METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR TREATMENT OF BLOOD VESSEL DISORDERS

• US 20060079868A1
• Filed: 10/07/2005
• Published: 04/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Guided Therapy Systems Llc
• Original Assignee: Guided Therapy Systems Llc
• Inventors: Makin, Inder Raj S., Slayton, Michael H., Barthe, Peter G.
• Application Number:
  US11/163,176
• Publication Number:
  US 20060079868A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/27
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00756 Port wine stains
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4281 characterised by sound-transmitting media or devices for coupling the transducer to the tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/429 characterised by determining or monitoring the contact between the transducer and the tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0008 Destruction of fat cells
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0078 with multiple treatment transducers
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/02 Localised ultrasound hyperthermia hyperthermia in general A61F7/00

Abstract

A non-invasive method and system for using ultrasound energy for the treatment of conditions resulting from vascular disorders is provided. In one embodiment, an image-treatment approach can be used to locate the blood vessel to be treated and then to ablate it non-invasively, while also monitoring the progress of the treatment. In another embodiment, a transducer is configured to deliver ultrasound energy to the regions of the superficial tissue (e.g., skin) such that the energy is deposited at the particular depth at which the vascular malformations (such as but not limited to varicose veins) are located below the skin surface. The ultrasound transducer can be driven at a number of different frequency regimes such that the depth and shape of energy concentration can match the region of treatment.

Claims

1. An ultrasound system configured for treatment of blood vessels comprising:

a control system configured for control of said ultrasound treatment system;

an imaging system coupled to said control system, said imaging system configured for imaging of a region of interest, said region of interest comprising at least one of a spider vein, an engorged blood vessel, a facial blood vessel, and an occlusion within a blood vessel;

an ultrasound probe configured for generating a conformal lesion within said region of interest to facilitate treatment of blood vessel disorders, said control system and said probe being configured to operate in a frequency range of about 2 MHz to about 20 MHz.

2. The ultrasound system of claim 1, wherein said ultrasound probe is configured for at least one of substantial ablation and complete ablation of said region of interest.

3. The ultrasound system of claim 1, wherein said ultrasound probe is further configured for spatial and temporal control to generate said conformal lesion.

6. The ultrasound system according to claim 1, wherein said control system comprises:

power source components configured to provide energy to said control system and said ultrasound probe;

sensing and monitoring components configured for monitoring spatial and temporal parameters;

cooling and coupling controls configured to remove waste heat from said ultrasound probe to facilitate temperature control at superficial human tissue interface and deeper into blood and tissue; and

processing and control logic components for overall control of said ultrasound treatment system.

7. The ultrasound system according to claim 1, wherein said ultrasound probe comprises:

a control interface for interfacing with said control system;

a transducer configured for providing ablative ultrasound energy to said region of interest;

coupling components for acoustically coupling said transducer to said region of interest;

monitoring and sensing components for facilitating control by said control system; and

a motion mechanism comprising one of manual and automated movement of said ultrasound probe.

8. The ultrasound system according to claim 1, wherein said ultrasound probe comprises a transducer, said transducer comprising at least one of a curvilinear array, an annular array, a linear array, a planar array, 1-D array, and a 2-D array.

9. The ultrasound system according to claim 1, wherein said ultrasound probe comprises an array and at least two focused transduction elements, wherein said array is at least one of a linear array, a planar array, 1-D array, 2-D array, and an annular array.

10. The ultrasound system according to claim 1, wherein said ultrasound probe comprises a single-element array configured with a plurality of masks.

11. The ultrasound system according to claim 1, wherein said ultrasound probe is configured to be combined with a pharmaceutical formulation.

12. The ultrasound system according to claim 11, wherein said ultrasound probe and said pharmaceutical formulation are configured to facilitate at least one of increased activity said pharmaceutical formulation, reduced dosage of said pharmaceutical formulation, reduced toxicity of said pharmaceutical formulation, and increased local effect of said pharmaceutical formulation in a site selective manner.

13. The ultrasound treatment system according to claim 1, wherein said treatment system comprises at least two of an imaging system, a therapy system, and a treatment monitoring system, wherein said at least two systems are combined with an auxiliary imaging and treatment monitoring apparatus and a secondary therapy system.

