Importance

Loading Importance Indicators...

Abstract

A magnet used for concentrating a medical substance carried by a magnetic fluid at an internal treatment site. The magnet is inserted through an opening in a patient's body and advanced to the internal treatment site. Although an electromagnet is used in one alternative embodiment, the magnet is preferably a super neodymium or other rare earth permanent magnet having a high field strength. A probe that includes the magnet is coated with a biologically inert material, such as a TEFLON.TM. polymer. Alternatively, a plurality of such magnets can be employed. In the preferred embodiment, a magnetic fluid that includes particles coated with a photoreactive agent is injected into the patient's body, preferably, immediately adjacent to or inside the treatment site. The particles in the magnetic fluid are attracted to the magnet at the treatment site, and the concentration of the photoreactive agent absorbed into the tissue around the magnet at the internal treatment site is enhanced. The photoreactive agent is used to provide a photodynamic therapy (PDT) to the treatment site that destroys cells that have absorbed the photoreactive agent when the internal treatment site is illuminated by light of an appropriate waveband. A PDT probe having a light source that emits light of the required waveband is inserted into the patient's body and advanced to the treatment site to effect the PDT. The magnet (or magnets) can also be disposed inside the PDT probe, which then carries the magnet(s) to the internal treatment site.

Loading the Abstract Image...

First Claim