Variable frequency gas-bubble-manipulating apparatus and method
First Claim
1. A bubble detection method of the type which utilizes ultrasonic acoustical energy to detect a bubble-containing region within a specimen, the bubble detection method comprising the steps of:
- emitting from an ultrasonic transducer the acoustical energy into the bubble-containing region within the specimen;
decreasing the frequency of the acoustical energy with respect to time whereby the size of a bubble in the bubble-containing region is increased; and
receiving a portion of said emitted acoustical energy reflected by said bubble of increased size within the bubble-containing region.
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Abstract
A system for detecting gas bubbles in a specimen utilizes a transducer which produces pulses, illustratively of ultrasonic acoustic energy, having predetermined frequency characteristics. A first pulse has an increasing frequency with time, and a second pulse has a decreasing frequency with time. Imaging arrangements, which may be formed of ultrasonic transducers, produce images of the region within the specimen after exposure to each such pulse. In one embodiment, a growth transducer array is utilized for dramatically increasing the size of the bubbles, which array is formed of a plurality of transducers which are moved with respect to the specimen and which have respective frequency characteristics over different frequency ranges. Thus, bubble radius is successively increased as each bubble is exposed to the acoustic energy from each such transducer within the growth transducer array. The present invention can be used to reduce the cavitation threshold of bubbles, particularly in the vicinity of tumors, or to increase the temperature in the bubble-containing region.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. A bubble detection method of the type which utilizes ultrasonic acoustical energy to detect a bubble-containing region within a specimen, the bubble detection method comprising the steps of:
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emitting from an ultrasonic transducer the acoustical energy into the bubble-containing region within the specimen; decreasing the frequency of the acoustical energy with respect to time whereby the size of a bubble in the bubble-containing region is increased; and receiving a portion of said emitted acoustical energy reflected by said bubble of increased size within the bubble-containing region. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An imaging arangement of the type which utilizes emitted energy to detect gas bubbles within a region of a specimen, the arrangement comprising:
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growth array means formed of a plurality of transducers substantially aligned along an axis, each for emitting a respective energy having a frequency which decreases with time over a respective frequency range, whereby the gas bubbles within the specimen are enlarged; translation means for displacing said growth array means with respect to the specimen in a direction substantially along said axis; and imaging means for producing a first image of the region of the specimen prior to the region being exposed to said emitted energy, and a second image of the region responsive to exposure of the region to said emitted energy. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. An imaging arrangement for producing a visible indication responsive to gas bubbles contained within a region of a specimen, the imaging arrangement comprising:
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pulse means for producing a first pulse of acoustical energy having a frequency which increases with time, said first pulse being directed into the region of the specimen, and a second pulse of acoustical energy having a frequency which decreases with time, said second pulse also being directed into the region of the specimen and causing the gas bubbles contained within the region of the specimen to increase in size; and imaging means for forming a first image of the region after being exposed to said first pulse, and a second image of the region after being exposed to said second pulse. - View Dependent Claims (32)
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Specification