Ultrasound therapy apparatus delivering ultrasound waves having thermal and cavitation effects
First Claim
1. A therapy method using ultrasound for the purpose of destroying a target to be destroyed, said target including tissue which may be located inside a body of a mammal, by supplying ultrasonic waves focused onto a focal point or region F determining a tissue zone to be submitted to said therapy, which comprises supplying ultrasonic waves of two types, thermal waves, for producing a predominantly thermal effect on tissue to be treated, and cavitation waves, for producing a predominantly cavitation effect on said tissue to be treated, said two types of waves being applied for a time sufficient to effect therapy by destroying at least a portion of said tissue.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for performing therapy using ultrasound. The apparatus uses a treatment device having at least one piezoelectric transducer element to supply ultrasonic waves focussed onto a focal point or region that determines the tissue zone submitted to therapy. The treatment device, which is controlled by a control device, supplies two types of ultrasonic waves, the first one being thermal waves that produce a predominantly thermal effect on the tissue being treated and the second one being cavitation waves that produce a predominantly cavitation effect on the tissue to be treated.
-
Citations
40 Claims
-
1. A therapy method using ultrasound for the purpose of destroying a target to be destroyed, said target including tissue which may be located inside a body of a mammal, by supplying ultrasonic waves focused onto a focal point or region F determining a tissue zone to be submitted to said therapy, which comprises supplying ultrasonic waves of two types, thermal waves, for producing a predominantly thermal effect on tissue to be treated, and cavitation waves, for producing a predominantly cavitation effect on said tissue to be treated, said two types of waves being applied for a time sufficient to effect therapy by destroying at least a portion of said tissue.
- 2. A therapy method using ultrasound for the purpose of destroying a target to be destroyed, said target including tissue which may be located inside a body of a mammal, by supplying ultrasonic waves focused onto a focal point or region F determining a tissue zone to be submitted to said therapy, which comprises supplying ultrasonic waves of two types, thermal waves, for producing a predominantly thermal effect on tissue to be treated, and cavitation waves, for producing a predominantly cavitation effect on said tissue to be treated, said two types of waves being applied for a time sufficient to effect therapy by destroying at least a portion of said tissue and wherein said thermal ultrasonic waves are supplied at least at a beginning of treatment.
- 17. A therapy method using ultrasound for the purpose of destroying a target to be destroyed, said target including tissue which may be located inside a body of a mammal, by supplying ultrasonic waves focused onto a focal point or region F determining a tissue zone to be submitted to said therapy, which comprises supplying ultrasonic waves of two types, thermal waves, for producing a predominantly thermal effect on tissue to be treated, and cavitation waves, for producing a predominantly cavitation effect on said tissue to be treated, said two types of waves being applied for a time sufficient to effect therapy by destroying at least a portion of said tissue, displacing said focal point to perform point-by-point treatment, each of said points being determined by the said focal point or region F, in order to cover the entire volume of the tissue target to be treated, and conducting an imaging step to acquire volume data so that said focal point may be displaced as a function of the volume of the target to be treated.
-
21. An apparatus for performing therapy using ultrasound, comprising at least one treatment device comprising at least one piezoelectric transducer element designed to provide at least said therapy for the purpose of destroying a target to be destroyed, said target including tissue which may be located inside a body of a mammal, and control means for said device in order to carry out said therapy, said piezoelectric transducer element being designed to supply ultrasonic waves focused onto a focal point or region F determining the tissue zone to be submitted to said therapy, said apparatus further comprising control means for causing said treatment device to supply ultrasonic waves of two types, thermal waves, for producing a predominantly thermal effect on the tissues to be treated, and cavitation waves, for producing a predominantly cavitation effect on said tissues to be treated when such tissues are exposed to said two types of ultrasonic waves.
- 22. An apparatus for performing therapy using ultrasound, comprising at least one treatment device comprising at least one piezoelectric transducer element designed to provide at least said therapy for the purpose of destroying a target to be destroyed, said target including tissue which may be located inside a body of a mammal, and control means for said device in order to carry out said therapy, said piezoelectric transducer element being designed to supply ultrasonic waves focused onto a focal point or region F determining the tissue zone to be submitted to said therapy, said apparatus further comprising control means for causing said treatment device to supply ultrasonic waves of two types, thermal waves, for producing a predominantly thermal effect on the tissues to be treated, and cavitation waves, for producing a predominantly cavitation effect on said tissues to be treated when such tissues are exposed to said two types of ultrasonic waves, wherein said control means causes said treatment device to transmit thermal ultrasonic waves at least at the beginning of said treatment.
- 37. An apparatus for performing therapy using ultrasound, comprising at least one treatment device comprising at least one piezoelectric transducer element designed to provide at least said therapy for the purpose of destroying a target to be destroyed, said target including tissue which may be located inside a body of a mammal, and control means for said device in order to carry out said therapy, said piezoelectric transducer element being designed to supply ultrasonic waves focused onto a focal point or region F determining the tissue zone to be submitted to said therapy, said apparatus further comprising control means for causing said treatment device to supply ultrasonic waves of two types, thermal waves, for producing a predominantly thermal effect on the tissues to be treated, and cavitation waves, for producing a predominantly cavitation effect on said tissues to be treated when such tissues are exposed to said two types of ultrasonic waves and means for displacing said treatment device in order to perform point-by-point treatment, each of said points being determined by the said focal point or region F, in order to cover the entire volume of the target to be treated, wherein said displacement means of the treatment device are controlled by a control unit which includes a computer or micro-computer, the latter being provided with software managing displacement of said treatment device as a function of the volume of the target to be treated, volume data having advantageously been acquired by imaging means associated therewith having special imaging control means controlled by said control unit for translatory or rotational displacement.
Specification