Patent Publication Number: US-2011054455-A1

Title: Electromagnetic Thermotherapeutic Apparatus

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority of Taiwanese application no. 098128682, filed on Aug. 26, 2009. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a therapeutic apparatus, more particularly to an electromagnetic thermotherapeutic apparatus. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Generally, conventional methods of treating organ swelling (e.g., spleen swelling) and organ tumors include surgical resection, partial organ artery embolization (e.g., partial splenic artery embolization), radiofrequency ablation (RFA), radiation therapy, etc. The methods and drawbacks thereof are described as follow. 
     An incision of approximately 15-20 cm is required to be made at left upper abdomen for the surgical resection, thereby resulting in a long scar after the surgical resection. During the surgical resection, hemorrhage occurs and consequently increases danger to a patient. Intestinal adhesion may happen after the surgical resection. Furthermore, the surgical resection is relatively complicated. 
     Partial splenic artery embolization is an example of partial organ artery embolization and is conducted using the following steps. An incision of 0.5 cm is made at right inguen. A guide wire and a catheter are placed into a femoral artery and are delivered to a desired splenic artery. Embolic gel particles are subsequently injected so as to occlude a desired branch of the splenic artery. Even though partial splenic artery embolization can be performed by virtue of a minimally invasive surgery and is able to avoid the risk of surgical resection, the same is limited by patients&#39; primary disease. 
     RFA employs a high temperature to induce coagulative necrosis of a desired tissue. An electric current is applied to a needle electrode so as to convert electric energy to heat energy. Accordingly, the high temperature can be generated. However, studies and literatures have indicated that general anesthetization is normally required for a patient during operation of RFA so as to prevent the patient from suffering enormous pain. Moreover, RFA is costly. 
     Radiation therapy involves using radiation to irradiate a desired portion and may give rise to many side effects. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide an electromagnetic thermotherapeutic apparatus that can overcome the aforesaid drawbacks of the prior art. 
     According to this invention, an electromagnetic thermotherapeutic apparatus includes a tubular needle and a first inner needle. The tubular needle has an electromagnetic inductive portion that is made from a material capable of generating heat when subjected to an induction magnetic field, and that has a hollow tip, and a non-electromagnetic inductive portion that is connected to the electromagnetic inductive portion oppositely of the hollow tip. The first inner needle is removably insertable into the tubular needle from the non-electromagnetic inductive portion to the hollow tip. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of this invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of an electromagnetic thermotherapeutic apparatus according to this invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic view to illustrate the electromagnetic thermotherapeutic apparatus of  FIG. 1  in a state of use; 
         FIG. 3  is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating that a first inner needle is inserted in a tubular needle of the electromagnetic thermotherapeutic apparatus of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 4  is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating that a second inner needle is inserted in the tubular needle of the electromagnetic thermotherapeutic apparatus of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the preferred embodiment of an electromagnetic thermotherapeutic apparatus according to the present invention is able to generate heat when used with an electromagnetic induction heating device  1  that can produce a varying magnetic field, thereby being suitable to treat organ swelling (e.g., spleen swelling), organ tumors, etc. The electromagnetic induction heating device  1  includes two induction coils  11  that are spaced apart, and a connecting member  12  that connects the induction coils  11 . When an alternating current is applied to the induction coils  11  through the connecting member  12 , a varying high-frequency magnetic field is generated between the induction coils  11 . It should be noted that other types of electromagnetic induction heating devices could also be used with the electromagnetic thermotherapeutic apparatus of this invention. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 ,  3 , and  4 , the electromagnetic thermotherapeutic apparatus includes a tubular needle  2 , a first inner needle  3 , and a second inner needle  4 . The tubular needle  2  has an electromagnetic inductive portion  211  that is made from a material capable of generating heat when subjected to an induction magnetic field, and that has a hollow tip  213 , and a non-electromagnetic inductive portion  212  that is connected to the electromagnetic inductive portion  211  oppositely of the hollow tip  213 . The hollow tip  213  of the electromagnetic inductive portion  211  forms an injection hole  214  adapted for injection. The tubular needle  2  further has an enlarged hollow head  22  that is connected to the non-electromagnetic inductive portion  212  oppositely of the electromagnetic inductive portion  211 , and that has an end flange  221  projecting radially from one end of the enlarged hollow head  22 . In this embodiment, each of the electromagnetic inductive portion  211  and the non-electromagnetic inductive portion  212  has an internal diameter of 0.8 mm and an external diameter of 1.47 mm. 
