Shock Wave Imaging System

• US 20080033287A1
• Filed: 07/25/2006
• Published: 02/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AST GmbH (Jena Med Tech GmbH)
• Original Assignee: AST GmbH (Jena Med Tech GmbH)
• Inventors: Schwarze, Werner, Stephan, Hugo
• Granted Patent: US 7,610,079 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/427
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/2256 with means for locating or checking the concrement, e.g. X-ray apparatus, imaging means A61B17/2255 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/364 Correlation of different images or relation of image positions in respect to the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/378 using ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/37 Surgical systems with images on a monitor during operation

Abstract

A system or apparatus 2 for visually displaying and treating a treatment volume 100 located in a human or animal body 1 is disclosed wherein the treatment volume 100 is detected by a location finding imaging instrument 10 and displayed on a monitor 12 and a treatment instrument 20 is preferably oriented in response to the visual display to direct a treatment path 25 which is visually displayed superimposed onto the treatment volume 100.

Claims

1. A system or apparatus for visually displaying and treating a treatment volume in a human or animal body, the system or apparatus comprising:

a location finding imaging instrument for detecting the treatment volume;

an image display monitor for displaying the detected treatment volume;

a treatment instrument, the treatment instrument being oriented in response to the visual display to direct a treatment path; and

wherein the treatment path is visually displayed on the image display monitor superimposed on the treatment volume.

2. The system or apparatus of claim 1 wherein the treatment path is displayed as a wire frame outline of three dimensional shape.

3. The system or apparatus of claim 1 wherein the treatment path is shown as an outline of area defined in a single plane on the treatment volume.

4. The system or apparatus of claim 1 wherein the treatment instrument is a shock wave instrument and the treatment path is a projected shock wave energy profile set at a predetermined energy.

5. The system or apparatus of claim 4 further comprises:

one or more control units for processing data or signals received from the location finding instrument and the shock wave instrument; and

wherein the image display monitor receives data or signals from the one or more control units for displaying both the image of the treatment volume and displaying the treatment path.

6. The system or apparatus of claim 5 further comprises:

a means for orienting the location finding imaging instrument;

a means for orienting the shock wave treatment instrument wherein changes in the treatment instrument orientation change the direction of the treatment path and the corresponding treatment profile which are displayed on the image display monitor.

7. The system or apparatus of claim 5 further comprises:

a means to adjust the power, pulse or energy profile of the shock wave treatment instrument and these changes are reflected on the image display monitor changing size of the treatment path depending on the parameters selected.

8. The system or apparatus of claim 7 wherein the means for orienting the shock wave treatment instrument include a shock wave generator connected to one or more control units.

9. The system or apparatus of claim 5 wherein the one or more control units is a computer.

10. The system or apparatus of claim 9 wherein the location finding imaging instrument is an ultrasound device, an x-ray device or radio wave image device or any other image or scanning device any of which can provide an image of the treatment volume.

11. The system or apparatus of claim 6 wherein the means for orienting the shock wave treatment instrument is one or more servomotors movably controlled by the one or more control units.

12. A method of visually displaying a treatment volume in a human or animal body comprises the steps of:

locating the treatment volume using a location finding imaging system;

displaying the treatment volume on a monitor;

orienting or positioning a shock wave treatment instrument to direct a projected treatment path into the treatment volume the treatment path being a pre-selected projected energy profile encompassing a volumetric portion of the treatment volume; and

displaying the projected treatment path superimposed on the treatment volume on the monitor.

13. The method of visually displaying a treatment volume of claim 12 further comprises:

activating the shock wave treatment instrument;

observing the image of the treatment volume during activation; and

terminating the shock wave treatment based on visual observation of the treatment volume.

14. The method of visually displaying a treatment volume of claim 12 further comprises the steps of:

adjusting the power level P_e, shape or orientation of the treatment path; and

displaying the adjusted treatment path on the monitor prior to treatment.

15. The method of visually displaying a treatment volume of claim 12 further comprises the steps of:

simulating the activation of the shock wave treatment; and

displaying the simulation on the monitor.

16. The method of visually displaying a treatment volume of claim 14 further comprises:

visually observing the display monitor showing the image of the treatment volume and the superimposed treatment path; and

moving or otherwise adjusting treatment path while simultaneously displaying both the treatment volume and the treatment path.

17. The method of visually displaying a treatment volume of claim 12 wherein the treatment path is displayed on the monitor as a three dimensional volume superimposed into the treatment volume image.

18. The method of visually displaying a treatment volume of claim 12 wherein the treatment path is displayed on the monitor as an area in a single plane superimposed into the treatment volume image.

19. The method of visually displaying a treatment volume of claim 12 wherein the step of orienting or positioning the instrument includes the step of locating a position in the displayed treatment volume image on the monitor and inputting the coordinates into a computer to direct the movement of the treatment instrument to align either the axis of the treatment path or a centroid of the treatment path onto the inputted coordinates.