Method for heating ductal and glandular carcinomas and other breast lesions to perform thermal downsizing and a thermal lumpectomy
US6470217B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 13, 2000 |
| Grant date | Oct 22, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 13, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61N5/02
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A method for selectively heating cancerous conditions of the breast including invasive ductal carcinoma and invasive glandular lobular carcinoma, and pre-cancerous conditions of the breast including ductal carcinoma in-situ, lobular carcinoma in-situ, and intraductal hyperplasia, as well as benign lesions (any localized pathological change in the breast tissue) such as fibroadenomas and cysts by irradiation of the breast tissue with adaptive phased array focused microwave energy is introduced. Microwave energy provides preferential heating of high-water content breast tissues such as carcinomas, fibroadenomas, and cysts compared to the surrounding lower-water content normal breast tissues. To focus the microwave energy in the breast, the patient's breast can be compressed and a single electric-field probe, inserted in the central portion of the breast, or two noninvasive electric-field probes on opposite sides of the breast skin, can be used to measure a feedback signal to adjust the microwave phase delivered to waveguide applicators on opposite sides of the compressed breast tissue. The initial microwave power delivered to the microwave applicators is set to a desired value that i…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.