Method, apparatus, and substance for treating tissue having neoplastic cells
First Claim
1. A probe for treating a cancerous tumor comprising:
- an elongated member sized for and having a distal end tapered for interstitially implanting said elongated member in said cancerous tumor;
a heater element positioned about said distal end for producing heat; and
a coating layer joined with said member about said distal end and responsive to said heat for releasing at a predetermined temperature above a temperature of said tumor a drug for providing a treatment of said tumor.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Method, apparatus, and a substance is disclosed for releasing at a temperature above normal tissue temperature an anti-cancer drug and applying heat in combination to tissue having neoplastic cells such as a malignant brain tumor. The apparatus comprises a probe having a semi-rigid elongated member that is interstitially implanted in the malignant tumor. The elongated member is coated with a carrier substance that is responsive at a temperature above normal tissue temperature for releasing a carried substance such as a therapeutic anti-cancer drug. Within the elongated member, an electrical heater element produces heat when energized for heating the probe, the carrier substance, the anti-cancer drug, and the surrounding tissue. An electrical thermistor is also included within the elongated member for measuring the temperature of the probe in order to regulate the release of the drug and the temperature of the surrounding tissue. The method includes interstitially implanting the elongated member of the probe in the tumor, energizing the electrical heater element, releasing the drug in response to the heat to effect one treatment, and heating the tissue and drug to effect a second treatment. The combination of the heat and drug treatments then has an effectiveness level greater than the effectiveness levels of the heat and drug treatments individually. The coating layer substance includes a combination of a carrier and a carried substance for releasing the carried substance at a predetermined temperature above normal tissue temperature.
195 Citations
39 Claims
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1. A probe for treating a cancerous tumor comprising:
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an elongated member sized for and having a distal end tapered for interstitially implanting said elongated member in said cancerous tumor; a heater element positioned about said distal end for producing heat; and a coating layer joined with said member about said distal end and responsive to said heat for releasing at a predetermined temperature above a temperature of said tumor a drug for providing a treatment of said tumor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A probe for treating tissue having neoplastic ells comprising:
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an elongated member having a distal end tapered for interstitially implanting said member in said tissue; a carrier joined with an outer layer of said member about said distal end and responsive to said tissue for releasing a drug for treating said neoplastic cells; and a heater element positioned about said distal end for thermally conducting heat to further treat said neoplastic cells. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of treating tissue having neoplastic cells with a probe having an elongated member including an outer layer for releasing a drug and a heater element for heating said elongated member, comprising the steps of:
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interstitially implanting said elongated member in said tissue; releasing said drug from said outer layer to said tissue when said member is interstitially implanted in said tissue, said drug for providing a treatment of said neoplastic cells; energizing said heater element for producing said heat; and heating said tissue to a first predetermined temperature in response to said heat for providing a second treatment of said neoplastic cells. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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12. A method of treating tissue with a probe having an elongated member including an outer layer responsive at a predetermined temperature above a tissue temperature for releasing a substance and also having a heater element for heating said elongated member;
- comprising the steps of;
interstitially implanting said elongated member in said tissue; heating said outer layer of said elongated member to said predetermined temperature above a temperature of said tissue; and releasing from said outer layer at said predetermined temperature said substance interstitially to said tissue, said substance for providing a treatment of said tissue. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
- comprising the steps of;
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15. Apparatus for treating tissue comprising:
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an elongated member having a coating, said coating comprising a carrier substance responsive at a predetermined temperature above a temperature of said tissue for releasing a carried substance interstitially to a tissue, said elongated member sized for and having an end tapered for interstitially implanting said elongated member in said tissue; and said elongated member including therein a heater element for heating said carrier substance to said predetermined temperature above said tissue temperature. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. Apparatus for treating tissue having cancerous cells comprising:
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an elongated member having a distal end for interstitially implanting said member in said tissue; carrier means joined with said member about said distal end and responsive at a first predetermined temperature above a second tissue temperature for releasing a drug interstitially to said tissue, said drug for providing a treatment of said cancerous cells; and means for heating said carrier means to said first predetermined temperature. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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- 33. An elongated member for use with tissue treatment apparatus and serving to provide a first modality, said first modality for providing a first treatment of tissue, and said member also serving to provide at least one additional modality for providing further treatment of said tissue, characterized in that said member is sized and has a distal end for insertion interstitially in said tissue and that said modalities are provided concomitantly and are arranged so that said additional modality is activated by said first modality.
- 37. An elongated member for use with tissue treatment apparatus and serving to provide a first modality, said first modality for providing a first treatment of tissue, and said member also serving to provide at least one additional modality for providing further treatment of said tissue, characterized in that said member is sized and has a distal end for interstitially inserting said member in said tissue and that said modalities are arranged so that said first and further treatments are provided concomitantly for improving the combined effectiveness of said first and further treatments.
Specification