University of Arkansas

Health Research, Inc.

Bioventures, LLC

Arkansas Children's Research Institute

Arkansas Children's Hospital Research Institute, Inc.

Gal Shafirstein

Milton Waner

Scott L Ferguson

Brian Wrazen

Todd Demmy

V Suzanne Klimberg

Steven E Harms

David A Bellnier

Sohelia Korourian

Xiaowei Xu

Nestor Rigual

Mutlu Mete

Anjay K Khandelwal

James C Walker

A system and method are disclosed that use a flexible guide (flap) and a scanning method to control the delivery of light dose to a treatment area. This approach overcomes the non-reliable delivery of light dose with a flap that conforms to the target area. Dosimetry control can be improved through the use of a computer controlled motor to move the laser fibers at known speed over the target tissue. In some embodiments, treatment time is reduced and illumination of large surfaces is achieved by using multiple fibers to deliver the light simultaneously.

System and method for administering light therapy to curved and large surfaces

A system and method for interstitial photodynamic light therapy (I-PDT) of a tissue. A plurality of light-transmitting catheters (LTCs) are provided and placed in the tissue according to a pre-determined treatment plan, wherein an LTC includes a first treatment fiber disposed therethrough, and an LTC includes a dosimetry fiber disposed therethrough. A dose light is provided to the tissue by way of the first treatment fiber according to the pre-determined treatment plan. Light received at the dosimetry fiber is measured using a spectrometer in operable communication with the dosimetry fiber. One or more properties of a photosensitizer in the tissue are determined. The treatment plan is modified based on the properties of the photosensitizer, and an updated dose light is provided to the tissue by way of the first treatment fiber according to the modified treatment plan.

System and method for delivering dose light to tissue

A dermatome including a battery unit, a handle, and a head portion. The head portion includes guards capable of being adjusted to control the width and the depth of the cut without an interruption in the medical procedure.

Dermatome with adjustable width and depth guards

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.

Selective conductive interstitial thermal therapy device

An automated method for analyzing whether all cancerous or abnormal tissue has been removed as a result of surgical resection is disclosed. A number of tissue section slides are prepared representing all or a relatively large percentage of the tissue sample, and high-resolution digital microscopic images are formed of the sections. A clustering algorithm forms an image showing the healthy tissue margins, such representation being stored in a file of significantly smaller size than the original photograph. These two-dimensional image files may be formed into a three-dimensional image of the entire resected tissue, thereby improving the accuracy and ease by which a pathologist may determine if further surgery or radiation therapy, for example, are indicated.

Image processing apparatus and method for histological analysis

The present invention provides a treatment method to excise a cancerous lesion, such as in the breast, with subsequent ablation of the margin. The method provides for location and excision with ablation under open guidance or guided imaging and for diagnosis by cytology. The method may be a minimally, invasive same day method with diagnosis before or immediately after excision. Also provided is a method of treating close or positive margins of an excisional site of a cancerous lesion in a breast by ablating the margin while monitoring the fluorescence of a fluorophor at the site to determine when ablation of the close or positive margin has occurred.

Minimally invasive diagnosis and treatment for breast cancer

An apparatus and method for thermally destroying tumors in which heat is generated by electrical resistance heating conducted to the target tissue. Computerized scanning is used to optimize the geometry of a thermal probe. The probe has a metal tip heated by a remote laser. The metal tip is mounted on the end of a wave guide fiber for transmitting the laser radiation to the metal tip. The tip is coated with a thin layer of biocompatible ceramic to avoid coagulated tissue sticking to the tip. The tip has one or more thin, thermally-conductive elements which deploy in stages to coagulate the tumor. The conductive elements may be thin wires or blades. On one embodiment, the conductive elements are composed of a shape memory material that is folded against the tip at lower temperatures and deploys at selected higher temperatures. In another embodiment, the conductive elements are blades that are deployed mechanically. The tip may be provided with a miniature thermocouple to provide temperature feedback information.

Conductive interstitial thermal therapy device

A device to guide the placement of the catheter needle more accurately by placing the needle with a mechanical firing mechanism. The device is an integrated handheld unit comprising an ultrasonic probe with a miniature display and a mechanical firing mechanism that holds the catheter needle and deploys it into the target. The device is connected to an external ultrasound machine which provides the imaging for the device. The display provides a graphical user interface to assist in alignment with the target. The depth of placement of the catheter is set by moving a horizontal indicator over the target display using thumb switches on the handle of the device. The thumb switches are connected to a servo motor or the like that adjusts the angle at which the catheter is deployed. The servo motor simultaneously adjusts the distance of the catheter from the skin of the patient to compensate for the change in the length of the path to the target caused by the change in deployment angle. The catheter needle is deployed by a stored energy mechanism. The device may also include sensors to verify accurate placement of the catheter.

Ultrasonic guided catheter deployment system

An apparatus and method for thermally destroying tumors in which heat is generated by electrical resistance heating conducted to the target tissue. Computerized scanning is used to optimize the geometry of a thermal probe. The probe has a themally conductive tip containing an electrical resistance heating element. The thermally conductive tip is mounted on the end of a fiber that contains the electrical power leads and other electrical leads connecting to monitoring devices associated with the tip. The tip is coated with a thin layer of biocompatible ceramic to avoid coagulated tissue sticking to the tip. The tip has one or more thin, thermally-conductive elements which deploy in stages to coagulate the tumor. The conductive elements may be thin wires or blades. On one embodiment, the conductive elements are composed of a shape memory material that is folded against the tip at lower temperatures and deploys at selected higher temperatures. In another embodiment, the conductive elements are blades that are deployed mechanically. The tip may be provided with a miniature thermocouple to provide temperature feedback information. The resistance heating element may be pyrolytic graphite.

Growing community of inventors

Little Rock, AR, United States of America

Gal Shafirstein