Devices And Methods To Maintain Personal Hygiene While Using The Toilet

Abstract

A machine holds a plurality of RF beam generators which all point at a particular location. A patient with a target volume of tissue to be treated by heat is held immobile such that the target is located at the point all the RF beams traverse. The RF beams traverse that point and the resultant generated heat treats the target. No two or more RF beams traverse any other location in the patient's body. Since each individual RF beam is too weak to cause damage, the non-targeted tissues of the patient are unharmed.

Claims

1. A machine comprising multiple RF beam generators where all said RF beam generators are spatially oriented for their beams all to pass through a region of space, called the focus, which is completely contained within some sphere of some diameter greater than or equal to 0.001 mm, and less than or equal to 10 cm.

2. A method of the machine of claim 1 where: a) a patient with a piece of tissue to be treated by heat, called a target, is positioned such that the focus of said RF beam generators in said machine all pass through said target; b) the machine energizes said RF beam generators, which produce RF beams which converge at said target; for the purpose of providing heat treatment to said target without affecting other tissue in said patient.

3. The method of claim 2 where nanoparticles are introduced into the patient's body and some of these nanoparticles are activated by the machine producing heat; thereby treating the target more effectively than heat alone would.

4. The method of claim 2 where a plurality of chemotherapy drugs is introduced into the patient's body and some of these nanoparticles are activated by the machine producing heat; thereby treating the target more effectively than heat alone would.

5. The machine of claim 1 where said machine comprises a plurality of programmable automata, where said programmable automata control said machine.

6. The machine of claim 5 where each said RF beam generator is attached to the framework of said machine in a manner that its angular offsets from said frame is adapted to be adjusted by devices or by hand labor.

7. The machine of claim 6 where each said RF beam generator is attached to a plurality of servo-motors which control the angular offsets of said RF beam generator from the framework of said machine.

8. The machine of claim 7 which comprises a sensor that senses RF beams.

9. The machine of claim 8 where said sensor is adapted to be placed in the path of the RF beams said RF beam generators generate.

10. A method of the machine of claim 9 where: a) said sensor is locked to a desired location; b) for each said RF beam generator: <i> said machine uses said servo-motors to sweep said RF beam generator through all possible angles until sensor indicates it is specifically targeted by said RF beam; <ii> said machine uses said servo-motors to lock said RF beam generator to said angular position; thereby calibrating all said RF beam generators in said machine to be optimally oriented to strike the targeted focus.

11. The machine of claim 1 further comprising additional mechanisms to heat tissue drawn from the set of conduction, convection, infrared radiation, and ultrasound.

12. A method of the machine of claim 11 where: a) a patient with a piece of tissue to be treated by heat, called a target, is positioned such that the focus of said RF beam generators in said machine all pass through said target; b) said additional heating mechanisms elevate the temperature of the target and the tissue surrounding the target to a level insufficient to cause tissue damage; b) the machine energizes said RF beam generators, which produce RF beams which converge at said target; for the purpose of providing heat treatment to said target without heating non-target tissue sufficiently to damage it.

13. The machine of claim 1 which receives feedback from sensors which determine the exact times at which the desired part of said patient's body are at said focus.

14. A method of the machine of claim 13 where said machine energizes its RF generators only when said desired part of said patient's body are at said focus.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the invention. A machine (101) holds RF beam generators (102) in such a way that the RF beams (103) created by energized RF beam generators all pass through a focus (105). The patient (104) is held in the cavity of the machine (106) in such a way that the target is at the focus when the RF beams are energized.

[0040] FIG. 2 shows the same embodiment of the invention as FIG. 1. But now instead of the patient there is a calibration sensor (107) that is placed at where the focus is estimated to be. The calibration sensor enables the machine to auto-calibrate, to adjust the geometry and location of its focus, and to determine the exact spatial location of that focus.

EMBODIMENTS

Typical Machine

[0041] In one typical embodiment in FIG. 1: A machine (101) contains a surface which fully or partially encloses a cavity (106) 2 m across and shaped as a section of a sphere. This surface holds 127 RF beam generators (102) which are geometrically oriented to emit RF beams orthogonally from the surface. The RF beam generators, not all of which are shown, are situated in a hexagonal array where each side of the hexagon comprises 6 RF beam generators. Each RF beam generator sits 20 cm from the RF beam generators nearest to it. Each RF beam generator fires an RF beam 2 mm wide. The RF beam generators are spatially arranged such that when they fire, all of their RF beams (103) pass through a focus (105) which is in the range of [2 mm, 10 cm] in diameter. Each RF is tuned to emit a beam at 1000 GHz frequency.

