Hyperthermia for Surface Cancers

An infrared hyperthermia heating device comprising:

• an infrared emitter configured to emit a beam of infrared radiation from the device;
• an interface configured to activate the infrared emitter so as to emit the beam of infrared radiation from the device;
• a handle portion configured to be held by a hand of an operator of the infrared hyperthermia heating device;
• a temperature sensor configured to monitor, without contacting a patient's skin and while the infrared hyperthermia heating device is positioned at a distance comprising at least a predetermined distance of at least three inches from the patient's skin, a temperature of an area of the patient's skin upon which the beam of infrared radiation is incident after the infrared hyperthermia heating device is activated;
• and
• a blower configured to modulate the temperature of the area of patient's skin by blowing air on the area of the patient's skin during at least a portion of a predetermined treatment period of time;
• one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media comprising instructions;
• and one or more processors coupled to the one or more storage media and configured to execute the instructions to:
• maintain, using the emitted beam of infrared radiation, the temperature of the area of the patient's skin at a predetermined temperature for the predetermined treatment period of time that includes only times during which the monitored temperature of the area of the patient's skin is at least the predetermined temperature;
• while the monitored temperature of the area of the patient's skin is below the predetermined temperature, then:
• detect the distance between the area of the patient's skin and the infrared hyperthermia heating device;
• and
• adjust, based on the detected distance, an intensity of infrared radiation emitted by the infrared hyperthermia heating device to maintain a constant infrared radiation intensity on the area of the patient's skin;
• and
• after the monitored temperature of the area of the patient's skin has reached the predetermined temperature, then vary the intensity of infrared radiation on the area of the patient's skin based on the monitored temperature relative to the predetermined temperature.