EP0370890A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus for the surgical treatment of tissues by hyperthermia, preferably the prostate, equipped with heat protection means preferably comprising means forming radioreflecting screen
Assignee: Technomed Medical Systems SA
•
Filing: 1989-11-21
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2009-11-21
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus for the surgical treatment of tissues (12) by hyperthermia, preferably the prostate (14), of the type equipped with heating means (16) for inducing hyperthermia, comprising a microwave generating device (18) placed in an emitting probe means (20) adapted to be inserted in a cavity of the body. A radioreflecting screen is provided to protect sensitive tissues other than tissues to be treated from the heat. This screen can comprise a balloon (26) containing a radioreflective liquid.
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 03:58
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61N; A61N5/00; A61N5/01; A61N5/02; 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: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
81 words
Apparatus for the surgical treatment of tissues (12) by hyperthermia, preferably the prostate (14), of the type equipped with heating means (16) for inducing hyperthermia, comprising a microwave generating device (18) placed in an emitting probe means (20) adapted to be inserted in a cavity of the body, characterized in that means (22, 90) are provided for protecting from the heat the sensitive tissues other than the tissues (12) to be treated, said means preferably comprising means forming radioreflecting screen (22,90).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
81 words
Apparatus for the surgical treatment of tissues (12) by hyperthermia, preferably the prostate (14), of the type equipped with heating means (16) for inducing hyperthermia, comprising a microwave generating device (18) placed in an emitting probe means (20) adapted to be inserted in a cavity of the body, characterized in that means (22, 90) are provided for protecting from the heat the sensitive tissues other than the tissues (12) to be treated, said means preferably comprising means forming radioreflecting screen (22,90).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the means forming radioreflecting screen contain a radioreflecting liquid medium (23, 94), preferably comprising an electrically conductive liquid reflecting the microwaves.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
37 words
Apparatus as claimed in one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that said screen-forming means comprise at least one wire, which is parallel to the mean electrical field, and preferably joined to a rectal probe means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
67 words
Apparatus as claimed in one of claims 1 to 3, for treating the prostate by hyperthermia, characterized in that said probe means is a uretral probe means (20) inserted in the urethra up to the level of the prostate; preferably, one part (22) of said screen forming means is placed at the level of the organ to be protected, in particular the bladder (24), the sphincter (15).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
51 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the part (22) of the means forming a screen protecting the bladder (24) comprises a balloon (26) placed on the front end (20a) of the probe means (20) comprising means (28) of filling said balloon (26) with a radioreflecting conductive solution (23).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
37 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the part (22) of said screen forming means comprises a radioreflecting conductive solution which is injected directly into the bladder (24), and which is preferably a hypertonic solution.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
35 words
Apparatus as claimed in one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it comprises means (80) for controlling the positioning of the urethral probe means (20, preferably incorporated in a rectal probe means (82).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
35 words
Apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that one part (90) of said screen-forming means is joined to said rectal probe means, thus protecting the rectal wall (100) from high temperatures.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
36 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that means 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 11
Dependent Claim
41 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that said immobilizing means comprise a balloon (92), for example in latex, which surrounds the rectal probe means (82) and in which said rectal probe means (82) is readily orientable from the outside.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
50 words
Apparatus as claimed in one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that means (32) are provided for cooling the surface of the the probe means (20) in order to prevent burns from occurring on the walls in contact with the probe means, particularly the walls of the urethra (34).
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
52 words
Apparatus as claimed in one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that temperature sensing means (44, 98) are provided on or in the urethral probe means (means 44), and/or on or in the rectal probe means (means 98) and optionally in the balloon (26) and/or in the balloon (92) (means 98).
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
66 words
Apparatus as claimed in one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the microwave generating device (18) comprises a metallic cable (52) coaxial to the probe means (20) covered by an insulating sheath (54) over part of its length, said cable (52) comprising at least one microwave emitting non-insulated part (52a), preferably situated at an intermediate or distal level of the emitting probe means (20).
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
31 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that the free end of the cable (52a) forming a microwave emitting antenna ends under the balloon (26) forming the bladder protecting means.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
68 words
Apparatus as claimed in one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that said temperature sensing means (98) comprise 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 probe means (20) so as to detect the temperature on various radial and/or longitudinal positions of the probe means.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.