Method and apparatus for providing light-activated therapy
First Claim
1. A method for photodynamic treatment at an internal, in vivo treatment site, to cause a desired therapeutic change, comprising the steps of:
- (a) applying a photoreactive agent to the internal, in vivo treatment site, said photoreactive agent being selected for one or more characteristic wavelengths or wavebands of light absorption;
(b) positioning a light source that directly generates light internally within a patient'"'"'s body, said light source being transcutaneously delivered to the in vivo treatment site and left implanted within the patient'"'"'s body during the photodynamic treatment, the light emitted by the light source having one or more emission wavelengths or wavebands substantially equal to a wavelength or waveband of absorption of the photoreactive agent; and
(c) administering the light emitted from the light source to the internal, in vivo treatment site, said light being absorbed by the photoreactive agent, which then causes the desired therapeutic change at the treatment site.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Light developed by an implantable probe is used to illuminate a treatment site that has been perfused with a photoreactive agent. A number of different embodiments of implantable probes are disclosed. Preferably, an array of light emitting diodes (LEDs) or solid-state laser diodes (LDs) are mounted on a light bar inside the implantable probe and are energized either using a storage battery power source, an inductively coupled external transformer, or with current provided in leads running through a flexible catheter that extends outside the patient'"'"'s body to an external source. The implantable probe is normally intended to be disposed inside a patient'"'"'s body during a surgical procedure, at a treatment site, and left in place for several days (or longer) after an incision is closed, while light produced by the array of LEDs or solid-state LDs irradiates the treatment site. Alternatively, light from an external light source can be conveyed over one or more optical fibers to an implantable probe that is disposed inside the patient'"'"'s body to irradiate the treatment site. Waste heat produced by the array of LEDs or LDs disposed on the implantable probe can be employed to augment the PDT by increasing the temperature of the tissue at the treatment site.
813 Citations
61 Claims
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1. A method for photodynamic treatment at an internal, in vivo treatment site, to cause a desired therapeutic change, comprising the steps of:
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(a) applying a photoreactive agent to the internal, in vivo treatment site, said photoreactive agent being selected for one or more characteristic wavelengths or wavebands of light absorption; (b) positioning a light source that directly generates light internally within a patient'"'"'s body, said light source being transcutaneously delivered to the in vivo treatment site and left implanted within the patient'"'"'s body during the photodynamic treatment, the light emitted by the light source having one or more emission wavelengths or wavebands substantially equal to a wavelength or waveband of absorption of the photoreactive agent; and (c) administering the light emitted from the light source to the internal, in vivo treatment site, said light being absorbed by the photoreactive agent, which then causes the desired therapeutic change at the treatment site. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. Apparatus for administering photodynamic treatment at an internal, in vivo treatment site, to cause a desired therapeutic change, comprising:
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(a) a light source having at least one characteristic emission wavelength or waveband suitable for the photodynamic treatment; (b) a supporting structure for said light source, said supporting structure being adapted for invasive disposition within a patient'"'"'s body, to support the light source proximate to said internal, in vivo treatment site, shaped to administer light generated by the light source directly to said treatment site from the light source without conveying the light over an optical fiber from a point external to the patient'"'"'s body, and adapted to be inserted transcutaneously and implanted during the photodynamic treatment, allowing said light source to be selectively energized to directly irradiate the internal, in vivo treatment site with said light, to cause the desired therapeutic change at the treatment site, heat produced by the light source being absorbed by the treatment site to improve the efficacy of the photodynamic treatment; and (c) a power supply that provides an electrical current to energize the light source. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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47. A method for photodynamic treatment at an internal, in vivo treatment site in a patient'"'"'s body, to cause a desired therapeutic change, comprising the steps of:
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(a) exposing the internal, in vivo treatment site, so that it is accessible from outside the patient'"'"'s body; (b) applying a photoreactive agent to the internal, in vivo treatment site, said photoreactive agent being selected for a characteristic wavelength or waveband of light absorption; (c) transcutaneously implanting a light source proximate to the treatment site, said light source having an emission wavelength or waveband substantially equal to a wavelength or waveband of light absorption of the photoreactive agent; (d) closing the light source inside the patient'"'"'s body; and (e) administering light to the treatment site from the light source, said light being absorbed by the photoreactive agent, which then causes the desired therapeutic change.
