Instrument For Therapeutically Cytotoxically Ablating Parathyroidal Tissue Within A Parathyroid Gland

Abstract

An instrument for therapeutically cytotoxically ablating parathyroidal tissue is disclosed. A substance delivery device with which a quantity of an activator substance that is less than a cytotoxic ablation quantity threshold of a parathyroid gland can be percutaneously introduced into parathyroidal tissue is provided. The activator substance, when introduced, is not activated. An energy source device that includes a selector with which a quantity of an energy that is less than a cytotoxic ablation energy threshold of the parathyroid gland can be selected and an energy production device operable to apply the energy to the activator substance is provided. The activator substance, when introduced, and the energy indicated, when applied to the introduced activator substance, are in combination capable of cytotoxically ablating the parathyroid tissue and transforming the parathyroid gland from overproduction to non-overproduction of the parathyroid hormone in a manner that maintains non-parathyroidal tissue functions and is non-lethal.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An instrument for therapeutically cytotoxically ablating parathyroidal tissue within a parathyroid gland, comprising:
 a substance delivery device with which a quantity of an activator substance that is less than a cytotoxic ablation quantity threshold of a parathyroid gland can be percutaneously introduced into parathyroidal tissue of the parathyroid gland of a living human,
 wherein when the quantity of the activator substance is more than the cytotoxic ablation quantity threshold, the quantity of the activator substance is capable of transforming the parathyroid gland from overproduction of parathyroid hormone to non-overproduction of the parathyroid hormone, wherein when the quantity of the activator substance is less than the cytotoxic ablation quantity threshold, the quantity of the activator substance is not capable of transforming the parathyroid gland from overproduction of parathyroid hormone to non-overproduction of the parathyroid hormone, and 
 wherein the quantity of the activator substance, when introduced by the substance delivery device into the parathyroidal tissue, is not activated; 
   an energy source device comprising an energy quantity selector with which a quantity of an energy that is less than a cytotoxic ablation energy threshold of the parathyroid gland can be selected and an energy production device operable to apply the quantity of the energy as indicated by the energy quantity selector to the quantity of the activator substance,
 wherein when the quantity of the energy indicated by the energy quantity selector is more than the cytotoxic ablation energy threshold, the quantity of the energy is capable of transforming the parathyroid gland from overproduction of the parathyroid hormone to non-overproduction of the parathyroid hormone and wherein when the quantity of the energy indicated by the energy quantity selector is less than the cytotoxic ablation energy threshold, the quantity of the energy is not capable of transforming the parathyroid gland from overproduction of parathyroid hormone to non-overproduction of the parathyroid hormone, and 
   wherein the quantity of the activator substance, when introduced into the parathyroidal tissue, and the quantity of the energy indicated by the energy quantity selector, when applied to the introduced quantity of the activator substance, are in combination capable of cytotoxically ablating the parathyroid tissue and transforming the parathyroid gland from overproduction of the parathyroid hormone to non-overproduction of the parathyroid hormone in a manner that maintains non-parathyroidal tissue functions and is non-lethal to the living human.