A revised instrument for the regulated external cooling of the kidney.

The authors describe the instrument they have developed for the regulated external cooling of the kidney. This consists of a cooling thermostat fitted with a circulating pump, coils of their own construction for the surface cooling of the kidney and equipped with sensors for the measurement of kidney surface temperature, tube connectors, and a sensor for the measurement of the cooling medium temperature. A cooling liquid is supplied by means of a circulating pump from a thermostat through elastic tubes into the flow channels of the cooling coils. The temperature of the coolant is recorded by means of a thermistor sensor built into the system of tubes while the temperature of the kidney surface itself is monitored by a sensor installed in a coil. This permits the regulation of both the rate and depth of temperature reduction in order to prevent possible damage to the kidney caused by excessive temperature reduction. The efficiency and safety of this instrument were verified both experimentally and clinically.