Set for heat treatment of biological tissues and method using same

• US 6,823,216 B1
• Filed: 06/26/2002
• Issued: 11/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique
• Inventors: de Zwart, Jacobus Adrianus, Salomir, Rares-Vasile, Moonen, Christ, Vimeux, Frédéric
• Primary Examiner(s): GIBSON, ROY DEAN
• Application Number:
  US10/070,929
• Time in Patent Office: 881 Days
• Field of Search: 607/101-105, 607/97-99, 607/96, 606/27-29, 601/2, 601/2.3, 600/411, 600/412
• US Class Current: 607/101
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00084 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/374 NMR or MRI
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/015 By temperature mapping of body part
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/02 Localised ultrasound hyperthermia hyperthermia in general A61F7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/4804 Spatially selective measurement of temperature or pH

Abstract

A set for heat treatment of a target zone of a biological tissue, having an energy-generator to supply energy locally in the target zone, a mapper for measuring and recording temperature in the target zone, and a control unit to determine, on the basis of temperature measured in the target zone, the amount of energy required to be supplied to the target zone, and to control the energy-generator to deliver the energy. The control unit determines the energy required using point by point digital processing of the spatial distribution of temperature in the target zone and its immediate surroundings.

Claims

1. Equipment for the heat treatment of a target zone of biological tissue, comprising:

energy generating means for supplying energy locally in the target zone;

means for measuring and recording a temperature in the target zone;

a control unit comprising means for determining, from the temperature measured in the target zone, an amount of energy having to be supplied to the target zone necessary to reach and maintain a desired temperature in the target zone, and means for controlling the energy generating means to deliver the amount of energy having to be supplied;

the control unit further comprising means for numerically processing, point by point, a spatial temperature distribution in the target zone and its surroundings, in order to calculate temperature gradients.

2. The equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit further comprises means for estimating local heat energy loses, from an estimate of the heat conduction and of the spatial temperature distribution in the target zone and its surroundings.

3. The equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the energy generating means emits focused ultrasound.

4. The equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means for measuring and recording the spatial temperature distribution further comprise a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus.

5. The equipment as claimed in claim 1, 2, 3 or 4 further comprising means for evaluating the spatial distribution, in the target zone and its surroundings, of the amount of energy having to be supplied to the target zone.