377 results about "Healthy tissue" patented technology

A system and method for selectively treating aberrant cells such as cancer cells through administration of a train of electrical pulses is described. The pulse length and delay between successive pulses is optimized to produce effects on intracellular membrane potentials. Therapies based on the system and method produce two treatment zones: an ablation zone surrounding the electrodes within which aberrant cells are non-selectively killed and a selective treatment zone surrounding the ablation zone within which target cells are selectively killed through effects on intracellular membrane potentials. As a result, infiltrating tumor cells within a tumor margin can be effectively treated while sparing healthy tissue. The system and method are useful for treating various cancers in which solid tumors form and have a chance of recurrence from microscopic disease surrounding the tumor.

The invention comprises an X-ray system that is orientated to provide X-ray images of a patient in the same orientation as viewed by a proton therapy beam, is synchronized with patient respiration, is operable on a patient positioned for proton therapy, and does not interfere with a proton beam treatment path. Preferably, the synchronized system is used in conjunction with a negative ion beam source, synchrotron, and / or targeting method apparatus to provide an X-ray timed with patient respiration and performed immediately prior to and / or concurrently with particle beam therapy irradiation to ensure targeted and controlled delivery of energy relative to a patient position resulting in efficient, precise, and / or accurate noninvasive, in-vivo treatment of a solid cancerous tumor with minimization of damage to surrounding healthy tissue in a patient using the proton beam position verification system.

Method and apparatus are provided to treat atherosclerosis wherein the artery is partially closed by dilating the artery while preserving the vital and sensitive endothelial layer thereof. Microwave energy having a frequency from 3 GHz to 300 GHz is propagated into the arterial wall to produce a desired temperature profile therein at tissue depths sufficient for thermally necrosing connective tissue and softening fatty and waxy plaque while limiting heating of surrounding tissues including the endothelial layer and / or other healthy tissue, organs, and blood. The heating period for raising the temperature a potentially desired amount about 20° C., within the atherosclerotic lesion may be less than about one second. In one embodiment of the invention, a radically beveled waveguide antenna is used to deliver microwave energy at frequencies from 25 GHz or 30 GHz to about 300 GHz and is focused towards a particular radial sector of the artery. Because the atherosclerotic lesions are often asymmetrically disposed, directable or focussed heating preserves healthy sectors of the artery and applies energy to the asymmetrically positioned lesion faster than a non-directed beam. A computer simulation predicts isothermic temperature profiles for the given conditions and may be used in selecting power, pulse duration, beam width, and frequency of operation to maximize energy deposition and control heat rise within the atherosclerotic lesion without harming healthy tissues or the sensitive endothelium cells.