Ultrasonic medical system and associated method
First Claim
1. A medical system, comprising:
- a container assembly defining a fluid-filled chamber and including a substantially rigid panel defining an outer wall of said chamber, said container assembly having a flexible wall conformable to a patient;
at least one electroacoustic transducer in operative contact with said container assembly for generating pressure waves in fluid disposed in said chamber;
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 in said fluid in said chamber;
at least one acoustoelectric transducer in operative contact with said container assembly for receiving and sensing pressure waves traveling in said fluid in said chamber, at least one of said electroacoustic transducer and said acoustoelectric transducer being mounted to said substantially rigid panel; 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 and transmitted through said fluid in said chamber to said acoustoelectric transducer.
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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.
69 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A medical system, comprising:
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a container assembly defining a fluid-filled chamber and including a substantially rigid panel defining an outer wall of said chamber, said container assembly having a flexible wall conformable to a patient; at least one electroacoustic transducer in operative contact with said container assembly for generating pressure waves in fluid disposed in said chamber; 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 in said fluid in said chamber; at least one acoustoelectric transducer in operative contact with said container assembly for receiving and sensing pressure waves traveling in said fluid in said chamber, at least one of said electroacoustic transducer and said acoustoelectric transducer being mounted to said substantially rigid panel; 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 and transmitted through said fluid in said chamber to said acoustoelectric transducer. - 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 container assembly defining a fluid-filled chamber, said container assembly including a flexible wall partially defining said chamber, said flexible wall being conformable to and disposable in a pressure-wave-transmitting relationship with a patient, said container assembly including a panel provided with a plurality of apertures enabling traversal of said panel by a medical instrument so that a distal end of said medical instrument lies inside the patient while the patient is disposed in pressure-wave-transmitting contact with said fluid-filled chamber; at least one electroacoustic transducer operatively mounted to said container assembly for generating pressure waves in the patient and in fluid disposed in said chamber; 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 first pressure waves in the patient and in said fluid in said chamber; at least one acoustoelectric transducer mounted to said container assembly for receiving and sensing pressure waves reflected from internal tissues of the patient; and analyzing means operatively connected to said acoustoelectric transducer for determining three-dimensional shapes of the 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 the pressure waves reflected from the internal tissues of the patient and pressure waves produced at said distal end of said medical instrument in response to said first pressure waves. - 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 (1) a medical instrument and (2) a container assembly defining a fluid-filled chamber, said container assembly including a flexible wall partially defining said chamber, said flexible wall being conformable to and disposable in pressure-wave-transmitting relationship with a patient, said container assembly having at least one electroacoustic transducer in operative contact with said chamber for generating pressure waves in the patient and in fluid in said chamber, said container assembly also having at least one acoustoelectric transducer in operative contact with said chamber for detecting pressure waves in the patient and in said fluid in said chamber; disposing said container assembly and the patient proximately to one another so that said flexible wall substantially conforms to a skin surface of the patient to enable an acoustic or pressure-wave-transmitting relationship between said skin surface and said fluid in said chamber; after disposition of said container assembly and the patient adjacent to one another, energizing said electroacoustic transducer with an electrical signal of a pre-established ultrasonic frequency to produce first pressure waves in said fluid in said chamber and in the patient; 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 flexible wall is disposed proximately to and substantially conforms 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 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 and transmitted through said fluid in said chamber to said acoustoelectric transducer. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification