Method and apparatus for skin cancer thermal therapy
First Claim
1. An apparatus for treatment of soft tissue, comprising:
- a source of radiation;
a handpiece which is adapted to transmit radiation emitted from the source of radiation to a region of soft tissue, said handpiece adapted to be positioned adjacent to or in contact with said soft tissue region;
a grid element, having a single temperature sensor, the grid element adapted to hold the single temperature sensor at a particular location in contact with or embedded in said region of soft tissue, the single temperature sensor producing a single temperature signal for a duration of a time interval; and
a microprocessor configured to calculate two different cumulative measures of potential tissue damage at the particular location of the single temperature sensor, the two different cumulative measures of potential tissue damage both calculated using the single temperature signal from the single temperature sensor for the duration of the time interval,the microprocessor further configured to calculate a first measure of the two different cumulative measures of potential tissue damage as a first function of the single temperature signal for the duration of the time interval, the first measure indicative of damage for a normal tissue component potentially present in the region of soft tissue, andthe microprocessor further configured to calculate a second measure of the two different cumulative measures of potential tissue damage as a second function of the single temperature signal for the duration of the time interval, the second function different from the first function, the second measure indicative of damage for a malignant, hypertrophic, or diseased component potentially present in the region of soft tissue.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for treatment of soft tissue includes a source of radiation, a handpiece which is adapted to transmit radiation emitted from the source of radiation to a region of soft tissue, resulting in irradiated soft tissue, said handpiece being positioned adjacent to or in contact with said soft tissue region, a grid element adapted to hold at least one temperature sensor in contact with or embedded in said region of soft tissue, and a microprocessor, which converts a signal from the at least one temperature sensor into a measure of damage produced in at least two components of the irradiated soft tissue, said components comprising at least one normal tissue component and at least one malignant, hypertrophic, diseased, or unwanted component.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. An apparatus for treatment of soft tissue, comprising:
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a source of radiation; a handpiece which is adapted to transmit radiation emitted from the source of radiation to a region of soft tissue, said handpiece adapted to be positioned adjacent to or in contact with said soft tissue region; a grid element, having a single temperature sensor, the grid element adapted to hold the single temperature sensor at a particular location in contact with or embedded in said region of soft tissue, the single temperature sensor producing a single temperature signal for a duration of a time interval; and a microprocessor configured to calculate two different cumulative measures of potential tissue damage at the particular location of the single temperature sensor, the two different cumulative measures of potential tissue damage both calculated using the single temperature signal from the single temperature sensor for the duration of the time interval, the microprocessor further configured to calculate a first measure of the two different cumulative measures of potential tissue damage as a first function of the single temperature signal for the duration of the time interval, the first measure indicative of damage for a normal tissue component potentially present in the region of soft tissue, and the microprocessor further configured to calculate a second measure of the two different cumulative measures of potential tissue damage as a second function of the single temperature signal for the duration of the time interval, the second function different from the first function, the second measure indicative of damage for a malignant, hypertrophic, or diseased component potentially present in the region of soft tissue. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification