Ultrasonic therapy applicator

• US 20110295161A1
• Filed: 03/09/2011
• Published: 12/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Profound Medical Inc. (Profound Medical Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Profound Medical Inc. (Profound Medical Corp.)
• Inventors: Mahon, Cameron, Chopra, Rajiv, Donaldson, Sean, Bronskill, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,707,413 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 601/3
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1485 having a short rigid shaft for accessing the inner body through natural openings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1815 using microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00274 Prostate operation, e.g. prostatectomy, turp, bhp treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00011 with fluids
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00023 closed, i.e. without wound contact by the fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00517 Urinary bladder or urethra
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00547 Prostate
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/374 NMR or MRI
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/378 using ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/12 Devices for heating or cooling internal body cavities
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0078 with multiple treatment transducers
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0091 with moving parts, e.g. transducers, lenses, reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/02 Localised ultrasound hyperthermia hyperthermia in general A61F7/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/022 intracavitary

Abstract

An apparatus is disclosed for thermal therapy in a male prostate patient. The apparatus includes, in preferred embodiments, a long tubular element that is to be inserted into a patient'"'"'s urethra so that a first tip end of it reaches up into the patient'"'"'s diseased prostate. The elongated portion includes a narrow cylindrical tube within which an ultrasonic array is disposed along the long axis of the cylinder. Fluid is pumped into and out of a treatment zone of said patient as needed to control a temperature of a region in said treatment zone. A motorized driver is used to controllably rotate said elongated portion and the ultrasound array therein about the long axis of the apparatus so as to deliver acoustic energy to said diseased tissue. Various control and monitoring components may be used in conjunction with the present apparatus to design, control, and terminate the therapy.

Claims

1. An apparatus for thermal therapy in a patient, comprising:

an elongated cylindrical portion having a first end thereof sized and configured for insertion into a male urethra;

an array of ultrasonic sources disposed within said elongated cylindrical portion and substantially arranged along an axis of said elongated cylindrical portion proximal to said first end of the elongated cylindrical portion, the ultrasonic sources being electrically driven to provide thermal therapy in said patient;

a plurality of electrical conductors, respectively coupled to a plurality of said ultrasonic sources of said array, said conductors providing power and control signals to said respective plurality of ultrasonic sources and driving said sources to deliver acoustic emissions of respective frequency and power depending on the respective power and control signals;

a rotational mechanical coupling proximal to a second end of said elongated cylindrical portion, said rotational mechanical coupling designed and arranged to permit mechanical rotation of said elongated cylindrical portion about said axis thereof; and

at least one fluid conduit running through said rotational mechanical coupling permitting a fluid to circulate into and then out of said apparatus by flowing from said second end towards said first end of the elongated cylindrical portion and back again.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a geared wheel proximal to said rotational mechanical coupling, designed and arranged to engage with a corresponding mechanical drive element so as to cause rotation of said apparatus about said axis and to therefore allow thermal therapy treatment of a volume of diseased tissue substantially surrounding said first end of said elongated cylindrical portion.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an orifice substantially proximal to an extremity of said elongated cylindrical portion, the orifice arranged to draw a body fluid from an interior of said patient, through said elongated cylindrical portion and out of the apparatus.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, said array of ultrasonic sources being disposed on an elongated support plate shaped and sized to fit within an interior cavity in said elongated cylindrical portion.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, said plurality of electrical conductors comprising a plurality of printed circuit lines fixed to said support plate, the printed circuit lines electrically connected at one end thereof to said ultrasonic sources and electrically connected at another end thereof to a source of said power and control signals.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising mechanical fluid couplings at an end thereof and distal from said first end of the elongated cylindrical portion, the mechanical fluid couplings respectively connectable to a fluid supply line and to a fluid discharge line for circulating fluid into and out of said apparatus.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, said apparatus comprising substantially magnetic field compatible components allowing the apparatus to be used in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) treatment facility without substantially interfering with the operation of such magnetic imaging.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, said apparatus possessing a substantially radially symmetrical magnetic profile so that rotation of said apparatus during treatment within a magnetic imaging field would have little or no detrimental impact on magnetic imaging performed in conjunction with said treatment.

9. A method for thermal therapy in a patient, comprising:

providing a thermal therapy apparatus having an elongated portion thereof and preparing said apparatus for insertion into a urethra of said patient;

inserting said elongated portion into said patient'"'"'s urethra by translating at least a portion of said apparatus along an axis of said apparatus;

delivering a plurality of electrical power and control signals to a corresponding plurality of ultrasonic elements disposed within said elongated portion, said electrical power and control signals providing at least frequency and power control driving signals to their respective ultrasonic elements;

once the insertion step above has been accomplished satisfactorily, programmably rotating said apparatus about an axis of rotation, which axis of rotation is substantially the same as or parallel to said axis of said apparatus and its elongated portion;

delivering sufficient ultrasonic energy from said plurality of ultrasonic sources into a diseased volume of said patient to effect a clinically-significant change in said diseased volume; and

monitoring a result of said step of delivering said ultrasonic energy, including monitoring a temperature of said diseased volume.