Field Concentrator for Localized Magnetic Heating in Prostate Therapy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing alternating magnetic field application devices for thermal therapy in the upper abdominal or pelvic region, such as for prostate cancer, face challenges in achieving sufficient temperature increases for tumor destruction due to excessive heating and nerve stimulation at higher field strengths, limiting the effectiveness of treatments.
Innovation Solution
The integration of a field concentrator, either passive ferrite or active magnetic coil, within the exposure gap to locally enhance the magnetic field, allowing for lower field strengths that avoid intolerable ring currents while achieving higher temperatures in small target volumes, with synchronization of the field concentrator's current with the large applicator's current for optimal field enhancement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If high field strength is used to achieve sufficient temperature increase for tumor destruction, then therapeutic temperature above 45°C can be achieved, but excessive ring currents cause intolerable heating of skin, muscle, and bone tissue
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a field concentrator that creates a non-uniform magnetic field distribution, concentrating the field strength locally in the target volume (prostate) while keeping the field strength low in surrounding tissues. This spatial differentiation of field quality allows high temperature in the target zone without excessive heating in surrounding healthy tissues.
Solution Approach 2:
The magnetic field application is segmented into two distinct components: a large applicator providing a homogeneous low-field background field, and a field concentrator providing localized high-field enhancement in the target volume. This segmentation allows independent optimization of field strength in different spatial zones, achieving therapeutic temperatures locally while avoiding harmful ring currents system-wide.
2Temperature
If high field strength is used to achieve direct tumor destruction, then therapeutic temperature above 45°C can be achieved, but uncontrollable nerve stimulation occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The field concentrator creates a localized region of high magnetic field strength confined to the target volume, while surrounding regions including nerve pathways experience only low field strength. This spatial differentiation allows sufficient field strength for tumor destruction locally without triggering nerve stimulation system-wide.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If low field strength is used to avoid ring current effects, then patient comfort is maintained, but temperature increase is insufficient for direct tumor destruction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges two magnetic field sources with different characteristics: a large applicator producing a homogeneous low-field field for patient comfort, and a field concentrator producing a localized high-field enhancement for therapeutic effect. The combined field distribution achieves both low ring current effects and sufficient target temperature increase.
Solution Approach 2:
The field concentrator modifies the homogeneous field distribution by creating a localized region of enhanced field strength in the target volume. This local quality enhancement allows low overall field strength (avoiding ring currents) while achieving high local field strength (enabling tumor destruction).
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enables the achievement of therapeutic temperatures above 45°C in small target volumes with reduced patient discomfort, allowing for effective tumor destruction while minimizing unwanted heating and nerve stimulation, and is cost-effective and reliable in operation.
Implementation Method 1
two magnetic coils which are respectively associated with a pole shoe... for supplying alternating current... in order to generate a substantially homogeneous alternating magnetic field
Implementation Method 2
a field concentrator is situated... which concentrates the alternating magnetic field of the large applicator in the target volume and thus locally enhances the alternating magnetic field at that location
Implementation Method 3
for heating magnetic or magnetizable substances in biological tissue, in particular for thermal therapy using magnetic nanoparticles
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to an alternating magnetic field application device for heating magnetic or magnetizable substances in biological tissue, in particular for thermal therapy using magnetic nanoparticles, composed of a large applicator (1) having a magnetic yoke (2) and two oppositely situated pole shoes (7, 8) on the magnetic yoke (2) which are separated by an exposure gap (13), and having two magnetic coils (9, 10), which are respectively associated with a pole shoe (7, 8), for generating a substantially homogenous alternating magnetic field (12) of a given field strength in the exposure gap (13), wherein the biological tissue to be irradiated may be brought into the exposure gap (13) as an exposure target volume. According to the invention, in the exposure gap (13) a field concentrator (19) is situated in the immediate proximity of the biological tissue to be irradiated as the exposure target volume, in particular on or in a patient in the immediate proximity of a body part to be irradiated, such as a diseased prostate (23), the field concentrator concentrating the alternating magnetic field (12) of the large applicator (1) in the target volume and thereby locally enhancing the alternating magnetic field at that location.