Hifu applications with feedback control
First Claim
Patent Images
1. Ultrasonic therapy apparatus comprising:
- (a) an ultrasonic emitter including an array of ultrasonic transducers;
(b) a drive and sensing circuit connected to said transducers for applying drive signals to a first set of one or more transducers in said array to thereby cause said first set of transducers to emit therapeutic ultrasonic waves so that said emitted waves are focused at a focal location and heat tissue at such focal location and for acquiring received signals generated by a second set of one or more transducers in said array responsive to ultrasonic waves impinging on said transducers of second set to thereby provide a detected signal representing ultrasonic waves reflected or emanating from said focal location, at least some of the same ones of said transducers being included in said first and second sets during operation of said drive and sensing circuits; and
(c) a feedback control circuit responsive to said detected signal for producing a feedback signal indicating whether cavitation has occurred or is likely to occur at said focal location and adjusting said drive circuit so as to alter or terminate said emitted therapeutic ultrasonic waves in response to said feedback signal.
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Abstract
High intensity focused ultrasound heating is provided by applying therapeutic ultrasonic waves using an array of transducers. Cavitation is detected by using some or all of the transducers in the array to detect ultrasonic waves emanating from or reflected from the patient'"'"'s body or the interface. A feedback signal is generated based on such detection. If the feedback signal indicates the presence of cavitation, the therapeutic ultrasonic waves are terminated or altered. Obstacles to ultrasound transmission, such as bony structures or bubbles at the interface between the transducer array and the patient can be detected using the same transducers.
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Citations
39 Claims
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1. Ultrasonic therapy apparatus comprising:
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(a) an ultrasonic emitter including an array of ultrasonic transducers;
(b) a drive and sensing circuit connected to said transducers for applying drive signals to a first set of one or more transducers in said array to thereby cause said first set of transducers to emit therapeutic ultrasonic waves so that said emitted waves are focused at a focal location and heat tissue at such focal location and for acquiring received signals generated by a second set of one or more transducers in said array responsive to ultrasonic waves impinging on said transducers of second set to thereby provide a detected signal representing ultrasonic waves reflected or emanating from said focal location, at least some of the same ones of said transducers being included in said first and second sets during operation of said drive and sensing circuits; and
(c) a feedback control circuit responsive to said detected signal for producing a feedback signal indicating whether cavitation has occurred or is likely to occur at said focal location and adjusting said drive circuit so as to alter or terminate said emitted therapeutic ultrasonic waves in response to said feedback signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. Ultrasonic therapy apparatus comprising:
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(a) an ultrasonic emitter;
(b) a drive circuit connected to said transducers for applying one or more drive signals to said emitter to thereby cause said emitter to emit therapeutic ultrasonic waves so that said emitted waves are focused at a focal location;
(c) means for moving said focal location relative to a body of a patient;
(d) means for providing a detected signal representing ultrasonic waves reflected or emanating from said focal location; and
(e) a feedback control circuit responsive to said detected signal for producing a feedback signal indicating whether cavitation has occurred or is likely to occur at said focal location and adjusting said moving means so as to move said focal location relative to the body of the patient in response to said feedback signal. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. A method of applying and controlling high intensity focused ultrasound heating comprising:
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(a) applying drive signals to a first set of one or more transducers in an array of transducers to thereby cause said first set of transducers to emit therapeutic ultrasonic waves focused at a focal location and thereby heat tissue at such focal location;
(b) acquiring receive signals generated by a second set of one or more transducers in said array responsive to ultrasonic waves impinging on said transducers of second set to thereby provide a detected signal representing ultrasonic waves reflected or emanating from said focal location, one or more of said transducers being included in said first set at at least some part of said drive signal applying set and included in said second set during at least some part of said acquiring step; and
(c) producing a feedback signal based on said detected signal indicating whether cavitation has occurred or is likely to occur at said focal location and adjusting said drive circuit so as to alter or terminate said emitted therapeutic ultrasonic waves in response to said feedback signal. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A method of applying and controlling high intensity focused ultrasound heating comprising:
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(a) emitting therapeutic ultrasonic waves so that said emitted waves are focused at a focal location within the body of a mammalian subject;
(b) providing a detected signal representing ultrasonic waves reflected or emanating from said focal location; and
(c) producing a feedback signal based on said detected signal indicating whether cavitation has occurred or is likely to occur at said focal location and moving said focal location relative to the body of the subject in response to said feedback signal. - View Dependent Claims (32)
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33. A method of applying and controlling ultrasound to a subject comprising the steps of:
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(a) positioning an array of transducers adjacent the body of a subject and coupling said transducers to the body of the subject at an interface;
(b) actuating a set of less than all of said transducers to emit monitoring ultrasonic waves;
(c) detecting echoes of said ultrasonic waves and generating a feedback signal if said detected echoes include echoes having more than a preselected magnitude and a return time less than a preselected minimum return time less than the return time for echoes of said monitoring ultrasonic waves reflected from a desired focal location, whereby said feedback signal indicates sound-reflective obstacles adjacent said set of said transducers;
(d) repeating said actuating and detecting steps using different sets of said transducers in said array in different repetitions;
(e) disabling transducers in those sets for which a feedback signal is generated in said detecting step; and
(f) operating at least some of said transducers in said array other than transducers in disabled sets to emit therapeutic ultrasonic waves focused at said desired focal location to thereby heat tissue of the subject at such focal location. - View Dependent Claims (34)
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35. A method of applying and controlling ultrasound to a subject comprising the steps of:
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(a) positioning an array of transducers adjacent the body of a subject and coupling said transducers to the body of the subject at an interface;
(b) actuating one or more of said transducers to emit monitoring ultrasonic waves;
(c) detecting echoes of said ultrasonic waves and generating a feedback signal if said detected echoes include echoes having more than a preselected magnitude and a return time less than a preselected minimum return time less than the return time for echoes of said monitoring ultrasonic waves reflected from a desired focal location, whereby said detected echoes indicate sound-reflective obstacles adjacent said one or more of said transducers, wherein said actuating step includes applying monitoring drive signals to a set of said transducers including less than all of said transducers so that said set of said transducers emits said monitoring ultrasonic waves, said step of detecting echoes including terminating application of said monitoring drive signals and then acquiring received signals from said set of said transducers representing ultrasonic waves impinging on the transducers in said set. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37)
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38. A method of applying and controlling ultrasound to a subject comprising the steps of:
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(a) positioning an array of transducers adjacent the body of a subject and coupling said transducers to the body of the subject at an interface;
(b) actuating one or more of said transducers to emit monitoring ultrasonic waves (c) detecting echoes of said ultrasonic waves and generating a feedback signal if said detected echoes include echoes having more than a preselected magnitude and a return time less than a preselected minimum return time less than the return to me for echoes of said monitoring ultrasonic waves reflected from a desired focal location, whereby said detected echoes indicate sound-reflective obstacles adjacent said one or more of said transducers, wherein said obstacles include air bubbles at said interface. - View Dependent Claims (39)
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Specification