A Novel Cooling Device for Targeted Brain Temperature Control and Therapeutic Hypothermia: Feasibility Study in an Animal Model

Selective Cerebrospinal Fluid Hypothermia: Bioengineering Development and In Vivo Study of an Intraventricular Cooling Device (V-COOL)

Hypothermia is a promising therapeutic strategy for severe vasospasm and other types of non-thrombotic cerebral ischemia, but its clinical application is limited by significant systemic side effects. We aimed to develop an intraventricular device for the controlled cooling of the cerebrospinal fluid, to produce a targeted hypothermia in the affected cerebral hemisphere with a minimal effect on systemic temperature. An intraventricular cooling device (acronym: V-COOL) was developed by in silico modelling, in vitro testing, and in vivo proof-of-concept application in healthy Wistar rats (n = 42). Cerebral cortical temperature, rectal temperature, and intracranial pressure were monitored at increasing flow rate (0.2 to 0.8 mL/min) and duration of application (10 to 60 min). Survival, neurological outcome, and MRI volumetric analysis of the ventricular system were assessed during the first 24 h. The V-COOL prototyping was designed to minimize extra-cranial heat transfer and intra-cranial pressure load. In vivo application of the V-COOL device produced a flow rate-dependent decrease in cerebral cortical temperature, without affecting systemic temperature. The target degree of cerebral cooling (- 3.0 °C) was obtained in 4.48 min at the flow rate of 0.4 mL/min, without significant changes in intracranial pressure. Survival and neurological outcome at 24 h showed no significant difference compared to sham-treated rats. MRI study showed a transient dilation of the ventricular system (+ 38%) in a subset of animals. The V-COOL technology provides an effective, rapid, selective, and safe cerebral cooling to a clinically relevant degree of - 3.0 °C.

Validation of non-invasive brain temperature estimation models during swine therapeutic hypothermia

OBJECTIVES

This paper introduces a mathematical model that can estimate deep brain temperature during therapeutic hypothermia (TH) based on a double sensor method (DSM). Although the cerebral temperature is more important than the non-cerebral core temperature during TH, pulmonary artery (PA), rectal, and esophageal measurements (i.e. the typical core temperature measurement locations) have all been used for target temperature management. This is because there is no safe means of measuring the exact brain temperature.

APPROACH

We applied a double sensor thermometer to the subject's forehead to measure the cerebral temperature non-invasively. Invasive and non-invasive brain temperature readings were acquired for 11 pigs, seven of which were used to develop an optimal model using jackknife resampling and four of which were used to test the model.

MAIN RESULTS

The logit model exhibited the best performance of 0.134 °C root mean square error and a 0.993 Lin's concordance correlation coefficient (CCC). Each test dataset had acceptable results in that each 95% limit of agreement was within the range of clinical acceptance of [-0.5 °C, 0.5 °C]. Three of the four datasets yielded an 'almost perfect' score for Lin's CCC.

SIGNIFICANCE

Only a small number of studies have compared invasively and non-invasively measured brain temperatures, while most previous studies have concentrated on comparison with the core temperature. Furthermore, the possibility of measuring the exact brain temperature safely during TH using a DSM is shown in this work.

Cold Blooded: Evaluating Brain Temperature by MRI During Surface Cooling of Human Subjects

BACKGROUND

Targeted temperature management (TTM) confers neurological and survival benefits for post-cardiac arrest patients with return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) who remain comatose. Specialized equipment for induction of hypothermia is not available in the prehospital setting, and there are no reliable methods for emergency medical services personnel to initiate TTM. We hypothesized that the application of surface cooling elements to the neck will decrease brain temperature and act as initiators of TTM.

METHODS

Magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy was used to evaluate the effect of a carotid surface cooling element on brain temperature in healthy adults.

RESULTS

Six individuals completed this study. We measured a temperature drop of 0.69 ± 0.38 °C (95% CI) in the cortex of the brain following the application of the cooling element. Application of a room temperature element also caused a measurable decrease in brain temperature of 0.66 ± 0.41 °C (95% CI) which may be attributable to baroreceptor activation.

CONCLUSION

The application of surface cooling elements to the neck decreased brain temperature and may serve as a method to initiate TTM in the prehospital setting.

Feasibility Study of a Novel High-Flow Cold Air Cooling Protocol of the Porcine Brain Using MRI Temperature Mapping

Early, prehospital cooling seeks to reduce and control the body temperature as early as possible to protect the brain and improve patient outcome in cardiac arrest, stroke, and traumatic brain injury. In this study, we investigate the feasibility of localized cooling of the porcine brain by using a novel high-flow cold air protocol, which utilizes the close proximity between the nasal cavity and the brain. Five adult pigs were anesthetized and temperature change was mapped before, during, and after cooling by using the proton resonance frequency method on a 3 T Siemens Magnetom Skyra system. Cooling was performed by inserting a tube blowing high-flow (250 L/min) cold air (-10°C) through the nasal cavity for 5-20 minutes. The brain temperature change was measured by using an MRI phase mapping technique utilizing the temperature-dependent proton resonance frequency change. MRI maps showed significant temperature reduction of the porcine brain. On average, a mean whole-brain cooling effect of -0.33°C ± 0.30°C was found after 5 minutes of cooling. The anterior part of the brain was directly exposed to the cold and showed a significantly larger temperature drop (-0.83°C ± 0.51°C) than the posterior part (-0.03°C ± 0.21°C). However, a large variability of the temperature drop was observed between the animals. This variability may be caused by not well-controlled factors confounding the MRI temperature mapping, for example, subject movement, or cooling effectiveness, for example, core temperature or nasal patency. The results indicate that the proposed high-flow cold air protocol allows for localized cooling of the frontal porcine brain, which may be clinically relevant for traumatic injuries of the frontal brain where systemic cooling is unfavorable.