Apparatus and method for moving and activating an active agent

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9364165-B2
Application number	US-201013392536-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 6, 2010
Priority date	Sep 14, 2009
Publication date	Jun 14, 2016
Grant date	Jun 14, 2016

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus for moving a target element which comprises a magnetic material and an active agent, through an object, placing the target element at a predetermined position within the object and activating the active agent. The apparatus comprises: a selection unit comprising a selection field signal generator unit and selection field elements, such as selection field magnets or coils, for generating a magnetic selection field having a pattern in space of its magnetic field strength such that a first sub-zone having a low magnetic field strength and a second sub-zone having a higher magnetic field strength are formed in a field of view, a drive unit comprising a drive field signal generator unit and drive field coils for changing the position in space of the two sub-zones in the field of view ( 28 ) by a magnetic drive field unit so that the magnetization of the magnetic material changes locally, and a control unit for controlling the signal generator units to generate and provide control currents to the respective field coils to generate appropriate magnetic fields for moving the target element through the object in a direction instructed by movement commands, for placing the target element at the desired position within the object and for activating the active agent when the target element has reached the desired position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for moving a target element, comprising:
selection means comprising a selection field signal generator unit and selection field elements including selection field magnets or coils, for generating a magnetic selection field having a pattern in space of its magnetic field strength such that a first sub-zone having a low magnetic field strength and a second sub-zone having a higher magnetic field strength are formed in a field of view,
drive means comprising a drive field signal generator unit and drive field coils for changing a position in space of the two sub-zones in the field of view by means of a magnetic drive field so that magnetization of magnetic material changes locally, said selection field elements and drive field coils are configured to generate magnetic fields which move a target element through an object in a direction that places the target element at a desired position within the object and activates an active agent when the target element has reached the desired position;
said target element comprising a magnetic material and an active agent, and
control means for controlling said selection field signal generator unit and said drive field signal generator unit, said control means comprising:
an interface for inputting commands to provide a desired movement and/or a desired placement of the target element; and
an electrical or mechanical control unit configured to receive commands from the interface, said control unit generates and provides control currents to the selection means and drive means which cause the selection field elements and drive field coils to generate appropriate magnetic fields which move the target element through the object in a direction instructed by the commands, wherein said magnetic fields place the target element at a desired position within the object and activate the active agent when the target element has reached said desired position.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein actuation means are provided for changing the position in space of the two sub-zones in the field of view by means of a magnetic field for a sufficient period of time and/or with such a frequency that the magnetic material of the target element in the field, of view is heated so that the active agent is locally activated.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the actuation means are comprised of said drive means or a focus means comprising a focus field signal generator unit and focus field coils for changing the position in space of the field of view by means of a magnetic focus field.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein actuation means are provided for generating a rotating magnetic field in the field of view which separates the active agent from the target element due to rotating forces.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein focus means are provided which comprise a focus field signal generator unit and focus field coils for changing the position in space of the field, of view by means of a magnetic focus field.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving means which comprise at least one signal receiving unit and at least one receiving coil for acquiring detection signals, wherein the detection signals depend on the magnetization in the field of view, and wherein the magnetization is influenced by the change in the position in space of the first and second sub-zone, and
processing means for processing the detection signals acquired when appropriate magnetic fields are applied for determining the position of the target element within the object from the processed detection signals.

7. A method for moving a target element, comprising:
generating a magnetic selection field having a pattern in space of its magnetic field strength such that a first sub-zone having a low magnetic field strength and a second sub-zone having a higher magnetic field strength are formed in a field of view,
changing a position in space of the two sub-zones in the field of view so that magnetization of magnetic material changes locally,
moving the target element, comprising a magnetic material and an active agent, through an object in a direction instructed by movement commands to place the target element at a desired position within the object and activating the active agent when the target element has reached said desired position by controlling the generation of magnetic fields.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising a program code means, said program code means when executed, by a computer causes the computer to input commands into the interface to provide the desired movement and/or the desired placement of the target element in order to control generation of magnetic fields of the selection field signal generator unit and the drive field signal generator unit by a control unit of the apparatus as claimed in claim 1 .

Assignees

• Gleich Bernhard
• Koninkl Philips Nv

Inventors

• Gleich Bernhard

Classifications

• A61P9/00

  Drugs for disorders of the cardiovascular system · CPC title

• A61B5/05 Primary

  Detecting, measuring or recording for diagnosis by means of electric currents or magnetic fields; Measuring using microwaves or radio waves (measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof A61B5/11; detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof A61B5/24) · CPC title

• A61B5/06

  Devices, other than using radiation, for detecting or locating foreign bodies {; Determining position of diagnostic devices within or on the body of the patient} · CPC title

• A61B2034/731

  Arrangement of the coils or magnets · CPC title

• A61B5/0515

  Magnetic particle imaging · CPC title