Tissue cooling clamps and related methods

Abstract

Methods and devices are disclosed herein that generally involve cooling tissue (e.g., localized cooling of tissue), and in particular applying therapeutic hypothermia to the spinal canal, tissue disposed within the spinal canal, and/or nerve roots extending from the spinal canal. In some embodiments, tissue can be cooled by clamping a cooling instrument to a bone or implant that is proximate to the tissue. The cooling instrument can define a chamber through which a chilled fluid, expandable gas, or other coolant means can be circulated, delivered, or activated to cool adjacent tissue. The degree of cooling can be regulated using a controller, which can be configured to increase or decrease the cooling effect based on any of a variety of measured or predicted physiological or thermodynamic properties. Methods are disclosed for utilizing cooling instruments and for carrying out various treatment regimens that involve cooling tissue using such instruments.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A method for cooling tissue, comprising:
 engaging at least one of a bony structure of a vertebra and an implant with a clamp; and applying a cooling effect to the clamp to cool the bony structure or implant and nerve tissue adjacent thereto.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 engaging a plurality of bony structures or a plurality of implants with a plurality of clamps; and   applying a cooling effect to the plurality of clamps to cool the plurality of bony structures or the plurality of implants and nerve tissue adjacent thereto.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said engaging comprises attaching the clamp directly to at least one of a pedicle, a posterior arch, a spinous process, and a transverse process. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein applying the cooling effect comprises delivering a pressurized gas to a chamber formed within the clamp. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein applying the cooling effect comprises delivering a cooled liquid to a chamber formed within the clamp and withdrawing the cooled liquid from the chamber through an exhaust conduit. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising dynamically controlling the cooling effect to increase and decrease the cooling effect. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising prior to or during said controlling, measuring one or more measured physiological characteristics using a sensor.