A microwave or other radio frequency (RF) hyperthermia system and method
with improved uniformity and selection of heating. The novel apparatus has
a single applicator or an array of applicators excited by the RF/microwave
sources and connecting with some kind of controlling and monitoring
subsystems. It is used for ether hyperthermia or acupuncture to provide
invasive and noninvasive medical treatment to the target inside a human
body. The individual applicator consists of a central signal coaxial
needle surrounded by a plurality of secondary needles to enclose the
heated target. The applicator guides the wave to move forwardly further
resulting in a penetration improvement, and also to reduce the backward
reflection from the radiator end, thus to make the boundary of heating
pattern clear-defined. Such a guided-wave acupuncture needles or
like-needles array producing a quasi-TEM electromagnetic (EM) radiation
makes even one individual radiation applicator have a capability of EM
energy focus. The central part of the applicator forms a coaxial cable
type antenna. It also has a tunable feature to vary the position of each
needle and the resonance length of the coaxial needle radiator to make
individual applicator create a variable thermal pattern. In addition, the
frequency, amplitude, and relative phase from each applicator of the
formed array system can be varied by the RF/microwave generator,
amplifier, and phase shifter to create optimized heating patterns via the
feedback of a real time temperature profile and image display through a
computer control. Through the hollow needles it can provide
three-dimensional infusion of therapeutic materials and three-dimensional
temperature measurement.