Ultrasound therapeutic apparatus

• US 6,280,402 B1
• Filed: 06/18/1999
• Issued: 08/28/2001
• 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): Lateef, Marvin M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHAW, SHAWNA JEANNINE
• Application Number:
  US09/335,914
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: 601/2, 601/3, 600/439, 600/440, 600/441, 600/443
• 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;

means for driving said source of therapeutic ultrasonic waves;

means for driving said ultrasonic probe to generate imaging ultrasonic waves;

receiving means for receiving echoes of first ultrasonic waves generated by said therapeutic ultrasonic wave generating source and echoes of second ultrasonic waves generated by said ultrasonic probe through said ultrasonic probe;

first filtering means for extracting a first component within a first specific band corresponding to the fundamental frequency of said first ultrasonic waves from an output of said receiving means;

second filtering means for extracting a second component within a specific band corresponding to the fundamental frequency of said second ultrasonic waves from said output of said receiving means;

means for amplifying each of said first and second components individually; and

means for forming an image on the basis of said first and second components amplified by said amplifying means.

2. An ultrasonic therapeutic apparatus comprising:

a source of therapeutic ultrasonic waves;

an ultrasonic probe;

drive means for driving said source of therapeutic ultrasonic waves to generate ultrasonic waves that converge onto a focus;

drive means for driving said ultrasonic probe to generate in vivo imaging ultrasonic waves;

constructing means for constructing the intensity distribution of said ultrasonic waves and a tomographic image of a subject on the basis of echoes of said ultrasonic waves from said source and echoes of said imaging ultrasonic waves from said ultrasonic probe received through said ultrasonic probe; and

means for detecting a focal region of therapeutic ultrasonic waves on the basis of said intensity distribution;

means for forming the focus of therapeutic ultrasonic waves in a first focal position and a second focal position; and

means for displaying a combined region of a first focal region corresponding to said first focal position and a second focal region corresponding to said second focal position on the tomographic image.