EP0459535A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus for the surgical treatment of tissues by hyperthermia, preferably the prostate, with cooling means
Assignee: Urologix Inc
•
Filing: 1989-11-21
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2009-11-21
Abstract
Abstract The invention relates to an apparatus for the surgical treatment of tissues (12) by hyperthermia, preferably the prostate (14). The apparatus comprises heating means (16) for inducing hyperthermia, which means comprise a microwave generating device (18) placed in an emitting probe means (20) adapted to be inserted in a cavity of the body, and is characterized in that, said emitting probe (20) is a urethral probe adapted to be inserted in the urethra and said urethral probe means (20) comprises cooling means (32) for cooling the surface of the urethral probe means (20) in order prevent burns from occurring on the urethral wall in contact with the probe means (20). The positioning in the prostate (14) is controlled by control means (80) incorporated in a rectal probe means (82). The invention permits a very efficient treatment of the prostate (14) without any damage to the sensitive tissues other than the tissues (12) to be treated by hyperthermia.
Inventors
- 👤 Gérard Hascoet
- 👤 François Lacoste
- 👤 Muriel Cathaud
- 👤 Jean-Marie Jacomino
- 👤 Marian Devonec
- 👤 Paul Perrin
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 18:56
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61N; A61N5/00; A61N5/02; A61N5/01; A61B; A61B18/00; A61B18/18; A61B18/1815; A61B90/00; A61B90/04; A61B17/00; A61B2017/00017; A61B2017/00022; A61B2017/00084; A61B17/00234; A61B2017/00238; A61B2017/00274; A61B17/22; A61B2017/22051; A61B2017/22057; A61B2017/22058; A61B2018/00005; A61B2018/00011; A61B2018/00023; A61B2018/00053; A61B2018/00059; A61B2018/00089; A61B2018/00101; A61B2018/00166; A61B2018/00214; A61B2018/0022; A61B2018/00315; A61B2018/00547; A61B2018/00571; A61B2018/00577; A61B2018/00636; A61B2018/00642; A61B2018/00696; A61B2018/00702; A61B2018/00744; A61B2018/00773; A61B2018/00791; A61B2018/183; A61B90/36; A61B90/37; A61B2090/378; A61B2090/3782; A61B2090/3784; A61B90/39; A61B2090/3933
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
159 words
Apparatus for the surgical treatment of tissues by hyperthermia, preferably the prostate (14), comprising an emitting probe (20) which is adapted to be inserted in a body cavity, said emitting probe having a front end (20a) and a rear end, said emitting probe (20) comprising a microwave antenna means (18) placed in said emitting probe (20) and located intermediate said front and said rear end in the vicinity of said front end (20a), said microwave antenna means (18) being connected to an external microwave generating device (M.W.G.) comprising means for generating microwaves at a frequency and a power effective for hyperthermia treatment, characterized in that said emitting probe (20) is a urethral probe adapted to be inserted in the urethra, and said urethral probe means (20) comprises cooling means (32) for cooling the surface of the urethral probe means (20) in order to prevent burns from occurring on the urethral wall (34) in contact with the probe means (20).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
22 words
The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said cooling means are extending up to the full length of the microwave antenna means (18).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
72 words
The apparatus of claim 1 or 2, comprising an inflatable balloon means (26) to lock in position said emitting probe (20), and inflating means (28,29,30) for inflating said balloon means (26), characterized in that said inflatable balloon means (26) is located at said front end (20a) such that it is placed in the bladder (24) when the microwave antenna means (18) is placed in front of said prostate (14) to be treated.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
12 words
The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the inflating means comprises a liquid.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
32 words
The apparatus of claims 1, 2, 3 or 4, characterized in that temperature sensing means (44) are provided on or in the urethral probe means and optionally in the balloon means (26).
Claim 6
Independent Claim
54 words
The apparatus of anyone of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the microwave emitting antenna means (18) comprise a metallic cable (52) coaxial to the urethral probe means (20) covered by an insulating sheath (54), the emitting part (52a) being situated at an intermediate or distal level of the urethral probe means (20).
Claim 7
Independent Claim
29 words
The apparatus as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it comprises control means (80) for controlling the positioning of the urethral probe means (20).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
18 words
The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the control means (80) are incorporated in a rectal probe means (82).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
39 words
The apparatus of claim 7 or 8, characterized in that immobilizing means (92) are provided for immobilizing the rectal probe means (82) in axial position, but preferably permitting the rotation of said rectal probe means (82) about its axis.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
39 words
The apparatus of claim 9, characterized in that said immobilizing means comprises a balloon (92), for example in latex, surrounding the rectal probe means (82) and in which said rectal probe means (82) is readily orientable from the outside.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus of anyone of claim 7 to 10, characterized in that rectal temperature sensing means (98) are provided on or in the rectal probe means (82).
Claim 12
Independent Claim
72 words
The apparatus of anyone of claims 5 to 11, characterized in that said temperature sensing means (44) comprises a fiber optic thermometer which is heat insulated from the cooling means (32), preferably comprising several strands of fibers disposed in radially and/or longitudinally offset fashion in the longitudinal direction of the urethral probe means (20) so as to detect the temperature on various radial and/or longitudinal positions of the urethral probe means (20).
Claim 13
Independent Claim
41 words
The apparatus of anyone claims 1 to 12, characterized in that heat protecting means (22, 90) are provided for protecting from the heat the sensitive tissues other than the tissues (12) to be treated, comprising means forming radioreflecting screen (22, 90).
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
29 words
The apparatus of claim 13, characterized in that said means forming radioreflecting screen comprise a radioreflecting liquid medium (23, 94), preferably comprising an electrically conductive liquid reflecting the microwaves.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
34 words
The apparatus of claim 13, characterized in that said screen forming means comprise at least one wire, which is parallel to the mean electrical field, and preferably incorporated to said rectal probe means (82).
Claim 16
Independent Claim
36 words
The apparatus of anyone of claims 11 to 15, characterized in that said external microwave generating device (M.W.G.) generates microwaves at a frequency of about 900 MHz, and at a power adjustable up to 100 watts.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
21 words
The apparatus of anyone of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that said microwave antenna means emits microwaves in all directions.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
33 words
The apparatus of anyone of claims 7 to 17, characterized in that said control means (80) comprise an echographic probe, in particular a rectal echographic probe, connected with a screen equipped echograph (84).
Claim 19
Independent Claim
62 words
The apparatus of anyone of claims 5 to 18, characterized in that it comprises a central control device (86) centralizing all the informations including all the temperature data centralized in a thermometry device and capable of automatically controlling the microwave generator device (MWG) as a function of the recorded temperature and of any data which may have been programmed by the practitioner.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
37 words
The apparatus of claim 19, characterized in that the central control device (86) receives the data issued from the echographic probe (82) relatively to the position of the emitting probe means (20) in relation to the prostate.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.