Patent ID: 8005191

Claim:
A method for providing radiation therapy for macular degeneration comprising: providing x-ray field emission apparatus comprising: a housing including proximal and distal housing ends; a probe including proximal and distal probe ends; said proximal probe end attached to said distal housing end, wherein said probe further includes a cathode attached to said distal probe end, the cathode including proximal and distal cathode ends and an axially extending hole in said proximal cathode end; and wherein said field emission apparatus further comprises an anode including proximal and distal anode ends, said anode disposed at least partly within said probe of said x-ray field emission apparatus, said distal anode end separated from said cathode by a vacuum gap; disposing a field emission element comprising carbon fibers in a conductive binder within said axially extending hole; gaining access with said probe to the interior of an eye with macular degeneration; disposing said probe distal end at a predetermined position relative to the macular degeneration; providing a predetermined radiation therapy to the eye; and cooling said x-ray field emission apparatus by providing a heat sink attached to said proximal anode end.