Systems And Methods For Thermal Therapy
AssigneeVisualase, Inc.
InventorsAshok GOWDA, Roger J. McNichols
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention is directed to systems and methods for thermal therapy, especially to detection-guided, -controlled, and temperature-modulated interstitial thermal therapy. Thermal therapy may be used to treat the tissues of a patient. In the case of interstitial thermal therapy, energy is applied to generate heating of the tissue to affect treatment, such as, for example, thermally inducing tissue damage (e.g. thermally-induced tissue necrosis), which may be useful in treating tumors and/or other diseased tissues. Since targets for thermal therapy are internal to the patient, the use of detection guidance may be useful in locating and monitoring treatment of a target tissue.
Claims20
A method of delivering energy to a target area, comprising:
- locating a plurality of integrated apparatuses proximate to the target area at substantially predetermined locations;
- providing a transfer fluid to each of said plurality of integrated apparatuses for circulation therein to at least exchange heat with an energy delivery component of each of said plurality of integrated apparatuses and at least a portion of the target area;
- and
- providing energy to the at least a portion of the target area via energy delivery components located in said plurality of integrated apparatuses;
- wherein the locations of the plurality of integrated apparatuses, the locations of the energy delivery components therein, and the energy and transfer fluid provided to said integrated apparatuses are independently controlled to substantially apply a predetermined thermal profile to at least a portion of said target area to affect a temperature-induced change in a portion of said target area.
A method of delivering energy to a target area, comprising:
- positioning a guide having a plurality of channels and at least one fiducial marker relative to the target area;
- positioning a plurality of treatment devices in at least a subplurality of the channels of the guide;
- determining at least one energy delivery characteristic of each of the plurality of treatment devices;
- and
- delivering energy to the target from the plurality of the treatment devices using the energy delivery characteristics.
A method of delivering energy to a target area, comprising:
- positioning a guide having a plurality of channels and an extension member movably coupled to the guide relative to the target area;
- adjusting an angle of the extension member movably coupled to the guide to position the guide relative to the target area;
- positioning a plurality of treatment devices in at least a sub-plurality of the channels of the guide;
- and
- independently controlling each of the plurality of treatment devices to deliver energy to the target from the plurality of treatment devices.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.