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Abstract

An apparatus and method for treatment of conditions in which it is desired to simultaneously hyperthermally treat diseased target tissue in a patient and dilate a lumen of a patient which is compressed and/or obstructed by the diseased target tissue and/or surrounding tissue is disclosed. The apparatus generally includes a catheter for insertion into a lumen of the patient, such as in the prostatic urethra; an antenna for applying microwave or radio frequency energy to the selected target tissue to produce hyperthermal effects therein, thereby causing therapeutic alteration of the selected target tissue cells; a dilation balloon for simultaneously dilating the lumen of the patient and for compressing tissue to restrict blood flow to said tissue, thereby reducing the heat sink effect of blood-supplied tissue absorbing heat energy applied thereto, enabling both greater uniformity of heating in selected target diseased tissue and a reduction in the amount of power required to supply an effective level of energy to the selected target diseased tissue; and a fixation balloon for securing the apparatus during treatment. The apparatus and method are particularly adapted to the treatment of diseases of the prostate, such as benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH), prostatitis and prostatic cancer, as well as in the treatment of certain tumors of the esophagus and the gastro-intestinal tract.

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First Claim