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48. Apparatus for administering a photodynamic treatment at an internal, in vivo treatment site, to cause a desired therapeutic change, comprising:
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(a) a light source having at least one emission wavelength or waveband substantially equal to a predefined light absorption wavelength or waveband required for the photodynamic treatment; (b) a supporting structure for said light source, said supporting structure being adapted to be invasively transcutaneously implanted and left enclosed within a patient'"'"'s body, proximate said internal, in vivo treatment site, and shaped to administer the light directly to the internal, in vivo treatment site, light emitted by the light source causing said desired therapeutic change; and (c) a power supply that provides an electrical current to energize the light source without using conductors extending outside of the patient'"'"'s body in which the light source is implanted.
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49. A method for photodynamic treatment at an internal, in vivo treatment site in a patient'"'"'s body, to cause a desired therapeutic change, comprising the steps of:
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(a) applying a photoreactive agent to the internal, in vivo treatment site, said photoreactive agent being selected for at least one characteristic wavelength or waveband of light absorption; (b) providing an array of individually addressable light emitting devices that are spaced apart from the internal, in vivo treatment site, said light emitting devices having at least one predefined emission wavelength or waveband as required for the photodynamic treatment; and (c) administering light to the internal, in vivo treatment site from the array of light emitting devices by selectively energizing specific ones of the light emitting devices to achieve a desired pattern of light illuminating the treatment site, said light causing the desired therapeutic change. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52)
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53. Apparatus for photodynamic treatment of an internal, in vivo treatment site to cause a desired therapeutic change, comprising:
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(a) an array of individually addressable light emitting devices that are spaced apart from the internal, in vivo treatment site, said light emitting devices each having at least one predefined emission wavelength or waveband required for the photodynamic treatment; (b) means for selectively energizing specific ones of the light emitting devices at a time to emit light that illuminates the internal, in vivo treatment site, to cause the desired therapeutic change; and (c) a power supply that is coupled to the means for selectively energizing, to supply electrical current to energize the specific ones of the light emitting devices in the array. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 56, 57)
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58. A method for photodynamic treatment at a treatment site in a patient'"'"'s head, said treatment site including at least one of a sinus cavity, a nasal pharyngeal surface, a mouth surface, a throat surface, and an inner aural surface, to cause a desired therapeutic change, comprising the steps of:
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(a) applying a photoreactive agent to the treatment site inside the patient'"'"'s head, said photoreactive agent being selected for at least one characteristic wavelength or waveband of light absorption; (b) positioning a light source proximate to the treatment site to illuminate the treatment site both internally and externally of the patient'"'"' s head, said light source having at least one emission wavelength or waveband substantially equal to a wavelength or waveband of absorption of the photoreactive agent; and (c) administering light to the treatment site from the light source, said light being absorbed by the photoreactive agent, which then causes the desired therapeutic change.
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59. A method for photodynamic treatment at an internal, in vivo treatment site, to cause a desired therapeutic change, comprising the steps of:
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(a) applying a photoreactive agent to the internal, in vivo treatment site, said photoreactive agent being selected for one or more characteristic wavelengths or wavebands of light absorption; (b) positioning a light source internally within a patient'"'"'s body, said light source being transcutaneously delivered to and implanted at the in vivo treatment site, said light source emitting a light having one or more emission wavelengths or wavebands substantially equal to a wavelength or waveband of absorption of the photoreactive agent; (c) electromagnetically coupling power from an external power source to the light source to energize the light source during the photo dynamic treatment without directly connecting the external power source to the light source via a conductor; and (d) administering light emitted flora the light source to the internal, in vivo treatment site, said light being absorbed by the photoreactive agent, which then causes the desired therapeutic change at the treatment site. - View Dependent Claims (60)
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61. Apparatus for administering photo dynamic treatment at an internal, in vivo treatment site, to cause a desired therapeutic change, comprising:
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(a) a light source having at least one characteristic emission wavelength or waveband suitable for the photodynamic treatment; (b) a supporting structure for said light source, said supporting structure being adapted for invasive disposition within a patient'"'"'s body, to support the light source proximate to said internal, in vivo treatment site, shaped to administer light directly to said treatment site from the light source, and adapted to be inserted transcutaneously and left in place during the photodynamic treatment, allowing said light source to be selectively energized to irradiate the internal, in vivo treatment site with said light, to cause the desired therapeutic change at the treatment site; (c) an external power source for supplying an electrical current to a transmitter that is adapted to be positioned externally adjacent a patient'"'"'s body, proximate the treatment site; and (d) a receiver that is adapted to be implanted within the patient'"'"'s body and coupled to the light source disposed at the treatment site, said transmitter electromagnetically coupling the electrical current produced by the external power source to the receiver, to induce an electrical current to flow in the receiver for energizing the light source.
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Specification