SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ACCELERATING HEALING OF IMPLANTED MATERIAL AND/OR NATIVE TISSUE

• US 20130012755A1
• Filed: 07/10/2012
• Published: 01/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Guided Therapy Systems Llc
• Original Assignee: Guided Therapy Systems Llc
• Inventors: Slayton, Michael H.
• Granted Patent: US 9,452,302 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/18 by applying electromagnetic radiation, e.g. microwaves radiation therapy A61N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00642 with feedback, i.e. closed loop control
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 37/0092 using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic vibrations, e.g. phonophoresis
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0004 Applications of ultrasound therapy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0017 Wound healing
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0034 Skin treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0039 using microbubbles
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0052 using the same transducer for therapy and imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/006 Lenses
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0073 using multiple frequencies
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0078 with multiple treatment transducers
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/027 with multiple foci created simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/00 Ultrasound therapy lithotripsy A61B17/22, A61B17/225; massage using supersonic vibration A61H23/00 ; using ultrasound for introducing media into the body A61M37/0092
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/02 Localised ultrasound hyperthermia hyperthermia in general A61F7/00

Abstract

Various embodiments provide methods and systems for ultrasound treatment of tissue are provided. Accordingly, a method can include locating an implant in a site in a body, directing a medicant to at least one of the implant and the site, directing ultrasound energy to the site, and accelerating healing of the implant and/or native tissue at the site.

Claims

1. A method for treating an implant in a region of interest of a body, the method comprising:

targeting a region of interest comprising an implant and tissue surrounding the implant;

imaging the implant in the region of interest;

delivering ultrasound energy to the implant;

creating a conformal region of elevated temperature in the region of interest; and

initiating at least one thermally induced biological effect in the region of interest.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising delivering a medicant to the region of interest and optionally activating the medicant in the region of interest.

3. The method according to claim 1, further accelerating adoption of the implant by the surrounding tissue.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the conformal region of elevated temperature in the region of interest releases a medicant from the implant.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising applying mechanical ultrasound energy to region of interest and delivering the medicant to the tissue surrounding the implant.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the delivering the medicant to the tissue surrounding the implant minimizes formation of scar tissue in the surrounding tissue.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the conformal region of elevated temperature in the region of interest changes the phase of the implant from a solid to a liquid and delivering the liquid to the region of interest.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising stimulating a change to at least one of concentration and an activity of at least one of an inflammatory mediator and a growth factor.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the thermally induced biological effect is at least one of coagulation, increased perfusion, reduction of inflammation, generation of heat shock proteins, and initiation of healing cascade.

10. A method of treating an implant in a region of interest, the method comprising:

targeting an implant comprising a biological material, the implant located in a region of interest comprising issue;

directing ultrasound energy to the implant comprising the biological material;

effecting the biological material with the ultrasound energy; and

creating a therapeutic effect the tissue in the region of interest with the biological material.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the effecting the biological material with the ultrasound energy is activating the biological material.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the effecting the biological material with the ultrasound energy is increasing adoption of the biological material into tissue.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the effecting the biological material with the ultrasound energy is potentiating the biological material.

14. The method according to claim 10, further comprising creating a conformal region of elevated temperature in the tissue in the region of interest.

16. The method according to claim 10, further comprising changing the phase of the biological material with the ultrasound energy.

17. The method according to claim 10, further comprising imaging at least one of the implant and the tissue in the region of interest.

18. The method according to claim 10, further comprising directing a second energy into the region of interest and creating a second therapeutic effect in the region of interest with the second energy.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the second energy is one of radiofrequency energy, photon-based energy, plasma-based energy, magnetic resonance energy, microwave energy, and mechanical energy.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein the second energy is a second ultrasound emission at a different frequency.

21. The method according to claim 18, wherein the directing the second energy into the region of interest stops the effecting the biological material.

22. The method according to claim 18, wherein the second therapeutic effect in the region of interest is one of is at least one of coagulation, increased perfusion, reduction of inflammation, generation of heat shock proteins, and initiation of healing cascade.

15. The method according to claim 15, further comprising creating a lesion in the tissue and stimulating a wound healing cascade in the region of interest.

23. A method of enhancing a cosmetic implant, the method comprising:

targeting a location of the cosmetic implant in a patient;

determining an enhancement necessary to improve an aesthetic of the cosmetic implant;

delivering ultrasound energy to at least one of the cosmetic implant and tissue surrounding the cosmetic implant;

improving an aesthetic of the cosmetic implant with the ultrasound energy.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the cosmetic implant is a breast implant located in a breast of the patient.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the improving an aesthetic of the cosmetic implant with the ultrasound energy is modifying a shape of the breast of the patient.

26. The method according to claim 24, further comprising creating a conformal region of elevated temperature in at least one of the breast implant and the tissue surrounding the breast implant.

27. The method according to claim 26, further comprising

creating at least one lesion in the tissue surrounding the breast implant;

applying mechanical ultrasound energy to at least one of the breast implant and the tissue surrounding the breast implant;

moving the breast implant into the space created by the at least one lesion; and

modifying a shape of the breast of the patient.

28. The method according to claim 23, wherein in the cosmetic implant is a cosmetic filler located below a skin surface of the patient.

29. The method according to claim 28, further comprising the improving an aesthetic of the cosmetic implant with the ultrasound energy is smoothing the skin surface proximate to the cosmetic filler.

30. The method according to claim 28, further comprising;

heating the cosmetic tiller with the ultrasound energy;

changing physical characteristic of the cosmetic filler;

applying mechanical ultrasound enemy to at least one of the cosmetic filler and the tissue surrounding the cosmetic filler and below the skin surface;

moving the cosmetic filler into and/or along the tissue surrounding the cosmetic filler and below the skin surface; and

smoothing the skin surface proximate to the cosmetic filler.