Apparatus for treating prostate cancer and method for same
First Claim
1. A medical device for use in treating tissue in a mammalian body comprising a needle-like member having a distal portion adapted for introduction into the tissue of the body, plurality of laser diodes mounted on the distal portion of the needle-like member and extending helically around the needle-like member, and first and second electrical leads carried by the needle-like member for providing electrical energy to the at least one of the laser diodes.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A medical device for photodynamically treating cancerous tissue, such as prostate cancer, comprising a body, a needle extendable from the body and at least one light-emitting (e.g., laser) diode mounted on the needle. The body is sized and configured for introduction into the urethra of a patient. The needle is movable between a retracted position housed substantially within the cylindrical body, and a deployed position in which the needle extends from the cylindrical body to enable it to penetrate into prostate tissue. The light-emitting diode is adapted to emit light to activate a photosensitizing agent (e.g., porfimer sodium) in or adjacent cancerous tissue in the prostate. Methods of treating cancer and other embodiments of medical devices for cancer treatment are also disclosed.
49 Citations
20 Claims
- 1. A medical device for use in treating tissue in a mammalian body comprising a needle-like member having a distal portion adapted for introduction into the tissue of the body, plurality of laser diodes mounted on the distal portion of the needle-like member and extending helically around the needle-like member, and first and second electrical leads carried by the needle-like member for providing electrical energy to the at least one of the laser diodes.
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4. A method for treating cancerous tissue in a mammalian body with porfimer sodium and a medical probe having a distal portion comprising the steps of introducing porfimer sodium into the body, introducing the medical probe into the body so that the distal portion is in the vicinity of the cancerous tissue and supplying light from the distal portion of the medical probe to activate the porfimer sodium in the vicinity of the cancerous tissue,
wherein the step of introducing porfimer sodium into the body includes the step of injecting the porfimer sodium into the body in the vicinity of the cancerous tissue, wherein the injecting step includes the step of introducing a needle into the body and supplying the porfimer sodium through the needle to the cancerous tissue, wherein the distal portion of the probe includes a needle-like member having an exterior surface and at least one light source mounted on the exterior surface, and wherein the step of supplying light from the distal portion of the medical probe comprises supply light from the at least one light source.
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5. A method for treating cancerous tissue in a mammalian body, the method comprising:
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introducing into the body a photosensitizing agent that in response to absorbing light creates or increases an activity to destroy or inhibit cancerous tissue; introducing a medical probe having a distal portion into the body such that the distal portion is in the vicinity of the cancerous tissue; and supplying light from the distal portion of the medical probe to activate the photosensitizing agent to destroy or inhibit cancerous tissue, wherein the cancerous tissue is located in a prostate, and the step of introducing a medical probe having a distal portion into the body such that the distal portion is in the vicinity of the cancerous tissue includes; introducing the distal portion of a medical probe into the urethra; and advancing a needle from the distal portion through the wall of the urethra into the prostate in the vicinity of the cancerous tissue, and wherein the step of supplying light from the distal portion of the medical probe comprises supplying light from the needle. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A medical device for photodynamically treating prostate cancer comprising:
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a generally cylindrical body sized and configured for introduction into the urethra of a patient; a needle movable between a retracted position housed substantially within the cylindrical body, and a deployed position in which the needle extends from the cylindrical body to enable it to penetrate into prostate tissue; and at least one light-emitting diode mounted on the needle adapted to emit light to activate a photosensitizing agent in or adjacent cancerous tissue in the prostate. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification