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A portable apparatus and method for providing a cooled liquid for vascular administration are disclosed. The portable apparatus includes a source of liquid for vascular administration, a cooling reservoir for receiving liquid from the source, and a sorption-based heat exchanger for cooling liquid in

A portable apparatus and method for providing a cooled liquid for vascular administration are disclosed. The portable apparatus includes a source of liquid for vascular administration, a cooling reservoir for receiving liquid from the source, and a sorption-based heat exchanger for cooling liquid in the cooling reservoir by a sorption-based process. The heat exchanger may include an evaporative area for receiving and vaporizing a refrigerant, a sorptive material for sorping vaporized refrigerant, and a heat exchange member for conducting thermal energy from liquid in the cooling reservoir into the evaporative area. Additional componentry may be provided for fluidly interconnecting and controlling the flow of liquid from the source to the cooling reservoir and from the cooling reservoir to a vascular interface device. Such componentry may be conveniently packaged in a sterilized manner together with at least the cooling reservoir.

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What is claimed is: 1. A portable apparatus for selective, on-demand bodily cooling of a patient by providing a cooled liquid for administration into a vascular system of a patient, comprising: a portable source of a liquid for vascular administration; a portable cooling reservoir for receiving liq

What is claimed is: 1. A portable apparatus for selective, on-demand bodily cooling of a patient by providing a cooled liquid for administration into a vascular system of a patient, comprising: a portable source of a liquid for vascular administration; a portable cooling reservoir for receiving liquid from said source, including: an inlet that is one of interconnected and interconnectable to the portable source for receiving said liquid therefrom; an outlet that is one of interconnected and interconnectable to a vascular interface device; a portable sorption-based heat exchanger for cooling said liquid received in said portable cooling reservoir from said portable source, free from electrical power requirements, including: a vessel containing refrigerant; an evaporative area for receiving and vaporizing said refrigerant therein; a sorptive material for sorping vaporized refrigerant; and, a heat exchange member for conducting thermal energy from said liquid received in said portable cooling reservoir into said evaporative area; and, an actuator selectively actuable by a user to flow said refrigerant from said vessel into said evaporative area to provide selective cooling of said liquid received in said portable cooling reservoir for vascular administration to a patient. 2. A portable apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said cooling reservoir comprises: at least one flow channel for flowing said liquid between said inlet and said outlet. 3. A portable apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein said cooling reservoir further comprises: a plurality of flow channels for flowing said liquid between said inlet and said outlet. 4. A portable apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein at least a portion of each of said plurality of flow channels extends adjacent to said heat exchange member for thermal conduction therebetween. 5. A portable apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein said at least a portion of each of said plurality of flow channels extends substantially parallel to a corresponding surface portion of said heat exchange member. 6. A portable apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein said at least one flow channel follows a non-linear path between said inlet and said outlet of said cooling reservoir. 7. A portable apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein said inlet of said reservoir is operatively located above said outlet of said cooling reservoir. 8. A portable apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said cooling reservoir is removably positionable adjacent to said heat exchange member of said sorption-based heat exchanger. 9. A portable apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said cooling reservoir is fixedly positioned adjacent to said heat exchange member of said sorption-based heat exchanger. 10. A portable apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said cooling reservoir is one of removably positionable and fixedly positioned in direct contact with a first side of said heat exchange member of said sorption-based heat exchanger, and wherein said evaporative area and sorptive material are located on an opposing second side of said heat exchange member of the sorption-based heat exchanger. 11. A portable apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein said evaporative area and said sorptive material are located within an enclosed volume having a predetermined subatmospheric pressure. 