Patent ID: 7630774

Claim:
An improved system for thermal treatment of a selected target within a subject, the system comprising: (a) an RF energy source capable of producing an output RF power signal directed to an applicator contactable with a surface of a biological tissue belonging to the subject, said applicator capable of delivering a desired amount of energy to a predetermined energy dissipation zone beneath said surface of said biological tissue, the selected target positioned within said predetermined energy dissipation zone; (b) a phase shifter, said phase shifter capable of shifting a phase of directed traveling waves of said output signal so that energy therefrom is concentrated primarily in said predetermined energy dissipation zone, which lies at a desired depth beneath said surface of said biological tissue; (c) an impedance matching network (IMN), said IMN capable of converting the impedance of said biological tissue belonging to the subject from a nominal value to a corrected value, said corrected value matching an impedance characteristic of said RF energy source and said phase shifter so that said output traveling wave may pass through said surface of said biological tissue without being converted to a standing wave; (d) an RF resonator located in said applicator, said RF resonator capable of cyclically accumulating and releasing said desired amount of energy, said RF resonator further capable of concentrating said desired amount of energy so that a significant portion thereof is concentrated in said predetermined energy dissipation zone; and (e) said applicator capable of conveying said output RF power signal from said RF energy source through said surface of said biological tissue to said predetermined energy dissipation zone after said output has been processed by said phase shifter, said IMN and said resonator; wherein the system is operative to heat a volume of said biological tissue beneath said surface so that the surface of said biological tissue is maintained at a lower temperature than said predetermined energy dissipation zone without a cooling device; and wherein the absence of a ground electrode permits free propagation of said waves of said output RF power signal in said energy dissipation zone.