Examining, localizing and treatment with ultrasound

• US 5,080,102 A
• Filed: 04/21/1989
• Issued: 01/14/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Technomed Medical Systems SA
• Original Assignee: Edap Intl, S.A.
• Inventors: Dory, Jacques
• Primary Examiner(s): Cohen, Lee S.
• Application Number:
  US07/350,038
• Time in Patent Office: 998 Days
• Field of Search: 128/660.03, 128/244 A, 128/399, 128/804
• US Class Current: 600/439
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/2258 integrated in a central portion of the shock wave apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00154 pulsed
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22028 arrays, e.g. phased arrays
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/08 Detecting organic movements or changes, e.g. tumours, cysts, swellings A61B8/02 - A61B8/06 take precedence
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/899 Combination of imaging systems with ancillary equipment

Abstract

A hyperthermia treatment apparatus combining a generator of a focused ultrasonic beam comprising a main high frequency electric wave emitter and a main piezoelectric transducer whose active surface is focusing, with an echography device comprising an auxiliary high frequency electric pulse generator associated with an auxiliary piezoelectric transducer and means for causing the zone to be treated to be swept by the ultrasonic examination beam generated by said auxiliary transducer; and with switching and adjustment means for causing, during a main treatment and checking operating mode, emission of said focused beam by said main transducer energized by said main emitter during periodic time intervals separated by shorter time intervals during which the emission of the examination beam and the formation of echographic images are effected.

Claims

1. A device for extracorporeal wave treatment of a target within a living body comprising:

(i) electric wave generator means and transducer means, said electric wave generator means connected to said transducer means to cause said transducer means to produce treatment waves;

(ii) a water containing enclosure and means adapted to focus the treatment waves through said enclosure at a focal spot located out of said water containing enclosure;

(iii) means connecting said generator means to said transducer means;

(iv) image forming means sweeping an ultrasound scanning wave through said water between said focal spot and said means adapted to focus the treatment waves, said image forming means displaying an image of said target with a visual indication of the position of said focal spot; and

(v) means displacing said transducer means and the image forming means to bring said image and said indication into coincidence.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said transducer means effects hyperthermia.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said treatment waves are ultrasonic treatment waves.

4. A method for operating an extracorporeal treatment device which treats a target within a living body comprising:

(i) generating treatment waves;

(ii) focusing said treatment waves through a water containing enclosure at a focal spot located outside of said enclosure with focus means from a treatment wave transducer;

(iii) displaying an image of said target by sweeping ultrasound scanning waves from a scanning transducer which is displaced with the treatment wave transducer through said water between the focal spot and the said treatment focus means together with a visual indication of the position of said focal spot; and

(iv) displacing said treatment wave transducer to bring said image and said indication into coincidence.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said treatment waves effect hyperthermia.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein said treatment waves are ultrasonic waves.

7. A method for operating an extracorporeal treatment device which treats a target within a living body comprising:

(i) generating treatment waves;

(ii) focusing said treatment waves through a water containing enclosure at a focal spot located outside of said enclosure from a treatment wave transducer;

(iii) displaying an image of said target together with a visual indication of the position of said focal spot;

(iv) generating said image by sweeping ultrasound scanning waves from a scanning transducer which is displaced with the treatment wave transducer across said target; and

(v) displacing said treatment wave transducer to bring said image and said indication into coincidence.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said treatment waves effect hyperthermia.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein said treatment waves are ultrasonic waves.

10. A method for examining, localizing and treating a zone within a body comprising the steps of:

(a) generating a first treatment beam from a first transducer focused on said zone;

(b) successively discharging the first beam to treat said zone with said first beam;

(c) generating a second imaging scanning beam from a separate second transducer;

(d) effecting a scanning of said zone only with the second beam by sweeping said second beam across said zone to effect imaging of said zone;

(e) receiving the echoes formed through reflection of the second beam on reflecting surfaces of said zone and converting said echoes into electrical signals; and

displaying said signals during treatment at least between successive treatment discharges as real time images.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said treatment beam effects hyperthermia.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein said treatment beam is an ultrasonic beam.

