LOCALIZED HYPERTHERMIA FOR TREATMENT OF DEEP-SEATED TUMORS IS AN IMPORTANT AREA REQUIRING FURTHER INVESTIGATION.

LOCALIZED HYPERTHERMIA FOR TREATMENT OF DEEP-SEATED TUMORS IS AN IMPORTANT AREA REQUIRING FURTHER INVESTIGATION. THE DEVELOPMENT OF A UNIQUE INTERSTITIAL SYSTEM IS PROPOSED THAT WILL PERMIT APPLICATION OF LOCALIZED RF HYPERTHERMIA VIA THE FIBERBRONCHOSCOPE FOR THE SPECIFIC TREATMENT OF SPECIFIC LUNG CANCERS. BASED ON OVER TWO YEARS OF PREVIOUS INVESTIGATION, THIS PHASE I PROGRAM WOULD PERMIT THE DEVELOPMENT OF A PROTOTYPE TRANBRONCHOSCOPIC INTERSTITIAL RFSYSTEM TOGETHER WITH BOTH MONOPOLAR AND BIPOLAR ANTENNAS HAVING AUTOMATIC TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT AND CONTROL. THE SYSTEM WOULD THEN BE TESTED WITHIN A UNIQUE PHANTOM LUNG MODEL AND THE RESULTS COMPARED TO A FINITE-ELEMENT COMPUTER THERMAL MODEL. FOLLOWING CONFIRMATION OF THE EFFICACY OF THE TECHNIQUE, THE PROTOTYPE SYSTEM COULD BE TESTED WITH ANIMALS DURING PHASE II. THE DEVELOPMENT OF A LOCALIZED, INTERSTITIAL, CAPACITIVE RF SYSTEM FOR DEEP HYPERTHERMIA APPLICABLE TO OTHER ENDOSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS FOR THE GASTRO- INTESTINAL TRACT, A SYSTEM FOR TREATMENT OF EARLY-DETECTED OR INOPERABLE TUMORS AND PALLIATIVE THERAPY, COULD RESULT INSIGNIFICANT COMMERCIAL OPPORTUNITIES.