     The electromagnetic inductive portion  211  is made from a material which is able to generate heat when subjected to a varying magnetic field. In particular, the electromagnetic inductive portion  211  can be made from a metallic material since when the metallic material is subjected to a varying magnetic field, an eddy current is produced, thereby generating heat. If the electromagnetic inductive portion  211  is made from a ferromagnetic material (such as iron, cobalt, nickel, etc.) and is subjected to a varying magnetic field, in addition to an eddy current, the electromagnetic inductive portion  211  also generates heat due to magnetic hysteresis of the ferromagnetic material. In this embodiment, the electromagnetic inductive portion  211  is made from stainless steel. 
     The non-electromagnetic inductive portion  212  is made from a material incapable of generating heat when subjected to an induction magnetic field, and is preferably made from a nonmetallic material. In this embodiment, the non-electromagnetic inductive portion  212  is made from ceramic. 
     The first inner needle  3  is removably insertable into the tubular needle  2  from the enlarged hollow head  22  to the hollow tip  213 , and has a core needle  31  and an enlarged inner head  32 . The core needle  31  is solid and has a diameter of 0.58 mm. The enlarged inner head  32  is connected to an end of the core needle  31  opposite to a tip of the core needle  31 , is stepped, and has a thin section  321  insertable into the enlarged hollow head  22  and a thick section  322  to extend out of the enlarged hollow head  22 . The enlarged hollow head  22  and the enlarged inner head  32  cooperatively limit an insertion depth of the core needle  31  in the tubular needle  2 . The enlarged inner head  32  is suitable for holding, and can facilitate pulling the first inner needle  3  out of the tubular needle  2 . In this embodiment, the core needle  31  is a one piece needle, and is made from a nonmetallic material such that the core needle  31  is unable to generate heat when subjected to an induction magnetic field. 
     The second inner needle  4  is removably insertable into the tubular needle  2 , and has an electromagnetic inductive section  411  and a non-electromagnetic inductive section  412 . The electromagnetic inductive section  411  is solid, is to be inserted into the electromagnetic inductive portion  211  of the tubular needle  2 , and is made from a material capable of generating heat when subjected to an induction magnetic field. The non-electromagnetic inductive section  412  is solid, is connected to the electromagnetic inductive section  411  oppositely of a tip of the electromagnetic inductive section  411 , and is to be inserted into the non-electromagnetic inductive portion  212  of the tubular needle  2 . Similarly, the electromagnetic inductive section  411  can be made from a metallic material. In this embodiment, the electromagnetic inductive section  411  is made from stainless steel. The non-electromagnetic inductive section  412  is made from a nonmetallic material. In this embodiment, the non-electromagnetic inductive section  412  is made from ceramic. In this embodiment, each of the electromagnetic inductive section  411  and the non-electromagnetic inductive section  412  has a diameter of 0.79 mm. 
     The second inner needle  4  further has an enlarged inner head  42  that is the same as the enlarged inner head  32  of the first inner needle  3  in terms of the structure and the function, and that is connected to the non-electromagnetic inductive section  412  oppositely of the electromagnetic inductive section  411 . 
     Costs of the tubular needle  2 , and the first and second inner needles  3 ,  4  are low. Furthermore, the tubular needle  2 , and the first and second inner needles  3 ,  4  can be made disposable, thereby increasing safety of the electromagnetic thermotherapeutic apparatus of this invention. 
