Focused ultrasound ablation devices having selectively actuatable ultrasound emitting elements and methods of using the same
First Claim
1. A focused ultrasound ablation device for creating a lesion in anatomical tissue of a patient comprisingan ultrasound emitting member including an active surface adapted for positioning adjacent anatomical tissue, said active surface carrying a plurality of individual ultrasound emitting elements arranged in an array along said active surface, said ultrasound emitting elements being actuatable to emit ultrasound energy and focus the emitted ultrasound energy at focusing zones, each focusing zone being separate and distinct to the ultrasound emitting element, and each focusing zone being spaced from one another and located the same fixed predetermined distance outwardly from said active surface whereby the ultrasound energy is focused within the anatomical tissue to form a lesion within the tissue, said ultrasound emitting elements in said array being selectively, independently actuatable to emit ultrasound energy therefrom and being selectively, independently non-actuatable to not emit ultrasound energy therefrom in response to selection by an operator of a particular size and surface configuration for the lesion to be formed within the tissue in accordance with the positions in said array of said ultrasound emitting elements selected to be actuated;
- and a handle coupled to said ultrasound emitting member
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Abstract
A focused ultrasound ablation device includes an ultrasound emitting member having a plurality of individual ultrasound emitting elements arranged in an array. The ultrasound emitting elements are selectively, independently actuatable to emit ultrasound energy and focus the emitted ultrasound energy a predetermined distance from the ultrasound emitting member such that the ultrasound energy is focused within anatomical tissue adjacent which the ultrasound emitting member is positioned. The anatomical tissue is heated by the focused ultrasound energy to form a lesion in the tissue of desired size and/or surface configuration. A method of thermal ablation comprises the steps of selecting selected ones of a plurality of ultrasound emitting elements, arranged in an array on an ultrasound emitting member, for actuation to emit ultrasound energy in accordance with a desired size and/or surface configuration of a lesion to be formed in anatomical tissue, positioning the ultrasound emitting member adjacent the tissue, actuating the selected ones of the ultrasound emitting elements to emit ultrasound energy, focusing the ultrasound energy in the tissue with the selected ones of the ultrasound emitting elements, and heating the tissue with the focused ultrasound energy to form a lesion within the tissue having the desired size and/or surface configuration.
623 Citations
42 Claims
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1. A focused ultrasound ablation device for creating a lesion in anatomical tissue of a patient comprising
an ultrasound emitting member including an active surface adapted for positioning adjacent anatomical tissue, said active surface carrying a plurality of individual ultrasound emitting elements arranged in an array along said active surface, said ultrasound emitting elements being actuatable to emit ultrasound energy and focus the emitted ultrasound energy at focusing zones, each focusing zone being separate and distinct to the ultrasound emitting element, and each focusing zone being spaced from one another and located the same fixed predetermined distance outwardly from said active surface whereby the ultrasound energy is focused within the anatomical tissue to form a lesion within the tissue, said ultrasound emitting elements in said array being selectively, independently actuatable to emit ultrasound energy therefrom and being selectively, independently non-actuatable to not emit ultrasound energy therefrom in response to selection by an operator of a particular size and surface configuration for the lesion to be formed within the tissue in accordance with the positions in said array of said ultrasound emitting elements selected to be actuated; - and
a handle coupled to said ultrasound emitting member - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A focused ultrasound ablation device for creating a lesion in anatomical tissue of a patient comprising
an ultrasound emitting member comprising an active face adapted for positioning adjacent anatomical tissue, said active face carrying a planar array of ultrasound transducer elements, said ultrasound transducer elements each emitting ultrasound energy in response to an electrical signal supplied thereto, said ultrasound transducer elements having focusing configurations, respectively, by which ultrasound energy emitted therefrom is focused at focusing zones, respectively, located the same fixed predetermined distance from said active face such that the anatomical tissue is heated at the focusing zones, respectively, to form a lesion within the anatomical tissue, said ultrasound transducer elements in said array being selectively, independently actuatable to emit ultrasound energy and being selectively, independently non-actuatable to not emit ultrasound energy in response to selection by an operator of a particular size and surface configuration for the lesion to be formed within the tissue; - and
a handle coupled to said ultrasound emitting member. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of thermal ablation of anatomical tissue using focused ultrasound comprising the steps of
selecting one or more of a plurality of individual ultrasound emitting elements, arranged in an array on an active face of an ultrasound emitting member, for actuation to emit ultrasound energy in accordance with a desired size and surface configuration of a lesion to be formed in anatomical tissue; -
positioning the active face adjacent the anatomical tissue at a location aligned with a desired target area for the lesion within the tissue;
actuating the selected one or more ultrasound emitting elements to emit ultrasound energy;
