Device for hyperthermia

• US 4,676,258 A
• Filed: 06/05/1986
• Issued: 06/30/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kureha Kagaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Kawai, Yoshio, Sugimachi, Keizo, Inokuchi, Kiyoshi, Shirakami, Toshiharu, Kai, Hidenobu, Hotta, Tetsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Cohen, Lee S.
• Application Number:
  US06/873,095
• Time in Patent Office: 390 Days
• Field of Search: 128/804, 128/399-402, 128/784-786
• US Class Current: 607/154
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00553 Sphincter
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/06 for high-frequency therapy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/403 for thermotherapy, e.g. hyperthermia

Abstract

A device for radio-frequency hyperthermia having

a first electrode adapted to be disposed in a tract organ of a living body.

A second electrode is provided which is adapted to be disposed on an outer circumference of the living body such that the second electrode is opposed to the first electrode such that there is generated a spatially inhomogeneous electric field within the living body in cooperation with the first electrode so that a part of the living body near the first electrode may be heated more strongly than a part of the living body near the second electrode.

This serves to selectively heat a tumor or malignancy region at the deep inside of the living body by a noninvasive technique.

Claims

1. A device for hyperthermia comprising:

a radio frequency power supply having a pair of output terminals for delivering a radio-frequency of electric energy therefrom;

first electrode means having a flexible electrode connected at one end thereof electrically with one of said pair of output terminals of said radio-frequency power supply through a conductive lead, said flexible elctrode being adapted to be disposed in a tract organ of a living body;

second electrode means connected electrically with the other of said pair of output terminals of the radio-frequency power supply, wherein said second electrode means is adapted to be disposed on an outer circumference of the living body such that the second electrode means is opposed to said flexible electrode so as to generate a spatially inhomogeneous electric field with in the living body in cooperation with the flexible electrode such that part of the living body near the flexible electrode may be heated more strongly than a part of the living body near the second electrode means;

a flexible bag-like member adapted to be fitted on an inner surface of the tract organ and surrounding the flexible electrode; and

flexible tube means disposed at one end portion thereof inside the bag-like member, sealed at one leading end of said one end portion and provided with first aperture means on said one end portion for introducing a cooling liquid, said cooling liquid comprising at least in part water, into an inside of the flexible bag-like member and with second aperture means on said one end portion for discharging said cooling liquid out of the inside of the flexible bag-like member,

the flexible bag-like member being fixed at both ends thereof to an outer circumference of the flexible tube means in the vicinity of positions where said first and second aperture means are provided,

the flexible tube means being provided at said one end portion thereof with said flexible electrode.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein said flexible electrode comprises:

a tube-like member fitted around the outer circumference of said flexible tube means.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein said tube-like member comprises:

a braided metallic wire.

4. The device according to claim 2, wherein said tube-like member comprises:

a conductive and

flexible member.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein said flexible electrode comprises:

bellows fitted around the outer circumference of the flexible tube means.

6. The device according to claim 2, wherein said flexible electrode comprises:

a helical element fitted around the outer circumference of the flexible tube means.

7. The device according to claim 2, wherein said flexible tube means passes through a space enclosed within said tube-like member.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the flexible bag-like member has a size large enough to be contacted with the inner surface of the tract organ without being substantially expanded.

9. The device according to claim 1 or 8, wherein said flexible bag-like member comprises:

a polymeric material.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein said flexible tube means further comprises:

a guiding portion at the end thereof that is introduced into the tract organ for facilitating an introduction of the bag-like member into the tract organ.

11. The device according to claim 1 or 10, wherein the flexible tube means comprises:

a two-channel tube in which a passage for introducing the cooling liquid and a passage for discharging the cooling liquid are integrally formed.

