Shock wave generating system capable of forming wide concretion-disintegrating region by energizing ring-shaped transducers, and hyperthermia curing system

• US 5,524,625 A
• Filed: 10/13/1994
• Issued: 06/11/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Iwama, Nobuyuki, Yanagida, Yuji, Okazaki, Kiyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Ruth S.
• Application Number:
  US08/322,359
• Time in Patent Office: 607 Days
• Field of Search: 128/660.03, 601/2-4, 607/97
• US Class Current: 600/439
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/22004 using mechanical vibrations, e.g. ultrasonic shock waves A61B17/225 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/2258 integrated in a central portion of the shock wave apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0065 Concave transducers
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0078 with multiple treatment transducers
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0095 by modifying an excitation signal
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/027 with multiple foci created simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/02 Localised ultrasound hyperthermia hyperthermia in general A61F7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/0625 Annular array
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/346 using phase variation
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 15/043 producing shock waves G10K15/046, G10K15/06 take precedence; generating seismic energy G01V1/02

Abstract

In a shock wave generating system, a width of a focused region synthesized from a plurality of focal points formed by a plurality of shock waves is varied by properly controlling delay times and/or drive voltages for a plurality of ring-shaped piezoelectric transducer elements. The shock wave generating system includes a shock wave generating unit having a plurality of shock-wave generating elements and a driving unit for separately driving the plurality of shock-wave generating elements by controlling at least delay times to produce a plurality of shock waves in such a manner that a dimension of a focused region synthesized from a plurality of different focal points formed by the plurality of shock waves, is varied in accordance with a dimension of a concretion to be disintegrated which is present in a biological body under medical examination.

Claims

1. A shock wave generating system comprising:

a plurality of shock-wave generating elements;

a pulser controller separately driving said plurality of shock-wave generating elements with a common driving voltage;

a delay controller delaying application of said common driving voltage to respective shock-wave generating elements in order to produce a plurality of shock waves which converge at a plurality of different focal points to form a synthesized focused region in accordance with a dimension of a concretion to be disintegrated within a biological body under medical examination;

a drive voltage controller controlling said common driving voltage to vary a peak pressure value in said focused region in accordance with the dimension of the concretion to be disintegrated; and

a delay data storage unit storing sets of delay data for use by said pulser controller to control delay times of said plurality of shock-wave generating elements, each set of delay data corresponding to a dimension of a concretion.

2. A shock wave generating system comprising:

shock wave generating means, including a plurality of shock-wave generating elements, for generating a plurality of shock waves;

driving means for separately driving said plurality of shock-wave generating elements by controlling respective delay times to produce a plurality of shock waves which converge at a plurality of different focal points to form a synthesized focused region in accordance with a dimension of a concretion to be disintegrated within a biological body under medical examination;

means for controlling a driving voltage to vary a peak pressure value in said focused region in accordance with a dimension of the concretion to be disintegrated; and

means for storing sets of delay data for use by said driving means to control said delay times of said plurality of shock-wave generating elements, each set of delay data corresponding to a dimension of a concretion,

wherein said shock-wave generating elements include at least two ring-shaped piezoelectric transducer elements arranged in concentric form.

3. A shock wave generating system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said at least two ring-shaped piezoelectric transducer elements have substantially the same shock-wave generating surface area.

4. A shock wave generating system as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

ultrasonic imaging means for ultrasonic-scanning a slice portion of said biological body containing said concretion to be disintegrated to obtain a B-mode ultrasonic image of said slice portion, whereby said concretion is displayed in said B-mode ultrasonic image.

5. A shock wave generating system as claimed in claim 4, further comprising:

means, operable in conjunction with said ultrasonic imaging means, for producing a focal-point marker, wherein said focal-point marker is displayed at a focal point of said scanned slice portion of said B-mode ultrasonic image.

6. A shock wave generating system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said ring-shaped piezoelectric transducer elements are polygonal ring-shaped piezoelectric transducer elements, each having a concave surface.

7. A shock wave generating system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said at least two ring-shaped piezoelectric transducer elements are arranged in a substantially flat plane, as viewed in a sectional direction.

8. An ultrasonic hyperthermia system comprising:

ultrasonic continuous wave generating means, including a plurality of ultrasonic continuous wave generating elements, for generating a plurality of ultrasonic continuous waves;

driving means for separately driving said plurality of ultrasonic continuous wave generating elements by controlling respective delay times to produce a plurality of ultrasonic continuous waves which converge at a plurality of different focal points to form a synthesized focused region in accordance with a dimension of an object within a biological body to be medically cured;

means for controlling a driving voltage to vary a peak temperature of said focused region at said object within the biological body; and

means for storing sets of delay data for use by said driving means to control said delay times of said plurality of ultrasonic continuous wave generating elements, each set of delay data corresponding to a dimension of an object to be cured;

wherein said ultrasonic continuous wave generating elements include at least two ring-shaped piezoelectric transducer elements arranged in a concentric form.

9. An ultrasonic hyperthermia system as claimed in claim 8, wherein said at least two ring-shaped piezoelectric transducer elements have substantially the same ultrasonic continuous wave generating surface area.

10. An ultrasonic hyperthermia system as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

ultrasonic imaging means for ultrasonic-scanning a slice portion of said biological body containing said object to obtain a B-mode ultrasonic image of said slice portion, whereby said object is displayed in said B-mode ultrasonic image.

11. An ultrasonic hyperthermia system as claimed in claim 10, further comprising:

means, operable in conjunction with said ultrasonic imaging means, for producing a focal-point marker, wherein said focal-point marker is displayed at a focal point of said scanned slice portion of said B-mode ultrasonic image.

12. An ultrasonic hyperthermia system as claimed in claim 8, wherein said ring-shaped piezoelectric transducer elements are polygonal ring-shaped piezoelectric transducer elements, each having a concave surface.

13. An ultrasonic hyperthermia system as claimed in claim 8, wherein said at least two ring-shaped piezoelectric transducer elements are arranged in a substantially flat plane, as viewed in a sectional direction.