The invention provides a method for rapid uniform heating of a target material by providing a target material; providing a plurality of electrostrictive nanoparticles contained in the target material; providing a radio frequency alternating electric field that is coupled to the plurality of electrostrictive nanoparticles; and heating the target material.

An instrument for therapeutically cytotoxically ablating parathyroidal tissue is disclosed. A substance is capable of transforming the parathyroid gland from overproduction of parathyroid hormone when the substance's quantity exceeds a set amount, and is capable of transforming the parathyroid gland from overproduction only when activated by application of sufficient units of an electromagnetic energy having a frequency ranging from 400 THz to 30 PHz when the substance's quantity is below the set amount. A delivery device is operable to introduce the substance into the parathyroidal tissue and to quantitatively limit the quantity to below the set amount. An energy device is operable to apply units of the electromagnetic energy after the substance has been introduced. A sensor is operable to monitor the activation of the substance as the electromagnetic energy is applied. The energy device is further operable to modulate applying the electromagnetic energy when the substance has been activated.

A radio frequency annular phased array hyperthermia system providing a heated focal zone with a diameter of 3 cm or less in a tissue mass includes a plurality of at least 42 radio frequency energy applicators in three rings adapted to surround the tissue mass. A bolus having a dielectric constant is positioned between the energy applicators and the tissue mass. The energy applicators operate at a frequency of at least about 900 MHz. to create the heated focal zone. The circumferential spacing between adjacent applicators in each ring is less than a critical distance and spacing between adjacent side by side rings is also less than a critical distance with such critical distances being interdependent on the frequency of the energy radiated, the dielectric constant of the bolus, the size of the bolus, and the size of the tissue mass.

Apparatus and methods are described for use with a subject suffering from cancer. A nanoparticle (22) includes an inner core (30) that comprises a phase-change material that is configured to absorb latent heat of fusion by undergoing a phase change. An outer layer (32) disposed around the inner core includes a plurality of nano-spheres (34) of at least one metal, and a plurality of molecules (38) of a substance that binds preferentially with cancerous cells relative to non-cancerous cells. The nanoparticle has a volume of at least 65,000 nm.sup.3 and is elongatable into an ellipsoid, such that, when the nanoparticle is maximally elongated, each of the semi-axes defined by the ellipsoid is greater than 5 nm, and at least two of the semi axes of the ellipsoid are less than 30 nm. Other applications are also described.

An apparatus and a method for magnetic particle imaging and thermotherapy fusion based on field-free line inertial scanning comprises a magnetic body group, an induction coil, a living body bed, a control device, a display device, an image processing device and a cooling system. The magnetic body group comprises a long curved magnetic body pair and a cylindrical magnetic body. The control device is used to scan and image the target living body and perform thermotherapy on a preset area.

The present invention provides methods and compositions for the remote control of cell function based on the use of radiofrequency waves to excite nanoparticles targeted to specific cell types. The nanoparticles may be applied to the target cell extracellularly and/or expressed intracellularly. The cell type of interest expresses a temperature sensitive channel wherein excitation of the nanoparticles results in a localized temperature increase that is transduced into a cellular response. Such cellular responses may include, for example, increases in gene expression resulting in production of one or more physiologically active proteins. The expression of such proteins can be used to treat a variety of different inherited or acquired diseases or disorders in a subject. Accordingly, the invention provides a generic approach for treatment of any disease associated with a protein deficiency.

This invention relates to new carbocyanine dye compositions, pharmaceutical compositions comprising such compositions, methods of detecting via near infrared fluorescent imaging incipient cancer cells and selective destruction of cancer cells identified by administration of such pharmaceutical compositions. A method of detecting and destroying cancer cells includes introducing a gold dye into an organism suspected of having a cancer cell. The gold dye is a carbocyanine dye covalently attached to a gold nanoparticle. A near infrared light is shined on a region suspected of having the cancer cell. Fluorescence from the gold dye is detected. A beam of radio frequency energy is directed at the region to induce hyperthermia in the cancer cell. The carbocyanine dye has the most basic structure of MHI-148 and structures 6 and 22 with a Au.sub.n[SCH.sub.2(CH.sub.2).sub.9CH.sub.2(OCH.sub.2CH.sub.2).sub.4O]COCH.sub.2CH.sub.2-phenyl-O group on a cyclohexene ring that imparts activity to the cancer cell binding and destruction processes.

Devices, systems, and methods for implanting and locating traceable markers in a region of a patient's body such as a lung, and in particular lung nodules which may be difficult to locate using traditional means. Further embodiments describe devices, systems, and methods that may be used to treat regions in the lung such as lung nodules with various treatment modalities including heating, microwave irradiation, chemical treatment, and which may be used in conjunction with embodiments of the traceable markers described herein.

The invention relates to a system for applying radiation to a target region within a subject. An introduction element (12) like a brachytherapy catheter is inserted into the subject and a radiation source (10) is moved within the introduction element such that it is located within or close to the target region. The target region is heated, wherein the movement of the radiation source within the introduction element is controlled depending on the temperature along the introduction element. The susceptibility of the subject for the radiation emitted by the radiation source at a respective location along the length of the introduction element can depend on the temperature at the respective location such that by controlling the movement of the radiation source depending on the temperature along the length of the introduction element the application of the radiation can be optimized.

Disclosed herein are iron oxide nanoparticles having an iron (II) content in a metastable state that is intermediate the iron (II) content of wstite and magnetite. The disclosed iron oxide nanoparticles exhibit unexpectedly beneficial magnetic properties (e.g., saturation magnetization) resulting from both the size of the nanoparticles and the iron (II) content. Accordingly, the iron oxide nanoparticles are attractive for magnetic imaging applications, such as magnetic particle imaging. Methods of forming the iron oxide nanoparticles are also provided, such methods including a controlled oxidation step wherein a small amount (e.g., 1%) of gaseous oxygen is exposed to wstite nanoparticles for a defined period of time sufficient to partially oxidize the wstite but prevent conversion entirely to magnetite. Finally, methods of using the iron oxide nanoparticles are also provided. Representative methods include magnetic particle imaging, magnetic resonance imaging, and hyperthermia.