Apparatus for pulmonary delivery of drugs with simultaneous liquid lavage and ventilation

Abstract

A hyperthermic treatment of lung cancer in a patient and delivering therapeutic or diagnostic biological agents to airway surfaces, where preselected pulmonary air passages adjoining pulmonary tissues comprising malignant cells are temporarily filled and then heating adjoining pulmonary tissues comprising the malignant cells to a temperature in a specified range by transmitting ultrasound through the liquid-filled pulmonary passages of a specific frequency. Also disclosed is an apparatus for applying the ultrasound at the appropriate frequency to the interior surfaces of a bodily cavity for diagnostic and therapeutic treatment.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A hyperthermic treatment of lung cancer in a patient, comprising the steps of: 
 filling, temporarily, preselected pulmonary air passages adjoining pulmonary tissues comprising malignant cells,    heating adjoining pulmonary tissues comprising the malignant cells to a temperature in the range from about 41 degrees Celsius to 50 degrees Celsius by transmitting ultrasound through the liquid-filled pulmonary passages, wherein the frequency of the ultrasound is varied in a manner designed to achieve a predetermined heating pattern, and thereafter removing the liquid medium from the pulmonary air passages of the patient.    
     
     
         2 . A hyperthermic treatment of lung cancer in a patient, comprising the steps of: 
 filling, temporarily, preselected pulmonary air passages adjoining pulmonary tissues comprising malignant cells,    locating one or more transducers for emitting ultrasound in the intercostal spaces of the patient adjacent to the malignant cells;    locating the malignant cells relative to the transducers by inflating or deflating the lung with which the malignant cells are associated,    heating adjoining pulmonary tissues comprising the malignant cells to a temperature in the range from about 41 degrees Celsius to 50 degrees Celcius by transmitting ultrasound through the liquid-filled pulmonary passages, wherein the frequency of the ultrasound is varied in a manner designed to achieve a predetermined heating pattern, and thereafter    removing the liquid medium from the pulmonary air passages of the patient.    
     
     
         3 . A method for the delivery of a therapeutic or diagnostic biological agent to an airway surface for control of airway smooth muscle tissue, comprising the steps of: 
 combining said therapeutic or diagnostic biological agent in the form of a solid or immiscible liquid with a perfluorochemical liquid carrier to provide a pharmaceutical preparation; and    administering the pharmaceutical preparation to the airway surface.    
     
     
         4 . An intercavitary transducer for directionally transmitting ultrasound to the interior surfaces of a bodily cavity, the transducer comprising: 
 a thin-walled piezoelectric ceramic cylinder that is longitudinally and circumferentially sectioned into first, second, third and fourth power transducers;    leads operably connected to the first, second, third and fourth power transducers to supply power to the transducers;    wherein, the first and second transducers each form a portion of the cylinder whose area is defined by about 120 degrees of the cylinder and about half of the length of the cylinder and are angularly aligned along a longitudinal axis of the cylinder, and wherein the third and fourth transducers each form a portion of the cylinder whose area is defined by about 240 degrees of the cylinder and about half of the length of the cylinder and are angularly aligned along the longitudinal axis of the cylinder.    
     
     
         5 . An intercavitary transducer for directionally transmitting ultrasound to the interior surfaces of a bodily cavity, the transducer comprising: 
 a piezoelectric ceramic transducer cylinder;    a plurality of leads operably connected to the transducers to supply power to the transducer;    a thin walled sac surrounding the transducer that is filled with fluid capable of transferring ultrasound, wherein the thin walled sac is positioned in contact with the surface of the bodily cavity to be transmitted onto, thereby creating a medium for directed transmission of ultrasound.