Interstitial laser therapy control system

An interstitial laser therapy control system comprising:

• at least one display device;
• at least one input device;
• at least one memory device;
• and
• a microprocessor configured to operate with at least one display device, at least one input device, and at least one memory device to:
• (a) receive a plurality of thermistor temperature data sets, each data set indicating temperatures detected by a thermistor of a laser probe and a plurality of thermistors of a thermal probe;
• (b) determine from a first thermistor temperature data set whether each thermistor indicates a thermistor temperature;
• (c) send at least one signal to cause a laser source to stop emitting laser energy if a second thermistor temperature data set indicates a temperature for the thermistor of the laser probe above a designated maximum laser probe thermistor temperature;
• (d) display a third thermistor temperature data set indicating temperatures of the thermistor of the laser probe and each thermistor of the thermal probe;
• (e) store data indicating the treated tissue reached the designated treatment-complete temperature if a fourth thermistor temperature data set indicates a temperature for each thermistor of the thermal probe exceeding a designated treatment-complete temperature;
• (f) send at least one signal to cause the laser source to stop emitting laser energy if a fifth thermistor temperature data sets indicates that the thermistor of the laser probe is not functioning properly;
• and
• (g) send at least one signal to cause the laser source to emit laser energy if the user activates at least one input device to resume treatment after receives the fifth thermistor temperature data set;
• and
• (h) send at least one signal to cause the laser source to stop emitting laser energy if one of the thermistor temperature data sets indicates that a designated number of thermistors did not indicate a thermistor temperature;

An interstitial laser therapy control system comprising:

• at least one display device;
• at least one input device;
• at least one memory device;
• a microprocessor configured to operate with at least one display device, at least one input device, and at least one memory device to:
• (a) receive a thermistor temperature data set indicating the temperature detected by a thermistor of a laser probe and a plurality of thermistors of a thermal probe;
• (b) send at least one signal to cause a laser source to stop emitting laser energy if the thermistor temperature data set indicates temperature for the thermistor of the laser probe that exceeds a designated maximum laser probe thermistor temperature;
• (c) send at least one signal to cause the laser source to stop emitting laser energy if the thermistor temperature data set indicates that a designated number of thermistors did not indicate a thermistor temperature;
• and
• (d) send at least one signal to cause the laser source to stop emitting laser energy if the thermistor temperature data set indicates that the thermistor of the laser probe did not indicate a thermistor temperature;
• an electro-mechanical shutter switch configured to send at least one signal to the laser source to cause a shutter to close;
• an electro-mechanical emergency shutoff switch configured to cut off power to the laser source;
• and
• an electro-mechanical master power switch configured to cut off power to the laser source, the microprocessor, and the thermistor controller.

An interstitial laser therapy control system comprising:

• at least one display device;
• at least one input device;
• at least one memory device;
• and
• a microprocessor configured to operate with a display device, an input device, and a memory device to:
• (a) control an interstitial laser treatment which includes obtaining a first thermistor temperature data set, a second thermistor temperature data set, a third thermistor temperature data set, and a fourth thermistor temperature data set, wherein each thermistor temperature data set indicates a set of temperatures detected by a plurality of thermistors;
• (b) send at least one signal to a laser source to cause the laser source to emit a designated amount of laser energy after receiving a first thermistor temperature data set;
• (c) send at least one signal to cause the laser source to stop emitting laser energy if the second thermistor temperature data set indicates temperature for a thermistor of a laser probe above a designated maximum temperature;
• (d) send at least one signal to cause the laser source to stop emitting laser energy if the operator activates the input device to pause the interstitial laser treatment after;
• (e) send at least one signal to cause the laser source to emit laser energy if the operator activates the input device to resume a paused interstitial laser treatment;
• (f) send at least one signal to cause the laser source to stop emitting laser energy if the third thermistor temperature data set indicates that a designated number of thermistors did not indicate a thermistor temperature;
• (g) send at least one signal to cause the laser source to stop emitting laser energy if the fourth thermistor temperature data set indicates that a thermistor of the laser probe is did not indicate a thermistor temperature;
• and
• (h) send at least one signal to cause the laser source to emit laser energy if the operator activates the input device to resume treatment after the microprocessor receives the fourth thermistor temperature data set.

An interstitial laser therapy control system comprising:

• a thermistor controller configured to receive data from at least one of a thermistor positioned in a tissue of interest and a thermistor positioned in tissue adjacent to the tissue of interest indicating a temperature detected by at least one thermistor;
• a laser source configured to provide laser energy to tissue of interest;
• at least one display device;
• at least one input device;
• at least one memory device;
• and
• a microprocessor configured to operate with at least one display device, at least one input device, at least one memory device, the thermistor controller apparatus, and the laser source to:
• (a) receive a thermistor temperature data set;
• (b) store the thermistor temperature data set;
• and
• (c) send at least one signal to cause the laser source to emit laser energy if the thermistor temperature data set indicates that each thermistor detects a temperature above a designated minimum treatment temperature.

An interstitial laser therapy control system comprising:

• at least one display device;
• at least one input device;
• at least one memory device;
• and
• a microprocessor configured to operate with at least one display device, at least one input device, and at least one memory device to:
• (a) receive a kit identifier inputted using at least one input device, the kit identifier associated with at least one of a laser probe, a thermal probe, an optical fiber, and at least one probe holder;
• (b) determine whether the inputted kit identifier is valid;
• and
• (c) if the kit identifier is valid, send at least one signal to cause a laser source to emit laser energy when an operator activates an input device to begin treatment.

An interstitial laser therapy control system comprising:

• a thermistor controller configured to receive a plurality of signals from a plurality of thermistors, determine a plurality of temperatures, and generate a first thermistor temperature data set and a second thermistor temperature data set detected after the first thermistor temperature data set;
• a laser source configured to provide laser energy to the tissue of interest;
• and
• a microprocessor configured to:
• (a) send at least one signal to cause the laser source to emit a designated amount of laser energy;
• (b) send at least one signal to cause the laser source to stop emitting laser energy if the first thermistor temperature data set indicates a thermistor temperature for a thermistor of a laser probe that exceeds a designated temperature;
• and
• (c) send at least one signal to cause the laser source to emit laser energy if the second thermistor data set indicates a thermistor temperature for the thermistor of the laser probe below the designated temperature.

An interstitial laser therapy control system, the control system comprising:

• a thermistor controller configured to determine a thermistor temperature;
• a laser source including a shutter, the laser source configured to emit laser energy, and the shutter configured to prevent emission of laser energy by closing to block a laser beam;
• a microprocessor configured to operate with the thermistor controller and the laser source;
• and
• an electro-mechanical shutter switch configured to operate with the laser source to send at least one signal to cause the laser source to close the shutter and send at least one signal to the microprocessor indicating the shutter is closed.

An interstitial laser therapy control system, the control system comprising:

• a thermistor controller apparatus configured to determine a thermistor temperature from a signal received from a thermistor;
• a laser source configured to emit laser energy;
• an electro-mechanical emergency shutoff switch configured to cut off power to the laser source;
• and
• a microprocessor configured to operate with the laser source to send a plurality of signals to the laser source at regular intervals, wherein if any signal is not successfully sent, the microprocessor is configured to display a message indicating a communication failure between the microprocessor and the laser source.