MULTI-ELEMENT THERAPY AND IMAGING TRANSDUCER FOR ULTRASOUND THERAPY

• US 20140276053A1
• Filed: 03/14/2014
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sonacare Medical, LLC
• Original Assignee: Sonacare Medical, LLC
• Inventors: Sanghvi, Narendra, Morris, Adam
• Application Number:
  US14/212,352
• Publication Number:
  US 20140276053A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/439
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3782 transmitter or receiver in catheter or minimal invasive instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/12 in body cavities or body tracts, e.g. by using catheters catheters per se A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4281 characterised by sound-transmitting media or devices for coupling the transducer to the tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4494 characterised by the arrangement of the transducer elements devices for short-range imaging using particular transducer elements arrangements under G01S15/8909; arrangements of transducers in generation of mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic or ultrasonic frequency B06B1/0607
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/546 involving monitoring or regulation of device temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0065 Concave transducers
• 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 7/022 intracavitary

Abstract

A transducer assembly for providing ultrasound may include a shaft operatively connected to a motor. A housing may include a receptacle for receipt of at least a portion of the shaft therein, two spaced-apart therapy elements, and an imaging element positioned between the therapy elements. The imaging element and the therapy elements may be spatially oriented in a confocal beam configuration. The assembly may be sized and shaped to pass through a trocar port.

Claims

1. A transducer assembly for providing ultrasound, the assembly comprising:

a shaft operatively connected to a motor; and

a housing including a receptacle for receipt of at least a portion of the shaft therein, two spaced-apart therapy elements, and an imaging element positioned between the therapy elements, the imaging element and the therapy elements being spatially oriented in a confocal beam configuration and being configured to emit ultrasound energy to a targeted area,

wherein the assembly is sized and shaped to pass through a trocar port.

2. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the assembly is formed from multiple spherical or cylindrical crystals fabricated from a surface of a spherical disk.

3. The assembly according to claim 2, wherein the spherical disk is manufactured in a size that is sufficiently small so that the assembly can pass through the trocar port and deliver acoustical power and frequencies to image and ablate target tissue.

4. The assembly according to claim 2, wherein the crystals provide a total acoustic power of 30 Watts and a minimum focal intensity in tissue of 500 W/cm² to induce coagulative necrosis in the tissue.

5. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the therapy elements operate at a selected frequency of approximately 4 MHz and the imaging element 14 operates at approximately 6.5 MHz and provides high resolution imaging of tissue targeted for treatment.

6. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the housing further includes at least one object at a distal end thereof, the object being selected from the group consisting of one or more cameras, lights and thermistors.

7. The assembly according to claim 6, wherein the object is at least one thermistor that monitors water temperature.

8. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the therapy elements are comprised of multiple crystals from the surface of a spherical disk.

9. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the motor drives the shaft in at least one of a linear motion and a rotational motion.

10. A method for treating a targeted area of tissue, the method comprising:

providing a transducer assembly sufficiently small to pass through a trocar port, the assembly including two spaced-apart therapy elements and an imaging element positioned between the therapy elements, the imaging element and the therapy elements being spatially oriented in a confocal beam configuration; and

delivering 30 W of acoustic power to a targeted area of tissue via the transducer assembly.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

calculating power density capacity (P_i) as follows;

P_i=E²ω

k_t²Q_m∈

^T₃₃,

wherein “

E”

is the electric field in rms voltage per unit thickness, “

ω

”

is the radian frequency, 2π

f, “

k_t”

is the thickness coupling factor, “

Q_m”

is the thickness mechanical quality factor, and “

∈

”

is the dielectric constant.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

calculating power dissipation capacity (P_d) as follows;

P_d=E²ω

∈

^T₃₃ tan δ

,

wherein “

δ

”

is the dielectric loss.

14. A system for providing ultrasound comprising:

a trocar including a port;

a housing sufficiently small to pass through the port of the trocar;

a shaft having a first end operatively connected to a motor and an opposing second end operatively connected to the housing;

two spaced-apart therapy elements comprising multiple crystals from a surface of a spherical disk; and

an imaging element positioned between the two therapy elements,

wherein the imaging element and the therapy elements being spatially oriented in a confocal beam configuration,

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the spherical disk is manufactured to a size that is sufficiently small so that the housing can pass through the port of the trocar and deliver acoustical power and frequencies to image and ablate target tissue.

16. The assembly according to claim 15, wherein the crystals provide a total acoustic power of 30 Watts and a minimum focal intensity in tissue of 500 W/cm² to induce coagulative necrosis in the tissue.