Patent ID: 7638139

Claim:
A method of hyperthermally treating tissue in an animal, said method comprising the steps of: introducing a temperature indicating substance into the bloodstream of said animal to flow through said tissue in a target site, said temperature indicating substance including a fluorescent dye encapsulated within a heat sensitive liposome, said fluorescent dye being releasable from said liposome at a temperature of about 45° C. to about 49° C., and applying a heat source to said tissue at said target site and hyperthermally heating said tissue in said target site to at least 47° C. to release said dye and to hyperthermally treat said tissue in said target site for a time sufficient to kill cells in said tissue substantially without denaturing proteins in said tissue, and fluorescing and visualizing said dye to indicate that a predetermined tissue temperature has been attained at said target site.