CONTROLLED, NON-LINEAR FOCUSED ULTRASOUND TREATMENT

• US 20100241036A1
• Filed: 06/19/2006
• Published: 09/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InSightec Ltd.
• Original Assignee: InSightec Ltd.
• Inventors: Vitek, Shuki, Freundlich, David, Vortman, Kobi
• Granted Patent: US 10,130,828 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 601/3
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22008 used or promoted
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/374 NMR or MRI
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/376 using X-rays, e.g. fluoroscopy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/378 using ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/467 characterised by special input means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/481 involving the use of contrast agent, e.g. microbubbles introduced into the bloodstream analysis of echo signal exploiting properties of a contrast enhancer in devices for short-range imaging with acoustic waves G01S7/52039
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/37 Surgical systems with images on a monitor during operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/02 Localised ultrasound hyperthermia hyperthermia in general A61F7/00

Abstract

A system (10) for treating tissue within a body is configured to deliver a first level of ultrasound energy to a target tissue region (42) for a first duration resulting in the generation of micro-bubbles (56) in the target tissue region, determine one or more characteristics of the target tissue region in the presence of the micro-bubbles, and deliver a second level of ultrasound energy to the target tissue region for a second duration, wherein one or both of the second energy level and the second duration are based, at least in part, on the determined one or more characteristics of the target tissue region.

Claims

1. A focused ultrasound system, comprising:

a transducer configured for delivering ultrasound energy to generate thermal energy in a target tissue region in a patient'"'"'s body, and

a controller configured for controlling a power, duration, frequency and focal location of the transducer, wherein the controller is further configured to

cause the delivery of a first level of ultrasound energy to the target tissue region for a first duration resulting in the generation of micro-bubbles in the target tissue region,

determine one or more characteristics of the target tissue region in the presence of the micro-bubbles, and

cause the delivery of a second level of ultrasound energy to the target tissue region for a second duration,

wherein one or both of the second ultrasound energy level and the second duration are based, at least in part, on the determined one or more characteristics of the target tissue region in the presence of the micro-bubbles.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more characteristics are selected from the group comprising

depth of the micro-bubbles from a skin surface of the patient,

tissue temperature,

thermal dose profile,

focal boundary,

presence of micro-bubbles, and

location of micro-bubbles.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising an imager configured for providing images of the target tissue region, and for providing thermal images illustrating an actual thermal dose distribution in the target tissue region, wherein the controller determines the one or more characteristics of the target tissue region based at least in part on temperature sensitive images of the target tissue region provided from the imager.

4. The system of any of claims 1, wherein the one or more characteristics of the target tissue region are determined, at least in part, based on an acoustic signal generated by the micro-bubbles and received by the transducer.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the controller uses a combination of temperature sensitive images and the detected acoustic signal to determine the second ultrasound energy level.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller uses a combination of temperature sensitive images and the detected acoustic signal to determine one or more of a frequency, a phase, a duration, a location, and an amplitude of the second level of ultrasound energy.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the second level of ultrasound energy is delivered to a different focal location in the target tissue region than the first level.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the second level of ultrasound energy is based, at least in part, on maintaining a temperature of the target tissue region above a prescribed threshold temperature.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the second level of ultrasound energy is based, at least in part, on maintaining a temperature of the target tissue region below a prescribed threshold temperature.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more characteristics of the target tissue region are determined, at least in part, by obtaining an actual thermal dose distribution associated with the target tissue region in the presence of the micro-bubbles, and comparing the obtained actual thermal dose distribution with a predicted thermal dose distribution.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the second ultrasound energy level is different from the first ultrasound energy level.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to repeat the processes of determining one or more characteristics of the target tissue region in the presence of micro-bubbles in the target tissue region, and delivering the second level of ultrasound energy to the target tissue region, until a desired effect on the target tissue region is achieved.

13. A focused ultrasound system, comprising:

a transducer configured for delivering ultrasound energy to generate thermal energy in a target tissue region in a patient'"'"'s body, and

a controller configured for controlling a power, duration, frequency and focal location of the transducer, wherein the controller is further configured to

cause the delivery of a first level of ultrasound energy to the target tissue region for a first duration resulting in the generation of micro-bubbles in the target tissue region,

determine one or more characteristics of the target tissue region in the presence of the micro-bubbles, and

cause the delivery of a second level of ultrasound energy to the target tissue region for a second duration,

wherein one or both of the second ultrasound energy level and the second duration are based, at least in part, on the determined one or more characteristics of the target tissue region in the presence of the micro-bubbles, the one or more characteristics of the target tissue region are determined, at least in part, based on an acoustic signal generated by the micro-bubbles and received by the transducer, and the controller uses a combination of temperature sensitive images and the detected acoustic signal to determine the second ultrasound energy level.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the controller further uses the combination of temperature sensitive images and the detected acoustic signal to determine one or more of a frequency, a phase, a duration, a location, and an amplitude of the second level of ultrasound energy.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the second level of ultrasound energy is delivered to a different focal location in the target tissue region than the first level.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the second level of ultrasound energy is based, at least in part, on maintaining a temperature of the target tissue region above a prescribed threshold temperature.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the second level of ultrasound energy is based, at least in part, on maintaining a temperature of the target tissue region below a prescribed threshold temperature.

18. A focused ultrasound system, comprising:

a transducer configured for delivering ultrasound energy to generate thermal energy in a target tissue region in a patient'"'"'s body, and

a controller configured for controlling a power, duration, frequency and focal location of the transducer, wherein the controller is further configured to

cause the delivery of a first level of ultrasound energy to the target tissue region for a first duration resulting in the generation of micro-bubbles in the target tissue region,

determine one or more characteristics of the target tissue region in the presence of the micro-bubbles, and

cause the delivery of a second level of ultrasound energy to the target tissue region for a second duration,

wherein one or both of the second ultrasound energy level and the second duration are based, at least in part, on the determined one or more characteristics of the target tissue region in the presence of the micro-bubbles, wherein the controller uses a combination of temperature sensitive images and the detected acoustic signal to determine one or more of a frequency, a phase, a duration, a location, and an amplitude of the second level of ultrasound energy, and wherein the one or more characteristics are selected from the group comprising;

depth of the micro-bubbles from a skin surface of the patient,

tissue temperature,

thermal dose profile,

focal boundary,

presence of micro-bubbles, and

location of micro-bubbles.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the one or more characteristics of the target tissue region are determined, at least in part, based on an acoustic signal generated by the micro-bubbles and received by the transducer.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the controller uses a combination of temperature sensitive images and the detected acoustic signal to determine the second ultrasound energy level.