Conductive interstitial thermal therapy device
US6872203B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 6, 2003 |
| Grant date | Mar 29, 2005 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 23, 2023 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61B2017/00867
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An apparatus and method for thermally destroying tumors in which heat is generated by electrical resistance heating conducted to the target tissue. Computerized scanning is used to optimize the geometry of a thermal probe. The probe has a metal tip heated by a remote laser. The metal tip is mounted on the end of a wave guide fiber for transmitting the laser radiation to the metal tip. The tip is coated with a thin layer of biocompatible ceramic to avoid coagulated tissue sticking to the tip. The tip has one or more thin, thermally-conductive elements which deploy in stages to coagulate the tumor. The conductive elements may be thin wires or blades. On one embodiment, the conductive elements are composed of a shape memory material that is folded against the tip at lower temperatures and deploys at selected higher temperatures. In another embodiment, the conductive elements are blades that are deployed mechanically. The tip may be provided with a miniature thermocouple to provide temperature feedback information.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.