Apparatus and method for selectively heating a deposit in fatty tissue in a body
First Claim
1. An apparatus for providing hyperthermia treatments to a breast having fatty mammary tissue surrounding tissue in need of said hyperthermia treatment, said fatty mammary tissue having a dielectric constant and a conductivity, comprising:
- a cavity for receiving the breast therein;
a first radio frequency antenna operable to direct a radio frequency signal at a selected frequency into the breast received in the cavity, said radio frequency signal having a wavelength within the fatty mammary tissue; and
a deposit adapted to be positioned in the fatty mammary tissue of the breast adjacent the tissue in need of said hyperthermia treatment, said deposit having at least one of a dielectric constant and conductivity greater than the dielectric constant and conductivity of the fatty mammary tissue and having a diameter within a range of about 0.5 times to 0.16 times the wavelength of the radio frequency signal within the fatty mammary tissue whereby the deposit, when positioned in the fatty mammary tissue adjacent the tissue in need of said hyperthermia treatment, will be heated, at least partially by resonant heating, by the radio frequency signal, the heated deposit then supplying heat for said hyperthermia treatment to the tissue adjacent the deposit.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Heat treatment is applied to tissue in need of such treatment which is surrounded by tissue not in need of such treatment, by positioning a deposit within the surrounding tissue adjacent the tissue in need of treatment. The dielectric constant and/or the conductivity of the deposit is greater than that of the surrounding tissue. A radio frequency antenna or antenna array directs a radio frequency signal at a selected frequency into the deposit. The deposit has a diameter within a range of about 0.5 times to about 0.16 times the wavelength of the radio frequency signal within the surrounding tissue. The deposit is heated, at least partially through resonant heating, to a temperature greater than the surrounding tissue to apply heat treatment to the tissue in need of treatment. The deposit may take the form of a balloon of a Mammosite® type device to provide hyperthermia treatment in conjunction with radiation treatment of a breast after a lumpectomy.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. An apparatus for providing hyperthermia treatments to a breast having fatty mammary tissue surrounding tissue in need of said hyperthermia treatment, said fatty mammary tissue having a dielectric constant and a conductivity, comprising:
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a cavity for receiving the breast therein; a first radio frequency antenna operable to direct a radio frequency signal at a selected frequency into the breast received in the cavity, said radio frequency signal having a wavelength within the fatty mammary tissue; and a deposit adapted to be positioned in the fatty mammary tissue of the breast adjacent the tissue in need of said hyperthermia treatment, said deposit having at least one of a dielectric constant and conductivity greater than the dielectric constant and conductivity of the fatty mammary tissue and having a diameter within a range of about 0.5 times to 0.16 times the wavelength of the radio frequency signal within the fatty mammary tissue whereby the deposit, when positioned in the fatty mammary tissue adjacent the tissue in need of said hyperthermia treatment, will be heated, at least partially by resonant heating, by the radio frequency signal, the heated deposit then supplying heat for said hyperthermia treatment to the tissue adjacent the deposit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 26)
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11. Apparatus for providing heat treatment to living tissue in need of such heat treatment and surrounded by living tissue not in need of such heat treatment, said living tissue not in need of such heat treatment having a dielectric constant and a conductivity, comprising:
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a deposit of material in a form to be positioned in the living tissue adjacent the tissue in need of heat treatment, said deposit of material having a diameter, dielectric constant, and conductivity; and a source of radio frequency radiation adapted to direct the radio frequency radiation through said living tissue not in need of such heat treatment into the deposit of material when the deposit of material is positioned in the living tissue adjacent the tissue in need of heat treatment, said radio frequency radiation having a wavelength when passing through the living tissue not in need of such heat treatment;
whereinthe diameter of the deposit of material is within a range of about 0.5 times to about 0.16 times the wavelength of the radio frequency signal within the living tissue not in need of heat treatment and at least one of the dielectric constant and the conductivity of the deposit of material is greater than the dielectric constant and the conductivity of the living tissue not in need of heat treatment to selectively heat the deposit of material to a temperature greater than the surrounding tissue not in need of heat treatment at least partially through resonant heating of the deposit of material from the radio frequency signal, the heated deposit of material then supplying heat for heat treatment to the tissue adjacent the deposit of material. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27)
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28. A method for providing heat treatment to living tissue in need of such treatment and surrounded by living tissue not in need of such heat treatment with the tissue not in need of such treatment having a dielectric constant and a conductivity, comprising:
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inserting a deposit of material in the living tissue adjacent the tissue in need of heat treatment, said deposit having a size, dielectric constant, and conductivity with at least one of the dielectric constant and conductivity being greater than the dielectric constant and conductivity of the tissue not in need of heat treatment; and directing radio frequency radiation into the deposit, said radio frequency radiation having a wavelength within the living tissue not in need of such heat treatment; wherein a diameter of the deposit is within a range of about 0.5 times to 0.16 times the wavelength of the radio frequency signal within the living tissue not in need of such heat treatment.
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29. A method of treating breast cancer comprising:
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performing a lumpectomy to remove a cancerous tumor from the breast resulting in a cavity in the breast from where the cancerous tumor was removed which is surrounded by fatty mammary tissue, said fatty mammary tissue having a dielectric constant and a conductivity; inserting a deposit of material within the cavity adjacent tissue surrounding the cavity, said deposit material having a dielectric constant and conductivity with at least one of the dielectric constant and conductivity greater than the dielectric constant and conductivity of the fatty mammary tissue; directing radio frequency radiation into the deposit, said radio frequency radiation having a wavelength within the surrounding fatty mammary tissue;
whereina diameter of the deposit is within a range of about 0.5 times to 0.16 times the wavelength of the radio frequency signal within the fatty mammary tissue, the heated deposit then providing hyperthermia treatment to the tissue adjacent the cavity. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31)
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Specification