JPS6241736B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to a heating treatment device used for heating treatment of tumors.

[Technical background of the invention and its problems]

There is a treatment method called hyperthermia treatment (warming treatment) as a treatment method for tumors such as cancer that occur in living organisms. This focuses on the fact that cells in general are relatively sensitive to heat; cancer cells, etc.
This treatment takes advantage of the fact that heating for about 170 minutes makes it easier to die. When a tumor is treated with heat under the above conditions, the temperature can be maintained at the above temperature in the tumor without blood vessels, but in the normal part, which has blood vessels, it is cooled by the blood flow and the temperature does not rise easily. It can be made to die.

In the past, a high-frequency heating coil was used as a heating treatment device to perform high-frequency heating on a tumor part. However, in addition to requiring a large-sized device, this method also makes it difficult to locally heat the target area, and it is also extremely difficult to position the target area, especially when it comes to tumors inside the living body, so the desired therapeutic effect could not be obtained.

Therefore, as a technology that can solve these problems, the application of heat pipes, which are devices for transporting heat, can be considered. That is, a heat pipe is percutaneously punctured into the tumor, or if the tumor is inside a body cavity, it is inserted into the body cavity, and the heat transferred to the tip of the heat pipe is used to perform heating treatment directly. . In this way, it is possible to reliably locally heat the target area.

Here, the heat pipe, as is well known, is a hollow, sealed pipe in which the inside of the pipe is evacuated and a small amount of a working fluid that easily undergoes a liquid-gas phase change is sealed. When such a heat pipe heats one end and is slightly cooled at the other end, the liquid evaporates in the heating section. This evaporation moves to the cooling section due to a slight pressure difference, where it condenses and releases a large amount of latent heat. In order to perform this operation continuously, it is necessary to move the liquid condensed in the cooling section to the heating section by some method.

For this movement, ordinary heat pipes use a working fluid moving body called a "wick" made of porous material, and either utilize the capillary phenomenon or the gravity acting on the fluid.

However, when used by inserting (including puncturing) into a living body, the outer diameter of the heat pipe is at most 3
mm, and in the case of such an outer diameter, it is impossible to use the above-mentioned porous material due to the volume, so there is no other method other than using the gravity of the liquid. There is no.

However, even in this case, due to the surface tension of the sealed hydraulic fluid itself, a simple hollow pipe cannot cause the fluid to fall by gravity alone. Therefore, it is impossible to realize a small-diameter heat pipe with the conventional structure, and it is easy to position the heat pipe.
It has not been possible to obtain a heating treatment device that is capable of localized heating, has a high therapeutic effect, and is easy to use.

[Object of the invention] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and
The purpose is to provide a heating treatment device that is easy to position, can perform local heating, has a high therapeutic effect, and is easy to use.

[Summary of the invention] That is, in order to achieve the above object, the present invention has the following features:
Consists of a small-diameter heat pipe that is sealed and has a sharp or smooth end, has a thin tube or spiral wire inside, and is filled with a working fluid, and a heating means provided at the other end of the heat pipe. However, heat pipes are formed by forming one end of a small-diameter tube sharp or smooth to make it easier to insert into a living body, and arranging a tube or spiral wire inside, and filling it with a working fluid and sealing it. The capillary force caused by the surface tension of the working fluid itself is reduced to less than the gravity of the liquid by means of a thin tube or spiral wire, thereby making it possible to circulate the working fluid and obtain the function of a heat pipe, as well as the purpose of this heat pipe. The device is inserted into the site, heats its heating section, and radiates the heat through the cooling section, thereby making it possible to reliably perform heating treatment.

[Embodiment of the Invention] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

In the present invention, one or more ultra-fine metal pipes, or a spirally formed ultra-fine metal wire is inserted into the outer tube that forms the outer casing of the heat pipe. By suppressing capillary force to less than the gravity of the liquid, liquid reflux is enabled, and a small-diameter heat pipe can be realized, and the heat pipe can be inserted into a target area (including puncturing) to transfer heat to the target area. This makes it possible to accurately, reliably, and easily perform heating treatment on the treatment area.

In addition, the material of the outer tube of the heat pipe is made of metals such as copper, aluminum, stainless steel, or ceramics, which are harmless to living organisms, and does not chemically react with the working fluid, and has a comparatively low vapor pressure. For example, water, ammonia, methyl alcohol, acetone, etc., which are chemically stable and have a low surface tension and do not generate non-condensable gases, are used.

As the heating means for the heating section of the heat pipe, an indirect heating method using water as a heating medium is adopted in consideration of ease of temperature control.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained using the drawings. FIG. 1 is a front view showing the entire apparatus, in which 1 is a heat pipe, and 2 is a heating jacket that holds the heat pipe 1 and heats the heating section of the heat pipe 1. In FIG.

Heat pipe 1 has an outer diameter of approximately 3 mm and a total length of 15 to 20 cm.
It has a hollow rod shape of approximately
As shown in the cross-sectional view of the figure, the outer diameter is 0.5mm inside.
Insert an ultra-fine stainless steel pipe (hereinafter referred to as the inner pipe) 3 into the cooling section 1 of the heat pipe 1.
It is supported at the a side end. To explain more specifically, the heat pipe 1 is a copper pipe with a diameter of 3 mm, and the heating part 1b side is narrowed, and inside this copper pipe, two stainless steel inner pipes 3 are installed from the cooling part 1a side. is inserted so that its insertion end is near the heating section. Copper solder 1c is poured from the tip side of the cooling part 1a to seal it, and then the copper soldered portion is shaved off from three sides at acute angles (approximately 30° to 45°) to form a sharp point. As a result, the inner tube 3 is cantilevered and fixedly disposed at the end of the cooling portion 1a by the copper solder 1c. The inside of the copper pipe, which is the outer casing of the heat pipe 1, is evacuated from the heating section 1b side, and then filled with a working fluid 4 (for example, methyl alcohol) in an amount comparable to the volume of the heating section 1b. It is then sealed and sealed. Therefore, in the heat pipe 1, the inner tube 3 is cantilever-supported inside an airtight copper pipe with the tip end located near the heating section 1b from the end on the side of the cooling section 1a. It has a configuration in which liquid 4 is sealed.