13. A method for treating a zone, having reflecting surfaces for ultrasonic waves and located within a body, by an interrupted beam of treatment vibrations generated from a treatment transducer and converging at a focus, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) locating said zone by generating an echographic ultrasonic beam from an echographic transducer and effecting periodic sweeps across said focus;

real time scanning said zone with said echographic beam, whereby echoes are formed through reflection of said echographic beam on said reflecting surfaces;

receiving echoes from said surfaces;

converting the received echoes into electric signals and forming from said signals two dimensional real time images of said zone through at least one plane;

(b) treating said zone by generating treatment beam discharges from said treatment transducer focused on said zone; and

(c) scanning and sweeping said zone at least between treatment discharges with said echographic beam to produce real time images of treatment progress.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said tratment beam discharges effect hyperthermia.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein said treatment beam discharges are focussed in an ultrasonic beam.

16. A method for altering a zone within a body, comprising the steps of:

(a) locating said zone by reflected ultrasonic scanning waves from a first transducer;

(b) focusing on said zone and applying to said zone a beam from a second transducer of treatment wave discharges separated by time intervals to alter said zone, said beam converging along a path at a focal spot; and

(c) generating ultrasonic scanning waves from said first transducer, real time sweeping said zone by transmitting to and reflecting from said zone an ultrasonic wave beam across said focal spot to form and display real time images from reflected ultrasound waves at least during said intervals and viewing said zone on-line during said treatment.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said treatment beam effects hyperthermia.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein said treatment beam discharges are focussed in an ultrasonic beam.

19. A method for noninvasive treatment of a zone within a body of a patient, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a focusing surface having a fixed focal point at a distance from said surface; and

a first ultrasonic scanning transducer having an axis passing between said focal point and said surface, said scanning transducer being coupled to said surface and radiating an ultrasonic signal beam;

(b) positioning said surface to locate said focal point of said surface at said zone;

(c) ultrasonically locating said zone with said scanning transducer by sweeping said signal beam across an angular sector including said zone;

(d) generating from a second treatment transducer a vibration treatment wave focused by said surface upon said zone; and

(e) acoustically coupling said treatment wave through a portion of said body whereby treatment wave energy is concentrated at said zone.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said treatment wave is an ultrasonic treatment wave.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein said treatment wave is an ultrasonic wave.

22. A method for locating and altering a zone within a body, comprising the steps of:

(a) locating a zone by ultrasonic scanning signals from a first transducer;

(b) focusing on said zone and applying to said zone from a second transducer coupled to said first transducer a beam of treatment wave discharges to alter said zone; and

(c) scanning said zone by sweeping an ultrasound beam across said zone through an ultrasound coupling to said body containing said zone and viewing said zone on-line during treatment.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein said treatment wave effects hyperthermia.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein said treatment wave discharges are focussed in an ultrasonic wave.

25. A method for treatment of a zone within a body of a patient, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a focusing surface having a focal point at a distance from said surface; and

a first ultrasonic scanning transducer having an axis between said focal point and said surface, said scanning transducer being coupled to said surface and radiating an ultrasonic signal beam;

(b) locating said zone by sweeping said signal beam across an angular sector including said zone to provide visual display information from said zone;

(c) positioning said surface to locate said focal point at said zone which comprises the steps in any order of;

(d) moving said surface in a first direction in response to the visual display information of said zone;

(e) moving said surface in a second direction in response to said visual display information from said zone;

(f) moving said surface in a third direction in response to said visual display information from said zone wherein movement in said third direction moves said surface in a direction essentially perpendicular to said body and wherein said third direction is perpendicular to both said first direction and said second direction; and

(g) bringing said display from said zone into coincidence with a visual indicator of the focal point position.