Importance

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Abstract

A radiant heating apparatus for deployment within an animal body to radiate heat-producing electromagnetic energy into the body includes an antenna mounted on a catheter element and connected to an electrical transmission line having first and second conductors for feeding electrical current from a source to the antenna. The apparatus has the improvement in which the antenna comprises a first radiating element carried on the catheter element and extending from an antenna feed junction in a first direction along a first elongation axis. The first radiating element is connected to the first transmission line conductor at the feed junction and presents a first selected impedance to the feed junction. A second radiating element is carried on the catheter element and extends from the feed junction in a second direction opposite to the first direction along the first axis. The second radiating element is connected to the second transmission line conductor and presents a second selected impedance to the feed junction. The first and second radiating elements radiate electromagnetic energy outwardly from the feed junction upon being excited from the transmission line with alternating electrical current within a selected frequency range. The first and second radiating elements are arranged for presenting the first and second impedances and for providing the radiation substantially independently of the length of the catheter element inserted within the animal body beyond the full insertion of the first or second radiating elements within the animal body. This invention was made in part with government support under contract number NIH/NC1 R01 CA23549 awarded by the National Institute of Health. The government has certain limited rights in the invention.

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First Claim