Systems and methods for applying ultrasonic energy to the thoracic cavity
First Claim
1. An ultrasound applicator for applying ultrasound energy to the thoracic cavity comprising a housing sized for placement in acoustic contact with the thorax, an ultrasound transducer carried by the housing to generate ultrasound energy at a prescribed fundamental therapeutic frequency laying within a range of fundamental therapeutic frequencies not exceeding about 500 kHz, and an ultrasonic coupling region carried by the housing being adapted, in use, to contact skin and being sized to transcutaneously conduct ultrasound energy in a diverging beam that substantially covers an entire heart, and an assembly worn on the thorax and adapted to be affixed to the housing, to stabilize placement of the housing on the thorax during transcutaneous conduction of ultrasound energy.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods apply ultrasound energy to the thoracic cavity. The systems and methods make use of an ultrasound energy applicator comprising an ultrasound transducer carried by a housing to generate ultrasound energy at a prescribed fundamental therapeutic frequency laying within a range of fundamental therapeutic frequencies not exceeding about 500 kHz. An ultrasonic coupling region is carried by the housing. The coupling region is adapted, in use, to contact skin. The coupling region is also sized to transcutaneously conduct ultrasound energy in a diverging beam that substantially covers an entire heart. The applicator can also include an assembly worn on the thorax, which stabilizes placement of the housing on the thorax during transcutaneous conduction of ultrasound energy.
173 Citations
23 Claims
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1. An ultrasound applicator for applying ultrasound energy to the thoracic cavity comprising
a housing sized for placement in acoustic contact with the thorax, an ultrasound transducer carried by the housing to generate ultrasound energy at a prescribed fundamental therapeutic frequency laying within a range of fundamental therapeutic frequencies not exceeding about 500 kHz, and an ultrasonic coupling region carried by the housing being adapted, in use, to contact skin and being sized to transcutaneously conduct ultrasound energy in a diverging beam that substantially covers an entire heart, and an assembly worn on the thorax and adapted to be affixed to the housing, to stabilize placement of the housing on the thorax during transcutaneous conduction of ultrasound energy.
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2. An ultrasound applicator for applying ultrasound energy to the thoracic cavity comprising
a housing sized for placement in acoustic contact with the thorax, an ultrasound transducer carried by the housing to generate ultrasound energy at a prescribed fundamental therapeutic frequency laying within a range of fundamental therapeutic frequencies not exceeding about 500 kHz, and an ultrasonic coupling region carried by the housing being adapted, in use, to contact skin and having an effective diameter (D) to transcutaneously conduct ultrasound energy at the prescribed fundamental therapeutic frequency by the transducer, the transducer having an aperture size (AP) not greater than about 5 wavelengths, wherein AP is expressed as AP=D/WL, where WL is the wavelength of the fundamental frequency.
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3. An ultrasound applicator according to claim
further including an assembly worn on the thorax and adapted to be affixed to the housing, to stabilize placement of the housing on the thorax during transcutaneous conduction of ultrasound energy.
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15. A method for applying ultrasound energy to the thoracic cavity comprising the steps of
providing an ultrasound applicator including a housing sized for placement on the thorax, an ultrasound transducer carried by the housing, and an ultrasonic coupling region carried by the housing, placing the ultrasonic coupling region in acoustic contact with skin on the thorax, stabilizing the placement of the housing on the thorax, operating the ultrasound transducer to generate ultrasound energy at a prescribed fundamental therapeutic frequency laying within a range of fundamental therapeutic frequencies not exceeding about 500 kHz, and transcutaneously conducting the ultrasound energy through the ultrasonic coupling region in a diverging beam that substantially covers an entire heart.
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16. A method for applying ultrasound energy to the thoracic cavity comprising the steps of
providing an ultrasound applicator including a housing sized for placement in acoustic contact with the thorax, an ultrasound transducer carried by the housing, and an ultrasonic coupling region carried by the housing having an effective diameter (D), placing the ultrasonic coupling region in acoustic contact with skin on the thorax, operating the ultrasound transducer to generate ultrasound energy at a prescribed fundamental therapeutic frequency laying within a range of fundamental therapeutic frequencies not exceeding about 500 kHz, and transcutaneously conducting the ultrasound energy through the ultrasonic coupling region at the prescribed fundamental therapeutic frequency, wherein the transducer has an aperture size (AP) not greater than about 5 wavelengths, wherein AP is expressed as AP=D/WL, where WL is the wavelength of the fundamental frequency.
Specification
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Current AssigneeTIMI 3 Systems Incorporated
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Original AssigneeTIMI 3 Systems Incorporated
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InventorsThompson, Todd A., Horzewski, Michael J., Soursa, Veijo T.
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Application NumberUS09/935,908Publication NumberTime in Patent OfficeDaysField of SearchUS Class Current601/2CPC Class CodesA61B 2017/00725 Calibration or performance ...A61B 2017/00734 battery operatedA61B 2018/00023 closed, i.e. without wound ...A61B 90/50 Supports for surgical instr...A61N 2007/0073 using multiple frequenciesA61N 7/00 Ultrasound therapy lithotri...
