MEDICAL INSTRUMENT FOR IN VIVO HEAT SOURCE
First Claim
1. A medical device that is at least partially insertable or implantable into a living human or animal subject to generate heat in vivo within the subject, the medical device comprising:
- a body, sized and shaped to include a biocompatible portion that is configured to be insertable or implantable into the subject, the body including;
an electrical conductor, connected or coupled to receive an AC electromagnetic input signal; and
at least one of a semiconductor, a lossy dielectric, a thin-film metal, or a crystalline active substrate, arranged with respect to the electrical conductor to use the same AC electromagnetic input signal to both (1) select a heat source location in response to the same AC electromagnetic input signal being at a specified frequency and also to (2) generate heat in the active substrate at the selected heat source location selected.
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Abstract
A biocompatible medical device can be at least partially implantable into a living human or animal subject to provide active treatment of biofilm that can occur use within the subject. The medical device can include a catheter, including an interior conduit capable of permitting fluid flow. A heating device can be located on a portion of the catheter to be located within the subject, the heating device including at least a pair of electrodes having a variable spacing therebetween, the variable spacing specified to allow heat to be generated using a time-varying electromagnetic input signal providing a variable frequency to control a variable location along the electrodes at which heat is generated, such as can provide a virtual matrix of local heat sources.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A medical device that is at least partially insertable or implantable into a living human or animal subject to generate heat in vivo within the subject, the medical device comprising:
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a body, sized and shaped to include a biocompatible portion that is configured to be insertable or implantable into the subject, the body including; an electrical conductor, connected or coupled to receive an AC electromagnetic input signal; and at least one of a semiconductor, a lossy dielectric, a thin-film metal, or a crystalline active substrate, arranged with respect to the electrical conductor to use the same AC electromagnetic input signal to both (1) select a heat source location in response to the same AC electromagnetic input signal being at a specified frequency and also to (2) generate heat in the active substrate at the selected heat source location selected. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of using a biocompatible medical device that is at least partially implantable into a living human or animal subject, the method comprising:
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obtaining or providing the medical device including a body including a heat source location that is both selectable and energizable by specifying or varying a frequency of an AC electromagnetic input signal; and applying the same AC electromagnetic input signal to both select and energize the heat source location, via an electrical conductor connected or coupled to receive the same AC electromagnetic input signal, and using a semiconductor, a lossy dielectric, thin-film metal, or a crystalline active substrate, arranged with respect to the electrical conductor to use the same selecting and energizing AC electromagnetic input signal to generate heat in the active substrate in response to the same AC electromagnetic input signal being at the specified frequency. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of using a biocompatible medical device that is at least partially implantable into a living human or animal subject, the method comprising:
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obtaining or providing the medical device including a body including a heat source location; applying an electromagnetic input signal to selectively energize the heat source location; and applying a first polarity voltage, at a location on the body that is configured to be inserted into subject, to attract a oppositely charged pathogen toward the elongate body for concurrent or subsequent heat neutralization by the applying an electromagnetic input signal to selectively energize the heat source location. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification