Thermal therapy apparatus

• US 6,695,871 B1
• Filed: 08/10/2000
• Issued: 02/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Terumo Kabushiki Kaisha (Terumo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Terumo Kabushiki Kaisha (Terumo Corporation)
• Inventors: Sakaguchi, Akira, Ariura, Shigeki, Maki, Shin
• Primary Examiner(s): Gibson, Roy D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VRETTAKOS, PETER J
• Application Number:
  US09/637,331
• Time in Patent Office: 1,293 Days
• Field of Search: 606/2, 606/7, 606/8, 606/10-16
• US Class Current: 607/89
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00274 Prostate operation, e.g. prostatectomy, turp, bhp treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00547 Prostate
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/2283 with pivotable mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0601 Apparatus for use inside the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/067 using laser light

Abstract

In a thermal therapy apparatus for treating a vital tissue by irradiating the tissue with a laser beam, a display unit displays a figure indicating the shape of a diseased part to be heated on the basis of information concerning the diseased part. Heating regions are arranged in the displayed figure indicating the diseased part shape by using identifiers corresponding to individual heating conditions. In accordance with size/position information of these heating regions arranged, heating conditions such as the laser intensity laser irradiation time and laser irradiation angle are set. Laser beam irradiation is performed by controlling the irradiation in accordance with the set heating conditions. The information pertaining to the diseased part can also be input on the basis of an ultrasonic signal from an ultrasonic probe separated from or installed in the laser irradiation portion.

Claims

1. A thermal therapy apparatus for treating a vital tissue by irradiating the tissue with energy, comprising:

energy generation means for generating energy;

a display configured to display a) a first cursor for designating a position of a cross section of a diseased part, b) a figure on a screen simulating the shape of a the cross section of the diseased part in accordance with the position designated by said first cursor, c) a plurality of preset identifiers, each preset identifier having a size defining an amount of heat energy to be irradiated by said energy generation means and having a shape defining a range for therapeutic treatment and d) a second cursor for selecting at least one of the preset identifiers;

an operating unit configured to operate the first cursor to designate the position of the cross section of the diseased part and move the second cursor to select a preset identifier among the plurality of preset identifiers displayed on the screen, and for allocating the selected preset identifier in the figure simulating the shape of the cross section of the diseased part on the screen of said display, so as to set the therapeutic conditions for the diseased part based on the size, shape and the arranged position of the preset identifier; and

a controller configured to position said energy generation means in accordance with the position designated using the first cursor and control said energy generation means in accordance with the therapeutic conditions set by allocating the preset identifiers by said operating unit to treat the diseased part,

wherein the diseased part is treated by the heat energy generated by said energy generation means in accordance with the therapeutic conditions.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said operating unit arranges the heating region in accordance with a position designated in the figure indicating the shape of the diseased part and a predetermined conditional expression based on the position.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:

setting means for setting a non-heating region in the figure on the screen, wherein

said controller controls therapeutic conditions of said thermal therapy apparatus in accordance with both size/position information of the heating region arranged by said operating unit and the non-heating region set by said setting means.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said operating unit arranges the heating region in accordance with a position designated in the figure indicating the shape of the diseased part and a predetermined conditional expression based on the position.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

transmitting means for transmitting the energy generated by said energy generation means into a catheter; and

energy concentrating means for concentrating the energy transmitted by said transmitting means on a desired portion in a human body by reflecting the energy while changing a position in said catheter.

6. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the therapeutic conditions include at least an energy intensity and an irradiation time.

7. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said therapeutic conditions include at least one of an energy intensity, an irradiation time, a velocity at which the position is changed in said catheter, and the flow rate and temperature of a coolant for cooling an energy irradiation.

8. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the energy is a laser beam.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an energy generator for generating the energy;

transmitting unit transmitting the energy generated by said energy generator into a catheter; and

energy concentrating unit concentrating the energy transmitted by said transmitting unit on a desired portion in a human body by reflecting the energy while changing a position in said catheter.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the therapeutic conditions include at least an energy intensity and an irradiation time.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said therapeutic conditions include at least one of an energy intensity, an irradiation time, a velocity at which the position is changed in said catheter, and the flow rate and temperature of a coolant for cooling an energy irradiation.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the energy is a laser beam.

13. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the identifier designates at least a heating region and a heating direction of said energy generation means.

14. A thermal therapy apparatus comprising:

a catheter including heat energy irradiation means, to be inserted into a human body to irradiate a diseased part with heat energy;

designation means for designating a position of a cross section of a diseased part;

approximating means for approximating the shape of the cross section of the diseased part on the basis of shape data of the diseased part and the position of the cross section designated by said designation means;

setting means for setting a non-heating region in the shape approximated by said approximating means;

a display configure to display

     1) a figure on a screen simulating the shape of the diseased part approximated by said approximating means,

     2) preset identifiers, each defining a heating region and therapeutic conditions, and

     3) the non-heating region set by said setting means and

     4) a cursor for selecting the preset identifiers and allocating the selected identifiers;

allocating means for moving the cursor to select and allocate the selected preset identifiers, each having a shape and size defining a heating region and an amount of heat energy to be irradiated by the heat energy from said heat energy irradiation means, in the figure except for the non-heating region set by said setting means, wherein the selected preset identifiers are substantially uniformly arranged in the figure except for the non-heating region; and

a controller configured to control the heat energy to irradiate a diseased part in accordance with the therapeutic conditions in correspondence to the selected identifiers and the allocated positions of the preset identifiers.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said allocating means selects an identifier from a plurality of pre-stored identifiers, and arranges a selected identifier in the figure on the screen so as to arrange the heating region in the target heating region.

16. The apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising:

determining means for determining control information of said energy irradiation means on the basis of the heating regions allocated by said allocating means; and

the controller controlling said energy irradiation means in accordance with the control information determined by said determining means.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the control information includes at least information concerning an irradiation angle and the number of times of irradiation of the energy.

18. The apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising rotational angle control unit controlling a view angle of the catheter in accordance with the control information.

19. The apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising selecting means for selecting one of automatic heating and manual heating of the diseased part in accordance with the control information determined by said determining means.

20. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said energy irradiation means comprises:

an energy generator for generating the energy;

transmitting unit transmitting the energy generated by said energy generator into the catheter; and

energy concentrating unit concentrating the energy transmitted by said transmitting means on a desired portion in a human body by reflecting the energy while changing a position in said catheter.

21. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the energy is a laser beam.

22. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the identifier designates at least a heating region and a heating direction of said energy irradiation means.

23. A medical heating apparatus for performing thermal therapy by irradiating a vital tissue with energy, comprising:

energy generation means for generating heat energy;

image acquiring means for acquiring an image signal of a diseased part as an object of the thermal therapy;

signal analyzing means for analyzing the image signal acquired by said image acquiring means;

designation means for designating a position of a cross section of the diseased part;

setting means for setting therapeutic conditions for performing the thermal therapy on the basis of analytical information obtained by said signal analyzing means;

a display configured to display a) a figure simulating the shape of the cross section of the diseased part, b) a plurality of preset identifiers, each preset identifier having a size defining an amount of energy to be irradiated by the heat energy from said energy generation means and a shape defining a range for therapeutic treatment and c) a cursor for selecting at least one of the preset identifiers;

an operating unit configured to move the cursor to select an identifier from a plurality of identifiers displayed on the screen of the display, and allocate a selected identifier in the figure simulating the shape of the cross section to designate the therapeutic conditions for the diseased part, based on the size, shape and the allocated position of the preset identifiers; and

a controller configured to control irradiation of the diseased part with the heat energy according to the therapeutic conditions in correspondence to the selected identifier and the allocated position of the preset identifier.

24. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the analytical information includes information for specifying the shape of the diseased part.

25. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said unit energy generation means comprises a long insertion portion which can be inserted into a human body and irradiates the diseased part with energy from an irradiation portion installed in said insertion portion.

26. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said insertion portion contains said image acquiring means.

27. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said insertion portion has a lumen into which said image acquiring means can be inserted.

28. The apparatus according to claim 25, further comprising cooling unit cooling said irradiation portion and an energy irradiation surface and its vicinity of the vital tissue.

29. The apparatus according to claim 25, further comprising:

moving unit moving the position of said irradiation portion in a longitudinal direction of said insertion portion; and

interlocking unit changing the irradiation angle of energy irradiating the diseased part in accordance with the movement in the longitudinal direction of said insertion portion.

30. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said image acquiring unit acquires an image signal on the basis of an ultrasonic wave transmitted and received by an ultrasonic vibrator.

31. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said energy generation means performs irradiation of a laser beam as energy.

32. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the therapeutic conditions include not less than one item selected from the group consisting of the number of times of irradiation of the energy, the irradiation direction of the energy, the intensity of the energy, the irradiation time of the energy, the temperature of a coolant when the coolant is used, the flow rate of the coolant when the coolant is supplied, and the moving velocity of said energy generation means for performing irradiation of energy when said energy generation means is moved.

33. The apparatus according to claim 23, further comprising means for inhibiting the thermal therapy when the analytical information is smaller than a preset minimum value.

34. The apparatus according to claim 23, further comprising means for setting preset maximum therapeutic conditions as therapeutic conditions when the analytical information indicates that the diseased part is larger than a preset maximum value.

35. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said controller for performing the thermal therapy by controlling, in accordance with the therapeutic conditions set by said setting means, said energy generation means and at least one item selected from the group consisting of the number of irradiation times of the energy, the irradiation direction of the energy, the intensity of the energy, the irradiation time of the energy, the temperature of a coolant when the coolant is used, the flow rate of the coolant when the coolant is supplied, and the moving velocity of said energy generation means for performing irradiation of energy when said energy generation means is moved.

36. The apparatus according to claim 29, wherein said operating unit arranges the heating region in accordance with a position designated in the figure indicating the shape of the diseased part and a predetermined conditional expression based on the position.

37. The apparatus according to claim 23, further comprising:

approximating means for approximating the shape of the diseased part on the basis of the image signal;

non-heating setting means for setting a non-heating region in the shape approximated by said approximating means;

allocating means for substantially uniformly allocating heating regions, to be heated, in a target heating region except for the non-heating region; and

the display displaying a figure indicating a shape of the diseased part approximated by said approximating means, the heating regions allocated by said allocating means, and the non-heating region set by said non-heating setting means.

38. The apparatus according to claim 37, wherein said allocating means selects an identifier from a plurality of identifiers that are stored in advance, and arranges the heating region by arranging the selected identifier in the figure.

39. The apparatus according to claim 37, further comprising:

determining means for determining control information of said energy generation means on the basis of the heating regions allocated by said allocating means; and

the controller controlling said energy generation means in accordance with the control information determined by said determining means.

40. The apparatus according to claim 39, wherein the control information includes at least information concerning an irradiation angle and the number of times of irradiation of the energy.

41. The apparatus according to claim 39, further comprising rotational angle control means for controlling a view angle of a catheter in accordance with the control information.

42. The apparatus according to claim 39, further comprising selecting means for selecting one of automatic heating and manual heating of the diseased part in accordance with the control information determined by said determining means.

43. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said energy generation means comprises:

an energy generator generating the heat energy;

transmitting unit transmitting the energy generated by said energy generator into a catheter; and

energy concentrating unit for concentrating the energy transmitted by said transmitting unit on a desired portion in a human body by reflecting the energy while changing a position in said catheter.

44. An apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the identifier designates at least a heating region and a heating direction of said energy generation means.