Methods and systems for treating plantar fascia

• US 10,183,182 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2011
• Issued: 01/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Guided Therapy Systems Llc
• Original Assignee: Guided Therapy Systems Llc
• Inventors: Slayton, Michael H., Barthe, Peter G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hien
• Application Number:
  US13/136,541
• Publication Number:
  US 20120143056A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,730 Days
• Field of Search: 601 2
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320069 for ablating tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00642 with feedback, i.e. closed loop control
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00898 Alarms or notifications created in response to an abnormal condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/378 using ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/13 Tomography A61B8/10, A61B8/12 take precedence; tomography for radiation diagnosis A61B6/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/14 Echo-tomography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4254 using sensors mounted on the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4272 involving the acoustic interface between the transducer and the tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/485 involving measuring strain or elastic properties
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/5246 combining images from the same or different imaging techniques, e.g. color Doppler and B-mode
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0013 Fracture healing
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0034 Skin treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0052 using the same transducer for therapy and imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/006 Lenses
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0065 Concave transducers
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0091 with moving parts, e.g. transducers, lenses, reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0095 by modifying an excitation signal
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/027 with multiple foci created simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/00 Ultrasound therapy lithotripsy A61B17/22, A61B17/225; massage using supersonic vibration A61H23/00 ; using ultrasound for introducing media into the body A61M37/0092
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/02 Localised ultrasound hyperthermia hyperthermia in general A61F7/00

Abstract

Various embodiments, described herein, provide methods and systems for the treatment of plantar fascia. In some embodiments, a method of non-invasive treatment of plantar fasciacan include the steps of identifying a damage location comprising a planter fascia; directing a conformal distribution of ultrasound energy to the plantar fascia at the damage location; creating a plurality of micro lesions in the plantar fascia at the damage location; initiating healing of a plurality of micro tears in the plantar fascia at the damage location; and sparing intervening tissue between the plantar fascia and a surface of a sole of a foot.

Claims

1. A non-invasive method of treating a plantar fascia using an ultrasound treatment system, the method comprising:

locating a damage location within the plantar fascia; and

directing, non-invasively, using the ultrasound treatment system, a therapeutically effective amount of conformal distributions of ultrasound energy to the damage location within the plantar fascia or tissue within the plantar fascia surrounding the damage location, thereby creating a therapeutically effective amount of conformal regions of elevated temperature in the plantar fascia, thereby creating a therapeutically effective amount of micro-lesions in the plantar fascia.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein locating the damage location comprises imaging the damage location.

3. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising driving a medicant into the damage location with the therapeutically effective amount of conformal distributions of ultrasound energy.

4. The method according to claim 3, the method further comprising activating the medicant with the therapeutically effective amount of conformal distributions of ultrasound energy.

5. The method according to claim 1, the therapeutically effective amount of conformal distributions of ultrasound energy peaking inflammation and initiating a wound healing cascade in a subcutaneous tissue surrounding the damage location.

6. The method according to claim 1, the therapeutically effective amount of conformal distributions of ultrasound energy welding together a portion of the plantar fascia in the damage location.

7. The method according to claim 1, the therapeutically effective amount of conformal distributions of ultrasound energy stimulating collagen growth in the plantar fascia.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein the therapeutically effective amount of conformal regions of elevated temperature are placed at a selected depth below the surface of a foot and have a defined shape and volume.

8. A method of non-invasive treatment of a plantar fascia using an ultrasound treatment system, the method comprising:

locating a damage location within a plantar fascia, the damage location including a micro-tear; and

directing, non-invasively, using the ultrasound treatment system, a therapeutically effective amount of conformal distributions of ultrasound energy to the plantar fascia at the damage location within the plantar fascia or tissue within the plantar fascia surrounding the damage location, thereby creating a therapeutically effective amount of micro lesions in the plantar fascia, the therapeutically effective amount of micro-lesions initiating healing of the micro tear.

9. The method according to claim 8, the therapeutically effective amount of conformal distributions of ultrasound energy welding together the micro-tear.

10. The method according to claim 8, the therapeutically effective amount of conformal distributions of ultrasound energy stimulating collagen growth in the plantar fascia.

11. The method according to claim 8, the therapeutically effective amount of conformal distributions of ultrasound energy increasing blood perfusion to the damage location.

12. The method according to claim 8, the method further comprising directing, using the ultrasound treatment system, a second and different therapeutically effective amount of conformal distributions of ultrasound energy to the plantar fascia at the damage location or surrounding tissue, thereby initiating a therapeutic effect on the plantar fascia.

13. The method according the claim 8, the therapeutically effective amount of conformal distributions of ultrasound energy creating a three dimensional matrix of micro lesions in the plantar fascia at the damage location.

14. A method of non-invasive treatment of a plantar fascia using an ultrasound transducer, the method comprising:

coupling the ultrasound transducer to a tissue surface of a foot containing the plantar fascia, the ultrasound transducer configured to emit ultrasound energy;

locating a micro-tear in the plantar fascia; and

non-invasively focusing a therapeutically effective amount of conformal distributions of the ultrasound energy from the ultrasound transducer to the micro-tear in the plantar fascia, thereby creating a therapeutically effective amount of conformal regions of elevated temperature at the micro-tear in the plantar fascia, thereby welding the micro-tear, wherein the therapeutically effective amount of conformal regions of elevated temperature are placed at a selected depth below the tissue surface and have a defined shape and volume.

15. The method according to claim 14, the method further comprising imaging the damage location before and after creating the therapeutically effective amount of conformal regions of elevated temperature in the damage location.

16. The method according to claim 14, the therapeutically effective amount of conformal distributions of ultrasound energy ablating a portion of the plantar fascia.

17. The method according to claim 14, the method further comprising driving a medicant into the damage location with the therapeutically effective amount of conformal distributions of ultrasound energy.