As shown in detail in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 4, the heating jacket 2 has an opening 2a that serves as an inlet for the heating medium;
It has an opening 2b serving as an outflow portion, and is composed of an O-ring 5, a washer 6 whose surface in contact with the O-ring 5 is formed into a concave shape, and a fixing nut 7 made of a cap nut having a through hole in the center through which the heat pipe 1 is passed. Ru.

This heating jacket 2 is a pipe formed into a substantially L-shape, and has openings 2a, 2b, and 2c on three sides. The opening 2c protrudes slightly, and has a screw 2d formed on its outer peripheral surface and an inner flange 2e. The outer surface of the inner flange 2e is formed into a concave shape, and the hole 2f in the center has a diameter large enough for the heat pipe 1 to pass through. The openings 2a and 2b are for circulating hot water; one is the inlet and the other is the outlet. For example, a hose can be connected to the openings 2a and 2b.
It is designed to circulate hot water with a temperature between ℃ and 60℃.

Such a heating jacket 2 has an opening 2c.
Insert and install heat pipe 1. That is, by inserting the heating part 1b side part of the heat pipe 1 into the opening 2c, covering it with the O-ring 5 and washer 6, and screwing it with the fixing nut 7, the O-ring 5 is inserted between the washer 6 and the inner flange 2e. By compressing the O-ring 5 and bringing the heat pipe 1 into close contact with it,
The heat pipe 1 is fixedly supported and the inside is kept watertight. Washer 6 and inner tsuba 2e
Since the facing surfaces are concave, the O-ring 5 deforms toward the center and comes into close contact with the heat pipe 1, the washer 6, and the inner flange 2e, thereby providing a reliable watertight structure and reliable holding of the heat pipe 1.

This device has a cooling section 1 of a heat pipe 1.
A is inserted into the treatment site of the living body, and the tip of the heat pipe 1 is positioned at the tumor site. At this time, the cooling part 1a of the heat pipe 1 is placed upward, so that the heat pipe 1 is vertical. Next, hot water is passed through the heating jacket 2. Inside the heating jacket 2, there is a heat pipe 1 at the opening 2c position.
Since the heating part 1b is inserted, this heating part 1b is heated by hot water. Then, the working fluid 4 in the heating section 1b of the heat pipe 1 is heated and turns into steam, which rises to the cooling section 1a of the heat pipe 1. When it reaches the tip inside the cooling section 1a, it transfers latent heat to the outside of the cooling section 1a. Release and liquefy. This liquefied working fluid 4 flows down through the gap between the copper pipe, which is the outer casing of the heat pipe 1, and the inner pipe 3, and flows into the heating section 1b.
Return to Then, it is heated again, turns into steam, rises, and the same operation as described above is repeated.

In this way, the working fluid 4 circulates within the heat pipe 1 and functions as a heat pipe. Therefore, the heat applied by the heating part 1b is transferred to the tip of the cooling part 1a of the heat pipe 1 and heated, so that heating treatment of the tumor part can be performed.

In addition, the posture of the heat pipe 1 during treatment is that of the cooling section 1.
It will work satisfactorily even if the heating section 1b is placed at the bottom and tilted at an angle of about 15 degrees from the horizontal plane from the almost vertical position with the side a facing upward.

In this way, a thin tube or a spiral wire is disposed within the pipe, thereby allowing the enclosed working fluid to rise due to vaporization and return to the inside of the pipe by repeated condensation flow due to the release of latent heat,
We have made it possible to obtain a small-diameter heat pipe with an outer diameter of about 3 mm, so by inserting this into the tumor and transferring heat to the tumor, we can reliably locally heat the target area. Since it is easy to handle, heating treatment can be carried out easily.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and shown in the drawings, and can of course be implemented with appropriate modifications within the scope of the gist. For example, ceramic heating means may be used as the heating means of the heat pipe. A heating element such as a heater or a nichrome wire may be used, or a spiral wire may be used as the wick. Further, the tip cooling portion of the heat pipe may be made into a smooth convex shape, such as a spherical shape, to match the insertion site. Additionally, this device can be used for purposes other than heating therapy. Further, although the washer and the inner flange of the heating jacket are each formed with a concave surface, it is possible to form only one concave surface, or both may be flat.

[Effects of the Invention] As detailed above, according to the present invention, the target area can be reliably locally heated,
It is possible to provide a heating treatment device having features such as being easy to handle and thus allowing heating treatment to be performed easily.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an overall view showing one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
3 and 3 are cross-sectional views of the heat pipe, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the heating jacket. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...Heat pipe, 1a...Cooling part, 1b...Heating part, 1c...Copper solder, 2...Heating jacket, 2a,
2b, 2c...Opening, 3...Stainless steel pipe (inner pipe), 4...Hydraulic fluid, 5...O ring, 6...Washer, 7
…Fixed nut.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A small-diameter heat pipe that is sealed, has one end sharp or smooth, has a thin tube or spiral wire inside, and is filled with a working fluid, and a heating means provided at the other end of the heat pipe. A heating treatment device comprising: