Thermotherapy probe

Abstract

A thermotherapy device for treatment of diseased biological tissues. The thermotherapy device includes a primary and at least one secondary cooling and/or radiation shielding lumen. The lumens are connected or disposed adjacent one another along their longitudinal exterior walls. An energy source is insertable into one or more of the cooling lumens to carry out a heating protocol to treat the diseased tissue while screening and/or cooling normal tissue. A transrectal ultrasound positioning and temperature sensing device can control the energy source for effective treatment.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A thermotherapy device, comprising: 
 a primary lumen and a secondary cooling lumen connected substantially at their exteriors; and    an energy source capable of radiating heat insertable into one of said lumens.    
     
     
         2 . The thermotherapy device of    claim 1    wherein said energy source comprises means for asymmetrically radiating heat.  
     
     
         3 . The thermotherapy device of    claim 2    wherein at least one of said lumens comprises means for modifying the radiation of said heat.  
     
     
         4 . The thermotherapy device as defined in    claim 1   , further including a tube insertable into at least one of said lumens, said tube being dimensioned such that said energy source is insertable into said tube.  
     
     
         5 . The thermotherapy probe as defined in    claim 1    wherein at least one of said lumens are comprised of polyethylene terephthalate.  
     
     
         6 . The thermotherapy probe as defined in    claim 1    wherein at least one of said lumens are comprised of an extruded plastic material.  
     
     
         7 . The thermotherapy device as defined in    claim 1    further including a second secondary cooling lumen.  
     
     
         8 . A device for providing thermal therapy to a tissue region of a patient, comprising: 
 an inflatable lumen capable of being disposed within a passage in the body of the patient, said lumen inflatable with a fluid and capable of providing means for controlling temperature and further to provide means for straightening said tissue region for said thermal therapy; and    an energy source for heating said tissue region of the patient, said energy source disposed within at least part of said lumen.    
     
     
         9 . The device as defined in    claim 8    wherein said lumen comprises a substantially non-distensible material and can be inflated and deflated along its longitudinal length to allow rigid positioning of said energy source along said body passage of the patient.  
     
     
         10 . The device as defined in    claim 8    wherein said lumen can be selectively inflated and deflated to provide a lumen of selectively desired length.  
     
     
         11 . The device as defined in    claim 8    further including means for shielding selected tissues of the patient from the thermal therapy.  
     
     
         12 . The device as defined in    claim 11    wherein said shielding means comprises at least one of an energy absorptive material, an energy reflective material and a second cooling lumen.  
     
     
         13 . The device as defined in    claim 8    wherein said thermal therapy comprises at least one of hyperthermia and thermotherapy.  
     
     
         14 . A device for providing thermotherapy to an organ of a patient, comprising: 
 an energy source for heating the organ of the patient; and    an inflatable cooling lumen with said energy source disposed at least partly in said lumen and having a primary and a secondary portion, said cooling lumen capable of being disposed within a passage in the body of the patient and said cooling lumen including means for inflating said lumen with a fluid for providing means for cooling and further means for rigid positioning of said cooling lumen along the body passage, said lumen being deflatable allowing repositioning at a new location along the body passage.    
     
     
         15 . A thermotherapy probe for treatment of tissue of a patient, comprised of a probe insertable into a normal body opening of the patient, said probe comprising: 
 a first inflatable and substantially nondistensible volume and a second inflatable and substantially nondistensible volume; and    a heat source insertable into at least one of said volumes.    
     
     
         16 . The probe as defined in    claim 15    wherein said volumes include a fluid for cooling the patient tissue and for selectively inflating said probe for anchoring in the patient tissue.  
     
     
         17 . The thermotherapy probe as defined in    claim 14    wherein at least one of said lumens are capable of carrying out a heating or cooling function.  
     
     
         18 . A method for performing thermotherapy treatment, comprising the steps of: 
 inserting a thermotherapy probe having a fluid volume containing portion and an energy source insertable therein;    applying energy from said energy source to tissues disposed in substantially close proximity to said thermotherapy probe; and    remotely indicating tissue temperatures during treatment.    
     
     
         19 . The method as defined in    claim 18   , wherein said remote temperature indication comprises sensing the temperature of said liquid.  
     
     
         20 . The method as defined in    claim 18   , further including the step of detecting the probe position.  
     
     
         21 . A device for providing thermal therapy to an organ of a patient, including a catheter structure including a Foley catheter anchoring balloon, the improvement comprising: 
 an energy source disposed within the catheter means for heating the organ of the patient; and    an inflatable cooling lumen with said energy source disposed at least partly in said lumen and having a primary and a secondary portion, said cooling lumen being deflatable and capable of being disposed within a passage in the body of the patient and said cooling lumen inflatable with a fluid for providing a means for cooling and further means for rigid positioning of said cooling lumen along the body passage, sand lumen being deflatable allowing repositioning at a new location along the body passage.    
     
     
         22 . A method for performing the benign prostatic hyperplasia treatment, including the steps of inserting a probe capable of compressing a patients internal tissue, the improvement comprising the steps of: 
 inserting a thermotherapy probe having two lumen volume portions which are inflatable and substantially nondistensible and an energy source insertable into at least one of said lumen portions;    passing liquid through said thermotherapy probe after it has been inserted; and    applying radiative energy from said energy source to tissues disposed in substantially close proximity to said thermotherapy probe.    
     
     
         23 . A thermotherapy device, comprising: 
 a primary lumen and two secondary lumens connected substantially at their exteriors; and    means for providing an asymmetric heating pattern insertable into at least one of said lumens.    
     
     
         24 . The thermotherapy device as defined in    claim 23   , wherein said means for providing an asymmetric heating pattern comprises an inflated one of said lumens.  
     
     
         25 . The thermotherapy device as defined in    claim 23   , wherein said asymmetric heating pattern substantially matches a human prostate gland shape.  
     
     
         26 . The thermotherapy device as defined in    claim 23   , wherein said lumens are capable of carrying a cooling medium.