[0042] Note that an RF beam has a resolution of its edges on the order of its wavelength. At 1000 GHz the wavelength is 0.03 cm. So the uncertainty of the edge of the RF beam is around 0.03 cm in this case. A patient (104) is placed in or near the cavity (106) and held immobile such that the target of the patient is held immobile at the focus (105). When the RF beam generators fire any given location in the patent other than the focus has at most one RF beam passing through it. But at the focus all the RF beams intersect.

[0043] A computer controls, at a minimum, the operational aspects of the machine, including positioning and tuning the RF array. Personnel program the machine to specify firing patterns for the RF beam generators. These firing patterns determine among other things, which and how many of the RF beam generators fire at a given time, how long the RF beam generators fire, and the intensity of each individual RF beams.

[0044] The machine also comprises a non-invasive temperature measurement device which determines the temperatures reached by both the focus tissue, and by the surrounding tissue. This provides feedback to the machine and the machine uses this information to change the intensity and the duration of the beams.

Typical Method to Calibrate Machine

[0045] The machine auto-calibrates as follows, as shown in FIG. 2. A sensor (107) is placed at the exact location the personnel operating the machine want the focus to be. Then each RF beam generator (102) calibrates, one at a time, as follows. The machine controls the exact orientation of a RF beam generator by means of servo-motors (not shown) at the base of the generator, where it mounts into the rest of the machine. The machine moves the RF beam generator through its possible positions. At each position the RF beam generator fires an RF beam. When the RF beam intersects the sensor the sensor sends information to the machine that this RF beam generator is properly oriented. When this happens the machine locks this RF beam generator at this position.

[0046] One algorithm to do this is summarized as:

TABLE-US-00001 place sensor at the desired focus for each RF generator rf_gen { for each possible position pos of rf_gen { put rf_gen at pos fire rf_gen if(the generated beam intersects adequately with sensor) { lock rf_gen at pos stop iterating rf_gen through positions } } }

Typical Method to Use the Machine

[0047] In some embodiments: First the machine auto-calibrates and is cognizant of the exact location of the focus. Then a human being or other living organism, called the patient, has a tumor, internal wound, ulcer, fatty deposit or other tissue medical personnel wish to treat with heat, this tissue being the target. The exact location of the target inside the body of the patient is discovered using various methods; some of these methods are well known and well understood in the Art, while others are the subject of current research and experimentation, and still others are yet to be discovered or invented. All or part of the body of the patient is held immobile inside or near the machine in such a manner that the exact location of the target is at the focus. Some or all of the RF beam generators fire, and the RF beams from these RF beam generators converge at the target. Every individual RF beam carries some amount of power which dissipates as it traverses bodily tissue in the patient and thereby heats that tissue. But any given RF beam is not sufficiently energetic per se to cause tissue damage along its path.

[0048] Where the RF beams converge at the focus, where the target is, all of the RF beams dissipate some amount of energy, and again the energy dissipation and resultant heat from any given RF beam is insufficient to cause damage. But the sum of all the energy dissipated by all the RF beams, and the heat therefrom, convergent at the focus, is sufficient to heat the target enough to treat it.

[0049] The machine holds a non-invasive temperature-sensing mechanism to measure the temperature at the focus and also in other tissue. This temperature-sensing mechanism provides feedback to the machine regarding how much power to apply through RF energy.

Alternative Embodiments

[0050] In some embodiments RF generators are masers. In some embodiments RF generators are directed RF devices. In some embodiments RF generators are antenna arrays. In some embodiments RF generators are some other RF spectrum energy generating devices. In some embodiments RF generators are some mix of these kinds of devices.

[0051] In some embodiments an individual RF beam is focused by a metamaterial lens external to the patient, or some other means, into a smaller convergence than it would have otherwise.

[0052] In some embodiments the machine comprises a curved concave surface wherein some number of RF beam generators are embedded such that they point from this curved concave surface. In some further embodiments the curvature of this surface is spherical. In some further embodiments the curvature of this surface is parabolic. In some further embodiments this surface has some other curvature. In some further embodiments the RF beam generators point orthogonally from the curved concave surface, and in some further embodiments the RF beam generators do not.