14. The ultrasound treatment system according to claim 13, wherein said auxiliary imaging apparatus comprises at least one of a photographic device and an optical modality.

15. The ultrasound treatment system according to claim 1, wherein said control system comprises an imaging system configured for facilitating at least one of one-dimensional imaging, one-dimensional treatment, two-dimensional imaging, two-dimensional treatment, three-dimensional imaging, and three-dimensional treatment.

4. The ultrasound system of claim 4, wherein said spatial control comprises selection of one or more spatial parameters comprising transducer configuration, distance, placement, orientation, and movement.

5. The ultrasound system of claim 4, wherein said temporal control comprises selection of one or more temporal parameters comprising drive amplitude levels, frequency/waveforms, and timing sequences.

16. A method for noninvasive treatment of blood vessel disorders, said method including:

selecting a probe configuration based on a spatial and a temporal parameter;

imaging a treatment region comprising at least one of a spider vein, an engorged blood vessel, a facial blood vessel, and an occlusion within a blood vessel;

verifying said temporal and said spatial parameters of said probe;

confirming acoustic coupling of said probe to said treatment region; and

applying ultrasound energy to ablate a portion of said treatment region to facilitate blood vessel treatment.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said step of applying ultrasound energy includes applying conformal ultrasound energy in the range of about 2 MHz to about 20 MHz.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein said step of applying ultrasound energy includes applying conformal ultrasound energy in the range of about 5 MHz to about 10 MHz.

19. The method of claim 16, further including a step of re-imaging said treatment region to confirm ablation of said portion of said treatment region.

20. The method of claim 16, further including applying ultrasound energy to ablate a second portion of said treatment region.

21. The method of claim 16, further including as step of combining said probe configuration with a pharmaceutical formulation.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said step of combining said probe configuration with said pharmaceutical formulation facilitates at least one of increased activity said pharmaceutical formulation, reduced dosage of said pharmaceutical formulation, reduced toxicity of said pharmaceutical formulation, and increased local effect of said pharmaceutical formulation in a site selective manner.

23. The method of claim 16, further including a step of combining at least two of ablation, cavitation and streaming to facilitate treatment of blood vessel disorders.

24. An ultrasound system configured treatment of blood vessel disorders comprising:

a control system configured for control of said ultrasound treatment system;

an imaging system coupled to said control system, said imaging system configured for imaging of a deep tissue region comprising at least one of a spider vein, an engorged blood vessel, a facial blood vessel, and an occlusion within a blood vessel;

an ultrasound probe configured for generating a conformal lesion within said region of interest to facilitate blood vessel disorder treatment, said control system and said ultrasound probe being configured for spatial and temporal control to generate said conformal lesion.

25. The ultrasound system of claim 24, wherein said ultrasound probe and said control system are configured to operate in a frequency range of about 2 MHz to about 20 MHz.

26. The ultrasound system of claim 24, wherein said spatial control comprises selection of at least one spatial parameter comprising transducer configuration, distance, placement, orientation, and movement.

27. The ultrasound system of claim 24, wherein said temporal control comprises selection of at least one temporal parameter comprising a drive amplitude level, a frequency/waveform, and a timing sequence.

28. The ultrasound system of claim 24, wherein said ultrasound probe is to provide at least two energy effects to said region of interest;

wherein said at least two energy effects are configured to facilitate a response in said region of interest, and wherein said at least two energy effects include at least two of thermal, cavitational, hydrodynamic, and resonance induced tissue effects and wherein said response includes at least one of hemostasis, subsequent revascularization/angiogenesis, growth of interconnective tissue, ablation of existing tissue, tissue reformation, enhanced delivery and activation of medicants, stimulation of protein synthesis and increased cell permeability.

29. A method for providing noninvasive treatment of blood vessel disorders, said method comprising:

localizing of at least one of a spider vein, an engorged blood vessel, a facial blood vessel, and an occlusion within a blood vessel within a region of interest;

targeting of delivery of ablative ultrasound energy from a transducer probe to said at least one of said spider vein, said engorged blood vessel, said facial blood vessel, and said occlusion within said blood vessel; and

monitoring of results of said targeted delivery within said at least one of said spider vein, said engorged blood vessel, said facial blood vessel, and said occlusion within said blood vessel during and after said targeted delivery to continue planning of treatment.