Systemic hyperthermia with improved temperature sensing apparatus and method

Claim 2

In a process of retarding the growth of cancer cells in a human patient which comprises the steps of establishing a sterile extracorporeal flow path for blood having an inlet, an outlet and a temperature control zone therebetween, establishing communication of the inlet and said extracorporeal flow path with the patient's bloodsream so that blood can be withdrawn and supplied to said extracorporeal flow path without adversely affecting the blood circulation in the areas from which the blood is withdrawn, establishing communication of the outlet of said extracorporeal flow path with the patient's bloodstream so that blood flowing from the extracorporal flow path is returned to the bloodstream in such a way as to be distributed systemically, pumping blood withdrawn from the patient's bloodstream along said extracorporeal flow path through said temperature control zone at a controlled rate of at least approximately 1 liter per minute and returning the same to the patient's bloodstream to be distributed systemically, as aforesaid, controlling the temperature of the blood flowing along said extracorporeal flow path through said temperature control zone for an initial period during which the temperature control zone for an initial period during which the temperature level of the blood within the zone is raised without causing the same to reach localized temperatures in excess of approximately 45° C. so that the systemic distribution of the returned blood gradually increases the patient's core body temperature to a generally stable temperature condition at a level of approximately 41.5° C. but not higher than approximately 42.5° C., and maintaining control of the temperature of the blood flowing along said extracorporeal flow path through said temperature control zone at said generally stable temperature for a second time period sufficient to effect the desired treatment; the improvement of which comprises the steps of: measuring the patient's core body temperature in the patient's bladder and utilizing the measured bladder temperature in controlling the temperature of the blood flowing along said extracorporeal flow path.

Claim 3

In a method of treating cancer in which systemic hyperthermia is induced with a temperature accuracy of from 0.1° C. to 0.2° C. the improvement which comprises measuring the induced systemic hyperthemia in the patient's bladder and controlling the induced hyperthermia in accordance with the bladder temperature measured.

Claim 4

In a method of treating cancer in which systemic hyperthermia is induced with a temperature accuracy of from 0.1° C. to 0.2° C. the improvement which comprises measuring the induced systemic hyperthemia in the patient's bladder and controlling the induced hyperthermia in accordance with the bladder temperature measured.

Claim 5

In an apparatus for hyperthermic treatment of a human patient for the purpose of retarding the growth of cancer cells in the patient comprising means defining a sterile extracorporeal flow path for blood having an inlet, an outlet and a temperature control zone therebetween, means for establishing communication of the inlet of said extracorporeal flow path with the patient's bloodstream so that blood can be withdrawn and supplied to said extracorporeal flow path without adversely affecting the blood circulation in the areas from which the blood is withdrawn, means for establishing communication of the outlet of said extracorporeal flow path with the patient's bloodstream so that blood flowing from the extracorporeal flow path is returned to the bloodstream in such a way as to be distributed systemically, means for pumping blood withdrawn from the patient's bloodstream along said extracorporeal flow path through said temperature control zone at a controlled rate of at least approximately 1 liter per minute and returning the same to the patient's bloodstream to be distributed systemically, as aforesaid, and means for controlling the temperature of the blood flowing along said extracorporeal flow path through said temperature control zone for an initial period during which the temperature level of the blood within the zone is raised without causing the same to reach localized temperatures in excess of approximately 45° C. so that the systemic distribution of the body temperature to a generally stable temperature condition at a level of approximately 41.5° C. but not higher than approximately 42.5° C., and for maintaining control of the temperature of the blood flowing along said extracorporeal flow path through said temperature control zone at said generally stable temperature condition for a second time period sufficient to effect the desired treatment; the improvement which comprises said blood temperature controlling means including a bladder catheter having temperature sensing means embedded in the tip portion thereof, said blood temperature controlling means being operated in accordance with the temperature sensed by said temperature sensing means.

Claim 6

In an apparatus for hyperthermic treatment of a human patient for the purpose of retarding the growth of cancer cells in the patient comprising means defining a sterile extracorporeal flow path for blood having an inlet, an outlet and a temperature control zone therebetween, means for establishing communication of the inlet of said extracorporeal flow path with the patient's bloodstream so that blood can be withdrawn and supplied to said extracorporeal flow path without adversely affecting the blood circulation in the areas from which the blood is withdrawn, means for establishing communication of the outlet of said extracorporeal flow path with the patient's bloodstream so that blood flowing from the extracorporeal flow path is returned to the bloodstream in such a way as to be distributed systemically, means for pumping blood withdrawn from the patient's bloodstream along said extracorporeal flow path through said temperature control zone at a controlled rate of at least approximately 1 liter per minute and returning the same to the patient's bloodstream to be distributed systemically, as aforesaid, and means for controlling the temperature of the blood flowing along said extracorporeal flow path through said temperature control zone for an initial period during which the temperature level of the blood within the zone is raised without causing the same to reach localized temperatures in excess of approximately 45° C. so that the systemic distribution of the body temperature to a generally stable temperature condition at a level of approximately 41.5° C. but not higher than approximately 42.5° C., and for maintaining control of the temperature of the blood flowing along said extracorporeal flow path through said temperature control zone at said generally stable temperature condition for a second time period sufficient to effect the desired treatment; the improvement which comprises said blood temperature controlling means including a bladder catheter having temperature sensing means embedded in the tip portion thereof, said blood temperature controlling means being operated in accordance with the temperature sensed by said temperature sensing means.

Claim 7

The improvement as defined in claim 3 wherein said temperature sensing means comprises a thermister.