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Method for providing directional therapy to skeletal joints

  • US 10,272,271 B2
  • Filed: 11/12/2014
  • Issued: 04/30/2019
  • Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2002
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. An energy delivery system for treating a region of tissue associated with a spinal joint, the system comprising:

  • an ultrasound treatment assembly comprising one or more directional ultrasound transducers;

    wherein the one or more directional ultrasound transducers comprise an array of segmented tubular ultrasound transducers each of the transducers being angularly directive with opposing angular transducer regions that may be independently actuated such that a first angular opposing transducer region may be selected to operate in an active zone and a second angular opposing transducer region is selected not to operate in an inactive zone;

    a spinal joint delivery assembly that is adapted to deliver the ultrasound treatment assembly into the body with the one or more directional ultrasound transducers positioned at a location within the body associated with the spinal joint;

    an ultrasound control system with a temperature control system, and an ultrasound drive system;

    wherein the segmented array of tubular ultrasound transducers directionally deliver a therapeutic level of focused ultrasound energy in a first direction within the first angular opposing transducer region that is sufficient to necrose nociceptive nerve fibers in a vertebral body associated with the spinal joint without delivering a level of ultrasound energy in a second direction within the second angular opposing transducer region opposite the first direction, the second direction corresponding to the inactive zone;

    wherein the ultrasound treatment assembly is adapted to couple to the ultrasound control system; and

    wherein the ultrasound control system is adapted to control the ultrasound energy being emitted by the one or more directional ultrasound transducers as a function of at least one parameter related to thermal therapy in the region of tissue.

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