Energy treatment apparatus

• US 20050070961A1
• Filed: 07/14/2004
• Published: 03/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Terumo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Terumo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Maki, Shin, Shiono, Hiroshi
• Application Number:
  US10/890,153
• Publication Number:
  US 20050070961A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00005 Cooling or heating of the probe or tissue immediately surrounding the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/50 Supports for surgical instruments, e.g. articulated arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0078 with multiple treatment transducers
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/02 Localised ultrasound hyperthermia hyperthermia in general A61F7/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/022 intracavitary

Abstract

An energy treatment apparatus adapted to irradiate a target site of living body tissue with energy comprises an energy emission unit for emitting the energy and a reflection device disposed at a position opposite to the energy emission unit to reflect energy emitted from the energy emission unit toward the target site. The energy emission unit can be controlled so that the emitted energy and the reflected energy are superposed on one another at the target site. The energy emission unit can include several energy emission units which emit different frequency energy. The energy emission unit can also be configured to emit energy toward the target site along different routes.

Claims

1. An energy treatment apparatus for irradiating living body tissue with energy, comprising:

an energy emission unit for emitting energy to irradiate a target site of living body tissue; and

reflection means disposed at a position opposite to said energy emission unit to reflect at least some of said energy emitted from said energy emission unit toward said target site.

2. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein emitted energy emitted from said energy emission unit and reflected energy reflected from said reflection means are superposed on each other at said target site.

3. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

an arranging apparatus for arranging both said reflection means and a main body which includes said energy emission unit.

4. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein said arranging apparatus comprises a holding unit for holding said main body including said energy emission unit, holding means for holding said reflection means, and a mechanism for regulating relative positions of said energy emission unit and said reflection means.

5. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 3, further comprising arrangement control means for controlling said arranging apparatus.

6. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 5, further comprising a controller for controlling said arrangement control means.

7. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 5, wherein said arrangement control means controls said energy emission unit and said reflection means such that the emitted energy emitted from said energy emission unit and the reflected energy reflected from said reflection means are superposed on each other at said target site.

8. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein said arranging apparatus is adapted to change a direction of said energy emission unit.

9. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 5, further comprising emission control means for controlling emitted energy emitted from said energy emission unit.

10. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 9, further comprising a controller for controlling said arrangement control means or for controlling both said arrangement control means and said emission control means.

11. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 9, wherein said emission control means controls an irradiation pattern for concentrating said emitted energy to said target site, and controls irradiation output and irradiation time.

12. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 11, wherein said emission control means controls said irradiation pattern so that said target site is intermittently irradiated with said emitted energy emitted from said emission unit.

13. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 9, wherein said emission control means controls an irradiation pattern so that the energy intermittently emitted from said energy emission unit and said reflected energy reflected by said reflection means reach said target site simultaneously.

14. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said reflection means comprises one of a fixed reflective surface and a variable reflective surface.

15. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said reflection means comprises a reflective surface whose curvature is variable.

16. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising reflection control means for controlling said reflection means.

17. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said reflection means comprises energy detection means for detecting a quantity of said energy reaching said reflection means from said energy emission unit.

18. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said reflection means comprises means for discharging air present between the reflector means and a living body wall.

19. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said emission unit is provided on a main body, and further comprising cooling means for cooling at least one of said energy emission unit and living body tissue which makes contact with said main body.

20. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 19, further comprising cooling control means for controlling said cooling means.

21. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising cooling means for cooling at least one of said reflection means and living body tissue which makes contact with said reflection means.

22. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 21, further comprising cooling control means for controlling said cooling means.

23. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

reflection control means for controlling said reflection means;

an arranging apparatus at which are arranged both said reflection means and a main body which includes said energy emission unit;

arrangement control means for controlling said arranging apparatus;

emission control means for controlling emitted energy emitted from said energy emission unit; and

a controller for controlling said reflection control means or for controlling at least two of said reflection control means, said arrangement control means, and said emission control means.

24. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

cooling means for cooling at least one of said reflection means and said energy emission unit;

cooling control means for controlling said cooling means;

reflection control means for controlling said reflection means;

an arranging apparatus at which are arranged both said reflection means and a main body which includes said energy emission unit;

arrangement control means for controlling said arranging apparatus;

emission control means for controlling emitted energy emitted from said energy emission unit; and

a controller for controlling said cooling control means or for controlling at least two of said cooling control means, said arrangement control means, said emission control means, and said reflection control means.

25. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein a main body which includes said energy emission unit comprises means for converging or collimating a spreading angle of said emitted energy emitted by the energy emission unit.

26. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the energy emission unit is provided at a main body, and further comprising an expandable and contractable balloon provided at said main body.

27. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the energy emission unit is provided at a main body, and further comprising a hydrophilic polymer material provided on a surface of said main body, or on a surface of said reflection means or on surfaces of both said main body and said reflection means.

28. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said energy is ultrasonic wave.

29. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising means operatively connected to the energy emission unit for moving said energy emission unit in a reciprocating manner causing the energy to be emitted toward the target site along different routes.

30. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said energy emission unit is provided at an elongated main body, and further comprising means connected to the energy emission unit for moving the energy emission unit relative to said main body to change a position of the energy emission unit along the main body and direct the energy toward the target site along different routes.

31. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising means connected to the energy emission unit for varying a rotational position of the energy emission unit to direct the energy toward the target site along different routes.

32. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said energy emission unit is provided in a base, said base comprising engaging portions which engage grooves disposed along a main body, and further comprising means connected to the base for moving the base along the grooves to direct the energy toward the target site along different routes.

33. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said energy emission unit comprises a rotatable reflector connected to a slide portion so that the energy is directed from the reflector to the target site, the reflector comprising portions which engage and slide along grooves, and further comprising means connected to the slide portion to move the slide portion and vary a rotational position of the reflector to direct the energy toward the target site along different routes.

34. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said energy emission unit comprises a plurality of energy emission units, and further comprising control means connected to the energy emission units to emit different frequency energies from the energy emission units.

35. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein said reflection means is sized to be inserted in a rectum and said main body is sized to be inserted in a urethra.

36. An energy treatment apparatus for irradiating living body tissue with energy, comprising:

an energy emission unit for emitting energy toward a target site of living body tissue;

reflection means disposed at a position opposite to said energy emission unit to reflect said energy emitted from said energy emission unit toward said target site; and

moving means for moving said energy emission unit to vary a position of said energy emission unit.

37. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 36, wherein said energy emission unit and said reflector are positioned relative to one another such that emitted energy emitted from said energy emission unit and reflected energy reflected from said reflection means are superposed on each other at said target site.

38. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 36, further comprising an elongated main body at which is located said energy emission unit, said moving means moving the energy emission unit along an axial direction of said main body.

39. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 36, further comprising an elongated main body in which is disposed said energy emission unit, said energy emission unit being repeatedly reciprocated in an axial direction of said main body by said moving means.

40. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 39, wherein said energy emission unit is mounted in the main body such that energy emitted by the energy emission unit during reciprocating movement of said energy emission unit is directed at said target site.

41. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 36, further comprising movement control means connected to the moving means for regulating an amount of movement and a speed of movement of said energy emission unit.

42. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 36, further comprising a main body at which is provided the energy emission unit and an arranging apparatus in which are arranged both said main body and said reflection means.

43. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 42, wherein said arranging apparatus comprises a first holding unit for holding said main body, a second holding unit for holding said reflection means, and means for changing relative positions of said main body and said reflection means.

44. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 42, further comprising an arrangement control means for controlling said arranging apparatus.

45. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 42, wherein said arrangement control means control said arranging apparatus so that emitted energy emitted from said energy emission unit and reflected energy reflected from said reflection means are superposed on each other at said target site.

46. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 42, wherein said arranging apparatus is adapted to change a direction of said energy emission unit.

47. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 36, further comprising emission control means connected to said energy emission unit for controlling at least one of an irradiation pattern, an irradiation time, and irradiation output of emitted energy emitted from said energy emission unit.

48. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 36, wherein said reflection means comprises a reflection surface and means for varying a radius of curvature of said reflection surface.

49. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 36, wherein said reflection means comprises a reflection surface having a fixed radius of curvature.

50. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 36, wherein said reflection means comprises a reflection surface having a variable radius of curvature.

51. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 36, further comprising reflection control means for controlling said reflection means.

52. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 36, further comprising energy detection means for detecting a quantity of said energy reaching said reflection means from said energy emission unit.

53. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 36, wherein said reflection means comprises means for discharging air present between the reflector means and a living body wall.

54. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 36, wherein said emission unit is provided at a main body, further comprising cooling means for cooling at least one of said energy emission unit and living body tissue contacted by said main body.

55. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 54, further comprising cooling control means for controlling said cooling means.

56. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 36, further comprising cooling means for cooling at least one of said reflection means and living body tissue contacted by said reflection means.

57. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 56, further comprising cooling control means for controlling said cooling means.

58. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 36, further comprising:

reflection control means for controlling said reflection means;

an arranging apparatus in which are arranged both said reflection means and a main body which includes said energy emission unit;

arrangement control means for controlling said arranging apparatus;

emission control means for controlling emitted energy emitted from said energy emission unit; and

a controller for controlling at least two of said reflection control means, said arrangement control means, and said emission control means.

59. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 36, further comprising:

cooling means for cooling at least one of said reflection means and said energy emission unit;

cooling control means for controlling said cooling means;

reflection control means for controlling said reflection means;

an arranging apparatus at which are arranged both said reflection means and a main body which includes said energy emission unit;

arrangement control means for controlling said arranging apparatus;

emission control means for controlling emitted energy emitted from said energy emission unit; and

a controller for controlling at least two of said cooling control means, said arrangement control means, said emission control means, and said reflection control means.

60. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 36, further comprising:

cooling means for cooling at least one of said reflection means and said energy emission unit;

movement control means for controlling an amount of movement and a speed of movement of said energy emission unit;

cooling control means for controlling said cooling means;

reflection control means for controlling said reflection means;

an arranging apparatus at which are arranged both said reflection means and a main body which includes said energy emission unit;

arrangement control means for controlling said arranging apparatus;

emission control means for controlling emitted energy emitted from said energy emission unit; and

a controller for controlling at least two of said cooling control means, said movement control means, said arrangement control means, said emission control means, and said reflection control means.

61. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 36, wherein the energy emission unit is provided at a main body, and further comprising an expandable and contractable balloon provided at said main body.

62. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 36, wherein said energy is ultrasonic wave.

63. An energy treatment apparatus for irradiating living body tissue with energy, comprising:

energy emission means for emitting energy toward a target site of living body tissue along a plurality of different routes;

reflection means disposed in opposing relation to said energy emission means for receiving at least some of said energy emitted along said different routes from said energy emission means and for reflecting at least some of said energy emitted along said different routes from said energy emission means towards said target site.

64. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 63, wherein said energy emission means comprises an energy emission unit connected to means for moving the energy emission unit to emit said energy along said different routes.

65. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 63, wherein said energy emission means comprises an energy emission unit, at least a portion of said energy emission unit being rotatably mounted in a main body, and further comprising means for changing a rotational position of said at least a portion of the energy emission unit to emit said energy along said different routes.

66. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 63, wherein said energy emission means comprises an energy emission unit provided at an elongated main body, and further comprising means connected to said energy emission unit for moving the energy emission unit along at least a portion of the elongated main body to emit said energy along said different routes.

