invention discloses a closed‑loop system for selective brain cooling that cools ambient or supplied air or breathable gas and delivers the cooled gas to a subject via a delivery line. The cooling subsystem includes a thermally conductive flat gas block with flow channels, a flat thermoelectric cooler (TEC) coupled between the flat gas block and a flat conductor block, a heat‑exchange assembly to remove TEC waste heat, and flow and temperature sensing.
A controller adjusts cooling rate, temperature, and flow in feedback based on measured temperature of the brain or brain‑correlative site and measured flow of cooled gas. The system supports portable operation with compressor or blower and battery power options, and includes humidification to condition the breathable gas for delivery during pre‑hospital, military, transport, and military far‑forward scenarios.
The patent addresses a need for less cumbersome, rapid pre‑hospital intranasal brain cooling to achieve brain cooling within the therapeutic window (~<30 min) while limiting systemic side effects. It targets localized brain cooling for therapeutic hypothermia (TH) or target temperature management (TTM) and rapid point‑of‑injury intervention to reduce secondary injury after traumatic brain injury (TBI), stroke, and cardiac arrest.
Claims Coverage
Independent claim defines five inventive features.
Cooling subsystem with flat gas block and flat TEC
a cooling subsystem configured to input a flow of air or breathable gas, cool the air or breathable gas, and output cooled air or breathable gas to a line coupled to a device adapted to deliver the cooled air or breathable gas to a human subject, the cooling subsystem including a flat gas block comprised of a thermally conductive material and a flat thermal electric cooling (TEC) device coupled between the flat gas block and a flat conductor block;
Flow control device
a flow control device coupled to the cooling subsystem configured to control a flow rate of the flow of the air or breathable gas input to the cooling subsystem and a flow rate of the cooled air or breathable gas output to the line;
Flow rate sensors
one or more flow rate sensors coupled to the cooling subsystem configured to measure at least a flow rate of flow of cooled air or breathable gas;
Temperature sensors measuring brain and gas temperature
one or more temperature sensors configured to measure at least a temperature of a brain or a brain correlative site of the human subject and the temperature of the flow of cooled air or breathable gas;
Controller that adjusts cooling based on measured temperature and flow
a controller coupled to the cooling subsystem, the flow control device, the one or more flow rate sensors, and the one or more temperature sensors, the controller configured to adjust a cooling rate, the temperature, and the flow rate of flow of cooled air or breathable gas delivered to the human subject based on at least the measured temperature of the brain or the brain correlative site and the measured flow rate of the flow of cooled air or breathable gas to cool the brain of the human subject.
The independent claim recites receiving and cooling air or breathable gas, delivering the cooled flow via a line to a device with a flat gas block and flat TEC coupled to a conductor block, measuring flow and temperatures at the brain or brain‑correlative site and of the cooled gas, controlling flow rate, and adjusting cooling in closed‑loop based on the measured temperature and flow to cool the brain.
Stated Advantages
Less cumbersome device configuration for intranasal brain cooling.
Rapid pre‑hospital intranasal brain cooling intended to achieve brain cooling within the therapeutic window (~<30 min).
Limiting systemic side effects while providing localized brain cooling.
Enable therapeutic hypothermia (TH) or target temperature management (TTM).
Rapid, point-of-injury brain cooling to reduce secondary injury after traumatic brain injury (TBI), stroke, and cardiac arrest.
Portable operation suitable for pre-hospital, military, and transport use.
Documented Applications
Pre‑hospital intranasal brain cooling for point of injury, transport, and military far‑forward scenarios.
Rapid, point-of-injury brain cooling (pre-hospital, military, transport) to reduce secondary injury after traumatic brain injury (TBI), stroke, and cardiac arrest.
Therapeutic hypothermia (TH) or target temperature management (TTM).
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