1. A cryoablation system comprising a cryotreatment catheter and a coolant console having:
an inlet line;
a reservoir of phase change coolant;
a supply line for supplying phase change coolant;
a first means coupled to the supply line for providing the phase change coolant from the reservoir at elevated pressure along the inlet line to the cryotreatment catheter;
a second means for recovering the phase change coolant from the cryotreatment catheter and raising its pressure;
said first and second means, a portion of said supply line, and said cryotreatment catheter forming a supply loop external to the reservoir, the supply loop passing through the cryotreatment catheter, the first means being arranged in heat exchange communication with the supply line to condition the phase change coolant before it reaches the catheter along the inlet line so as to achieve effective cooling regimens by controlling phase change coolant provided along the inlet line while continuously recovering and recirculating expended coolant from the second means.
2-16. (canceled)
17. The cryoablation system of claim 1, wherein the second means includes a vacuum recovery unit connectable to the cryotreatment catheter for receiving return flow of injected coolant therefrom.
18. The cryoablation system of claim 17, wherein the vacuum recovery unit includes a vacuum pump.
19. The cryoablation system of claim 18, wherein the reservoir provides said phase change coolant at a first pressure to said first means, and the vacuum pump returns the expended coolant to the first means along a return line at a pressure of one of equal to and above said first pressure.
20. The cryoablation system of claim 1, further comprising a thermocouple in fluid communication with the inlet line.
21. The cryoablation system of claim 1, further comprising a vent port in fluid communication with the reservoir of phase change coolant.
22. The cryoablation system of claim 1, further comprising at least one of a temperature sensor and a pressure sensor coupled to the vent port.
23. A cryoablation system comprising a cryotreatment catheter and a coolant console having:
a coolant supply;
a condenser in fluid communication with the coolant supply;
a compressor in fluid communication with the coolant supply, the compressor having an inlet line and an outlet line, wherein at least a portion of the inlet line and a portion of the outlet line pass through the condenser; and
a heat exchanger thermally coupling at least a portion of the inlet line to at least a portion of the output line of the compressor.
24. The cryoablation system of claim 23, wherein the outlet line includes a first segment providing a fluid path to the coolant supply.
25. The cryoablation system of claim 24, wherein the outlet line includes a second segment providing a fluid path to the cryotreatment catheter.
26. The cryoablation system of claim 25, further comprising a pressure regulator disposed in the fluid path between the compressor and the cryotreatment catheter.
27. The cryoablation system of claim 23, further comprising a pressure regulator disposed between the coolant supply and the condenser.
28. The cryoablation system of claim 23, further comprising a vacuum pump in fluid communication with the cryotreatment catheter for receiving return flow of injected coolant therefrom.
29. The cryoablation system of claim 28, wherein the return flow of injected coolant from the cryotreatment catheter is returned at least in part to the coolant supply.
30. The cryoablation system of claim 23, further comprising a vent port in fluid communication with the coolant supply.
31. The cryoablation system of claim 30, further comprising at least one of a temperature sensor and a pressure sensor coupled to the vent port.
32. A cryoablation system comprising a cryotreatment catheter and a coolant console having:
a coolant supply;
a condenser in fluid communication with the coolant supply;
a compressor in fluid communication with the coolant supply, the compressor having an inlet line and an outlet line, the outlet line including a first segment providing a fluid path to the coolant supply and a second segment providing a fluid path to the cryotreatment catheter;
wherein at least a portion of the inlet line and a portion of the outlet line pass through the condenser;
a heat exchanger thermally coupling at least a portion of the inlet line to at least a portion of the output line of the compressor; and
a first pressure regulator disposed between the coolant supply and the condenser.
33. The cryoablation system of claim 32, further comprising a second pressure regulator disposed in the fluid path between the compressor and the cryotreatment catheter.
34. The cryoablation system of claim 32, further comprising a vacuum pump in fluid communication with the cryotreatment catheter for receiving return flow of injected coolant therefrom, wherein the return flow of injected coolant from the cryotreatment catheter is returned at least in part to the coolant supply.
35. The cryoablation system of claim 32, further comprising a vent port in fluid communication with the coolant supply, and at least one of a temperature sensor and a pressure sensor coupled to the vent port.
36. The cryoablation system of claim 32, further comprising a vacuum pump in fluid communication with the cryotreatment catheter for receiving return flow of injected coolant therefrom, and wherein the vacuum pump directs coolant to the compressor inlet line.
37. The cryoablation system of claim 34, further comprising a second pressure regulator disposed in the fluid path between the vacuum pump and the cryotreatment catheter.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. A ball comprising:
a plurality of interwoven loops, to achieve a ball with a hollow interior.
2. The ball of claim 1 wherein the loops have a generally polygonal shape.
3. The ball of claim 2 wherein the loops are generally pentagonal.
4. The ball of claim 3 comprising six generally pentagonal loops which are interwoven generally along the planes of an icosidodecahedron solid.
5. The ball of claim 2 wherein the loops have protruding portions at one or more of the vertices.
6. The ball of claim 5 wherein the loops each have a protruding portion at each vertex.
7. The ball of claim 5 wherein the protruding portions are generally partially spherical.
8. The ball of claim 2 wherein the loops have three sides.
9. The ball of claim 2 wherein the loops have four sides.
10. The ball of claim 2 wherein the loops have six sides.
11. The ball of claim 1, wherein at least some of the loops define butting ends that lie proximate one another within a connector means.