JPH08257048A - Hyperthermia device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To determine effectiveness of heating by processing and analyzing temperature data, and displaying a parameter containing time in real time. CONSTITUTION: In order to distinguish positions of temperature sensors 10 from each other, they are divided into a tumor 11 and the surface of the body or the like, and they are inputted by a keyboard 8 according to a number of the temperature sensors 10. A main control part 1 periodically measures a temperature by a temperature measuring instrument 9 while controlling power of an amplifier 3. Its temperature data is recorded by a printer 7, and is displayed on a monitor 6. Power containing items of a temperature and time to show effectiveness of heating is analyzed in real time together with output power of the amplifier 3 and temperature graphs with respective temperature measuring points of the temperature sensors 10. For example, when heating at 43 deg.C for 30 minutes is set as a target in a thermal dose with 43 deg.C as a reference, in order to obtain an equal dose, heating at 44 deg.C for 15 minutes, at 45 deg.C for 7.5 minutes and at 42 deg.C for 120 minutes is required. Heating time and output power of the amplifier 3 can be determined by using these data as a standard.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention irradiates ultrasonic waves or electromagnetic waves into a subject (living body) and heats cancer cells in the living body with the energy, or warms by warm water perfusion. The present invention relates to a thermotherapy device using the method.

[0002]

BACKGROUND ART Hyperthermia treatment is based on the fact that cancer cells are highly sensitive to temperature and die when kept heated at 42 to 43 ° C. FIG. 2 (Source: Magbros Publishing, Hyperthermia Manual) shows the survival rate curve of the cancer cells at this time with respect to temperature and time. Viability decreases sharply at 42.5 ° C, as evidenced by this curve. Therefore, in the hyperthermia treatment device, the heating means, that is, the applicator is designed so that the cancer cells can be selectively heated. In conventional hyperthermia, a temperature sensor is first inserted into the heating target area of the living body before heating, and the temperature transition is displayed in a graph on the monitor during heating. The power supplied to the applicator is controlled so that the temperature in the region reaches, for example, 43 ° C or higher.

Further, in order to reach a target temperature in a target area such as a tumor, a method of feeding back the temperature measured by a temperature sensor to automatically adjust the power supplied to the applicator has been proposed. Due to the pain in the body and the uncertain relationship between the power and the temperature rise due to the heating area, in many cases, it is actually adjusted manually. Also, regarding the heating time, the heating time set at the start of heating is irrespective of the rising temperature, except under special conditions such as when the heating interruption time is long or when the patient has severe pain. The current situation is to end.

[0004]

As described above, in the conventional hyperthermia treatment, when the temperature of the target area has risen sufficiently to 45 ° C. or higher, or when the patient's pain is so great that the temperature cannot be raised so much. However, it often ends in the same heating time. However, as shown in the survival rate curve of FIG. 2, it is known that the damage to the tumor tissue is actually determined in relation to the terms of temperature and time. It can be seen that the tissues die in a shorter time than in some cases and a sufficient effect can be obtained in a short time. Therefore, if the treatment is performed for a certain heating time, the temperature may rise excessively, or if the temperature rise is low, a sufficient therapeutic effect may not be obtained. Further, when the temperature in the target area is measured using a plurality of temperature sensors, it is very difficult to determine the effectiveness of heating by comprehensively judging a plurality of temperature data from the temperature graph. .

The present invention was devised in view of the above circumstances, and the invention of claim 1 is a thermotherapy which enables an objective determination of the therapeutic effect of heating and enables effective treatment. The purpose is to provide a device. Another object of the present invention is to provide a hyperthermia treatment device capable of performing safe treatment.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the invention according to claim 1 is an analyzing means for processing and analyzing the temperature data measured during heating in real time,
Display means for displaying the analysis result of the analysis means is provided, the analysis means processes the temperature data measured during heating, and an index of thermal treatment such as thermal dose with the temperature and time during heating as parameters. Is characterized in that If there are a plurality of temperature measurement points, the analysis means analyzes the temperature data for each measurement point,
The display means displays the index of each measurement point.

