Abstract: A method for treating cancer and other hyperproliferative tissues in humans that can be exposed to light comprising injection of HPPH at the equivalent to a dose of 0.05 to 0.11 mg/kg of body weight 24 hours post injection and exposing the tumor or other hyperproliferative tissue to 665±10 nm of light at 50 to 200 Joules/cm2.

Abstract: A method for treatment of cancerous tissue in the upper respiratory system including the steps of: injecting HPPH in a physiologically compatible medium into a patient having the cancerous tissue at a level of 3 through 5 mg/m2 of body surface area, waiting for a time period of 24 through 60 hours to permit preferential absorption of the HPPH into the cancerous tissue, and exposing the cancerous tissue to light at a wavelength of about 665±5 nm at an energy of about 75 to about 200 Joules/cm.

Abstract: Provided herein are compounds for detection, diagnosis and treatment of target tissues or target compositions, including hyperproliferative tissues such as tumors, using photodynamic methods. In particular, photosensitizer compounds that collect in hyperproliferative tissue are provided. In another embodiment, compounds that absorb light at a wavelength of from about 700 to about 850 nm are provided. In a further embodiment, compounds that are detectable by magnetic resonance imaging are provided.

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: An apparatus that efficiently and accurately directs or splits a non-polarized light beam input from a fiber optic into one, two, four or eight output beams wherein the light beam input is passed through a collimator, the apparatus uses non-polarizing beam splitters and the output beams are coupled to fiber optics using a lens matched to divergence of the beam to direct the beam into the fiber optic and uses an iris diaphragm attenuator to adjust the energy of the output beam prior to its entry into the fiber optic.

Abstract: Provided herein are compounds for detection, diagnosis and treatment of target tissues or target compositions, including hyperproliferative tissues such as tumors, using photodynamic methods. In particular, photosensitizer compounds that collect in hyperproliferative tissue are provided. In another embodiment, compounds that absorb light at a wavelength of from about 700 to about 850 nm are provided. In a further embodiment, compounds that are detectable by magnetic resonance imaging are provided.

Abstract: An apparatus that efficiently and accurately directs or splits a non-polarized light beam input from a fiber optic into one, two, four or eight output beams wherein the light beam input is passed through a collimator, the apparatus uses non-polarizing beam splitters and the output beams are coupled to fiber optics using a lens matched to divergence of the beam to direct the beam into the fiber optic and uses an iris diaphragm attenuator to adjust the energy of the output beam prior to its entry into the fiber optic.

Abstract: Novel compounds that either preferentially absorb into hyperproliferative tissue and absorb light efficiently at a wavelength of between about 700 and about 850 nm or act as intermediates for such absorbing compounds.

Abstract: A steam chest can be used with both a vertical press and a horizontal press to manufacture foam prototypes in molding plates. The steam chest has a frame that can accept tooling that has been manufactured on a horizontal press or a vertical press. The same steam chest can be used to produce foam prototypes of various shapes and sizes within a particular size range. When the steam chest is used in a vertical press, the drainage hole that extends downward is in an edge wall. When the steam chest is used in a horizontal press, the drainage hole that extends downward is in a side wall.

Abstract: A carotene conjugate of the formula: ##STR1## where R.sup.1 is hydrogen or methyl; R.sup.2 is: ##STR2## R.sup.3, R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 are independently, hydrogen, methyl or ethyl; R.sup.6 and R.sup.7 are independently --R.sup.13, --OR , --C(R.sup.6)(O), --C(R.sup.16).sub.2 OR.sup.13, --CH.dbd.CHR.sup.13, or --(CH.sub.2)R.sup.14 ; R.sup.8 is --R.sup.13, --OR.sup.13, --C(R.sup.16)(O), --C(R.sup.16).sub.2 OR.sup.13, --CH.dbd.CHR.sup.13, or --(CH.sub.2)R.sup.14 or taken with R.sup.10 is .dbd.O; R.sup.9 is --R.sup.13, --OR.sup.13, --C(R.sup.16)(O), --C(R.sup.16).sub.2 OR.sup.13, --CH.dbd.CHR.sup.13, or --(CH.sub.2)R.sup.14 or taken with R.sup.10 is a chemical bond; R.sup.10 is --R.sup.13, --OR.sup.13, --C(R.sup.16)(O) , --C(R.sup.16).sub.2 OR.sup.13, --CH.dbd.CHR.sup.13, or --(CH.sub.2)R.sup.14 or taken together with R.sup.9 is a chemical bond or taken with R.sup.8 is .dbd.O; R.sup.11 is R.sup.13, or --OR.sup.13 ; R.sup.12 is --C(R.sup.13).sub.2 C(Y)--, --C(O)O(O)C--, --C(NR.sup.13)O(O)C--, or --C(O)N(R.sup.