67. An energy treatment apparatus for irradiating living body tissue with energies, comprising:

a first energy emission unit for emitting energy having a first frequency toward a target site of living body tissue;

a second energy emission unit for emitting energy having a second frequency different from the first frequency toward said target site of living body tissue;

reflection means positioned relative to the first and second energy emission units for reflecting at least a portion of said energy of said first and second energy emission units toward the target site of living body tissue so that emitted energy from said first energy emission unit and reflected energy from said first emission unit that is reflected by the reflecting means produces a first standing wave between the first emission unit and the reflection means, and emitted energy from said second energy emission unit and reflected energy from said second energy emission unit that is reflected by the reflecting means produces a second standing wave between the second emission unit and the reflection means.

68. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 67, wherein said first and second standing waves are superposed on one another at said target site to produce an enhanced energy intensity at said target site.

69. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 67, wherein said first and second energy emission units are both adapted to be arranged on one side of the target side, and said reflection means is adapted to be arranged at an opposite side of the target site in opposing relation to the first and second emission units so that the target site is located between the reflection means and the first and second emission units.

70. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 67, wherein said reflector means comprises first and second reflectors, said first energy emission unit and said first reflector being integrated with one another to form a first unit adapted to be positioned on one side of the target site, said second energy emission unit and said second reflector being integrated with one another to form a second unit adapted to be positioned on an opposite side of said target site so that the target site is positioned between the first and second units.

71. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 67, further comprising an arranging apparatus at which are arranged said first and second emission units and said reflection means.

72. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 71, wherein said arranging apparatus comprises a first holding unit for holding said first and second energy emission units, a second holding unit for holding said reflection means, and a mechanism for varying relative positions of said reflection means and said first and second energy emission units.

73. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 72, further comprising arrangement control means for controlling said arranging apparatus.

74. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 73, wherein said arrangement control means controls the arranging apparatus so that the emitted energies emitted from said first and second energy emission units and the reflected energies reflected from said reflection means are superposed on each other at said target site.

75. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 72, wherein said arranging apparatus is adapted to change directions of said first and second energy emission units.

76. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 67, further comprising emission control means for controlling the emitted energies emitted from said first and second energy emission units.

77. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 76, wherein said emission control means controls irradiation patterns for concentrating said emitted energies into said target site, irradiation outputs, and irradiation time.

78. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 67, wherein said reflection means comprises a reflection surface and means for varying a radius of curvature of said reflection surface.

79. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 67, wherein said reflection means comprises a reflection surface having a fixed radius of curvature.

80. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 67, wherein said reflection means comprises a reflection surface having a variable radius of curvature.

81. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 67, further comprising reflection control means for controlling said reflection means.

82. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 67, wherein said reflection means comprises energy detection means for detecting quantities of said energies reaching said reflection means from said first and second energy emission units.

83. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 67, wherein said reflection means comprises means for discharging air present between the reflector means and a living body wall.

84. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 67, wherein said first and second emission units are provided at a main body, further comprising cooling means for cooling at least one of said first and second energy emission units and living body tissue contacted by said main body.

85. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 84, further comprising cooling control means for controlling said cooling means.

86. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 67, further comprising cooling means for cooling at least one of said reflection means and living body tissue contacted by said reflection means.

87. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 86, further comprising cooling control means for controlling said cooling means.

88. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 67, wherein said energy is ultrasonic wave.

89. An energy treatment apparatus for irradiating living body tissue with energies, comprising:

energy emission means for emitting energy having first and second different frequencies toward a target site of living body tissue; and

reflection means positioned relative to the energy emission means to reflect at least a portion of emitted energy emitted by said energy emission means toward said target site of living body tissue.

90. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 89, wherein said energy emission means comprises first and second energy emission units which emit energy having different frequencies, and the reflector means comprises first and second reflectors.

91. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 90, wherein said first energy emission unit and said second energy emission unit are integrated together as a single unit.

92. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 90, wherein said first energy emission unit and said first reflector are integrated together and form a first unit, and said second energy emission unit and said second reflector are integrated together and form a second unit.

93. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 89, wherein said energy emission means comprises first and second energy emission units and control means connected to the first and second energy emission units to emit energy from the first and second energy emission units having different frequencies so that emitted energy from said first energy emission unit and reflected energy from said first emission unit that is reflected by the reflecting means produces a first standing wave, and emitted energy from said second energy emission unit and reflected energy from said second energy emission unit that is reflected by the reflecting means produces a second standing wave.