focusing the ultrasound energy with the selected one or more of the ultrasound emitting elements so that the ultrasound energy is focused in the target area at one or more focusing zones corresponding to the selected one or more of the ultrasound emitting elements, each of the one or more focusing zones being disposed the same fixed predetermined distance from the active face; and
heating the tissue with the focused ultrasound energy to form a lesion at the target area having the desired size and surface configuration. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method of thermal ablation of anatomical tissue comprising the steps of
positioning an active surface of an ultrasound emitting member adjacent anatomical tissue to be ablated; -
actuating a plurality of ultrasound emitting elements disposed along the active surface to emit ultrasound energy;
emitting ultrasound energy into the anatomical tissue from the plurality of ultrasound emitting elements disposed along the active surface;
focusing the ultrasound energy at a plurality of focusing zones contained in a target area in the anatomical tissue, each focusing zone being separate and distinct to the ultrasound emitting element and each focusing zone being disposed the same predetermined distance from the ultrasound emitting elements;
heating the anatomical tissue at the focusing zones with the focused ultrasound energy to form an ablated tissue area at the target area containing a plurality of lesions at the focusing zones, respectively; and
removing the active surface from adjacent the anatomical tissue. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A method of thermal ablation of anatomical tissue comprising the steps of
positioning an active surface of an ultrasound emitting member adjacent anatomical tissue to be ablated; -
actuating a plurality of ultrasound emitting elements disposed in a plane along the active surface to emit ultrasound energy;
emitting ultrasound energy from the plurality of ultrasound emitting elements disposed in the plane along the active surface;
focusing the ultrasound energy in the anatomical tissue at a plurality of closely spaced focusing zones corresponding to the ultrasound emitting elements, each focusing zone is being separate and distinct to the ultrasound emitting elements, and each focusing zone being disposed in a plane located a fixed predetermined distance from the active surface;
ablating the anatomical tissue with the focused ultrasound energy to form an ablated tissue area containing a plurality of lesions at the focusing zones, respectively; and
removing the ultrasound emitting member from adjacent the anatomical tissue. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A method of thermal ablation of anatomical tissue comprising the steps of
positioning an active surface of an ultrasound emitting member adjacent anatomical tissue and in alignment with a target area in the anatomical tissue at which an ablated tissue area is to be created; -
actuating selected ones of a plurality of ultrasound emitting elements disposed along the active surface to emit ultrasound energy;
emitting ultrasound energy from the selected ultrasound emitting elements into the anatomical tissue;
focusing the ultrasound energy in the anatomical tissue at a plurality of focusing zones corresponding to the selected ultrasound emitting elements, each focusing zone being separate and distinct to the ultrasound of emitting element, and each focusing zone being disposed the same predetermined distance from the ultrasound emitting elements; and
ablating the anatomical tissue with the focused ultrasound energy to form an ablated tissue area at the target area having a planar surface configuration containing a plurality of closely spaced lesions at which the anatomical tissue is ablated. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37)
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38. A focused ultrasound ablation device for creating an ablated tissue area in anatomical tissue comprising
an ultrasound emitting member including an active surface adapted for positioning adjacent anatomical tissue and a plurality of individual ultrasound emitting elements arranged in a plane along said active surface, said ultrasound emitting elements being actuatable to emit ultrasound energy and focus the emitted ultrasound energy at a plurality of focusing zones, each focusing zone being separate and distinct to the ultrasound emitting element, and each focusing zone being disposed in a plane located a predetermined distance outwardly from said plane of said ultrasound emitting elements whereby the ultrasound energy is focused within the anatomical tissue to form a lesion within the anatomical tissue, said ultrasound emitting elements disposed along said active surface being selectively, independently actuatable to emit ultrasound energy and being selectively, independently non-actuatable to not emit ultrasound energy in response to selection by an operator of a particular size and surface configuration for the lesion; - and
a handle coupled to said ultrasound emitting member. - View Dependent Claims (39)
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40. A focused ultrasound ablation device for creating an ablated tissue area in anatomical tissue comprising
an ultrasound emitting member comprising an active face adapted for positioning adjacent anatomical tissue and carrying a plurality of spaced ultrasound emitting elements fixed in a planar array along said active face and capable of emitting ultrasound energy, said ultrasound emitting elements being selectively actuatable to focus the ultrasound energy emitted therefrom at a plurality of spaced focusing zones, each focusing zone being separate and distinct to the ultrasound emitting element, and each focusing zone being disposed in a plane located a fixed predetermined distance from said active face such that the anatomical tissue is heated at the focusing zones, respectively, to forms planar ablated tissue area in the anatomical tissue containing a plurality of lesions at the focusing zones, respectively, at which the anatomical tissue is ablated; - and
a handle coupled to said ultrasound emitting member. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42)
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Specification