Hyperthermia treatments, devices, processes, and systems
AssigneeStarfish Neuroscience Inc.
InventorJamu K. Alford
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Abstract
In accordance with principles of the invention, one or more embodiments are provided of an implant that in use is embedded in a body and generates heat treatment that treats cells in a surrounding area. The device may be wireless and be configured to operate using energy harvesting of RF waves from an external coil and system. The device can be part of such systems and can involve multiple devices for providing simultaneous treatment. The device can be configured to operate to transition between two operating modes when receiving the RF waves that switch the power level of the operating circuit to autonomously move from a low power level that powers a microcontroller and a high power level that powers the microcontroller and generates heat that applies desired treatment to target tissue.
Claims21
A medical treatment implant for treating cancer for an extended period in a patient's body, comprising:
- an electrical circuit comprising
- a microcontroller that is configured to store a threshold temperature;
- a first inductor;
- a first capacitor,
- a temperature sensor,
- a ferromagnetic core that is adapted to interact with the inductor to generate heat to treat a target area of a body,
- wherein the first inductor and first capacitor configure a resonant frequency of the electrical circuit, and are adapted to receive wireless electromagnetic waves and in response, produce power at a first level that is capable of powering operation of the microcontroller and the ferromagnetic core to treat a target area of the body;
- and
- a semiconductor switch that is adapted to reduce power to a second level below the first level based on the temperature sensor sensing the threshold temperature, by selectively activating a second inductor, a second capacitor, or an additional circuit component, wherein the second level is capable of powering operation of the microcontroller and turns off the heating.
A system comprising,
- a plurality of heat generating wireless implants, wherein each implant comprises a ferromagnetic core that generates heat to treat adjacent cancer cells in a body, a semiconductor switch that automatically and independently activates the ferromagnetic core based on temperature sensed at or about the implant to operate the implant to stay within a sensed temperature range of 37° C. to 60° C., and an inductor and capacitor combination that converts RF waves to energy that operates the implant, and a microcontroller that varies current load in the implant to wireless transmit an implant identifier and sensed temperature;
- and
- a device positioned external to the body that generates RF waves to provide wireless power to the implants and receives identifiers and sensed temperatures from individual implants.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.