     A method of using the electromagnetic thermotherapeutic apparatus is described as follows. First, the first inner needle  3  is inserted into the tubular needle  2  (see  FIG. 3 ). Subsequently, the assembly of the tubular needle  2  and the first inner needle  3  is inserted into a treatment portion  51  so that the electromagnetic inductive portion  211  of the tubular needle  2  is disposed in contact with the treatment portion  51  (see  FIG. 2 ). The first inner needle  3  is then pulled out of the tubular needle  2 . The second inner needle  4  is inserted into the tubular needle  2  (see  FIG. 4 ). The electromagnetic induction heating device  1  is placed at a proper position relative to the treatment portion  51  so that the treatment portion  51  is located between the two induction coils  11 . Afterward, an electric current is applied to the electromagnetic induction heating device  1  such that the induction coils  11  produce a varying magnetic field. The electromagnetic inductive portion  211  of the tubular needle  2  and the electromagnetic inductive section  411  of the second inner needle  4  are simultaneously subjected to the varying magnetic field so that an eddy current is generated, thereby being able to produce heat and to cauterize the treatment portion  51 . 
     It should be noted that the assembly of the tubular needle  2  and the first inner needle  3  have to penetrate a non-treatment portion  52  (e.g., epidermis, hypodermis, etc.) so as to reach the treatment portion  51  such as an organ (see  FIG. 2 ). 
     When the electromagnetic thermotherapeutic apparatus is used to treat a rabbit with a swollen spleen, the aforementioned method is conducted. Before using the electromagnetic thermotherapeutic apparatus, the rabbit is anesthetized and is immobilized on an operating table, and the location of the spleen of the rabbit is detected using an ultrasonic scanner. The assembly of the tubular needle  2  and the first inner needle  3  is then inserted into a swollen portion of the spleen of the rabbit. The first inner needle  3  is pulled out of the tubular needle  2 , and the second inner needle  4  is subsequently inserted into the tubular needle  2 . The rabbit is subjected to a high-frequency magnetic field for several minutes so that the electromagnetic inductive portion  211  of the tubular needle  2  and the electromagnetic inductive section  411  of the second inner needle  4  continuously generate heat to cauterize the swollen portion of the spleen of the rabbit. 
     By virtue of the needle structures of the electromagnetic inductive portion  211  and the electromagnetic inductive section  411 , the treatment portion  51  can be precisely cauterized. Furthermore, since only the non-electromagnetic inductive portion  212  is able to contact the non-treatment portion  52  during treatment, and since the non-electromagnetic inductive section  412  is disposed in the non-electromagnetic inductive portion  212 , the healthy non-treatment portion  52  can be prevented from being cauterized (i.e., only the treatment portion  52  can be cauterized). Consequently, an effect of a treatment using the electromagnetic thermotherapeutic apparatus of this invention is satisfactory, and the treatment does not cause enormous pain. The electromagnetic thermotherapeutic apparatus of this invention is easy to operate and only results in small wound. 
     Medicine can be injected into a patient through the injection hole  214  of the tubular needle  2  so as to assist a treatment using the electromagnetic thermotherapeutic apparatus of this invention. However, it should be noted that since medicine is optional for the treatment using the electromagnetic thermotherapeutic apparatus of this invention, the injection hole  214  is not a necessary element for the tubular needle  2 . 
     The core needle  31  of the first inner needle  3  is able to strengthen the tubular needle  2  by dint of the solid one-piece structure thereof when the assembly of the tubular needle  2  and the first inner needle  3  is inserted into the treatment portion  51 , thereby facilitating the insertion of the tubular needle  2 . 
     Even though the electromagnetic inductive section  411  of the second inner needle  4  is able to enhance heating and cauterizing effects of the electromagnetic thermotherapeutic apparatus, the second inner needle  4  is considered optional since the tubular needle  2  is capable of cauterizing the treatment portion  51  when used alone. 
     While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation and equivalent arrangements.