Method and apparatus for effecting hyperthermic treatment
First Claim
1. A process of retarding the growth of cancer cells in a human patient which comprises the steps of:
- establishing a sterile extracorporeal flow path for blood having an inlet, an outlet and a temperature control zone therebetween,establishing communication of the inlet of said extracorporeal flow path with the patient'"'"'s bloodstream so that blood can be withdrawn and supplied to said extracorporeal flow path without adversely affecting the blood circulation in the areas from which the blood is withdrawn,establishing communication of the outlet of said extracorporeal flow path with the patient'"'"'s bloodstream so that blood flowing from the extracorporeal flow path is returned to the bloodstream in such a way as to be distributed systemically,pumping blood withdrawn from the patient'"'"'s bloodstream along said extracorporeal flow path through said temperature control zone at a controlled rate of at least approximately 1 liter per minute and returning the same to the patient'"'"'s bloodstream to be distributed systemically, as aforesaid,controlling the temperature of the blood flowing along said extracorporeal flow path through said temperature control zone for an initial period during which the temperature level of the blood within the zone is raised without causing the same to reach localized temperatures in excess of approximately 45°
C. so that the systemic distribution of the returned blood generally increases the patient'"'"'s core body temperature to a generally stable temperature condition at a level of approximately 41.5°
C. but not higher than approximately 42.5°
C., andmaintaining control of the temperature of the blood flowing along said extracorporeal flow path through said temperature control zone at said generally stable temperature for a second time period sufficient to effect the desired treatment.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A process of hyperthermic treatment of a patient which comprises the steps of establishing a sterile extracorporeal flow path for blood having an inlet, an outlet and a temperature control zone therebetween, establishing communication of the flow path inlet with the patient'"'"'s bloodstream so that blood can be supplied to the extracorporeal flow path without adversely affecting the blood circulation in the area from which the blood is withdrawn, establishing communication of the flow path outlet with the patient'"'"'s bloodstream so that blood is returned to the bloodstream in such a way as to be distributed systemically, pumping blood withdrawn from the patient'"'"'s bloodstream through the temperature control zone at a controlled rate of at least approximately 1 liter per minute and returning the same to the patient'"'"'s bloodstream to be distributed systemically, controlling the temperature of the blood flowing through the temperature control zone for an initial period during which the temperature level of the blood within the zone is raised without subjecting the same to localized temperatures in excess of approximately 45° C. so that the systemic distribution of the returned blood gradually increases the core temperature of the patient'"'"'s body to a generally stable temperature condition at a level of approximately 41.5° C. but not higher than approximately 42.5° C., and maintaining control of the temperature of the blood flowing through the temperature control zone at the generally stable temperature for a second time period sufficient to effect the desired treatment and apparatus for carrying out the method.
