Method and apparatus for volumetric interstitial conductive hyperthermia

A system for producing volumetric, thermally conductive hyperthermia for the treatment of a cancerous tumor in a patient, comprising:

• imaging means for determining the location and volume of the tumor, said imaging means including means for establishing an imaging plane through the patient's body;
• a heat-emitting source including a plurality of implantable probes each containing a heat-emitting element;
• means for interstitially implanting said probes in the tumor in a predetermined pattern for volumetric, thermally conductive heating of said tumor, said implanting means including template means for guiding said probes into parallel alignment in the tumor, and means for affixing said template means with respect to the patient's body and with respect to said imaging plane;
• and
• means for controllably energizing said heat-emitting sources to produce volumetric, thermally conductive heating of the tumor and a predetermined temperature distribution in the tumor.

A method of treating tumors with volumetric, thermally conductive hyperthermia, comprising the steps:

• surgically inserting a plurality of heat-emitting elements and temperature sensors into a tumor with the aid of an imaging system;
• energizing said heat-emitting elements with an electrical current to produce volumetric, thermally conductive heating of said tumor;
• measuring the temperature of said heat-emitting elements with said temperature sensors;
• and
• automatically controlling the application of electrical energy to said heat-emitting elements according to the difference between the measured temperature and a predetermined temperature selected for each of said heat-emitting elements to produce a predetermined temperature distribution in said tumor.