Tumor treatment
OwnerJeffery A. Williamsinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A completely implantable apparatus is provided for treatment of tissue surrounding a cavity left by surgical removal of a brain tumor. The apparatus includes an inflatable balloon constructed for placement in the cavity. A subcutaneously implantable treatment fluid receptacle is provided for receiving a transdermal injection of a treatment fluid. A catheter connects the receptacle to the inflatable balloon. Various embodiments provide for simultaneous application of heat therapy and/or radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy to the remaining tissue surrounding the cavity from which the tumor was removed.
Claims38
A surgical procedure for treating a brain tumor in a living patient, comprising:
- (a) surgically removing at least a portion of said tumor thereby creating a cavity in the patient's remaining tissue;
- (b) placing an inflatable treatment device in said cavity;
- and
- (c) treating remaining tissue surrounding said cavity by means of said inflatable treatment device by inflating said inflatable treatment device with a treatment fluid so that the inflatable treatment device occupies said cavity thereby placing said treatment fluid in close proximity to said remaining tissue surrounding said cavity said treating including inflating said inflatable treatment device to a volume not substantially greater than a volume of said cavity thereby avoiding any substantial compression or distortion of normal brain tissue.
A surgical procedure for treating a tumor in a living patient, comprising:
- (a) surgically removing at least a portion of said tumor;
- and
- (b) simultaneously applying radiation, heat and chemotherapy treatment to remaining tissue surrounding a location from which said tumor was removed, without making any further surgical incisions on the patient;
- wherein said step (b) is performed by placing fluid in a distensible catheter implanted during step (a) in said location from which said tumor was removed;
- and
- wherein said fluid is placed in said distensible catheter by subcutaneously injecting said fluid into a receptacle communicated with said catheter.
An implantable apparatus for treatment of tissue surrounding a cavity left by surgical removal of a tumor from a living patient, comprising:
- an inflatable balloon constructed for placement in said cavity;
- a treatment fluid receptacle means for receiving a transdermal injection of a treatment fluid;
- a catheter means, connected between said receptacle means and said balloon, for carrying said treatment fluid from said receptacle means to said inflatable balloon;
- and
- heating means, operatively associated with said balloon, for heating said treatment fluid while said treatment fluid is in said balloon and without having any electrical wiring running into said balloon.
An implantable apparatus for treatment of tissue surrounding a cavity left by surgical removal of a tumor from a living patient, comprising:
- an inflatable balloon means for filling at least a portion of said cavity;
- and
- treatment means, operably associated with said balloon means, for simultaneously applying radiation, heat and chemotherapy treatment to remaining tissue surrounding said cavity without making any further surgical incisions on the patient, wherein said treatment means further includes:
- a treatment fluid receptacle means for receiving a transdermal injection of a radioactive treatment fluid;
- and
- a catheter means, connected between said receptacle means and said balloon means, for carrying said radioactive treatment fluid from said receptacle means to said inflatable balloon means.
A treatment apparatus for applying simultaneous heat treatment and radiation treatment to remaining tissue surrounding a cavity left by surgical removal of a tumor from a living body, comprising:
- a distensible reservoir constructed for placement in said cavity;
- a treatment fluid filling said distensible reservoir, said reservoir being distended by said treatment fluid so that said treatment fluid is in close proximity to said remaining tissue, said treatment fluid including a mixture of ferromagnetic material and radioactive material;
- catheter means for conducting said treatment fluid into said reservoir after said reservoir is placed in said cavity;
- and
- external radio frequency electromagnetic energy transmission means for transmitting radio frequency electromagnetic energy into said treatment fluid in said reservoir to heat said treatment fluid.
An implantable apparatus for treatment of tissue surrounding a cavity left by surgical removal of a tumor from a living patient, comprising:
- an inflatable balloon constructed for placement in said cavity;
- a treatment fluid receptacle means for receiving a transdermal injection of a treatment fluid, said receptacle means being at least in part impenetrable by X-rays and being constructed to be countersunk within the patient's skull;
- a catheter means connected between said receptacle means and said balloon, for carrying said treatment fluid from said receptacle means to said inflatable balloon;
- and
- a metallic grid constructed to be temporarily attached to the patient's scalp overlying the receptacle means to permit determination of the location of said receptacle means relative to said metallic grid by X-raying the patient's skull.
A chemotherapy apparatus for treatment of remaining tissue surrounding a cavity left by surgical removal of a tumor from a living body, comprising:
- a distensible reservoir including a porous outer wall and a non-porous inner wall arranged so that a space is defined between said inner and outer walls, and so that an interior is defined within said inner wall;
- a first catheter means connected to said space between said inner and outer walls for conducting a chemotherapy fluid into said space;
- sponge means disposed in said space between said inner and outer walls for temporarily holding said chemotherapy fluid;
- a second catheter means connected to said interior within said inner wall for conducting a second fluid into said interior;
- and
- first and second subcutaneously implantable fluid receptacle means, connected to said first and second catheter means, for receiving transdermal injections of said chemotherapy fluid and said second fluid, respectively.
A surgical procedure for treating a tumor in a living patient, comprising:
- (a) surgically removing at least a portion of said tumor thereby creating a cavity in the patient's remaining tissue;
- (b) placing an inflatable treatment device in said cavity;
- and
- (c) treating remaining tissue surrounding said cavity by means of said inflatable treatment device by inflating said inflatable treatment device with a treatment fluid so that the inflatable device occupies said cavity thereby placing said treatment fluid in close proximity to said remaining tissue surrounding said cavity, said treating step including applying heat to said remaining tissue surrounding said cavity by heating said treatment fluid while said treatment fluid is contained in said inflatable treatment device without having any electrical wiring running into said inflatable treatment device.
A surgical procedure for treating a tumor in a living patient, comprising:
- (a) surgically removing at least a portion of said tumor thereby creating a cavity in the patient's remaining tissue;
- (b) placing an inflatable treatment device in said cavity, said treatment device being connected by a catheter to an injection receptacle;
- (c) implanting said injection receptacle subcutaneously;
- (d) locating said injection receptacle by X-raying the patient's body;
- and
- (e) treating remaining tissue surrounding said cavity by means of said inflatable treatment device by inflating said inflatable treatment device with a treatment fluid so that the inflatable treatment device occupies said cavity thereby placing said treatment fluid in close proximity to said remaining tissue surrounding said cavity.
An implantable apparatus for treatment of tissue surrounding a cavity left by surgical removal of a tumor from a living patient, comprising:
- an inflatable balloon means for filling at least a portion of said cavity, said balloon means being a double-walled balloon means having an inner balloon wall received within an outer balloon wall, said outer balloon wall being porous thus providing a means for dispersing through said porous outer wall a chemotherapy fluid received in a space between said inner and outer walls;
- and
- treatment means, operably associated with said balloon means, for simultaneously applying radiation, heat and chemotherapy treatment to remaining tissue surrounding said cavity without making any further surgical incisions on the patient.
An implantable apparatus for treatment of tissue surrounding a cavity left by surgical removal of a tumor from a living patient, comprising:
- an inflatable balloon means for filling at least a portion of said cavity;
- and
- treatment means, operably associated with said balloon means, for simultaneously applying radiation, heat and chemotherapy treatment to remaining tissue surrounding said cavity without making any further surgical incisions on the patient, said treatment means further including:
- means for filling said balloon means with a treatment fluid;
- heating means, operatively associated with said balloon means, for heating said treatment while said treatment fluid is contained in said balloon means;
- and
- monitoring means for monitoring a temperature of said treatment fluid within said balloon means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.