12. A portable apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein said predetermined subatmospheric pressure is between about 0.5 hPa and 4 hPa. 13. A portable apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein said actuator is selectively actuatable to flow said refrigerant from said vessel into said enclosed volume. 14. A portable apparatus as recited in claim 13, wherein said vessel is at least partially defined by a flexible surface exposed to atmospheric pressure, and wherein upon selective actuation of said actuator a flow path is defined between said vessel and said enclosed volume. 15. A portable apparatus as recited in claim 13, wherein said sorption-based heat exchanger further comprises: a vapor permeable membrane disposed between said evaporative area and said sorptive material within said enclosed volume. 16. A portable apparatus as recited in claim 15, wherein said sorption-based heat exchanger further comprises: at least one spacer member extending through said sorptive material to define at least one corresponding channel for receiving vaporized refrigerant therethrough. 17. A portable apparatus as recited in claim 15, wherein said sorption-based heat exchanger further comprises: a thermal insulation layer disposed between said membrane and said sorptive material. 18. A portable apparatus as recited in claim 13, wherein said sorption based heat exchanger further comprises: a phase change material for extracting thermal energy, wherein said at least a portion of said phase change material is located adjacent to at least a portion of said sorptive material. 19. A portable apparatus as recited in claim 13, further comprising an envelope member interconnected to said heat exchanger member to define said enclosed volume therebetween. 20. A portable apparatus as recited in claim 13, wherein at least a portion of said actuator extends through said envelope for selective contact by a user. 21. A portable apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising: a flow pump device for maintaining the flow of said liquid from said source to said reservoir above a predetermined rate. 22. A portable apparatus as recited in claim 21, wherein said flow pump device is operable to flow said liquid into and out of said reservoir at a predetermined rate of between about 20 ml./min. and 200 ml./min. 23. A portable apparatus as recited in claim 21, wherein said flow pump device is non-electrical. 24. A portable apparatus as recited in claim 23, wherein said flow pump device comprises: an inflatable bladder positionable to apply a compressive force to said source of liquid. 25. A portable apparatus as recited in claim 23, wherein said flow pump device is hand-actuatable. 26. A portable apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said apparatus is operable to cool liquid received in said reservoir by between about 7° C. and 26° C. 27. A portable apparatus as recited in claim 26, wherein said reservoir defines an internal volume of between about 33 ml. and 134 ml. 28. A portable apparatus as recited in claim 27, wherein said reservoir and said heat exchange member directly contact each other across an area of between about 400 cm2 and 1,200 cm2. 29. A portable apparatus as recited in claim 26, wherein said liquid source comprises between about 1 liter and 3 liters of said liquid. 30. A portable apparatus as recited in claim 26, wherein said sorption-based heat exchanger includes between about 90 gms. and 300 gms. of said sorptive material. 31. A portable apparatus as recited in claim 26, wherein said apparatus is operable to flow liquid into and out of said cooling reservoir to provide a total energy transfer of between about 14.5 kcal and 60 kcal. 32. A portable apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said source of liquid comprises at least one source reservoir. 33. A portable apparatus as recited in claim 32, wherein said at least one source reservoir and said cooling reservoir are one of fluidly interconnected and fluidly interconnectable by at least one liquid flow line. 34. A portable apparatus as recited in claim 33, wherein said at least one liquid flow line is selectively fluidly interconnectable to said at least one source reservoir by at least one interconnection member. 35. A portable apparatus as recited in claim 34, wherein said at least one interconnection member comprises one of a spike and a luer connector. 36. A portable apparatus as recited in claim 32, wherein said liquid is flowable out of and not in to said at least one source reservoir. 37. A portable apparatus as recited in claim 32, wherein said cooling reservoir is adapted to be selectively fluidly interconnected to a patient by at least one liquid flow line. 38. A portable apparatus as recited in claim 37, wherein said at least one liquid flow line is selectively fluidly interconnectable to the vascular system of said patient by at least one intravascular access device. 39. A portable apparatus as recited in claim 38, wherein said at least one intravascular access device comprises a vascular catheter for passing said cooled liquid to flow into the vascular system of a patient. 40. A portable apparatus as recited in claim 32, wherein said at least one source reservoir is removably positionable relative to said cooling reservoir. 