Ultrasonic treatment device using a focussing and oscillating piezoelectric element

• US 5,143,074 A
• Filed: 05/03/1991
• Issued: 09/01/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Edap Intl, S.A.
• Original Assignee: Edap Intl, S.A.
• Inventors: Dory, Jacques
• Primary Examiner(s): Cohen, Lee S.
• Application Number:
  US07/696,992
• Time in Patent Office: 487 Days
• Field of Search: 128/660.03, 128/24 AA, 128/24 EL, 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
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/355 Arcuate movement

Abstract

An ultrasonic treatment device is divulged comprising a power transducer in the form of a spherical cup serving both as treatment wave generator and as echographic transceiver, wherein the transducer is caused to oscillate (motor 2) during the treatment, so as to obtain sectorial B type scanning and it is excited (circuits 1 to 14) with treatment waves only in a restricted angular scanning sector and with echographic waves in the rest of the scanned sector.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic device for treatment of an anatomical anomaly, said device comprising:

(a) a power transducer in the form of a self-focussing cup associated with a power excitation generator generating power wave trains and with an echographic device transmitting an echographic beam and using said transducer as an echo receiver, said device further comprising;

(b) means for causing said echographic device continuously to oscillate during the treatment, at an oscillation speed and with an amplitude adapted for obtaining real time echographic beam scanning of a region of space containing the anatomical anomaly, and

(c) means for exciting said power transducer to produce treatment waves at moments when the echographic beam scans a predetermined restricted portion of said region.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the scanning is sectorial type B scanning and said moments correspond to the passage of the beam in a predetermined restricted angular sector.

3. The device as claimed in claim 2, including an angular position sensor means providing output signals which define said restricted angular sector and a logic circuit coupled to said sensor means for deriving square wave signals controlling said power excitation generator.

4. The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said power excitation generator further generates echographic pulses which are applied to said cup for transmitting said echographic beam.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means causing said echographic device to oscillate causes a linear oscillating movement.

6. In an ultrasonic treatment device comprising a power transducer in the form of a self-focussing cup associated with a power excitation generator and with an echographic device transmitting an echographic beam using said power transducer as an echo receiver, and further comprising means for causing said echographic device to oscillate during treatment at an oscillation speed and amplitude adapted for obtaining real time echographic scanning, the improvement comprising:

(a) means for exciting said power transducer to produce a sequence of treatment waves at moments when the echographic beam scans a predetermined restricted region of a firing space; and

(b) means for exciting said echographic device to produce echographic waves during intervals between said moments.

7. A device according to claim 6 including means by which said echographic waves are received by said power transducer in intervals between treatment waves and during an interrupted sequence of treatment waves.