Device for the treatment of tumours

The invention relates to a device for the treatment of tumors according to the The upper claim of claim 1, comprising at least one current source Comprising at least two needle-shaped electrodes, By means of which current flows into the tumor or from the tumor Can be derived.

Such a device is, for example, from the printed copy "Percutaneous bio-electrotherapy of" cancerous tumors ", Dr. med. Rudolf Pekar, published by Wilhelm Maudrich, Vienna-Munich-Bem, 1997. The Known device has two needle-shaped electrodes; one to the Introducing current into the tumor, one for discharging current from the Tumor. By means of the known apparatus, direct current is passed through a tumor . This is done in such a way that the two needle-shaped electrodes in the Tumor and then applied to the electrodes DC voltage is applied so that a direct current flows through the tumor. This is to kill cancer cells.

It has been shown that the more current the process is, the more effective Through the tumor. One is therefore anxious to make the current as large as Possible to choose. However, since it has been found that at a current of about 80 milliampere the tissue around the puncture point of the needle-shaped electrode Is damaged in an undesirable manner, the current can be measured at a Device with needle-shaped electrodes can not be increased as desired.

The device known from the abovementioned printed document has two systems With separate outputs. It would therefore be conceivable both systems parallel For the treatment of the tumor. In this way, The tumor introduced current can be doubled, wherein the current, Of an electrode into the tumor to a maximum value Is limited. Since the current is its way through the tumor but itself It is not assured that the stream according to its introduction Via the respective associated electrode. It exists Rather the danger that, owing to the inhomogeneous electrical conductivity Of the tumor the current is seeking such a path through the tumor that it Predominantly exits via one electrode and via the other electrode Only a residual current is discharged from the tumor. This would make the Tissue around the needle - shaped electrode, over which most of the Current from the tumor emerges. It is therefore in the It is not stated that the two systems are parallel to the Treatment of a tumor can be used, but indicated, Characterized in that the two systems are provided for the treatment of two patients.

It is an object of the invention to provide an apparatus of the type mentioned at the outset That they can be used for the problem-free treatment of tumors with a higher Current.

The solution to this problem results from the features of the invention Characterized by the following features: The invention is described in the subclaims.

According to the invention, there is provided a device for the treatment of tumors, comprising: At least one generator having a current source, and at least Two needle-shaped electrodes by means of which current is incorporated into the tumor From the tumor, characterized in that A control is provided by means of which the current through each electrode Can in each case be limited to an adjustable maximum value.

By virtue of the fact that a control system is provided by means of which the current through The electrodes can in each case be limited to a maximum value, Advantageously achieved by the fact that there is no more current in the tumor at any electrode Or is discharged from the tumor, as without Damage to the tissue is possible. Thanks to the control, Thus using several electrodes simultaneously.

Because, the maximum current through the electrodes to a maximum It remains unaffected when, for example, an electrode Is inserted into the tumor at one point, which for several of Different electrodes going through the tumor Electrical currents due to high electrical conductivity Preferred route would be chosen from the tumor. Through the Limitation of the current through the electrode to a maximum value are the Currents forced themselves through the tumor other ways to others Electrodes.

An embodiment of the invention has proven particularly advantageous In which each electrode is fed by a separate current source becomes. That is, each electrode, by means of which current flows into the tumor Is connected to a separate current source. Likewise, each Electrode, by means of which current is discharged from the tumor, with a Current source, or better said, to a current sink, wherein The direction of the current to the first-mentioned current sources is reversed. By supplying the electrodes by means of current sources or The limitation of the current flowing through the electrodes can be restricted Current to a maximum value in a simple manner.

It is particularly advantageous if the current sources are used as constant current sources Are formed.

In a further particular embodiment of the invention, Characterized in that the current delivered by the current sources is, Current sources by means of which current can be introduced into the tumor. This makes it possible in a simple manner to reduce the current flow through the tumor Locally differently. The current flow through the tumor can Can be further influenced by the fact that the current produced by the current sinks Can also be adjusted. Without prejudice to the Adjustability of the output from the current sources and / or The currents received by the current sinks remain the limitation of the currents To a respective maximum value, this maximum value for all Current sources or current sinks.

Further details, features and advantages of the present invention Will be apparent from the following description of a particular embodiment Exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawing.

The sole FIGURE shows an embodiment of the invention Device.

As can be seen in the FIGURE, a generator 5 has a plurality Current sources 2, 3, 4 as well as a plurality of associated current sinks 2 ', 3', 4 '. The Outputs of the current sources 2, 3, 4 are provided with needle-shaped electrodes 6, 7, 8 connected. The outputs of the current sinks 2 ', 3', 4 'are provided with needle-shaped Electrodes 6 ', 7'. 8 '. The needle-shaped electrodes 6, 6 ', 7, 7', 8, 8 ' Are inserted into the cell tissue of a tumor 1.

The current sources 2, 3, 4 each have a control input 2a, 3a, 4a, By means of which the maximum value of the current source from the respective current source Output current is adjustable. Furthermore, the current sources 2, 3, 4 each have a further control input 2b, 3b, 4b, by means of which the Can be adjusted by the respective current source. The Current sinks 2 ', 3', 4 'have, similarly to the current sources 2, 3, 4, one Control inputs 2'a, 3'a, 4'a, by means of which the maximum value of the Current absorbed by the current sink.

If the current sources 2, 3, 4 are set such that they respectively have a current of For example, 80 milliamps, and the flow joints 2 ', 3', 4 'are so That the maximum of the current picked up in the respectively received current For example, to 80 milliampers, the tumor 1 can be treated with 240 Milliampere, without the risk that the tissue at the Puncture point of an electrode. For example, even if The electrical conductivity of the tumor 1 would be such that a part of the Current, which is introduced into the tumor 1 by means of the electrode 7, Electrode 6 ', and the current flowing from the electrode 6 into the tumor 1 Would flow completely to the electrode 6 ', then through Limits the maximum current of the current sink 2 'to 80 millimeters It is possible to prevent the relevant part of the part which is formed by means of the electrode 7 in the Tumor 1 from the tumor 1 via the electrode 6 ' Is derived. The current must therefore have a different path to the electrode 7 'search.

It goes without saying that although in the FIGURE, only three, Current sources and three current sinks, a much larger number Of current sources and current sinks. This will also Already indicated by the dotted lines contained in the figure.