Ultrasound therapeutic apparatus using a therapeutic ultrasonic wave source and an ultrasonic probe

• US 5,984,881 A
• Filed: 03/29/1996
• Issued: 11/16/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Takuji, Aida, Satoshi, Fujimoto, Katsuhiko, Shibata, Mariko, Ishibashi, Yoshiharu
• Primary Examiner(s): MANUEL, GEORGE C
• Application Number:
  US08/624,104
• Time in Patent Office: 1,327 Days
• Field of Search: 601/2, 601/3, 601/4, 600/449, 600/459
• US Class Current: 601/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/2256 with means for locating or checking the concrement, e.g. X-ray apparatus, imaging means A61B17/2255 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00084 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00119 alarm; indicating an abnormal situation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/102 Modelling of surgical devices, implants or prosthesis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/374 NMR or MRI
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/378 using ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/20 Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis
• 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 15/8922 the array being concentric or annular
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/895 characterised by the transmitted frequency spectrum
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8979 Combined Doppler and pulse-echo imaging systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/899 Combination of imaging systems with ancillary equipment
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52026 Extracting wanted echo signals Doppler systems G01S15/50; Doppler short range imaging systems G01S15/8979
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52033 Gain control of receivers for seismic signals G01V1/245
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52049 using correction of medium-induced phase aberration
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52063 Sector scan display
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52071 Multicolour displays; using colour coding; Optimising colour or information content in displays, e.g. parametric imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52073 Production of cursor lines, markers or indicia by electronic means

Abstract

An ultrasonic therapeutic apparatus consisting of a therapeutic ultrasonic wave generating source driven by a driver circuit to generate therapeutic ultrasonic waves, an in vivo imaging probe so as to obtain a tissue tomographic image in the vicinity of the focus of the therapeutic ultrasonic waves. The imaging probe is used to receive echoes of the ultrasonic pulses emitted from therapeutic ultrasonic wave generating source. The driving conditions for the therapeutic ultrasonic wave generating source is adjusted on the basis of a received echo signal. The received echo signal contains information about actual intensity of the therapeutic ultrasonic waves within a living body, thus improving the safety and reliability of therapy.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic therapeutic apparatus comprising:

a source of therapeutic ultrasonic waves;

an ultrasonic probe;

driving means for driving said source to generate first ultrasonic waves;

adjust means for automatically adjusting drive conditions of said driving means on the basis of echoes of the first ultrasonic waves received through said ultrasonic probe; and

means for measuring an intensity distribution at a focal point of said first ultrasonic waves;

wherein said adjust means adjust said driving means on a basis of a ratio of a target intensity to the measured intensity distribution at the focal point of said first ultrasonic waves, and a drive state of said driving means during measurement of said intensity distribution.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said adjust means adjusts at least the amplitude or the duration of a drive signal applied from said driving means to said source of therapeutic ultrasonic waves.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said adjust means adjusts said driving conditions of said driving means on the basis of at least the amplitude or the energy corresponding to a specific band of said echoes.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising forming means for forming at least one intensity distribution image of a subject and a tomographic image of the subject on the basis of a received echo signal received by said ultrasonic probe.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising means for predicting a treating region on the basis of a region in said intensity distribution which exceeds a predetermined intensity.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising means for displaying said treating region in combination with said tomographic image.