41. A portable apparatus for selective, on-demand bodily cooling of a patient by providing a cooled liquid for administration into a vascular system of a patient, comprising: a portable source of a liquid for vascular administration; a portable cooling reservoir for receiving liquid from said source, including: an inlet that is one of interconnected and interconnectable to the portable source for receiving said liquid therefrom; and an outlet that is one of interconnected and interconnectable to a vascular interface device, wherein said cooling reservoir defines a sterile internal volume for receiving and cooling said liquid from said source; a sterile first liquid flow line being one of fluidly interconnected and fluidly interconnectable between said source and said cooling reservoir; a sterile second liquid flow line being one of fluidly interconnected and fluidly interconnectable between said cooling reservoir and a vascular interface device; a portable sorption-based heat exchanger for cooling said liquid received in said portable cooling reservoir from said portable source, free from electrical power requirements, including: a vessel containing refrigerant; an evaporative area for receiving and vaporizing said refrigerant therein; a sorptive material for sorping vaporized refrigerant; and, a heat exchange member for conducting thermal energy from said liquid received in said portable cooling reservoir into said evaporative area; and, an actuator selectively actuable by a user to flow said refrigerant from said vessel into said evaporative area to provide selective cooling of said liquid received in said portable cooling reservoir for vascular administration to a patient. 42. A portable apparatus as recited in claim 41, further comprising: an enclosure containing, in a sterile, enclosed area, at least said cooling reservoir, said first liquid flow line and said second liquid flow line prior to use. 43. A portable apparatus as recited in claim 42, wherein said enclosure further contains, in said sterile enclosing area, said sorption-based heat exchanger prior to use. 44. A portable apparatus as recited in claim 43, further comprising: at least one flow control member disposed along and in contact engagement with said first liquid flow line for controlling the flow of liquid therethrough, wherein said at least one flow control member is contained in said sterile enclosed area of said enclosure prior to use. 45. A portable apparatus as recited in claim 42, further comprising: an interconnection member being one of interconnected and interconnectable to one end of said first liquid flow line and adapted for selective fluid interconnection to said source of liquid for vascular administration, wherein said interconnection member is contained in said sterile enclosed area of said enclosure prior to use. 46. A portable apparatus as recited in claim 42, further comprising: a gas removal device disposed in-line with said second liquid flow line for removing gas from liquid flowing therethrough, wherein said gas removal device is contained in said sterile enclosed area of said enclosure prior to use. 47. A portable apparatus as recited in claim 42, further comprising: at least one interconnection member being one of interconnected and interconnectable to one end of said second liquid flow line for selective fluid interconnection to a vascular access device, wherein said interconnection member is contained in said sterile enclosed area of said enclosure prior to use. 48. A portable apparatus as recited in claim 47, wherein said at least one interconnection member comprises a luer connector. 49. A portable apparatus for selective, on-demand bodily cooling of a patient by providing a cooled liquid for administration into a vascular system of a patient, comprising: a portable source of a liquid for vascular administration; a portable cooling reservoir for receiving liquid from said source, including: an inlet that is one of interconnected and interconnectable to the portable source for receiving said liquid therefrom; and an outlet that is one of interconnected and interconnectable to a vascular interface device; a portable sorption-based heat exchanger for cooling said liquid received in said portable cooling reservoir from said portable source, free from electrical power requirements, including: a vessel containing refrigerant; an evaporative area for receiving and vaporizing said refrigerant therein; a sorptive material for sorping vaporized refrigerant; and, a heat exchange member for conducting thermal energy from said liquid received in said portable cooling reservoir into said evaporative area; and, an actuator selectively actuable by a user to flow said refrigerant from said vessel into said evaporative area to provide selective cooling of said liquid received in said portable cooling reservoir for vascular administration to a patient; wherein said apparatus is operable to cool liquid received in said reservoir by between about 7° C. and 26° C., and wherein said apparatus is operable to flow said liquid from said liquid source into and out of said cooling reservoir at a predetermined rate of between about 20 ml./min. and 200 ml./min.