[0053] In some embodiments the machine comprises a flat surface and multiple RF beam generators sit on this surface, each with an angular offset such that all of the RF beams will still pass through a focus.

[0054] In some embodiments there is no single surface that holds all the RF beam generators, nor a concavity defined. In such embodiments the machine simply comprises and controls RF beam generators that are oriented such that all their beams meet at a single focus.

[0055] In some embodiments some subset, which is potentially the whole set, of the RF beam generators are fixed in position. In some embodiments the positions of some such subset are adjustable by hand labor.

[0056] In some embodiments the positions of some such subset are controlled by servomotors and the machine changes the position of each such RF beam generator through its programming.

[0057] In some embodiments some subset, which is potentially the whole set, of the RF beam generators sit at fixed orientations in the machine. In some embodiments the orientations some such subset may be adjusted by hand labor. In some embodiments the orientations of some such subset are controlled by servomotors and the machine changes the orientation of each such RF beam generator in the subset through its programming. In some further embodiments the machine calibrates the RF beam generators of the subset by the algorithm presented here. In some other further embodiments the machine, potentially in concert with the operators of the machine, calibrates the RF beam generator by some other algorithm.

[0058] In some embodiments the machine holds 127 RF beam generators. In some embodiments the machine holds some other number of RF beam generators.

[0059] In some embodiments some subset, which is potentially the whole set, of the RF beam generators sit in a hexagonal array. In some embodiments some such subset sit in some other geometric arrangement. In some embodiments some such subset follows no specific geometric pattern.

[0060] In some embodiments the RF beam generators are 20 cm apart. In some embodiments the RF beam generators are some other distance apart.

[0061] In some embodiments the RF beam generators emit beams at 1000 GHz. In some embodiments the RF beam generators emit beams at some other frequency. In some embodiments some RF generators are tunable to emit RF at different frequencies. In some embodiments different RF generators are tuned to emit RF at different frequencies at the same time.

[0062] In some embodiments the RF beams are 2 mm wide. In some embodiments the RF beams have some other diameter. In some embodiments different RF beams have different diameters.

[0063] In some embodiments an RF beam is cylindrical. In some embodiments an RF beam is conical. In some some other embodiments an RF beam is some other shape. In some embodiments different RF beams have differing shapes drawn from this set.

[0064] In some embodiments the focus is 2 mm wide. In some embodiments the focus has some other diameter, between 0.001 mm and 10 cm.

[0065] In some embodiments the RF beam generators may be tuned to emit beams at different frequencies, and personnel program the RF beam generators to emit RF beams at different frequencies. In some further embodiments different RF beam generators emit beams at different frequencies at different times. In some further embodiments different RF beam generators all emit at the same frequency. In some other further embodiments different RF beam generators emit at varying frequencies at the same time.

[0066] In some embodiments personnel program the machine to fire beams for particular durations.

[0067] In some embodiments personnel program the machine to fire beams at particular intensities.

[0068] In some embodiments personnel program the machine to fire some RF beam generators and not others, thus allowing finer control over the intensity of energy at the focus. This also allows personnel to optimize where the RF beams traverse the patient's non-target tissue for various reasons, e.g. to avoid tissue that is impervious to the RF beams.

[0069] In some embodiments personnel program different RF beams at different frequencies.

[0070] In some embodiments personnel program different RF beams to fire at different intensities.

[0071] In some embodiments personnel program different RF beams to fire at different times.

[0072] In some embodiments personnel program different RF beams to fire for different durations.

[0073] In some embodiments the machine comprises other mechanisms to determine features inside living tissue. Such features include but are not limited to tumors, bone, muscle, connective tissue, fatty deposits, and organs. Such mechanisms include but are not limited to X-rays, NMR and ultrasound.

[0074] In some embodiments the machine contains mechanisms to detect when, as the living tissue moves, the focus coincides with the intended target. In some embodiments the machine works in tandem with other machines which determine when this happens. In some further embodiments the machine is programmed to energize its RF beams at precisely those times when the focus coincides with the intended target.

[0075] In some embodiments the machine uses a thermometer to measure temperature at the focus and in other tissue. In some embodiments the machine uses some non-invasive means to measure such temperature.

[0076] In some embodiments the machine holds no such apparatus to measure temperature.

[0077] In some embodiments the machine incorporates other courses of treatment including but not limited to ultrasound, focused ultrasound heating, and gamma radiation.

