Selective conductive interstitial thermal therapy device

Abstract

An apparatus and method for thermally destroying tumors. A tip has a plurality of deployable thermal conductive elements whose temperatures are individually controllable. This allows the shape of the thermal field to be controlled and for specific areas to be protected from excessive heat by cooling those specific areas while ablating other areas. In another embodiment, the deployable thermal conductive elements are individually deployable to various lengths to further aid in shaping the thermal field. The temperatures and the shape of the thermal field may be monitored and controlled by a data processing device, such as a microprocessor. Further selectivity in defining the area of tissue to be treated may be achieved by introducing into the tissue thermal additives that alter the thermal properties of the tissue.

1 . An apparatus for the thermal treatment of tissues, comprising: 
 a tip;    a plurality of deployable elements operatively connected to said tip; and    temperature providing means associated with each element of said plurality of deployable elements for providing an individually controllable temperature from said each element to said element's respective surrounding tissue.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a temperature sensor associated with said each element.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , where said temperature providing means further comprises a heat sink.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said temperature providing means comprises an electromagnetic field.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein said heat sink comprises a solid, fluid, gas or mixture of any of the preceding at a temperature below the maximum temperature of the apparatus.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said temperature providing means comprises means for injecting high temperature solids, liquids, gases or mixtures of the preceding into said respective surrounding tissue from said deployable elements.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said deployable elements comprise means for applying additives that change the thermal properties of the tissue.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein said additives comprise particles, solutions containing particles, metals, ceramics, composites, polymers, organic and inorganic chemicals, and mixtures of any of the preceding.  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising deployment providing means associated with each element of said plurality of deployable elements for deploying said each element to an individually controllable shape.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein said temperature providing means further comprises a temperature sensor associated with said each element.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , where said temperature providing means further comprises a heat sink.  
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein said means for cooling comprises an electromagnetic field.  
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein said means for cooling comprises a solid, fluid, gas or mixture of any of the preceding at a temperature below the maximum temperature of the apparatus.  
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein said temperature providing means comprises means for injecting high temperature solids, liquids, gases or mixtures of the preceding into said respective surrounding tissue from said deployable elements.  
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein said deployable elements comprise means for applying additives that change the thermal properties of the tissue.  
   
   
       16 . The apparatus or  claim 15 , wherein said additives comprise particles, solutions containing particles, metals, ceramics, composites, polymers, organic and inorganic chemicals, and mixtures of any of the preceding.  
   
   
       17 . A method for the thermal treatment of tissue, comprising the steps of 
 (a) determining a spatial shape of a volume of tissue to be treated;    (b) providing a tip having a plurality of deployable elements comprising temperature providing means associated with each element of said plurality of deployable thermal conductive elements for providing an individually controllable temperature from each said element to said element's respective surrounding tissue;    (c) selecting a temperature for each element whereby a thermal field is generated having a shape selected to treat the spatial shape of the volume of tissue;    (c) positioning the tip into the volume of tissue to be treated;    (d) generating the temperature selected for each element;    (f) maintaining the tip in the tissue for a sufficient period of time to treat the tissue; and    (g) removing the tip from the tissue.    
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein said tip further comprises deployment providing means associated with each element for deploying each element to an individually predetermined shape, further comprising the steps, prior-to step (f), of: 
 selecting a shape for each element whereby in combination with the selected temperatures of step (c) a thermal field is generated having a shape selected to treat the spatial shape of the volume of tissue; and    deploying each element to the selected shape.    
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising the step, prior to step (f), of applying additives to the tissue.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein said additives comprise particles, solutions containing particles, metals, ceramics, composites, polymers, organic and inorganic chemicals, and mixtures of any of the preceding.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein said step of applying additives comprises introducing said additives by an external applicator.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein said step of applying additives comprises introducing said additives systemically.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising the step, prior to step (f), of applying additives to the tissue.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 23  wherein said additives comprise particles, solutions containing particles, metals, ceramics, composites, polymers, organic and inorganic chemicals, and mixtures of any of the preceding.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein said step of applying additives comprises introducing said additives by an external applicator.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein said step of applying additives comprises introducing said additives systemically.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein step (c) further comprises providing a separate cooled probe having a temperature selected to provide, in combination with said selected temperature for each said element, said thermal field.