The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 05, 1991
Filed:
Sep. 22, 1988
Jose A Marchosky, Creve Couer, MO (US);
Christopher J Moran, St. Louis, MO (US);
Neal E Fearnot, West Lafayette, IN (US);
Medical Engineering & Development Institute, Inc., West Lafayette, IN (US);
Abstract
Method, apparatus, and a substance is disclosed for releasing at a temperature above normal tissue temperature an anti-cancer drug and applying heat in combination to tissue having neoplastic cells such as a malignant brain tumor. The apparatus comprises a probe having a semi-rigid elongated member that is interstitially implanted in the malignant tumor. The elongated member is coated with a carrier substance that is responsive at a temperature above normal tissue temperature for releasing a carried substance such as a therapeutic anti-cancer drug. Within the elongated member, an electrical heater element produces heat when energized for heating the probe, the carrier substance, the anti-cancer drug, and the surrounding tissue. An electrical thermistor is also included within the elongated member for measuring the temperature of the probe in order to regulate the release of the drug and the temperature of the surrounding tissue. The method includes interstitially implanting the elongated member of the probe in the tumor, energizing the electrical heater element, releasing the drug in response to the heat to effect one treatment, and heating the tissue and drug to effect a second treatment. The combination of the heat and drug treatments then has an effectiveness level greater than the effectiveness levels of the heat and drug treatments individually. The coating layer substance includes a combination of a carrier and a carried substance for releasing the carried substance at a predetermined temperature above normal tissue temperature.