Combination Embodiments

[0078] In some embodiments the machine works with some other mechanism to heat the target and the tissue surrounding it, elevating the temperature of all this tissue to below the threshold for thermal damage. Techniques for this general heating include but are not limited to infrared radiation, ultrasound, conduction and convection. Then the machine heats the target with multiple directed RF beams enough to cause the target tissue to ablate. The advantage of this technique over using RF beams alone is that the amount of temperature increase due to RF alone does not need to be as much.

[0079] In some embodiments the machine works with other machines that provide other courses of treatment including but not limited to ultrasound, focused ultrasound heating, gamma radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and nanoparticle therapy.

[0080] In some embodiments to treat a tumor a patient receives a chemotherapy treatment drug, and this drug travels all or part of the patient's body. These travel all over the body, including into the target. Then the RF generators emit RF beams which focus on the target, where those RF beams are tuned to a frequency which excites the given chemotherapy trug only at the target.

[0081] In some embodiments nanoparticles, such as but not limited to gold nanoshells and nanorods, superparamagnetic iron oxide particles and carbon nanotubes, are introduced into the patient's body. These travel all over the body, including into the target. Then the RF generators emit RF beams which focus on the target, where those RF beams are tuned to a frequency which excites the given nanoparticles only at the target.

Further Embodiments

[0082] We show these alternatives to be exemplary and in no way limiting. The embodiments of the invention are various and numerous, without departing from its spirit or sacrificing its advantages.

Advantages

[0083] This technique has advantages over the various existing techniques heat-treating various forms of target.

[0084] Surgical removal indeed eliminates tumors, cysts, and ulcers. And surgical techniques may stop internal bleeding or other wounds. But surgery itself affects the body of the patient. Some tumors are inoperable. Some internal bleeding sites are untreatable. And even when a tumor or other site is operable surgery is traumatic; it causes systemic shock, and also results in scar tissue. It may lead to the introduction into the patient's body of undesired cells, microbes or toxins.

[0085] Radiation treatment is an effective way to treat tumors, but alas, it is difficult to direct radiation to strike a tumor alone, without also affecting a significant amount of the surrounding tissue. One conventional way to use RF to ablate tissue is to penetrate the tissue to ablate with a needle emitter which generates RF from its tip. But this technique has the disadvantage that it is by definition surgically invasive.

[0086] Gamma knife radiation treatment seems very effective at treating those types of tumors that respond well to radiation. But it is very expensive. The inventions presented here are much more economical. Chemotherapy is also effective against tumors, but again by its very nature is toxic to the body.

[0087] Chemotherapy effectively uses poisons to kill tumors, which are more susceptible to such poisons than non-cancerous tissue. But even so chemotherapy drugs are poisonous to the rest of the body as well, and weakens the body.

[0088] A single metamaterial lens generating a directed beam where all the energy converges at the focus, could in theory achieve a result somewhat similar to that of this invention. However, a single such beam would damage not just the tissue intended for ablation, but also the tissues surrounding it, since the RF beam would get ever stronger as it neared the focus, and then weaken gradually as it passed the focus.

[0089] Focused ultrasound techniques may provide potential courses of localized thermal treatment that may compete with the machine and courses of treatment disclosed here. However, it is likely that ultrasound at various frequencies, and RF at various frequencies, provide potentially different levels of effectiveness. This arises due to how ultrasound at different frequencies, and RF at different frequencies: [0090] penetrate tissue [0091] dissipate into heat energy in tissue [0092] disperse, thus losing concentration, in tissue [0093] reflect and/or refract in tissue particularly at boundaries such as between bone and connective tissue, or muscle and fatty tissue

[0094] So it is likely that RF and ultrasound techniques will complement each other as potential courses of thermal ablation treatment.

[0095] The invention presented here offers the hope of being able to target very specific target tissue and nothing else, without invasive surgery and the complications thereof.

CONCLUSIONS, RAMIFICATIONS AND SCOPE

[0096] The hope is the invention presented here will augment the arsenal of techniques and machines to be used against cancer, and using these inventions either by themselves, or in conjunction with other techniques such as radiation therapy, chemotherapy and surgery, will enhance the chance of surviving cancer.

[0097] Also the hope is the inventions presented here will enable easier, cheaper and more effective treatment of various other ailments, from ulcers to removal of undesirable fatty deposits, than surgery might.