Device for asymmetrical thermal therapy with helical dipole microwave antenna

A device for insertion into a urethra for treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia comprising:

• an intraurethral catheter having an outer surface, a first end, a second end, a first side and a second side;
• and
• heating means within the catheter for delivering heat to intraprostatic tissue surrounding the urethra, the heat delivered to the tissue adjacent the first side of the catheter being greater than the heat delivered to the tissue adjacent the second side of the catheter.

A device for treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia comprising:

• an intraurethral catheter for positioning within a urethra, the catheter having a proximal end, a distal end, an outer surface, a first side and a second side;
• and
• an antenna within the catheter, the antenna being positioned nearer the first side than the second side.

A method for treating benign prostatic hyperplasia comprising:

• inserting into a prostatic portion of a urethra a Foley-type catheter which includes a device that imparts heat;
• and
• activating the device that imparts heat to heat a first region of prostatic tissue in a first radial direction from the catheter above about 45.degree. C. and to heat a second region of prostatic tissue in a second radial direction from the catheter below about 45.degree. C.

A method of selectively directing thermal energy into a prostate, the method comprising:

• locating in a urethra adjacent the prostate a catheter which contains a microwave antenna;
• and
• providing a drive signal to the antenna so as to cause application of a first amount of electromagnetic energy in a first radial direction into the prostate, and a second amount of electromagnetic energy, less than the first amount of energy, in a second radial direction, opposite the first direction, into the prostate.

A device for selective-directional microwave thermal therapy comprising:

• an intraurethral catheter having an outer surface, a first end, a second end, a first side, a second side;
• electromagnetic energy emitting means within the catheter for producing an RF emission;
• absorption means within the catheter between the electromagnetic energy emitting means and the outer surface of the catheter for absorbing at least some of the RF emission, a greater amount of the RF emission absorbed on the second side of the catheter than on the first side of the catheter.

A device for selective-directional microwave thermal therapy comprising:

• an intraurethral catheter having an outer surface, a first end, a second end, a first side, a second side;
• electromagnetic energy emitting means within the catheter for producing an RF emission, the electromagnetic energy emitting means located nearer the first side of the catheter than the second side of the catheter;
• absorption means between the electromagnetic energy emitting means and the outer surface of the catheter for absorbing at least some of the RF emission, a greater amount of the RF emission absorbed on the second side of the catheter than on the first side of the catheter.

A device for treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia comprising:

• an intraurethral catheter for insertion into a urethra, the catheter having an outer surface, a first end, a second end, a first side for orientation toward an anterior region of a prostate, a second side for orientation toward a posterior region of the prostate and a longitudinal axis;
• and
• radiating means within the catheter for producing an RF emission that is capable of heating intraprostatic tissue surrounding the urethra, the radiating means being radially spaced apart from the longitudinal axis of the catheter so that the heat delivered to the tissue adjacent the first side of the catheter is generally greater than the heat delivered to the tissue adjacent the second side of the catheter.

A method for treating benign prostatic hyperplasia comprising:

• inserting into a prostatic portion of a urethra a Foley-type catheter which includes a device that imparts heat;
• and
• activating the device that imparts heat to heat an anterior region and a posterior region of prostatic tissue, the heat applied to the anterior region being greater than the heat applied to the posterior region.