# US 11,076,916 B2 · Thermal accelerant compositions and methods of use

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- Number: US 11,076,916 B2
- Document ID: US11076916B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/708,416
- Filed: 2019-12-09
- Published: 2020-06-11
- Granted: 2021-08-03
- Earliest claimed: 2015-12-23
- Assignees: Rhode Island Hospital; Brown University
- Applicants: Rhode Island Hospital; Brown University
- Inventors: William Keun Chan Park; Damian E. Dupuy
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11076916B2

## CPC

- A61B 18/1815: {using microwaves}
- A61B 18/14: Probes or electrodes therefor
- A61B 18/1477: {Needle-like probes}
- A61K 45/06: Mixtures of active ingredients without chemical characterisation, e.g. antiphlogistics and cardiaca
- A61B 2018/00095: {high, i.e. heat conducting}
- A61B 2018/00577: {Ablation}
- A61B 2018/00595: {Cauterization}
- A61B 2018/00982: {combined with or comprising means for visual or photographic inspections inside the body, e.g. endoscopes}
- A61B 2018/1869: {with an instrument interstitially inserted into the body, e.g. needles}
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)
- A61K: PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL OR TOILETRY PURPOSES (devices or methods specially adapted for bringing pharmaceutical products into particular physical or administering forms A61J3/00; chemical aspects of, or use of materials for deodorisation of air, for disinfection or sterilisation, or for bandages, dressings, absorbent pads or surgical articles A61L; soap compositions C11D)

## Abstract

A thermal accelerant is delivered to a tissue site and localized to modulate the shape, extent or other characteristic of RF or microwave-induced hyperthermia tissue ablation. The accelerant may be provided via an image-guided hand piece or via a lumen added to a microwave antenna, and promotes faster heating, more complete ablation and/or a more extensive treatment region to reduce recurrence of treated cancers, overcoming natural limitations, variations in tissue response and drop-off or thermal loss away from the antenna. The accelerant is delivered as a viscous but heat sensitive fluid, and is fixed in place to provide regions of preferential absorption or heating. Shorter exposure times to heat the far field may allow survival of vulnerable tissue such as vessels, and multiple antennae may be used for effective treatment of irregular or large tumors.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A composition for use in ablation, the composition comprising:
a thermal accelerant having:
a polymer configured to become gelatinous or solidify at body temperature or above to become relatively immobilized after positioned within the target site;
a chaotrope configured to adjust charge distribution within the polymer; and
an imaging component configured to allow image-guided verification of the thermal accelerant within a body of a patient,
wherein the thermal accelerant, when exposed to an amount of ablative energy, has values of electrical conductivity and loss factor that are up to 5 times or greater than values of electrical conductivity and loss factor in living tissue when exposed to an equal amount of ablative energy without thermal accelerant.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The thermal accelerant of claim 1, wherein the viscosity of the thermal accelerant ranges from approximately 50 centiPoise to approximately 25,000 centiPoise.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The thermal accelerant of claim 1, wherein the chaotrope is selected from the group consisting of: calcium chloride, cesium chloride, lithium chloride, potassium chloride, rubidium chloride, sodium chloride, sodium citrate, and a combination thereof.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The thermal accelerant of claim 3, wherein the cesium chloride tumbles synchronously to the alternating electric field fueled by its intrinsic dipole moment to generate heat.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The thermal accelerant of claim 1, wherein the polymer comprises one or more of albumin, DNA, RNA, glycoproteins or glycopolymers such as IgA, IgG, or other immunoglobulins.