Apparatus and method for heating biological targets
First Claim
1. A method for selectively heating a biological target of a subject via the application of an alternating electric field, comprising:
- administering to said subject a dielectric heating modulator that becomes associated with said biological target;
positioning a treatment region of said subject between a first high voltage electrode and a second ground electrode, wherein said treatment region has a plurality of thicknesses extending between said first and second electrodes, the plurality of thicknesses comprising at least a first thickness and a second thickness, the first thickness being greater than the second thickness, wherein said treatment region contains a plurality of cells comprising said biological target and at least one non-target;
displacing any air located between said treatment region and said first and second electrodes with one or more flowable materials;
activating a generator connected to said first high voltage electrode and said second ground electrode, wherein said generator is operable to apply an alternating electric field between said first and second electrodes and across said treatment region to thereby heat said treatment region, wherein each flowable material is a mixture of at least two substances having relative concentrations calculated to optimize a dielectric constant and a dissipation factor of the mixture which causes said cells comprising said biological target to heat at a first rate and said cells comprising said non-target to heat at a second rate in both the first and second thicknesses and throughout the entire thicknesses of said treatment region between said first and second electrodes; and
wherein said application of said alternating electric field to said treatment region causes said cells comprising said biological target having said dielectric heating modulator associated therewith to increase in temperature at a faster rate than said cells comprising said non-target.
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for selectively heating a biological target within a treatment region of a subject is disclosed. The method includes administering to the subject a dielectric heating modulator that becomes associated with the biological target. The method also includes positioning the treatment region between first and second electrodes connected to a generator, and activating the generator to apply an alternating electric field between the first and second electrodes and across the treatment region to thereby heat the treatment region. The dielectric heating modulator causes the biological target to heat at a faster rate than non-targets within the treatment region, which preferably results in the killing of the biological target.
43 Citations
58 Claims
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1. A method for selectively heating a biological target of a subject via the application of an alternating electric field, comprising:
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administering to said subject a dielectric heating modulator that becomes associated with said biological target; positioning a treatment region of said subject between a first high voltage electrode and a second ground electrode, wherein said treatment region has a plurality of thicknesses extending between said first and second electrodes, the plurality of thicknesses comprising at least a first thickness and a second thickness, the first thickness being greater than the second thickness, wherein said treatment region contains a plurality of cells comprising said biological target and at least one non-target; displacing any air located between said treatment region and said first and second electrodes with one or more flowable materials; activating a generator connected to said first high voltage electrode and said second ground electrode, wherein said generator is operable to apply an alternating electric field between said first and second electrodes and across said treatment region to thereby heat said treatment region, wherein each flowable material is a mixture of at least two substances having relative concentrations calculated to optimize a dielectric constant and a dissipation factor of the mixture which causes said cells comprising said biological target to heat at a first rate and said cells comprising said non-target to heat at a second rate in both the first and second thicknesses and throughout the entire thicknesses of said treatment region between said first and second electrodes; and wherein said application of said alternating electric field to said treatment region causes said cells comprising said biological target having said dielectric heating modulator associated therewith to increase in temperature at a faster rate than said cells comprising said non-target. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method for selectively heating a biological target of a subject via the application of an alternating electric field, comprising:
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systemically administering to said subject a dielectric heating modulator having a targeting moiety that selectively binds to said biological target; positioning a treatment region of said subject between a first high voltage electrode and a second ground electrode, wherein said first electrode is parallel to said second electrode, wherein said treatment region has a plurality of thicknesses extending between said first and second electrodes, the plurality of thicknesses comprising at least a first thickness and a second thickness, the first thickness being greater than the second thickness, wherein said treatment region contains a plurality of cells comprising said biological target and at least one non-target; displacing any air located between said treatment region and said first and second electrodes with one or more flowable materials; activating a generator connected to said first high voltage electrode and said second ground electrode, wherein said generator is operable to apply said alternating electric field between said first and second electrodes and across said treatment region to thereby heat said treatment region, wherein each flowable material is made of a a mixture of at least two substances having relative concentrations calculated to optimize a dielectric constant and a dissipation factor of the mixture which causes said cells comprising said biological target to heat at a first rate and said cells comprising said non-target to heat at a second rate in both the first and second thicknesses and throughout the entire thicknesses of said treatment region between said first and second electrodes; and wherein said dielectric heating modulator causes said cells comprising said biological target to heat at a faster rate than said cells comprising said non-target within said treatment region. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A method for selectively heating cancer cells in a subject via the application of an alternating electric field, comprising:
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administering to said subject a dielectric heating modulator, said dielectric heating modulator becoming associated with said cancer cells in said subject, and said cancer cells selected from the group consisting of cardiac cancer cells, lung cancer cells, gastrointestinal cancer cells, genitourinary cancer cells, liver cancer cells, bone cancer cells, nervous system cancer cells, gynecological cancer cells, hematologic cancer cells, skin cancer cells, and adrenal gland cancer cells; positioning a treatment region of said subject between a first high voltage electrode and a second ground electrode, wherein said treatment region has a plurality of thicknesses extending between said first and second electrodes, the plurality of thicknesses comprising at least a first thickness and a second thickness, the first thickness being greater than the second thickness, wherein said treatment region contains said cancer cells and normal non-cancerous cells; displacing any air located between said treatment region and said first and second electrodes with one or more flowable materials; activating a generator connected to said first high voltage electrode and said second ground electrode, wherein said generator is operable to apply said alternating electric field between said first and second electrodes and across said treatment region to thereby heat said treatment region, wherein each flowable material is made of a mixture of at least two substances having relative concentrations calculated to optimize a dielectric constant and dissipation factor of the mixture which causes said cancer cells to heat at a first rate and said normal non-cancerous cells to heat at a second rate in both the first and second thicknesses and throughout the entire thicknesses of said treatment region between said first and second electrodes; and wherein said dielectric heating modulator causes said cancer cells to heat at a faster rate than said normal non-cancerous cells within said treatment region. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58)
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Specification