Hyperthermia has been used extensively and successfully in the treatment of solid tumors. For accessible solid tumors with impressive efficacy not amenable to surgery, ablative hyperthermia (>55°C for 20 s to 15 min) has been used as a definitive treatment. By contrast, for both radiotherapy and chemotherapy, mild hyperthermia (40-45°C for up to 1 hour) has been shown useful as an adjuvant.
Conventional free-hand needle puncture procedures for biopsy and other procedures, often rely on unguided manual movements to guide a needle to its destination. Freehand procedures risk missing the tumor, or accidental injury, such as puncturing a vital organ. Needle guidance systems may improve accuracy and reduce risks but available guidance technologies are cumbersome and expensive and may carry other risks.
Existing microsphere technologies are used as therapy for certain cancers. The therapy is by way of occlusion, when the microspheres are delivered into blood vessels that feed a tumor. The physical dimensions of the microspheres occlude the blood supply and thus, killing the tumor. Some microspheres have also been modified to bind protein, elute drugs, and reduce inflammatory reactions as part of the therapy. However, one technical short-coming of existing microsphere technology is a limited capability to be visualized in real-time.
Medical imaging is an important resource for early diagnostic, detection, and effective treatment of cancers. However, the screening and review processes for radiologists have been shown to overlook a certain percentage of potentially cancerous image features. Such review errors may result in misdiagnosis and failure to identify tumors. These errors result from human fallibility, fatigue, and from the complexity of visual search required.
Chronic leg ulcers are a debilitating vasculopathic complication for some patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). Prevalence of leg ulcers varies based on age and geographic location; about 5-10% of all SCD patients may suffer leg ulcers. These leg ulcers are painful, result in infections, hospitalization, disability, and negatively impact the patient’s social and psychological wellbeing on an ongoing basis.
Prostate cancer is the most common male cancer in the United States, and the third most common worldwide. Prostate biopsies are often performed to confirm a cancer diagnosis and examine suspect tissue. Prostate biopsies are most often performed under transrectal ultrasound imaging (TRUS) guidance. TRUS images in real-time, at relatively low cost, and shows both prostate and boundaries. However, major problems with TRUS imaging are poor spatial resolution and low sensitivity for cancer detection.