System for correlating energy field characteristics with target particle characteristics in the application of an energy field to a living organism for imaging and treatment of invasive agents

• US 8,968,171 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2011
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Endomagnetics Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Endomagnetics Ltd.
• Inventors: McKenna, Daniel B., Frantz, Karl M., Ross, Marvin A., Updegrave, Andrew C., Susedik, Michael E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Matthews, Christine H
• Assistant Examiner(s): LANNU, JOSHUA DARYL DEANON
• Application Number:
  US13/012,527
• Publication Number:
  US 20120190912A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,499 Days
• Field of Search: 600/1, 600/2, 600/9, 600/10, 128891-899
• US Class Current: 600/12
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1815 using microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0059 using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence A61B5/0093, A61B5/1455, A61B5/02416 and A61B5/0261 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0093 Detecting, measuring or recording by applying one single type of energy and measuring its conversion into another type of energy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/481 involving the use of contrast agent, e.g. microbubbles introduced into the bloodstream analysis of echo signal exploiting properties of a contrast enhancer in devices for short-range imaging with acoustic waves G01S7/52039

Abstract

The Energy Field and Target Correlation System automatically correlates the characteristics of target particles and a living organism to compute the characteristics of an energy field that is applied to a living organism to activate the target particles which are bound to or consumed or taken up by invasive agents in the living organism to produce detectable effects which can be used to image and treat the invasive agents. The energy field must be crafted to properly control the response and localize the extent of the illumination. The System automatically selects a set of energy field characteristics, including: field type, frequency, field strength, duration, field modulation, repetition frequency, beam size, and focal point. The determined energy field characteristics then are used to activate field generators to generate the desired energy field.

Claims

1. A cancer treatment system for use in activating target particles, which are inserted into a patient to treat cancer comprising:

a computerized database, comprising data that defines sets of magnetic field characteristics comprising at least one of;

field type, frequency, field strength, duration, field modulation, repetition frequency, and polarization, each set defining magnetic field characteristics necessary to energize a type of target particle in a predetermined manner;

a magnetic field controller computer, configured to utilize user-provided identification of at least one type of target particle in said target particles and a location of the cancer for automatically selecting one of the sets of magnetic field characteristics as stored in the computerized database, necessary to energize the identified at least one type of target particles in a predetermined manner;

a magnetic field generator configured to generate a variable magnetic field having selected magnetic field characteristics, said magnetic field being configured for application to said patient to activate the identified at least one type of target particles without the presence of a DC magnetic field;

a particle temperature sensor, configured to respond to the activation of the identified at least one type of target particles, by producing a measurement of the temperature of the identified at least one type of target particles, the particle temperature sensor in communication with the magnetic field generator; and

wherein said magnetic field generator is configured to respond to the temperature of the activated identified at least one type of target particles, to adjust the magnetic field in response thereto.

2. The cancer treatment system of claim 1 wherein said magnetic field controller computer is responsive to said data stored in said computerized database, for determining characteristics of an energy field, incident on said target particles, required to activate the identified at least one type of target particles.

3. The cancer therapy system of claim 1 wherein said magnetic field controller computer is further configured to respond to said set of magnetic field characteristics that is incident on said target particles, to calculate a set of magnetic field generator control signals that are required to activate said magnetic field generator to output a magnetic field that activates the identified at least one type of target particles.

4. The cancer therapy system of claim 1 wherein said magnetic field controller computer determines characteristics of a magnetic field indicative of a plurality of successive fields to produce multiple responses in the identified at least one type target particles.

5. The cancer therapy system of claim 1 wherein said magnetic field generator is configured to generate magnetic fields which are not dimensionally coextensive.

6. The cancer therapy system of claim 1 wherein said magnetic field generator is configured to generate magnetic fields which are not temporally coextensive.

7. The cancer therapy system of claim 1 wherein said magnetic field controller computer determines characteristics of a magnetic field indicative of a plurality of successive fields to produce multiple responses in the identified at least one type of target particles.

8. The cancer therapy system of claim 1 wherein the identified at least one type of target particles located in the patient respond to an incident magnetic field with a thermal rise in the target particles.