Apparatus and method to monitor photodynamic therapy (PDT)
US6128525A · kind A · utility
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 29, 1997 |
| Grant date | Oct 3, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 29, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61N2005/0644
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A method and apparatus for controlling the dosimetry of a photodynamic therapy that involves exposing a site to be treated to treatment light in order to generate toxic products at the site and other photoproducts. Often a photosensitizer drug is administered to the patient prior to treatment or the therapy relies on the presence of endogenous photosensitizers. The method comprises the steps of selecting a photoproduct having an identifying characteristic, which can be a fluorescence peak, and monitoring the photoproduct using the identifying characteristic (e.g. fluorescence) to determine the level of the photoproduct being generated. The photodynamic therapy is then terminated when the photoproduct being monitored reaches a predetermined level. The method allows for safe treatment of a site using photodynamic therapy and ensures that overexposure to treatment light leading to damage of normal tissue or underexposure leading to ineffective treatment of the lesion does not occur. Apparatus for automatically carrying out the method is also provided.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.