According to the second aspect of the invention, means for setting an index having temperature and / or temperature and time as parameters,
And a means for issuing an alarm signal when the parameter analyzed by the analyzing means reaches the set value set by the setting means.

[0008]

The operation of the present invention is as follows. In the invention according to claim 1, the analyzing means processes and analyzes the temperature data of the heating part, and a thermal dose or the like is used as an index of the heating treatment by using the temperature and time according to one or more temperature data as parameters. And it is displayed on the display means. Therefore, it becomes possible to monitor the temperature of the heating part, the thermal dose, etc. in real time during heating, and it becomes possible to objectively judge the effectiveness of heating or the effects of side effects, and consider them. However, the power can be changed to control the temperature and the heating time can be determined, so that an effective and appropriate thermal treatment can be performed.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, before the warming, a means for setting a set value of a parameter including one or more temperature and time terms for a warming target area such as a tumor, Since the alarm signal generating means is provided, it is possible to issue a warning when the temperature of the heating portion exceeds the set value or to cut off the input to the heating means, thus ensuring the safety of the subject. If a thermal dose, which is an index for hyperthermia, is set, the heating time can be automatically determined. Furthermore, by entering preset values for parts that should not be raised in temperature, such as the body surface, warnings can be issued when the preset values are exceeded, reducing the risk of side effects such as burns. You can

[0010]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of one embodiment. In the figure, 2 is an oscillator that generates a high frequency voltage to be supplied to an ultrasonic applicator 5, and 3 is a high frequency amplifier that amplifies the voltage generated by the oscillator 2. Reference numeral 4 denotes an impedance matching circuit that is interposed between the applicator and the high frequency amplifier 3 to match the impedances of the two.
Is a main control unit consisting of a CPU for controlling the oscillator 2,
It has a computing unit (analyzing means) for processing and analyzing temperature data from a temperature control unit, which will be described later, and a memory, which stores parameters, which will be described later. The applicator 5 is composed of, for example, a transducer 5 ₁ for outputting ultrasonic waves and a bolus portion 5 ₂ for aligning the frame body and the living body 12 and further improving the contact. The oscillator 5 ₁ is made of lead titanate / zirconate called PZT, and the thickness thereof determines the value of the fundamental resonance frequency at which ultrasonic waves can be efficiently output.

In thermotherapy, 10 is the temperature of a thermocouple, a thermistor thermometer, an optical fiber thermometer, etc. that is inserted into the heating target area (tumor 11) to measure the temperature of the heating site before treatment. In order to obtain more temperature information in the target area, this temperature sensor 10 uses a multi-point temperature sensor capable of measuring a plurality of temperatures with a single sensor, or a plurality of sensors can be inserted. It is often seen. Further, the temperature sensor 10 is provided even at a site where the side effect of burns is likely to occur, so that the temperature can be constantly monitored. For example, a temperature sensor 10 is usually attached between the living body 12 and the applicator 5 in order to monitor the temperature of the body surface. In the figure, 6 is a monitor, 7 is a printer, and 8 is a keyboard.

In the above configuration, in order to distinguish the position of the temperature sensor 10 inserted into the living body 12 prior to the treatment, that is, before starting the heating, the temperature is divided into items such as the tumor 11 and the body surface. Input is made by the keyboard 8 as an input means according to the sensor number. Then, when the heating is started, the main controller 1 controls the power of the amplifier 3 and periodically measures the temperature from the temperature measuring device 9. The measured temperature data is recorded by the printer 7 and displayed on the display screen of the monitor 6. The data recorded on the printer 7 or displayed on the display screen of the monitor 6 include the output power of the amplifier 3, the temperature graph of each temperature measuring point of the temperature sensor 10, and the term of temperature and time indicating the effectiveness of heating. Parameters including is analyzed in real time, for example, as shown in Table 1, thermal dose (DOSE) ... R ^(43-Tx) -dt where R = 1/2 Tx> 43 ° C. R = 1/4 Tx ≤ 43 ℃ ・ Tover ・ ・ ・ Time over 43 ℃ from the start of heating ・ T90 ・ ・ ・ 90% of the temperature sensors in the target area
The time over 43 ℃ is displayed.

