Ultrasonic medical system and associated method
First Claim
1. A medical system, comprising:
- a carrier disposable in pressure-wave-transmitting contact with a patient;
at least one electroacoustic transducer attached to said carrier;
an a-c current generator operatively connected to said transducer for energizing said transducer with an electrical signal of a pre-established ultrasonic frequency to produce a first pressure wave;
at least one acoustoelectric transducer attached to said carrier; and
analyzing means operatively connected to said acoustoelectric transducer for determining three-dimensional shapes of internal tissues of the patient by analyzing signals generated by said acoustoelectric transducer in response to second pressure waves produced at internal tissues of the patient in response to said first pressure wave.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A medical system incorporates a perforated flexible web conformable to a patient, at least one electroacoustic transducer attached to the web, an a-c current source being operatively connected to the transducer for energizing the transducer with an electrical signal of a pre-established ultrasonic frequency to produce a first pressure wave. At least one acoustoelectric transducer is attached to the web, while an analyzing component is operatively connected to the acoustoelectric transducer for determining three-dimensional shapes of internal organs of the patient by analyzing signals generated by the acoustoelectric transducer in response to second pressure waves produced at internal organs of the patient in response to the first pressure wave. An image of internal organic structures derived through the ultrasonic signal analysis is displayed on a video monitor for enabling direct observation of invasive diagnostic and therapeutic operations. Instruments are inserted into the patient through apertures in the flexible ultrasonic sensor web.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A medical system, comprising:
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a carrier disposable in pressure-wave-transmitting contact with a patient; at least one electroacoustic transducer attached to said carrier; an a-c current generator operatively connected to said transducer for energizing said transducer with an electrical signal of a pre-established ultrasonic frequency to produce a first pressure wave; at least one acoustoelectric transducer attached to said carrier; and analyzing means operatively connected to said acoustoelectric transducer for determining three-dimensional shapes of internal tissues of the patient by analyzing signals generated by said acoustoelectric transducer in response to second pressure waves produced at internal tissues of the patient in response to said first pressure wave. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A system for use in a medical operation, comprising:
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a carrier disposable in pressure-wave-transmitting contact with a patient, said carrier having at least one aperture enabling traversal of said carrier by a medical instrument so that a distal end of said medical instrument lies inside the patient while said carrier is disposed adjacent to a skin surface of the patient; at least one electroacoustic transducer attached to said carrier; an a-c current source operatively connected to said transducer for energizing said transducer with an electrical signal of a pre-established ultrasonic frequency to produce a first pressure wave; at least one acoustoelectric transducer attached to said carrier; and analyzing means operatively connected to said acoustoelectric transducer for determining three-dimensional shapes of internal tissues of the patient and a location of said distal end of said medical instrument by analyzing signals generated by said acoustoelectric transducer in response to second pressure waves produced at internal tissues of the patient and at said distal end of said medical instrument in response to said first pressure wave. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for performing a medical operation, comprising:
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providing a medical instrument and a carrier disposable in pressure-wave-transmitting contact with a patient, said carrier also having at least one electroacoustic transducer and at least one acoustoelectric transducer attached to said carrier; disposing said carrier adjacent to a skin surface of the patient so that said carrier is in acoustic or pressure-wave-transmitting contact with said skin surface; after disposition of said carrier adjacent to said skin surface, energizing said electroacoustic transducer with an electrical signal of a pre-established ultrasonic frequency to produce a first pressure wave; inserting a distal end of said medical instrument into the patient so that said distal end of said medical instrument is disposed inside the patient while said carrier is disposed adjacent to said skin surface; and automatically analyzing signals generated by said acoustoelectric transducer in response to second pressure waves produced at internal tissues of the patient and at said distal end of said medical instrument in response to said first pressure wave to thereby determine three-dimensional shapes of the internal tissues of the patient and a location of said distal end of said medical instrument relative to said internal tissues, thereby enabling a real time manipulation of said instrument to effectuate a medical operation on a selected one of said internal tissues. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method For performing a medical operation, comprising;
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providing a carrier having an electromechanical transducer; disposing said carrier on a patient so that said transducer is in pressure-wave-transmitting contact with the patient; producing a first ultrasonic pressure wave inside the patient; inserting a distal end of said medical instrument through an opening in said carrier into the patient so that said distal end of said medical instrument is disposed inside the patient; sensing second pressure waves produced at internal tissues of the patient and at said distal end of said medical instrument in response to said first pressure wave; and automatically analyzing said second pressure waves to thereby determine three-dimensional shapes of the internal tissues of the patient and a location of said distal end of said medical instrument relative to said internal tissues, thereby enabling a real time manipulation of said instrument to effectuate a medical operation on a selected one of said internal tissues, at least one of the steps of producing said first ultrasonic pressure wave and sensing said second pressure waves including operating said transducer. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30)
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Specification