System for delivering hyperthermia treatments
Apparatus for delivering in vivo hyperthermia treatments to a subject and methods of performing such treatments are provided. The apparatus comprises an imaging device, such as an MRI scanner, a microwave applicator, and a controller to target particular tissues within the subjects body for hyperthermia treatment. The microwave applicator emits microwave energy toward the target tissue and the imaging device provides real-time feedback as to the position of the applicator relative to the target tissues and thermometry data so as to permit real-time adjustment of the applicators operating parameters.
1 . A method of delivering hyperthermia treatments to a subject's breast tissue comprising:
positioning at least a portion of the subject's breast within a magnetic resonance imaging scanner that is operable to generate an internal image of the portion of the subject's breast and provide thermometry data for the portion of the subject's breast;
positioning a microwave applicator adjacent to the subject's breast tissue that is targeted for heating, the microwave applicator having a cup-like configuration and a concave surface defining a cavity that is adapted to receive the subject's breast tissue therein and being configured for emitting electromagnetic energy therefrom sufficiently strong to create electromagnetic interference that causes the heating of the breast tissue, the microwave applicator comprising a phased antenna array including a plurality of antenna elements having a shared groundplane, the plurality of antenna elements being arranged on the microwave applicator along a plurality of arcs that extend along the concave surface and intersect an apex thereof, each of the plurality of antenna elements being spaced along the arcs such that adjacent antenna elements on an arc are angularly separated by a separation angle of at least 10 degrees up to 30 degrees, the separation angle being defined by lines intersecting two center points on the adjacent antenna elements and a center of curvature of the concave surface, wherein the plurality of antenna elements are configured to adjust a location of the electromagnetic interference along an x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis by shifting a phase of one or more antenna element of the plurality of antennas such that two or more of the plurality of antenna elements have different phases;
emitting the electromagnetic energy from the applicator and directing the electromagnetic energy toward the breast tissue targeted for the heating;
imaging the portion of the subject's breast with the magnetic resonance imaging scanner and generating the thermometry data for the imaged portion of the subject's breast;
transmitting the image and the thermometry data to a controller that is operable to analyze, in real time, the image received from the scanner and to generate a signal used to control the amount of the electromagnetic energy emitted from the applicator;
analyzing, with the controller, the image received from the scanner; and
generating, with the controller, the signal and using the signal to control the amount of and/or direction of the electromagnetic energy emitted from the applicator.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic resonance imaging scanner is at least a 1.5 tesla scanner.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic resonance imaging scanner is an ultra-high field scanner.
4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising using the image generated by the magnetic resonance imaging scanner to adjust the position of the microwave applicator.
5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising circulating a cooling fluid within the applicator so as to reduce a temperature of the applicator.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the signal generated by the controller is used to command a reduction in the electromagnetic energy emitted from the applicator.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein signal generated by the controller used to command an increase in the electromagnetic energy emitted from the applicator.
8 . A method of delivering hyperthermia treatments to a subject's breast tissue comprising:
positioning at least a portion of the subject's breast within a magnetic resonance imaging scanner that is operable to generate an internal image of the portion of the subject's breast and provide thermometry data for the portion of the subject's breast;
positioning a microwave applicator adjacent to the subject's breast tissue that is targeted for heating, the microwave applicator being configured to maintain the subject's breast tissue in a substantially hemispherical form during delivery of the hyperthermia treatment, the microwave applicator being configured for emitting electromagnetic energy therefrom sufficiently strong to create electromagnetic interference that causes the heating of the targeted tissue, the microwave applicator comprising a water bolus configured to surround at least a portion of the subject's breast, the microwave applicator comprising a phased antenna array including a plurality of antenna elements having a shared groundplane and arranged on the microwave applicator along a plurality of arcs that extend along the concave surface from an apex of the concave surface, wherein the plurality of antenna elements are configured to adjust a location of the electromagnetic interference along an x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis by shifting a phase of one or more antenna element of the plurality of antenna elements;
emitting the electromagnetic energy from the applicator and directing the electromagnetic energy toward the tissue targeted for the heating by shifting the phase of the one or more antenna element of the plurality of antenna elements relative to an adjacent antenna element spaced apart along a shared one of the plurality of arcs such that two or more of the plurality of antenna elements have different phases;
imaging the portion of the subject's breast with the magnetic resonance imaging scanner and generating the thermometry data for the imaged portion of the subject's breast;
transmitting the image and the thermometry data to a controller that is operable to analyze, in real time, the image received from the scanner and to generate a signal used to control the amount of the electromagnetic energy emitted from the applicator;
analyzing, with the controller, the image received from the scanner; and
generating, with the controller, the signal and using the signal to control the amount of and/or direction of the electromagnetic energy emitted from the applicator.
9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising using the signal generated by the controller to adjust the phase of the one or more antenna element of the plurality of antenna elements to change the location of the electromagnetic energy emitted toward the breast tissue.
10 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising circulating a cooling fluid within the applicator so as to reduce a temperature of the applicator and skin of the subject's breast.
11 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the signal generated by the controller is used to command a reduction in the electromagnetic energy emitted from the applicator.
12 . The method of claim 8 , wherein signal generated by the controller used to command an increase in the electromagnetic energy emitted from the applicator.