Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus which includes a polypod support which includes a fiber optic supporting platform. The fiber optic supporting platform includes an opening. The apparatus further includes at least three legs forming a tripod, each of the legs having two ends, a first end being secured to the fiber optic supporting platform and the second end being adapted for attachment to the skin of the patient, a first tube having an outer diameter, a second tube having an outer diameter and an inner diameter, where the inner diameter of the second tube surrounds the outer diameter of the first tube and where the outer diameter of the second tube is slidably mounted within the opening of the fiber optic surrounding platform and a fiber optic.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for stabilizing a fiber optic relative to the skin surface of a patient so that radiation from the fiber optic strikes a defined surface area on the skin independently of patient movement. The apparatus comprises a polypod support having a fiber optic supporting platform and at least three legs to form a tripod. Each of the legs has two ends, a first of which is secured to the fiber optic supporting platform and the second of which is securely attached to the skin of the patient, either directly or by means of a foot attached to the second end. The method of the present invention comprises attaching a polypod, as above described, to the skin of a patient and irradiating a defined surface area by means of an end of a fiber optic held by the polypod support.

Abstract: To obtain tumor-selective, photosensitizing drugs useful in the localization of neoplastic tissue and treatment of abnormal neoplastic tissue such as tumors, one of two methods is used. In the first method, a hydrolyzed mixture of the products of reaction of hematoporphyrin with acetic acid and sulfuric acid is cycled through a microporous membrane system to exclude low molecular weight products. In the second method, drugs are synthesized or derived from other pyrrole compounds. The drugs: (1) include two covalently bound groups, each with four rings, some of which are pyrroles such as phlorins, porphyrins, chlorins, substituted pyrroles, substituted chlorins or substituted phlorins, each group being arranged in a ring structure, connected covalently to another group and have a triplet energy state above 37.

Abstract: To obtain tumor-selective, photosensitizing drugs useful in the localization of neoplastic tissue and treatment of abnormal neoplastic tissue such as tumors, one of two methods is used. In the first method, a hydrolyzed mixture of the products of reaction of hematoporphyrin with acetic acid and sulfuric acid is cycled through a microporous membrane system to exclude low molecular weight products. In the second method, drugs are synthesized or derived from other pyrrole compounds. The drugs: (1) include two covalently bound groups, each with four rings, some of which are pyrroles such as phlorins, porphyrins, chlorins, substituted pyrroles, substituted chlorins or substituted phlorins, each group being arranged in a ring structure, connected covalently to another group and have a triplet energy state above 37.

Abstract: To obtain tumor-selective, photosensitizing drugs useful in the localization of neoplastic tissue and treatment of abnormal neoplastic tissue such as tumors, one of two methods is used. In the first method, a hydrolyzed mixture of the products of reaction of hematoporphyrin with acetic acid and sulfuric acid is cycled through a microporous membrane system to exclude low molecular weight products. In the second method, drugs are synthesized or derived from other pyrrole compounds. The drugs (1) include two covalently bound groups, each with four rings, some of which are pyrroles such as phlorins, porphyrins, chlorins, substituted pyrroles, substituted chlorins or substituted phlorins, each group being arranged in a ring structure, connected covalently to another group and have a triplet energy state above 37.

Abstract: A photosensitizing composition prepared by recovering a portion of hematoporphyrin derivative which has aggregate weight of more than 10 kd is useful in locating tumor tissue to which this improved photosensitizing drug homes. In the invention method, the subject is administered the improved drug and sufficient time is allowed to pass to permit accumulation of the drug in tumor tissue. The subject is then illuminated at suspected sites with radiation capable of absorption by the improved drug and which radiation produces fluorescence by the drug. Detection of the intensity of fluorescence indicates the quantity of drug at the measured location and permits assessment as to whether a tumor is present at that location.

Abstract: To obtain tumor-selective, photosensitizing drugs useful in the localization of neoplastic tissue and treatment of abnormal neoplastic tissue such as tumors, one of two methods is used. In the first method, a hydrolyzed mixture of the products of reaction of hematoporphyrin with acetic acid and sulfuric acid is cycled through a microporous membrane system to exclude low molecular weight products. In the second method, drugs are synthesized or derived from other pyrrole compounds. The drugs: (1) include two covalently bound groups, each with four rings, some of which are pyrroles such as phlorins, porphyrins, chlorins, substituted pyrroles, substituted chlorins or substituted phlorins, each group being arranged in a ring structure, connected covalently to another group and have a triplet energy state above 37.

Abstract: To provide to and receive radiation from a photodynamic drug in neoplastic tissue, a laser system transmits radiation through an interface into a radiation delivery system, which is in juxtaposition with neoplastic tissue containing a photodynamic drug. The laser system may be a single argon laser pumping a dye laser, two parallel sets of argon lasers pumping a dye laser, a krypton laser or a xenon laser. In addition to transmitting radiation from the laser to the delivery system, the interface system may: (1) direct a portion of the light back to the laser's power supply to control the intensity of the radiation emitted from the laser; and/or (2) receive light from the light conductors of the delivery system. The interface channels light to radiation sensing devices which are either from a beam splitter indicating the magnitude of the radiation delivered from the laser system to the radiation delivery system or radiation leaking through the light conductor.

Abstract: To obtain tumor-selective, photosensitizing drugs useful in the localization of neoplastic tissue and treatment of abnormal neoplastic tissue such as tumors, one of two methods is used. In the first method, a hydrolyzed mixture of the products of reaction of hematoporphyrin with acetic acid and sulfuric acid is cycled through a microporous membrane system to exclude low molecular weight products. In the second method, drugs are synthesized or derived from other pyrrole compounds. The drugs: (1) include two covalently bound groups, each with four rings, some of which are pyrroles such as phlorins, porphyrins, chlorins, substituted pyrroles, substituted chlorins or substituted phlorins, each group being arranged in a ring structure, connected covalently to another group and have a triplet energy state above 37.

Abstract: To obtain tumor-selective, photosensitizing drugs useful in the localization of neoplastic tissue and treatment of abnormal neoplastic tissue such as tumors, one of two methods is used. In the first method, a hydrolyzed mixture of the products of reaction of hematoporphyrin with acetic acid and sulfuric acid is cycled through a microporous membrane system to exclude low molecular weight products. In the second method, drugs are synthesized or derived from other pyrrole compounds. The drugs: (1) include two covalently bound groups, each with four rings, some of which are pyrroles such as phlorins, porphyrins, chlorins, substituted pyrroles, substituted chlorins or substituted phlorins, each group being arranged in a ring structure, connected covalently to another group and have a triplet energy state above 37.