| 摘要 |
A cooling catheter is advanced through the femoral vein of a patient into the vena cava for therapeutic or prophylactic cooling of a patient by first sliding a peel-away protector sheath down the catheter until it covers and constrains a distal heat exchange element, such as plural hollow fibers through which coolant flows. An introducer sheath is advanced into the femoral vein, and then the protector sheath with heat exchange element therein is advanced into the introducer sheath. The protector sheath is then peeled away and removed from the catheter, and the catheter can be advanced as desired through the introducer sheath. When desired, the introducer sheath can be removed from the patient by peeling away the sheath from the catheter. |
