METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING ACOUSTIC ENERGY DEPOSITION INTO A MEDIUM

• US 20130012816A1
• Filed: 07/10/2012
• Published: 01/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Guided Therapy Systems Llc
• Original Assignee: Guided Therapy Systems Llc
• Inventors: Slayton, Michael H., Barthe, Peter G.
• Application Number:
  US13/545,931
• Publication Number:
  US 20130012816A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/439
• 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

A method and system for acoustic treatment of tissue are provided. Acoustic energy, including ultrasound, under proper functional control can penetrate deeply and be controlled precisely in tissue. In some embodiments, methods and systems are configured for acoustic tissue treatment based on creating an energy distribution function in tissue. In some embodiments, methods and systems are configured based on creating a temperature distribution function in tissue.

Claims

1. An acoustic treatment system configured for temporarily or permanently effecting tissue, the system comprising:

an energy source configured for delivery of acoustic energy to provide a treatment function in a region of interest;

a control system for facilitating control of the energy source; and

a set of functions, f(x,y,z,t), in communication with the control system and defining a spatio-temporal distribution of the energy o provide the treatment function in the region of interest.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the set of functions, f(x,y,z,t), controls the thermal distribution of the acoustic energy delivered to the region of interest to provide the treatment function.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the set of functions, f(x,y,z,t), creates a desired temperature function in the region of interest.

4. The system according to claim 1, further comprising an imaging function configured to image the region of interest.

5. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a second energy source configured to deliver a secondary energy to the region of interest.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the second energy source is one a photon-based energy source, a RF energy source, and a microwave energy source.

7. A method for providing acoustic treatment of tissue, said method comprising:

localizing a region of interest;

computing a spatio-temporal treatment function, e(x,y,z,t);

delivering acoustic energy from an energy source into the region of interest;

controlling the delivering acoustic energy with the spatio-temporal treatment function, e(x,y,z,t);

producing at least one treatment function in the region of interest with the delivering acoustic energy.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising monitoring of results of the treatment function during the delivery of the acoustic energy.

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising monitoring of results of the treatment function after the delivery of acoustic energy.

10. The method according to claim 7, further comprising planning of additional treatment.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein the treatment function initiates at least one thermal effect in the region of interest.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the at least one thermal effect is the thermal effect is one of heating the region of interest, or creating a conformal region of elevated temperature in the region of interest.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the thermal effect is one of lesion creation in the region of interest, tissue necrosis in a portion of the region of interest;

coagulation tissue in the treatment region, or exceeding a thermal capacity of tissue in a portion of the region of interest, and combinations thereof.

14. The method according to claim 7, wherein the treatment function initiates at least one mechanical effect in the region of interest.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the at least one mechanical effect is at least one of cavitation, vibration, hydrodynamic, resonance-induced, streaming, vibro-accoustic stimulation, a pressure gradient and combinations thereof.

16. A method for providing acoustic treatment of tissue, said method comprising:

identifying at least one region of interest;

computing a spatio-temporal treatment function, e(x,y,z,t);

delivering acoustic energy from an energy source into the region of interest;

controlling the delivering acoustic energy with the spatio-temporal treatment function, e(x,y,z,t);

producing desired temperature function, T(x,y,z,t) in the at least one region of interest with the delivering acoustic energy.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising monitoring a temperature of the desired temperature function, T(x,y,z,t) in the at least one region of interest.

18. The method according to claim 16, further comprising adjusting the delivering acoustic energy to maintain the desired temperature function, T(x,y,z,t) in the at least one region of interest.

19. The method according to claim 16, further comprising monitoring of results of the acoustic tissue treatment during and/or after the delivering acoustic energy.

20. The method according to claim 16, further comprising providing at least one biological effect in the in the at least one region of interest based in the temperature function.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the at least one biological effect is destroying tissue in the at least a portion of the region of interest.

22. The method according to claim 16, further comprising generating at least one biological effect in tissue proximate to the at least one region of interest based on the temperature function.

23. The method according to claim 16, further comprising delivering a photon-based energy into the region of interest and imitating a second treatment effect in the region of interest.

24. The method according to claim 16, further comprising delivering a radio frequency based energy into the region of interest and imitating a second treatment effect in the region of interest.