Hyperthermia technique

A thermal therapy device for a living organism having a normal body temperature level, the device serving to raise the internal temperature in a region underlying a limited skin area of the body to a hyperthermia level having beneficial effects, said device comprising:

• A. a source of air heated to an elevated temperature level well above said normal level and
• B. means to flow heated air derived from said source at high velocity across the surface layer of said limited skin area in a pulsatory wave pattern to thermally penetrate the tissue thereof to cause the region thereunder to rise in temperature to said hyperthermia level without injuring the tissue of the surface layer in a manner whereby the surface is subjected periodically to a pulse of said heated air flowing at high velocity to cause rapid heat transfer from the air to the surface layer, and means providing a relatively static interval between said pulses in which the air temperature is at a level intermediate said elevated and said normal level, said interval having a duration relative to that of said pulse during which heat transfer which then takes place inwardly in the course of said interval from the surface layer toward said region causes a reduction in the temperature of the surface layer which is sufficient to prevent excessive heating and damage to said surface layer, said intermediate level preventing heat transfer outwardly from said surface layer to the air during said interval.