| United States Patent | 7,510,555 |
| Kanzius | March 31, 2009 |
Enhanced systems and methods for RF-induced hyperthermia
A method of inducing hyperthermia in at least a portion of a target area--e.g., a tumor or a portion of a tumor or targeted cancerous cells--is provided. Targeted RF absorption enhancers, e.g., antibodies bound to RF absorbing particles, are introduced into a patient. These targeted RF absorption enhancers will target certain cells in the target areas and enhance the effect of a hyperthermia generating RF signal directed toward the target area. The targeted RF absorption enhancers may, in a manner of speaking, add one or more RF absorption frequencies to cells in the target area, which will permit a hyperthermia generating RF signal at that frequency or frequencies to heat the targeted cells.
| Inventors: | Kanzius; John (Erie, PA) |
| Assignee: | Therm Med, LLC (Erie, PA) |
| Appl. No.: | 11/050,422 |
| Filed: | February 3, 2005 |
| Application Number | Filing Date | Patent Number | Issue Date | ||
| 10969477 | Oct., 2004 | ||||
| 60569348 | May., 2004 |
What is claimed is:
1. A method for killing or damaging target cells in a patient, comprising: introducing into the patient RF absorption enhancers capable of selectively binding to the target cells and further capable of generating sufficient heat to kill or damage the bound target cells by heat generated solely by the application of an RF field generated by an RF signal between a transmission head and a reception head that is different from the transmission head; arranging the transmission and reception heads on opposite sides of a portion of the patient for treatment; and irradiating the portion of the patient between the transmission and reception heads containing RF absorption enhancers with an RF field to kill or damage the target cells from the heat generated by the RF absorption enhancers.
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