Systems and methods for steering a focused ultrasound array
First Claim
1. A system for performing a therapeutic procedure in a target region of a patient using focused ultrasound, comprising:
- a transducer array comprising a plurality of sub-arrays, each sub-array defining an acoustic emission surface and including one or more transducer elements configured for emitting acoustic energy from the acoustic emission surface, each sub-array being independently movable with respect to one another about at least two respective axes of rotation;
drive circuitry coupled to the transducer elements, the drive circuitry configured for providing respective drive signals to the transducer elements, whereby the transducer elements may emit acoustic energy from their respective acoustic emission surfaces; and
a mechanical controller coupled to the sub-arrays and configured for moving the sub-arrays about the at least two respective axes of rotation to adjust an orientation of the acoustic emission surfaces of respective sub-arrays to facilitate focusing of the acoustic energy emitted by the transducer elements towards the target region.
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Abstract
A focused ultrasound system includes a transducer array including a plurality of sub-arrays, each sub-array defining an acoustic emission surface and including a plurality of transducer elements thereon. A mechanical controller is coupled to the sub-arrays that includes actuators for moving the sub-arrays to adjust an orientation of the acoustic emission surfaces of respective sub-arrays to facilitate steering of acoustic energy emitted by the transducer elements towards a target tissue region. Drive circuitry provides drive signals to the transducer elements, whereby the transducer elements emit acoustic energy from their respective acoustic emission surfaces to ablate the target region, such as a tumor within a patient'"'"'s brain.
159 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A system for performing a therapeutic procedure in a target region of a patient using focused ultrasound, comprising:
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a transducer array comprising a plurality of sub-arrays, each sub-array defining an acoustic emission surface and including one or more transducer elements configured for emitting acoustic energy from the acoustic emission surface, each sub-array being independently movable with respect to one another about at least two respective axes of rotation;
drive circuitry coupled to the transducer elements, the drive circuitry configured for providing respective drive signals to the transducer elements, whereby the transducer elements may emit acoustic energy from their respective acoustic emission surfaces; and
a mechanical controller coupled to the sub-arrays and configured for moving the sub-arrays about the at least two respective axes of rotation to adjust an orientation of the acoustic emission surfaces of respective sub-arrays to facilitate focusing of the acoustic energy emitted by the transducer elements towards the target region. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13)
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10. A system for performing a therapeutic procedure in a target region of a patient using focused ultrasound, comprising:
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a transducer array comprising a plurality of sub-arrays, each sub-array defining an acoustic emission surface and including one or more transducer elements configured for emitting acoustic energy from the acoustic emission surface, each sub-array being independently movable with respect to one another;
drive circuitry coupled to the transducer elements, the drive circuitry configured for providing respective drive signals to the transducer elements, whereby the transducer elements may emit acoustic energy from their respective acoustic emission surfaces;
a mechanical controller coupled to the sub-arrays and configured for moving the sub-arrays to adjust an orientation of the acoustic emission surfaces of respective sub-arrays to facilitate focusing of the acoustic energy emitted by the transducer elements towards the target region; and
an electrical controller coupled to the drive circuitry, the electrical controller configured for controlling phase shift values of the respective drive signals to further focus the acoustic energy emitted by the transducer elements towards the target region, wherein the electrical controller is configured for controlling the phase shift values of the drive signals to the transducer elements of a respective sub-array for compensating for aberrations in intervening tissue between the transducer and the target tissue.
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14. A method for performing a therapeutic procedure in a target tissue region of a patient using focused ultrasound, the method comprising:
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providing a transducer array comprising a plurality of sub-arrays, each sub-array including one or more transducer elements, each sub-array being independently movable relative to one another about two respective axes of rotation for adjusting an orientation of the sub-arrays with respect to one another;
driving the transducer elements with respective drive signals such that the transducer elements emit acoustic energy towards a target region; and
moving the sub-arrays with respect to one another about the two respective axes of rotation to focus the acoustic energy generated by the transducer elements towards the target region.- View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 19, 20)
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18. A method for performing a therapeutic procedure in a target tissue region of a patient using focused ultrasound, the method comprising:
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providing a transducer array comprising a plurality of sub-arrays, each sub-array including one or more transducer elements, each sub-array being movable relative to one another for adjusting an orientation of the sub-arrays with respect to one another, the transducer array being acoustically coupled to a skull such that the target region is a tissue structure within the skull;
driving the transducer elements with respective drive signals such that the transducer elements emit acoustic energy towards a target region; and
moving the sub-arrays with respect to one another to focus the acoustic energy generated by the transducer elements towards the target region;
wherein the step of driving the transducer elements comprises controlling relative phase shift values of the respective drive signals to compensate for skull phase aberrations.
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21. A system for performing a therapeutic procedure in a target region of a patient using focused ultrasound, comprising:
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a transducer array comprising a plurality of sub-arrays, each sub-array defining an acoustic emission surface and including a plurality of transducer elements configured for emitting acoustic energy from the acoustic emission surface, each sub-array being independently movable with respect to one another;
drive circuitry coupled to the transducer elements, the drive circuitry configured for providing respective drive signals to the transducer elements, whereby the transducer elements may emit acoustic energy from their respective acoustic emission surfaces; and
a mechanical controller coupled to the sub-arrays and configured for moving the sub-arrays to adjust an orientation of the acoustic emission surfaces of respective sub-arrays to facilitate focusing of the acoustic energy emitted by the transducer elements towards the target region. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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Specification