A novel technology platform helps to control a patients’ temperature during clinical procedures, using the esophageal environment as a conduit.

The esophageal cooling device (ECD) is a single use, fully-enclosed triple lumen system that is inserted into the esophagus. Two of the lumens attach to standard existing temperature modulation equipment, while a third lumen simultaneously allows gastric decompression and drainage. The device can be rapidly inserted, in a fashion similar to a standard orogastric tube, and can be used to control patient temperature in the operating room (OR), recovery room, emergency room, or intensive care unit (ICU).

The device can be used for whole-body temperature modulation, cooling or warming a patient as deemed necessary. It can be used to warm patients in the OR to help prevent infection, wound complications, excessive blood loss, and prolonged recovery time. In the ICU or emergency wards, on the other hand, the device can effectively cool patients suffering from heat stroke. The ECD is a product of Advanced Cooling Therapy (Chicago, IL, USA), and has been approved in Europe, Canada, and Australia.

“We've been getting phenomenal feedback from clinicians using our device for both cooling and warming,” said Erik Kulstad, MD, MSc, president and co-founder of ACT. “Cooling patients is important for a number of clinical conditions in the emergency room and intensive care unit, but warming patients is equally important in the operating room, particularly during long surgeries.”

Guidelines developed under the Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP) of the Joint Commission (Oakbrook Terrace, IL, USA) specifically focuses on maintaining optimal temperature in patients during surgery. In addition, preventing inadvertent perioperative hypothermia is recommended by major organizations, including the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASAHQ; Schaumburg, IL, USA).

Related Links:
Advanced Cooling Therapy
Joint Commission
American Society of Anesthesiologists