Apparatus for heat treatment of tissue

A method for heat treatment of prostate tissue surrounding a urethra that extends from a distal bladder to a proximal exterior of a body, comprising the steps of:

• extending a catheter into the urethra from the exterior of the body into the bladder;
• local locally heating of the prostate tissue with at least one heating means, said heating means being which is enclosed in a said catheter;
• continuously sensing of the temperature of the locally-heated prostate tissue temperature at a plurality of different radially outward spaced locations relative to the urethra with a temperature sensing means;
• and
• advancing said temperature sensing means which is connected with a first carrier through and radially out of said catheter and into the prostate tissue;
• which is to be treated and is located radially external to said catheter for and
• continuous control continuously controlling the temperature of the locally-heated prostate tissue based on the temperature sensed at the plurality of different locations.

A catheter for use during heat treatment of prostate tissue of a living body, the prostate tissue surrounding a urethra that extends from a distal bladder to a proximal exterior of the body, the catheter comprising:

• a length sufficient to extend through the urethra from the exterior of the body and into the bladder;
• an expandable balloon positioned at a distal end of the catheter to be expanded within the bladder to retain the catheter in the urethra relative to the bladder;
• a channel extending from the exterior of the body along the catheter and terminating at a distal end located at a predetermined position spaced proximally from the expandable balloon;
• a carrier extending from the exterior of the body through the channel and having a distal end portion to be advanced out of the terminating distal end of the channel and into the prostate tissue by applying advancement force to the carrier at the exterior of the body;
• a deflecting element located at the terminating distal end of the channel to deflect the distal end portion of the carrier into the prostate tissue in a direction radially outward relative the catheter when the balloon retains the catheter relative to the bladder and upon advancement of the carrier out of the terminating distal end of the channel;
• and
• a plurality of temperature sensors positioned in a spaced apart relationship along the distal end of the carrier to determine the temperature of the prostate tissue at a plurality of different radially outward spaced locations into which the distal end of the carrier has penetrated.

A method of monitoring heat treatment of prostate tissue of a living body, the prostate tissue surrounding a urethra that extends from a distal bladder to a proximal exterior of the body, the method comprising:

• extending a catheter into the urethra from the exterior of the body into the bladder;
• advancing a carrier proximally through the catheter from the exterior of the body by applying advancement force to the carrier at the exterior of the body;
• penetrating the distal end portion of the carrier out of the catheter and into the prostate tissue to a desired depth in a direction radially outward relative the catheter by advancing the carrier;
• and
• separately sensing temperatures of the prostate tissue at a plurality of different radially outward spaced locations relative to the urethra after the distal end portion of the carrier has penetrated into the prostate tissue to the desired depth.