195 Citations
29 Claims
-
1. A process of retarding the growth of cancer cells in a human patient which comprises the steps of:
-
establishing a sterile extracorporeal flow path for blood having an inlet, an outlet and a temperature control zone therebetween, establishing communication of the inlet of said extracorporeal flow path with the patient'"'"'s bloodstream so that blood can be withdrawn and supplied to said extracorporeal flow path without adversely affecting the blood circulation in the areas from which the blood is withdrawn, establishing communication of the outlet of said extracorporeal flow path with the patient'"'"'s bloodstream so that blood flowing from the extracorporeal flow path is returned to the bloodstream in such a way as to be distributed systemically, pumping blood withdrawn from the patient'"'"'s bloodstream along said extracorporeal flow path through said temperature control zone at a controlled rate of at least approximately 1 liter per minute and returning the same to the patient'"'"'s bloodstream to be distributed systemically, as aforesaid, controlling the temperature of the blood flowing along said extracorporeal flow path through said temperature control zone for an initial period during which the temperature level of the blood within the zone is raised without causing the same to reach localized temperatures in excess of approximately 45°
C. so that the systemic distribution of the returned blood generally increases the patient'"'"'s core body temperature to a generally stable temperature condition at a level of approximately 41.5°
C. but not higher than approximately 42.5°
C., andmaintaining control of the temperature of the blood flowing along said extracorporeal flow path through said temperature control zone at said generally stable temperature for a second time period sufficient to effect the desired treatment. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. Apparatus for hyperthermic treatment of a human patient for the purpose of retarding the growth of cancer cells in the patient which comprises:
-
means defining a sterile extracorporeal flow path for blood having an inlet, an outlet and a temperature control zone therebetween, means for establishing communication of the inlet of said extracorporeal flow path with the patient'"'"'s bloodstream so that blood can be withdrawn and supplied to said extracorporeal flow path without adversely affecting the blood circulation in the areas from which the blood is withdrawn, means for establishing communication of the outlet of said extracorporeal flow path with the patient'"'"'s bloodstream so that blood flowing from the extracorporeal flow path is returned to the bloodstream in such a way as to be distributed systemically, means for pumping blood withdrawn from the patient'"'"'s bloodstream along said extracorporeal flow path through said temperature control zone at a controlled rate of at least approximately 1 liter per minute and returning the same to the patient'"'"'s bloodstream to be distributed systemically, as aforesaid, and means for controlling the temperature of the blood flowing along said extracorporeal flow path through said temperature control zone for an initial period during which the temperature level of the blood within the zone is raised without causing the same to reach localized temperatures in excess of approximately 45°
C. so that the systemic distribution of the returned blood gradually increases the patient'"'"'s core body temperature to a generally stable temperature condition at a level of approximately 41.5°
C. but not higher than approximately 42.5°
C., and for maintaining control of the temperature of the blood flowing along said extracorporeal flow path through said temperature control zone at said generally stable temperature condition for a second time period sufficient to effect the desired treatment. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
-
-
29. Apparatus for providing an extracorporeal blood circuit for connection with an arterio-venous shunt device systemically connected and subcutaneously implanted in a human patient for systemically treating the patient hyperthermically to retard the growth of cancer cells in the patient, comprising
means defining a sterile extracorporeal flow path for blood having an inlet, an outlet and a temperature control zone therebetween, means for establishing communication of the inlet of said extracorporeal flow path through said subcutaneous shunt device with the patient'"'"'s blood stream so that blood can be withdrawn and supplied to said extracorporeal flow path without adversely affecting the blood circulation in the area from which the blood is withdrawn, and means for establishing communication of the outlet of said extracorporeal flow path through said subcutaneous shunt device with the patient'"'"'s blood stream so that blood flowing from the extracorporeal flow path is returned to the blood stream in such a way as to be distributed systemically, said flow path defining means including a section of flexible tubing adapted to cooperate with pump means acting on the exterior of said tubing section to repetitively progressively collapse the section of flexible tubing in a direction to pump the blood withdrawn from the patient'"'"'s bloodstream along said extracorporeal flow path through said temperature control zone at a controlled rate of at least approximately one liter per minute and returning the same to the patient'"'"'s bloodstream to be distributed systemically, as aforesaid, and heat exchanger means for directing the blood through the temperature control zone of said flow path, said heat exchanger means having means for directing a substantially constant flow of temperature controlled liquid in heat exchange relation with respect to the blood flowing through said temperature control zone so that the temperature of the blood can be controlled for an initial period during which the temperature level of the blood flowing within the temperature control zone is raised without causing the same to reach localized temperatures in excess of approximately 45° - C. so that the systemic distribution of the returning blood gradually increases the patient'"'"'s core body temperature to a generally stable temperature condition at a level of approximately 41.5°
C. but not higher than approximately 42.5°
C. and the temperature of the blood can be maintained at said generally stable temperature for a second time period sufficient to effect the desired treatment.
- C. so that the systemic distribution of the returning blood gradually increases the patient'"'"'s core body temperature to a generally stable temperature condition at a level of approximately 41.5°
Specification