Apparatus and Method for Selectively Heating a Deposit in Fatty Tissue in a Body
First Claim
1. An apparatus for providing hyperthermia treatments to a breast having fatty mammary tissue surrounding a deposit in the breast, comprising:
- a cavity for receiving the breast therein;
a first radio frequency antenna operable to direct a radio frequency signal at a selected frequency into the breast such that the radio frequency signal will have a selected wavelength to selectively heat the deposit to a temperature greater than the surrounding fatty mammary tissue at least partially through resonant heating within the deposit from the radio frequency signal when a diameter of the deposit is within a range of about 0.5 times to 0.16 times the wavelength of the radio frequency signal within the fatty mammary tissue; and
a deposit adapted to be positioned in the fatty mammary tissue of the breast adjacent tissue to be treated, whereby the deposit, when positioned in the fatty mammary tissue adjacent the tissue to be treated, will be heated, at least partially by resonant heating, by the radio frequency signals, the heated deposit then supplying heat for heat treatment to the tissue adjacent the deposit.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Heat treatment is applied to tissue in need of such treatment which is surrounded by tissue not in need of such treatment, by positioning a deposit within the surrounding tissue adjacent the tissue in need of treatment. The dielectric constant and/or the conductivity of the deposit is greater than that of the surrounding tissue. A radio frequency antenna or antenna array directs a radio frequency signal at a selected frequency into the deposit. The deposit has a diameter within a range of about 0.5 times to about 0.16 times the wavelength of the radio frequency signal within the surrounding tissue. The deposit is heated, at least partially through resonant heating, to a temperature greater than the surrounding tissue to apply heat treatment to the tissue in need of treatment. The deposit may take the form of a balloon of a Mammosite® type device to provide hyperthermia treatment in conjunction with radiation treatment of a breast after a lumpectomy.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. An apparatus for providing hyperthermia treatments to a breast having fatty mammary tissue surrounding a deposit in the breast, comprising:
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a cavity for receiving the breast therein; a first radio frequency antenna operable to direct a radio frequency signal at a selected frequency into the breast such that the radio frequency signal will have a selected wavelength to selectively heat the deposit to a temperature greater than the surrounding fatty mammary tissue at least partially through resonant heating within the deposit from the radio frequency signal when a diameter of the deposit is within a range of about 0.5 times to 0.16 times the wavelength of the radio frequency signal within the fatty mammary tissue; and a deposit adapted to be positioned in the fatty mammary tissue of the breast adjacent tissue to be treated, whereby the deposit, when positioned in the fatty mammary tissue adjacent the tissue to be treated, will be heated, at least partially by resonant heating, by the radio frequency signals, the heated deposit then supplying heat for heat treatment to the tissue adjacent the deposit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. Apparatus for providing heat treatment to living tissue in need of such treatment and surrounded by living tissue not in need of such treatment, comprising:
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a deposit of material in a form to be positioned in living tissue adjacent the tissue in need of heat treatment, said deposit having a size, dielectric constant, and conductivity; the living tissue not in need of heat treatment having at least one of a dielectric constant and conductivity different from the dielectric constant and conductivity of the deposit; and a source of radio frequency radiation adapted to direct the radio frequency radiation into the deposit, said radio frequency radiation having a selected wavelength to selectively heat the deposit to a temperature greater than the surrounding tissue not in need of treatment at least partially through resonant heating within the deposit from the radio frequency signal when a diameter of the deposit is within a range of about 0.5 times to about 0.16 times the wavelength of the radio frequency signal within the living tissue not in need of such treatment, the heated deposit then supplying heat for heat treatment to the tissue adjacent the deposit. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method for providing heat treatment to living tissue in need of such treatment and surrounded by living tissue not in need of such treatment with the tissue not in need of such treatment having a dielectric constant and a conductivity, comprising:
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inserting a deposit of material in the living tissue adjacent the tissue in need of treatment, said deposit having a size, dielectric constant, and conductivity with at least one of the dielectric constant and conductivity being different from the dielectric constant and conductivity of the tissue not needing treatment; and directing radio frequency radiation into the deposit, said radio frequency radiation having a selected wavelength to selectively heat the deposit to a temperature greater than the surrounding tissue not in need of treatment through resonant heating within the deposit from the radio frequency signal when a diameter of the deposit is within a range of about 0.5 times to 0.16 times the wavelength of the radio frequency signal within the living tissue not in need of such treatment.
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29. A method of treating breast cancer comprising:
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performing a lumpectomy to remove a cancerous tumor from the breast resulting in a cavity in the breast from where the cancerous tumor was removed which is surrounded by fatty mammary tissue, said fatty mammary tissue having a dielectric constant and a conductivity; inserting a deposit of material within the cavity adjacent tissue surrounding the cavity, said deposit material having a dielectric constant, and conductivity with at least one of the dielectric constant and conductivity different from the dielectric constant and conductivity of the fatty mammary tissue; directing radio frequency radiation into the deposit, said radio frequency radiation having a selected wavelength to selectively heat the deposit to a temperature greater than the surrounding fatty mammary tissue at least partially through resonant heating within the deposit from the radio frequency signal when a diameter of the deposit is within a range of about 0.5 times to 0.16 times the wavelength of the radio frequency signal within the fatty mammary tissue, the heated deposit then providing hyperthermia treatment to the tissue adjacent the cavity. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31)
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Specification