Therapeutic prostatic thermotherapy
DCFirst Claim
1. A method of treating a prostate for benign prostatic hyperplasia or prostatitis in a patient having a urethra, comprising elevating the temperature of the prostate to a destination temperature and for a time sufficient to achieve a therapeutic effect on the prostate, the energy being applied with a catheter system comprisinga non-cooled catheter for insertion into the urethra, a heat applicator attached to the catheter. and a connector for connecting the applicator to an energy source, the method comprising a first heating step of warming tissue proximal to the applicator up to an initial temperature, the initial temperature being in the range of about 42°
- C. to about 46°
C., followed by a second heating step, the second heating step comprising gradually increasing the temperature of the tissue proximal to the applicator to the destination temperature in the range of from 49°
C. to about 57°
C. such that the mean rate of increase in temperature is from about 0.5 minute/°
C. to about 15 minute/°
C.
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Abstract
The present invention provides a method of treating a prostate in a patient in need thereof and a heating catheter, or an electromagnetic radiation applicator, system suitable for effecting the present inventive method. The present inventive method provides for substantial unexpected improvement in patient outcome by providing, inter alia, a preferred therapeutic temperature for thermotherapy of the prostate and a method of decreasing a patient'"'"'s intolerance due to pain. The present inventive system provides for, inter alia, automatic implementation of the present inventive method.
41 Citations
39 Claims
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1. A method of treating a prostate for benign prostatic hyperplasia or prostatitis in a patient having a urethra, comprising elevating the temperature of the prostate to a destination temperature and for a time sufficient to achieve a therapeutic effect on the prostate, the energy being applied with a catheter system comprising
a non-cooled catheter for insertion into the urethra, a heat applicator attached to the catheter. and a connector for connecting the applicator to an energy source, the method comprising a first heating step of warming tissue proximal to the applicator up to an initial temperature, the initial temperature being in the range of about 42° - C. to about 46°
C.,followed by a second heating step, the second heating step comprising gradually increasing the temperature of the tissue proximal to the applicator to the destination temperature in the range of from 49°
C. to about 57°
C. such that the mean rate of increase in temperature is from about 0.5 minute/°
C. to about 15 minute/°
C.- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
- C. to about 46°
-
7. A method of treating a prostate for benign prostatic hyperplasia or prostatitis in a patient comprising applying energy to the prostate to elevate the temperature of the prostate to a therapeutic temperature and for a time sufficient to achieve a therapeutic effect on the prostate, the energy being applied such that the temperature of the prostate tissue is raised from an initial temperature of below the therapeutic temperature to a destination temperature in the range of from 49°
- C. to about 57°
C., the method further comprisinga first heating step of warming the prostate up to critical maximum temperature, the critical maximum temperature being in the range of about 42°
C. to about 46°
C.,followed by a second heating step, the second heating step comprising gradually increasing the maximum temperature of the prostate to the destination temperature such that the mean rate of increase in temperature is from about 0.5 minute/°
C. to about 15 minute/°
C.- View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
a non-cooled catheter for insertion into the urethra, a heat applicator attached to the catheter, and a connector for connecting the applicator to a source of energy sufficient to elevate the temperature of tissue surrounding the applicator to the therapeutic temperature and for maintaining the therapeutic temperature for a time sufficient to effect therapy of the prostate, and the energy being applied such that a thermal dose of about 1500 equivalent 45° - C. minutes to about 30,000 equivalent 45°
C. minutes is applied to the tissue surrounding the applicator.
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11. The method of claim 10, wherein a thermal dose of from about 2000 equivalent 45°
- C. minutes to about 30,000 equivalent 45°
C. minutes is applied to the tissue surrounding the applicator.
- C. minutes to about 30,000 equivalent 45°
-
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the heated catheter is a hot water recirculating catheter.
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13. The method of claim 11, wherein the source of energy is hot water.
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14. The method of claim 11, wherein the source of energy is microwave.
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15. The method of claim 11, wherein the source of energy is ultrasonic or RF.
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16. The method of claim 11, wherein the method comprises first heating the applicator to a temperature in the range of from about 42°
- C. to about 46°
C., followed by gradually increasing the temperature of the applicator to the therapeutic temperature such that the mean rate of increase in temperature after the temperature range of about 42°
C. to about 46°
C. has been achieved is from about 0.5 minute/°
C. to about 15 minute/°
C.
- C. to about 46°
-
17. The method of claim 16, wherein the mean rate of temperature increase after the temperature range of about 42°
- C. to about 46°
C. has been achieved is from about 1 minute/°
C. to about 10 minute/°
C.
- C. to about 46°
-
18. The method of claim 16, wherein the mean rate of temperature increase after the temperature range of about 42°
- C. to about 46°
C. has been achieved is from about 1 minute/°
C. to about 10 minute/°
C.