[0013]

[Table 1] All of the above parameters are displayed based on 43 ° C, but depending on how efficacy is evaluated, 42 ° C or 42.5 ° C
It is also possible to change to. Also, thermal dose, T
For over, when measured with multiple sensors 10,
As shown in Table 1, the maximum value TU in the target area (tumor 11 etc.)
It is also possible to display MOR-Max., Average value TUMOR-Av. Minimum value TUMOR-Min., Etc., respectively. Further, T90 is a parameter that is effective only when the plurality of sensors 10 are installed in the target area. In addition, thermal dose, Tover,
For T90, TUMOR-Max., Etc., the CPU of the main control unit 1 processes and analyzes the data from the temperature control unit 9 and outputs it to the monitor 6.

The operator can perform treatment while referring to these parameters displayed on the display screen of the monitor 6 during heating. For example, when using 43 ° C as a thermal dose as a reference, when aiming for heating for 30 minutes at 43 ° C,
To obtain the equivalent dose, heating at 44 ° C for 15 minutes, at 45 ° C for 7.5 minutes, and at 42 ° C for 120 minutes is required. It is possible to determine the heating time and the output power of the amplifier 3 while comprehensively judging the state of the patient using these data as a guide. If the target values of the above parameters are input in advance by the keyboard 8 and stored in the memory of the main controller 1 before heating, heating can be controlled and patient safety can be ensured. For example, if the thermal dose in the tumor is set to a value equivalent to 60 minutes at 43 ° C. as effective heating, the main control unit 1 outputs the output of the amplifier 3 when the temperature reaches that value.
It can be set to FF and the heating can be automatically terminated.
On the other hand, if the temperature rises excessively, side effects such as burns may occur, so if you enter a value such as thermal dose, a warning will be displayed before reaching that value. And can inform the surgeon.

For setting these parameters, refer to 1
It is possible not only to set one parameter, but also to control by a plurality of parameters such as thermal dose, TUMOR-Max.SURFACE-Max. Further, the hyperthermia treatment is not usually completed by heating once, but is carried out once or twice a week for a total of about 4 to 5 times. For this series of treatments as well, by storing the parameters consisting of temperature and time for each treatment in the memory, the total value up to the previous treatment can be displayed, and the heating temperature, heating time or It can be used as a reference when determining the number of times of heating. Although the temperature data measured by inserting a thermocouple or the like into the living body is analyzed in the above-mentioned embodiment, the non-invasively measured inside the living body using the X-ray CT apparatus and the microwave is analyzed. Temperature data may be used.

[0016]

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, since it is possible to perform heating based on parameters in consideration of both temperature and time in the subject (living body), while confirming the effectiveness of the treatment, It is possible to realize safe treatment that minimizes patient stress and has no side effects. Further, by setting the target value, it is possible to save the labor of the operator, prevent side effects caused by insufficient attention to temperature rise, and ensure the safety of the subject.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a survival rate curve according to temperature and time of cancer cells.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 ... Main control part 2 ... Oscillator 3 ... Amplifier 4 ... Matching circuit 5 ... Applicator 6 ... Monitor 7 ... Printer 8 ... Keyboard 9 ... Temperature measuring device 10 ... Temperature sensor 11 ... Tumor 12 ... Living body

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A hyperthermia treatment apparatus comprising: a heating means for a subject and a temperature measuring means for a heating section in the subject, wherein the temperature data measured by the temperature measuring means is processed during heating. A thermotherapy device characterized by comprising: an analyzing means for analyzing in real time an index of temperature treatment such as a thermal dose having the temperature and time as parameters, and a means for displaying an analysis result of the analyzing means. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein temperature and / or temperature and / or temperature and time parameter setting means and parameter analyzed by the analyzing means are set by the setting means. And a means for issuing a warning signal when the temperature is reached.