12. The device according to claim 1 or 10, wherein the flexible tube means comprises:

an outer tube,

an inner tube disposed in the inside portion of said outer tube;

an annular sealing plug disposed in a position corresponding to an intermediate position of said flexible electrode on the outer tube to thereby divide an annular space defined by an outer circumference of the inner tube and an inner circumference of the outer tube into a first annular space and a second annular space, and

with the first aperture means comprising

an opening at one end of the inner tube, the first annular space and a plurality of penetrating holes provided through the outer tube for communicating the first annular space with the inside of the flexible bag-like member, and the second aperture means comprising the second annular space and a plurality of penetrating holes provided through the outer tube for communicating the second annular space with the inside of the flexible bag-like member.

13. The device according to claim 1, wherein said device further comprises:

means for detecting temperature at an outer circumference of the flexible bag-like member.

14. The device according to claim 1, wherein the second electrode means is in the form of a hollow cylinder.

15. The device according to claim 1, wherein the second electrode means is in the form of a curved plate.

16. The device according to claim 1, wherein the second electrode means comprises:

an electrode element made of a flexible plate-like member, and a passage means for circulating cooling liquid, the passage means being disposed on a surface of the flexible plate-like member.

17. An endotract electrode for use in a device for radio-frequency hyperthermia, which is adapted to be disposed in a tract organ comprising:

a flexible electrode for producing a spatially inhomogenous radio-frequency electric field,

a flexible bag-like member adapted to be fitted on an inner surface of the tract organ and surrounding the flexible electrode, and

flexible tube means disposed at one end portion thereof inside the bag-like member, sealed at one leading end of said one end portion and provided with first aperture means on said one end portion for introducing a cooling liquid, said cooling liquid comprising at least in part water, into an inside of the flexible bag-like member and with second aperture means on said one end portion for discharging said cooling liquid out of the inside of the flexible bag-like member,

the flexible bag-like member being fixed at both ends thereof to an outer circumference of the flexible tube means in the vicinity of positions where said first and second aperture means are provided,

the flexible tube means being provided at said one end portion thereof with said flexible electrode.

18. The endotract electrode according to claim 17, wherein the flexible electrode comprises:

a tube-like member fitted around the outer circumference of the flexible tube means.

19. The endotract electrode according to claim 18, wherein said tube-like member comprises:

a braided metallic wire.

20. The endotract electrode according to claim 18, wherein said tube-like member comprises:

a conductive and

flexible member.

21. The endotract electrode according to claim 17, wherein said flexible electrode comprises:

bellows fitted around the outer circumference of the flexible tube means.

22. The endotract electrode according to claim 18, wherein said flexible electrode comprises a helical element fitted around the outer circumference of the flexible tube means.

23. The endotract electrode according to claim 18, wherein said flexible tube means passes through a space enclosed with said tube-like member.

24. The endotract electrode according to claim 17, wherein the flexible bag-like member has a size large enough to be contacted with the inner surface of the tract organ without being substantially expanded.

25. The endotract electrode according to claim 17 or 24, wherein the flexible bag-like member comprises a polymeric material.

26. The endotract electrode according to claim 17, wherein the flexible tube means further comprises:

a guiding portion at the end thereof that is introduced into the tract organ for facilitating an introduction of the bag-like member into the tract organ.

27. The endotract electrode according to claim 17, or 26, wherein the flexible tube means is a two-channel tube in which a passage for introducing the cooling liquid and a passage for discharging the cooling liquid are integrally formed.

28. The endotract electrode according to claim 17 or 26, wherein the flexible tube means comprises:

an outer tube, an inner tube disposed in an inside of said outer tube and an annular sealing plug disposed in a position corresponding to an intermediate position of the flexible electrode on the outer tube to thereby divide an annular space defined by an outer circumference of the inner tube and an inner circumference of the outer tube into a first annular space and a second annular space, the first aperture means comprises an opening at one end of the inner tube, the first annular space and a plurality of penetrating holes provided through the outer tube for communicating the first annular space with the inside of the flexible bag-like member, the second aperture means comprising the second annular space and a plurality of penetrating holes provided through the outer tube for communicating the second annular space with the inside of the flexible bag-like member.

29. The endotract electrode according to claim 17, wherein the endotract electrode further comprises:

means for detecting temperature at an outer circumference of the flexible bag-like member.