US5219401A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Apparatus for selective destruction of cells by implosion of gas bubbles
Assignee: Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale
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Filing: 1990-02-20
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Granted: 1993-06-15
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Expires: 2010-02-20
Abstract
Abstract The invention relates to an apparatus for selective destruction of cells including soft tissues and bones inside a living subject's body. This apparatus is characterized in that it comproses: means for generating gas bubbles in situ within the cells to be selectively destroyed, and implosion means capable of provoking the implosion in situ of the gas bubbles, thereby destroying the cells to be destroyed which are adjacent the imploded gas bubbles. The invention makes it possible to destroy cells inside a living subject's body by a non-invasive and extracorporeal and also extremely simple and efficient way, further permitting the treatment of metastases.
Inventors
- 👤 Dominique Cathignol
- 👤 Jean-Yves Chapelon
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 06:32
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B17/00; A61B17/22; A61B17/225; A61B17/22004; A61B2017/22082; A61B2017/22089
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 51
Claim 1
Independent Claim
53 words
An apparatus for selective destruction of cells inside a living subject's body, wherein said apparatus comprises: means for generating gas bubbles in situ in proximity to the cells to be selectively destroyed, and means for provoking an implosion in situ of the gas bubbles, thereby destroying the cells adjacent the imploded gas bubbles.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
53 words
An apparatus for selective destruction of cells inside a living subject's body, wherein said apparatus comprises: means for generating gas bubbles in situ in proximity to the cells to be selectively destroyed, and means for provoking an implosion in situ of the gas bubbles, thereby destroying the cells adjacent the imploded gas bubbles.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for provoking an implosion comprise means for generating high power acoustic waves.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said high power acoustic waves have a pressure of at least 30 bars.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
19 words
The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said high power acoustic waves have a pressure of at least 100 bars.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said high power acoustic waves have a pressure of at least 300 bars.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
19 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said acoustic wave generating means comprise a piezoelectric transducer type acoustic generator.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
30 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said acoustic wave generating means comprise a mechanical shock wave generator selected from the group consisting of electrohydraulic, magnetostrictive, laser and explosive type.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
22 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said apparatus further comprises central control means for controlling said means for provoking the implosion.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
28 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for generating gas bubbles comprise means for feeding a precursor in which to generate the gas bubbles in situ.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
23 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein said precursor feeding means comprise a reservoir of an injectable solution containing said generated gas bubbles.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
23 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for generating gas bubbles comprise a material which is a precursor of gas bubbles.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
39 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein said gas bubble precursor material comprises capsules or microcapsules encapsulating the gas bubbles, the walls of said capsules or microcapsules being produced from a material which dissolves progressively in the blood stream.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
68 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the wall of said capsules or microcapsules is made of a compound selected from the group consisting of gelatin, lecithin, esters of polyoxyethylene fatty acids, oleate of polyethyleneglycol glycerin ricin, polyoxyethylenpolyoxypropylene polymers, an ester of saccharose, a C 4 -C 20 non-saturated fatty alcohol, a C 4 -C 20 non-saturated fatty acid, a monoglyceride, diglyceride, triglyceride, maltose, dextrose, lactose and galactose.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
24 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for generating gas bubbles comprise cavitation means generating gas bubbles in situ by cavitation phenomena.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
31 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein said cavitation means comprise an ultrasonic generator with high negative waves having pressures in a range from about three bars to about 100 bars.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
31 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising means for tracking and locating the cells to be destroyed and the gas bubbles, said tracking and locating means comprising an ultrasonic probe.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
22 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising means for tracking and locating the cells to be destroyed and the gas bubbles.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
28 words
The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said means for generating gas bubbles comprises means for generating gas bubbles having a diameter ranging from 0.5 to 350 microns.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
43 words
A method for extracorporeal selective destruction of cells in a living subject, comprising the steps of: generating gas bubbles in proximity to said cells; generating pressure waves; and focussing said pressure waves on said bubbles for imploding said bubbles thereby destroying said cells.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
43 words
A method for extracorporeal selective destruction of cells in a living subject, comprising the steps of: generating gas bubbles in proximity to said cells; generating pressure waves; and focussing said pressure waves on said bubbles for imploding said bubbles thereby destroying said cells.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 19, wherein said step of generating gas bubbles includes injecting a precursor of gas bubbles into the blood stream of said subject so as to generate said gas bubbles in situ.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 20, wherein said precursor includes microcapsules encapsulating said gas bubbles, said microcapsules having walls made of a material which progressively dissolves in the blood stream.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
58 words
The method of claim 21, wherein said material is selected from the group consisting of gelatin, lecithin, esters of polyoxyethylene fatty acids, oleate of polyethyleneglycol glycerin, ricin, polyoxyethylenpolyoxypropylene polymers, an ester of saccharose, a C 4 -C 20 non-saturated fatty alcohol, a C 4 -C 20 non-saturated fatty acid, a monoglyceride, diglyceride, triglyceride, maltose, dextrose, lactose and galactose.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 22, wherein said step of generating said pressure waves comprises a step of generating high power acoustic waves.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 23, wherein said acoustic waves have a pressure of at least 30 bars.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 21, wherein said step of generating said pressure waves comprises a step of generating high power acoustic waves.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 25, wherein said acoustic waves have a pressure of at least 30 bars.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 20, wherein said step of generating pressure waves comprises a step of generating high power acoustic waves.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 27, wherein said acoustic waves have a pressure of at least 30 bars.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 19, wherein said step of generating gas bubbles includes injecting a solution into the blood stream of said subject, said solution containing a precursor in which to generate said bubbles in situ.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 29, wherein said step of generating said pressure waves comprises a step of generating high power acoustic waves.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 30, wherein said acoustic waves have a pressure of at least 30 bars.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 19, wherein said step of generating gas bubbles includes forming said bubbles in situ within said cells by a cavitation means.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 32, wherein said cavitation means comprise an ultrasonic generator.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 33, wherein said step of generating said bubbles comprises forming said bubbles by negative ultrasonic waves having negative pressures sufficient to create said bubbles by cavitation.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 34, wherein said negative pressures are in a range from about 3 bars to about 100 bars.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 33, wherein said step of generating pressure waves comprises a step of generating high power acoustic waves.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 36, wherein said acoustic waves have a pressure of at least 30 bars.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 32, wherein said step of generating said pressure waves comprises a step of generating high power acoustic waves.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 38, wherein said acoustic waves have a pressure of at least 30 bars.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 19, wherein said step of generating said pressure waves comprises a step of generating high power acoustic waves.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 40, wherein said acoustic waves have a pressure of at least 30 bars.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 41, wherein said acoustic waves have a pressure of at least 100 bars.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 42, wherein said acoustic waves have a pressure of at least 300 bars.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 40, wherein said step of generating high power acoustic waves uses a piezoelectric transducer type acoustic generator.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 40, wherein said means for generating high power acoustic waves comprise a mechanical shock wave generator selected from the group consisting of electrohydraulic, magnetostrictive, laser and explosive type generators.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 19, wherein said step of generating said bubbles in situ includes providing means for feeding a precursor in which to generate said gas bubbles in situ.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 19, further comprising a step of tracking and locating the cells to be destroyed and the gas bubbles.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 47, wherein said step of tracking and locating includes providing an ultrasonic probe.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method according to claim 19, wherein said gas bubble generating step comprises generating gas bubbles having a diameter ranging from 0.5 to 350 microns.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1996-06-14 | 1996-12-14 | 1997-06-15 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2000-06-14 | 2000-12-14 | 2001-06-15 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2004-06-14 | 2004-12-14 | 2005-06-15 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |