Plasmonic Nanoplatform Laser Therapy for Conformal Tumor Heating
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) for intracranial tumors is limited by non-uniform thermal properties across different intracranial tissues, leading to incomplete treatment or collateral damage to healthy tissues due to limited light penetration and non-conformity to tumor margins, restricting treatable lesion size to approximately 3 cm.
Innovation Solution
Combining laser therapy with plasmonic metal nanoplatforms, such as gold nanostars, which selectively accumulate in tumors, enhancing light absorption and heat conversion, thereby improving thermal conformance to tumor margins and protecting surrounding healthy tissue.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If laser therapy is used to treat intracranial tumors, then thermal ablation can be achieved, but non-uniform thermal properties of tissues cause incomplete treatment or collateral damage to healthy tissues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by introducing plasmonic nanoplatforms that selectively accumulate in tumor regions, creating localized hot spots that enhance thermal ablation precisely where needed. This allows different regions of the tissue to have different thermal responses - the tumor area experiences enhanced heating from plasmon-induced localized heating, while surrounding healthy tissue remains relatively unaffected, thus resolving the contradiction between treatment effectiveness and avoiding collateral damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The plasmonic nanoplatforms serve as an intermediary between the laser energy and the tumor tissue. These nanoplatforms absorb laser energy and convert it to heat locally within the tumor, acting as a mediator that delivers thermal energy more precisely. This intermediary mechanism allows the laser therapy to be more effective at treating the tumor while reducing harmful thermal effects on surrounding healthy tissues.
2Reliability
If laser therapy is used for tumor treatment, then thermal ablation can be achieved, but light penetration is limited leading to inability to treat large and complex tumors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by distributing plasmonic nanoplatforms throughout the tumor volume, creating multiple localized heating centers. This segmentation of the heating function allows the laser energy to be effectively distributed across larger tumor volumes, as each nanoplatform acts as an independent heating unit. This resolves the contradiction by enabling treatment of larger tumors that would otherwise be inaccessible to conventional laser therapy.
Solution Approach 2:
The plasmonic nanoplatforms act as intermediaries that enhance light absorption and convert optical energy to heat within the tumor. By introducing these intermediaries, the effective penetration and energy delivery are enhanced, allowing laser therapy to effectively treat larger and more complex tumor structures that would be impossible to treat with direct laser energy alone.
3Manufacturing precision
If laser therapy is used for tumor treatment, then thermal ablation can be achieved, but non-uniform heat conduction in tissues prevents conformal treatment of tumor margins
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by placing plasmonic nanoplatforms specifically at tumor margins and within the tumor volume, creating localized thermal enhancement exactly where conformal treatment is needed. This allows the heat distribution to conform to the actual tumor shape and margin locations, resolving the contradiction between treatment precision and heat distribution uniformity by making the heating pattern adapt to the tumor's specific geometry.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the optical and thermal properties of the tumor region through the introduction of plasmonic nanoplatforms. These nanoplatforms change the local optical absorption parameters and thermal conductivity, creating a tailored thermal field that conforms to the tumor margins. This parameter modification enables precise control over heat distribution to match the tumor's shape and size.
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
The method allows for safer and more effective treatment of intracranial tumors by selectively heating the tumor while minimizing damage to adjacent tissues, expanding the treatable area and conforming to tumor shape, even for complex or irregularly shaped lesions.
Implementation Method 1
administering laser therapy treatment to the lesion or tumor... the laser therapy is strongly absorbed by the plasmonic metal nanoplatforms accumulated in the lesion or tumor
Implementation Method 2
the plasmonic metal nanoplatforms absorb photons from laser therapy at a higher rate than tissue in the lesion or tumor, and treating the lesion or tumor with laser therapy whereby photons from the laser therapy are absorbed by the plasmonic metal nanoplatforms accumulated in the lesion or tumor thereby accelerating the heating rate
Implementation Method 3
the plasmonic metal nanoplatforms selectively accumulate in the lesion or tumor... accelerating the heating rate of the lesion or tumor... leading to efficient heat transport thereby inducing a larger treatment area
Implementation Method 4
Within the therapeutic window, scattering is dominant over absorption, and so the propagating light becomes diffuse
Data Source
AI summary
A method of selectively heating a lesion or tumor using laser therapy treatment includes administering plasmonic metal nanoplatforms to a subject having the lesion or tumor and administering laser therapy treatment to the lesion or tumor. The plasmonic metal nanoplatforms selectively accumulate in the lesion or tumor and the laser therapy is strongly absorbed by the plasmonic metal nanoplatforms that are accumulated in the lesion or tumor. The plasmonic metal nanoplatforms fill the contours of the lesion or tumor thereby enabling laser treatment in a conformal way. The plasmonic metal nanoplatforms selectively accumulate in the lesion or tumor produce efficient photon-to-heat conversion, thus transforming them into heat sources, leading to efficient heat transport, thereby inducing a larger treatment area.