Ultrasonic wave diagnosis apparatus
First Claim
1. An ultrasonic therapy apparatus for focusing a therapy ultrasonic wave at an affected part for therapy, comprising:
- an applicator having a therapy ultrasonic wave generation source and ultrasonic probe;
a mechanism for moving the applicator;
a driver for driving the therapy ultrasonic wave generation source so as to generate the therapy ultrasonic wave from the therapy ultrasonic wave generation source;
a diagnosis apparatus for driving the ultrasonic probe to scan a focal point and its neighborhood with the ultrasonic wave, forming a cross-sectional image based on an obtained echo and displaying the cross-sectional image;
a console for setting a therapy region in a state to include the affected part; and
a system controller for performing a therapy simulation, wherein,in the therapy simulation, the mechanism moves the applicator in accordance with a planned course of the focal point designed in a way to correspond to the therapy region, the driver does not drive the therapy ultrasonic wave generation source so that no therapy ultrasonic wave is generated, and the diagnosis apparatus scans the focal point and its neighborhood through the ultrasonic probe and displays, together with the cross-sectional image, a focal point marker representing the focal point.
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Accused Products
Abstract
When an affected region is greater than a focal point of a therapy ultrasonic wave, a therapy region is set in a way to include the affected region. The focal point of the therapy ultrasonic wave is moved along a planned course designed based on the therapy region, so that it is possible to treat that whole affected region greater than the focal point. In the present invention, before an actual therapy, that is, before irradiation with the therapy ultrasonic wave, a therapy simulation is made to see whether or not a better treatment is carried out. In the therapy simulation, an applicator is moved in accordance with a planned course designed based on the therapy region. During the movement, the internal region of a human subject is continuously scanned and imaged by the ultrasonic probe. A cross-sectional image obtained is displayed together with a focal point marker representing the focal point. In this way, the applicator is moved along an actual planned course and, by observing a positional relation between the subject and the focal point, accurate checking is made to see whether or not the therapy region is set relative to the affected region.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. An ultrasonic therapy apparatus for focusing a therapy ultrasonic wave at an affected part for therapy, comprising:
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an applicator having a therapy ultrasonic wave generation source and ultrasonic probe; a mechanism for moving the applicator; a driver for driving the therapy ultrasonic wave generation source so as to generate the therapy ultrasonic wave from the therapy ultrasonic wave generation source; a diagnosis apparatus for driving the ultrasonic probe to scan a focal point and its neighborhood with the ultrasonic wave, forming a cross-sectional image based on an obtained echo and displaying the cross-sectional image; a console for setting a therapy region in a state to include the affected part; and a system controller for performing a therapy simulation, wherein, in the therapy simulation, the mechanism moves the applicator in accordance with a planned course of the focal point designed in a way to correspond to the therapy region, the driver does not drive the therapy ultrasonic wave generation source so that no therapy ultrasonic wave is generated, and the diagnosis apparatus scans the focal point and its neighborhood through the ultrasonic probe and displays, together with the cross-sectional image, a focal point marker representing the focal point. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An ultrasonic therapy apparatus for focusing a therapy ultrasonic wave at an affected region for therapy, comprising:
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means for generating a therapy ultrasonic wave; means for imaging a cross-sectional tissue associated with a focal point and its neighborhood of a therapy ultrasonic wave; means for setting a therapy region including the affected region; means for performing a therapy simulation, wherein, in a therapy simulation, no therapy ultrasonic wave is generated from the therapy ultrasonic wave generation source and a cross-sectional tissue is imaged and the imaged cross-sectional plane is moved in accordance with a planned course of the focal point of the therapy ultrasonic wave in a way to correspond to the therapy region. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An ultrasonic therapy apparatus for focusing a therapy ultrasonic wave at an affected region for therapy, comprising:
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means for generating a therapy ultrasonic wave; means for imaging a cross-sectional tissue associated with a focal point and its neighborhood of the therapy ultrasonic wave; means for setting a therapy region including the affected region; and means for performing a therapy simulation, wherein, in the therapy simulation, no therapy ultrasonic wave is generated from the therapy ultrasonic wave generation source, the therapy region is scanned by effecting an axial rotation, swing and translation with the ultrasonic wave, the cross-sectional image associated with the cross-sectional tissue is displayed and the cross-sectional image is displayed together with a marker representing the focal point and marker representing the therapy region.
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19. A method for planning before treating an affected region of a subject while moving a focal point of a therapy ultrasonic wave relative to the affected region, comprising the steps of:
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(a) setting a therapy region in a way to correspond to the affected region; (b) simulating the therapy after the first step; and (c) re-setting the therapy region in accordance with a result of the therapy simulation; wherein, in the second step (b), no therapy ultrasonic wave is generated, a cross-sectional tissue is imaged and an imaged cross-sectional plane is moved in accordance with a planned course of the focal point designed based on the set therapy region.
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Specification