Abstract: An apparatus that efficiently and accurately splits a laser beam input into eight or more outputs where the beam energies of the output beams are within ten and preferably within five percent of each other. The apparatus includes an arrangement of at least seven beam splitters each of which can split an incident laser beam into two exit beams of equal energy at a particular incident angle. At least some of the splitters have different particular incident angles but the particular incident angle of the first splitter is used as the incident angle for all splitters. The exit beams of the first splitter are directed to second and third splitters that have particular incident angles relatively close to the particular incident angle of the first splitter when compared with the relationship of the particular incident angle of the first splitter to the particular incident angles of the remaining splitters.

Abstract: Compounds having the generic formula: ##STR1## where R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are independently alkyl of 3 through about 10 carbon atoms; provided that, R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 together contain at least six carbon atoms. The compounds have utility in photodynamic therapy in treatment of tumors and other diseases. The invention includes a method of treatment by contacting a tumor with the compound and then exposing the tumor to light.

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: A submersible lens fiberoptic assembly for PDT treatment includes an optical fiber, a fiber jacket, a ball lens made of zirconia and a housing. This fiberoptic assembly is simple and inexpensive to manufacture, and has a high quality of output light beam. A submersible lens fiberoptic assembly for PDT treatments is also disclosed which uses a hemisphere ball lens for treatment of areas inaccessible to a normal "forward looking" lens.

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 system for monitoring the condition of the distal tip of an optical treatment fiber, including a monitor for measuring the intensity of light backscattered from the distal tip. A treatment laser is coupled to a jumper fiber, which has its distal end optically coupled to the proximal end of the treatment fiber, for transmitting light from the laser to treatment tissue at a treatment site in a patient. The monitor determines the amount of laser light backscattered from the distal tip of the treatment fiber, thereby indicating whether an abnormal condition exists at the distal tip. At least one additional fiber is optically coupled to the treatment fiber for receiving tip backscatter unpolluted by interface backscatter between the jumper fiber and the treatment fiber. Additional fibers may also be optically coupled to the treatment fiber for receiving and monitoring the tip backscatter light or return light from the treatment tissue.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for in vivo detection of abnormal tissue in patients by irradiating a diagnostic region simultaneously with at least two wavelengths of incident light, and detecting the resulting fluorescence of normal and abnormal tissue. The patient is provided with a photosensitizer which preferentially collects in abnormal tissue, and beams of light--preferably at about 612 and 632.8 nm--are directed to the diagnostic region. The beams of light are chopped at 90 and 135 Hz, respectively. Fluorescent light from the diagnostic region is then detected, and an electronic signal is generated relating to the intensity of the fluorescence. Because of the chopping of the incident beams, the fluorescent light and the resulting electronic signal are also chopped. The electronic signal is provided as input to phase-locked amplifier circuitry, which differentiates between the contribution to the signal resulting from each of the 612 and 632.8 nm incident beams.

Abstract: A submersible lens fiberoptic assembly for PDT treatment includes an optical fiber, a fiber jacket, a ball lens made of zirconia and a housing. This fiberoptic assembly is simple and inexpensive to manufacture, and has a high quality of output light beam. A submersible lens fiberoptic assembly for PDT treatments is also disclosed which uses a hemisphere ball lens for treatment of areas inaccessible to a normal "forward looking" lens.

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: Provided herein are compounds for detection, diagnosis and treatment of target tissues or target compositions, including hyperproliferative tissues such as tumors, using photodynamic methods. In particular, photosensitizer compounds that collect in hyperproliferative tissue are provided. In another embodiment, compounds that absorb light at a wavelength of from about 700 to about 850 nm are provided. In a further embodiment, compounds that are detectable by magnetic resonance imaging are provided.