94. An energy treatment apparatus for irradiating living body tissue with energy, comprising:

energy emission means for emitting energy to irradiate a target site of living body tissue;

reflection means disposed relative to said energy emission means to reflect at least a portion of emitted energy emitted from said energy emission means toward said target site; and

control means for controlling the energy emission means so that reflected energy reflected by the reflecting means and the emitted energy emitted by the energy emission means are superposed on one another at said target site.

95. The energy treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 94, wherein said energy emission means emits energy pulses and the reflection means reflects at least a portion of each energy pulse emitted by said energy emission means, the control means controlling the energy emission means to emit successive energy pulses so that, with respect to a second energy pulse emitted in immediate succession after a first energy pulse, the second energy pulse and a reflected portion of the first energy pulse reflected by the reflection means are superposed on one another at said target site.

96. A method of treating living body tissue comprising;

emitting energy at a target site, with at least a portion of the emitted energy passing through said target site; and

reflecting at least a portion of the emitted energy which has passed through said target site back towards the target site.

97. The method according to claim 96, wherein the emitted energy emitted at the target site and the reflected energy reflected back towards said target site are superposed on one another at said target site.

98. The method according to claim 96, wherein the emitted energy is emitted at said target site along different routes.

99. The method according to claim 96, wherein the emitted energy is emitted from an emission source, and further comprising moving said emission source as energy is emitted at said target site.

100. The method according to claim 96, wherein the emitted energy emitted at said target comprises energy having different frequencies.

101. The method according to claim 96, wherein the emitted energy emitted at said target comprises first frequency energy having a first frequency and second frequency energy having a second frequency different from the first frequency, at least a portion of the emitted first frequency energy being reflected back towards said target site as reflected first frequency energy so that said emitted first frequency energy and said reflected first frequency energy produce a standing wave at the target site.

102. The method according to claim 101, wherein at least a portion of the emitted second frequency energy is reflected back towards said target site as reflected second frequency energy so that said emitted second frequency energy and said reflected second frequency energy produce a standing wave at the target site.

103. The method according to claim 96, wherein said energy is emitted at the target site from the urethra and is reflected from the rectum.

104. The method according to claim 96, wherein said energy is emitted at the target site from at least one energy emission unit positioned in the urethra, and the energy is reflected back towards the target site from at least one reflector positioned in the rectum.

105. The method according to claim 101, wherein the standing wave produced by the first frequency energy and the standing wave produced by the second frequency energy are superposed on each other at the target site.

106. An energy treatment apparatus for irradiating living body tissue with energy comprising:

a transuretheral energy emission unit for emitting energy to irradiate a target site of a living body tissue;

a transrectal reflection means disposed relative to said transuretheral energy emission unit to reflect at least a portion of emitted energy emitted from said transuretheral energy emission unit toward said target site; and

said target site being sandwiched between said transuretheral energy emission unit and said transrectal reflection means.

107. The energy treatment apparatus according to claim 106, wherein said transuretheral energy emission unit emits pulse energy, and emitted pulse energy emitted by said transuretheral energy emission unit and reflected energy reflected from said transrectal reflection means are superposed on each other at said target site.

108. The energy treatment apparatus according to claim 106, further-comprising means operatively connected to said transuretheral energy emission unit for moving said transuretheral energy emission unit in a reciprocating manner causing the energy to be emitted toward the target site along different routes.

109. The energy treatment apparatus according to claim 106, wherein said transuretheral energy emission unit emits energy having first and second different frequencies, and emitted energy emitted by said transuretheral energy emission unit and reflected energy reflected from said transrectal reflection means produce a standing wave having first and second different frequencies at said target site.

110. The energy treatment apparatus according to claim 109, wherein the standing wave having the first frequency and the standing wave having the second frequency are superposed on each other at said target site.