Patent Document ID: 5503150
Application ID: 08208553
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A method for noninvasively locating and heating a volume of tissue in a patient comprising the steps of: placing a bolus in contact with the patient and substantially around an area of interest, said area of interest including said volume of tissue; placing an array of antennas on said bolus and substantially around said area of interest, said array including a plurality of elements, each one of said elements being independently operable and each having the ability to send and receive signals; selectively energizing at least one element of said array to send signals; selectively energizing at least one other element of said array to receive said signals; determining dielectric constants at a plurality of locations in said area of interest to obtain a configuration of measured dielectric constants from said received signals; generating an initial image based upon said configuration of said measured dielectric constants; selecting an approximate center of said volume of tissue on said initial image; determining appropriate amplitudes and phases for each one of said plurality of elements of said array in accordance with the configuration of measured dielectric constants; and energizing each element of said array at respective appropriate amplitudes and phases to focus energy in said approximate center of said volume of tissue to preferentially heat said volume of tissue.