Treating conditions caused by abnormal growth of pathogens in body cavities

Abstract

A cooling device and method inhibit the infectious growth of pathogens in a body cavity, primarily to cure VulvoVaginal Candidiasis (VVC) and Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) in the vagina, and to reduce biofilms. The device has a shell having an internal chamber containing a freezable or cooling filler that reduces the body cavity temperature. The device may be comprised of an optional coating compound (agent) covering at least a portion of an outer surface of the shell and an optional stainless steel sleeve that covers the shell or optional stainless steel particles that are impregnated into the shell material to enhance both thermal conductance and cooling efficacy. Pathogenic biofilms dissolve and bacteria colony counts decrease at lowered temperatures in body cavities, and infectious, temperature sensitive organisms (fungi, yeast, bacteria, viruses, parasites, and protozoans) become dormant, change morphology, or cease growing under the same lowered body cavity temperatures.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of disrupting and inhibiting the growth of a pathogen in a vagina of a patient, comprising repeating, until a therapeutic effect is achieved, the steps of:
 providing a device comprising a cooling or freezable filler material;   cooling or freezing the device;   inserting the cooled device into the vagina of the patient;   allowing the device to remain in the vagina for a period of time sufficient to promote a condition in the pathogen selected from: dormancy, changed morphology, cessation of growth, disruption of a biofilm created by the pathogen, and any combination thereof; and   removing the device from the vagina, and;   obtaining the therapeutic effect after repeating the steps, wherein the therapeutic effect comprises a drug-free cure of bacterial vaginosis vulvovaginal candidiasis or both.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pathogen is a fungus. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the fungus is a yeast. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the yeast is genus  Candida.    
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pathogen is a bacterium. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the period of time is between 30 and 60 minutes. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the steps are repeated at least two times. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the steps are repeated at least three times. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a temperature of vaginal tissue goes below 30° C. during each period of time. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a temperature of a portion of vaginal tissue goes below 26° C. during each period of time. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a temperature of a portion of vaginal tissue goes below 22° C. during each period of time.