Pulmonary artery temperature profile of OHE11 (N = 8) and OHE14.7 (N = 8) during cooling period, maintenance and rewarming period.

<p>Pulmonary artery temperature profile of OHE11 (N = 8) and OHE14.7 (N = 8) during cooling period, maintenance and rewarming period.</p

Mean cooling rates of OHE11 (N = 8) and OHE14.7 (N = 7) during cooling period.

<p>Mean cooling rates of OHE11 (N = 8) and OHE14.7 (N = 7) during cooling period.</p

Oesophageal heat exchangers with a diameter of 11mm or 14.7mm are equally effective and safe for targeted temperature management - Fig 5

<p>(a.) Representative undamaged cranial oesophageal tissue segment after treatment with OHE11 (ep: epithelium layer, mg: mucosal glands). No damage was found in oesophageal lamina mucosa, submucosa, muscularis, and adventitia. Epithelial layer thickness was inhomogeneous since cells of the multilayered squamous epithelium are physiologically desquamating. Scale bar: 200μm; (b/c.) Laryngeal oesophageal tissue segment after treatment with OHE11. Mononuclear inflammatory cells infiltrate the epithelial layer (arrow) of the mucosa. Activated lymphoid tissue is evident transmurally in the oesophageal wall. Scale bar: 100μm; (d.) Cranial oesophageal tissue segment after treatment with OHE14.7. Submucosal glands are infiltrated with inflammatory cellular infiltrates in the lamina submucosa (arrow). Scale bar: 100μm.</p

Design of Oesophageal Heat Exchanger.

<p>The OHE consisted of silicone designated for medical use. The tube (500mm length) consisted of three integrated tubes: (a) the outlet tube supplied water from the temperature regulating device (HICO Variotherm 555, Hirtz & Co.KG, Cologne, Germany), and was connected to the inlet tube (b), which withdrew the water back to the chiller. A third tube (c) provided gastric suctioning. Purified water served as temperature regulating agent. Water temperature was assessed at the inlet (<i>T</i>_<i>in</i>) and the outlet (<i>T</i>_<i>out</i>) of the OHE. Water could be cooled down to a minimum of 3°C or warmed to a maximum of 41°C. With a feedback loop, which registered the pulmonary artery temperature (Gold standard), the water temperature was continuously adjusted to the requirements of the study protocol. Water flow rate (<i>L</i>/min) was measured in the forward line. Both OHE11 and OHE14.7 were inserted in uninflated (A) conditions to protect the oesophageal epithelium from desquamation and avoid unnecessary contact pressure. Immediately after initiation of cooling, OHE deflated (B) to their particular diameters. Under clinical circumstances, a blind advance of the OHE similar to a gastric tube may conceivable.</p

Levels of Oesophageal Tissue Damage.

<p>Levels of Oesophageal Tissue Damage.</p