- C. to about 46°
-
19. The method of claim 10, wherein a thermal dose of from about 1500 equivalent 45°
- C. minutes to about 20,000 equivalent 45°
C. minutes is applied to the tissue surrounding the applicator.
- C. minutes to about 20,000 equivalent 45°
-
20. The method of claim 19, wherein the heated catheter is a hot water recirculating catheter.
-
21. The method of claim 19, wherein the source of energy is hot water.
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22. The method of claim 19, wherein the source of energy is microwave.
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23. The method of claim 19, wherein the source of energy is ultrasonic or RF.
-
24. The method of claim 19, wherein the method comprises first heating the applicator to a temperature in the range of from about 42°
- C. to about 46°
C., followed by gradually increasing the temperature of the applicator to the therapeutic temperature such that the mean rate of increase in temperature after the temperature range of about 42°
C. to about 46°
C. has been achieved is from about 0.5 minute/°
C. to about 15 minute/°
C.
- C. to about 46°
-
25. The method of claim 10, wherein a thermal dose of from about 1500 equivalent 45°
- C. minutes to about 7000 equivalent 45°
C. minutes is applied to the tissue surrounding the applicator.
- C. minutes to about 7000 equivalent 45°
-
26. The method of claim 25, wherein the heated catheter is a hot water recirculating catheter.
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27. The method of claim 25, wherein the source of energy is hot water.
-
28. The method of claim 25, wherein the source of energy is microwave.
-
29. The method of claim 25, wherein the source of energy is ultrasonic or RF.
-
30. The method of claim 25, wherein the method comprises first heating the applicator to a temperature in the range of from about 42°
- C. to about 46°
C., followed by gradually increasing the temperature of the applicator to the therapeutic temperature such that the mean rate of increase in temperature after the temperature range of about 42°
C. to 46°
C. has been achieved is from about 0.5 minute/°
C. to about 15 minute/°
C.
- C. to about 46°
-
31. The method of claim 30, wherein the mean rate of temperature increase after the temperature range of about 42°
- C. to about 46°
C. has been achieved is from about 1 minute/°
C. to about 10 minute/°
C.
- C. to about 46°
-
32. The method of claim 10, wherein the heated catheter is a hot water recirculating catheter.
-
33. The method of claim 10, wherein the source of energy is hot water.
-
34. The method of claim 10, wherein the source of energy is microwave.
-
35. The method of claim 10, wherein the source of energy is ultrasonic or RF.
- C. to about 57°
-
36. A method of treating a prostate for benign prostatic hyperplasia or prostatitis in a patient having a prostate and a urethra comprising applying energy to the prostate to elevate the temperature of the prostate to a therapeutic temperature and for a time sufficient to achieve a therapeutic effect on the prostate, the energy being applied with a heated catheter system comprising
a non-cooled catheter for insertion into the urethra, a heat applicator attached to the catheter, and a connector for connecting the applicator to a source of energy sufficient to elevate the temperature of tissue surrounding the applicator to the therapeutic temperature and for maintaining the therapeutic temperature for a time sufficient to effect therapy of the prostate, and, wherein the method further comprises first heating the applicator to a temperature in the range of from about 42° - C. to about 46°
C., followed by gradually increasing the temperature of the applicator to the therapeutic temperature such that the mean rate of increase in temperature after the temperature range of about 42°
C. to about 46°
C. has been achieved is from about 0.5 minute/°
C. to about 15 minute/°
C. the energy being applied such that a thermal dose of about 1500 equivalent 45°
C. minutes to about 30,000 equivalent 45°
C. minutes is applied to the tissue surrounding the applicator. - View Dependent Claims (37)
- C. to about 46°
-
38. A method of treating a prostate for benign prostatic hyperplasia or prostatitis in a patient having a prostate and a urethra, comprising applying energy to the prostate to elevate the temperature of the prostate to a therapeutic temperature and for a time sufficient to achieve a therapeutic effect on the prostate, the energy being applied with a heated catheter system comprising
a non-cooled catheter for insertion into the urethra, a heat applicator attached to the catheter, and a connector for connecting the applicator to a source of energy sufficient to elevate the temperature of tissue surrounding the applicator to the therapeutic temperature and for maintaining the therapeutic temperature for a time sufficient to effect therapy of the prostate, and the energy being applied such that a thermal dose of about 1500 equivalent 45° - C. minutes to about 30,000 equivalent 45°
C. minutes is applied to the tissue surrounding the applicator, wherein the tissue surrounding the applicator is heated according to protocol A, B, C, D, E, F, or G set forth in Table 1. - View Dependent Claims (39)
- C. minutes to about 30,000 equivalent 45°
Specification