Systems And Methods For Thermal Therapy

摘要

The present invention is directed to systems and methods for thermal therapy, especially to detection-guided, -controlled, and temperature-modulated interstitial thermal therapy. Thermal therapy may be used to treat the tissues of a patient. In the case of interstitial thermal therapy, energy is applied to generate heating of the tissue to affect treatment, such as, for example, thermally inducing tissue damage (e.g. thermally-induced tissue necrosis), which may be useful in treating tumors and/or other diseased tissues. Since targets for thermal therapy are internal to the patient, the use of detection guidance may be useful in locating and monitoring treatment of a target tissue.

主权项

1. A method for thermal therapy, comprising:
a) receiving spatially resolvable temperature sensitive data from at least one detection device at a control system, said detection device interrogating a target with radiation to generate said data; b) determining at least one energy delivery characteristic of at least one treatment device based at least in part on said data using said control system; c) modulating said at least one treatment device using at least said energy delivery characteristic; and repeating steps a-c to substantially affect a preselected characteristic of said target.