Pulsed ultrasonic device and method

• US 6,726,698 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2001
• Issued: 04/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sound Surgical Technologies LLC (Bausch Health Cos., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sound Surgical Technologies LLC (Bausch Health Cos., Inc.)
• Inventors: Cimino, William W.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRUONG, KEVIN THAO
• Application Number:
  US10/027,855
• Publication Number:
  US 20030093102A1
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• Field of Search: 606/169, 606/185, 606/167, 604/22, 604/21, 601/1, 601/2
• US Class Current: 606/169
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/2202 the ultrasound transducer being inside patient's body at the distal end of the catheter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00159 Pulse shapes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22015 with details of the transmission member
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320069 for ablating tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320078 Tissue manipulating surface
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/02 Localised ultrasound hyperthermia hyperthermia in general A61F7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/0215 for generating pulses, e.g. bursts of oscillations, envelopes
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/0253 taken directly from the generator circuit
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 2201/76 Medical, dental

Abstract

This invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for generating profiled pulses of ultrasonic frequency vibratory energy at a distal surface of an ultrasonic applicator of an ultrasonic surgical instrument for application to tissues of a patient, including the providing of a profiled pulse signal with a first profile and a maximum magnitude during a first time portion and a second profile and a minimum magnitude during a second time portion, the second time portion being greater than or equal to the duration of the first time portion, the first time portion being between one millisecond and fifty milliseconds in duration, and the maximum magnitude in the range between two and twenty times the minimum magnitude.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic surgical apparatus for delivery of profiled pulses of ultrasonic frequency vibratory energy, the ultrasonic surgical apparatus with a housing to be held and manipulated by a user, an ultrasonic motor supported within the housing, an ultrasonic applicator connected to the ultrasonic motor and extending beyond the housing, the ultrasonic applicator with a distal surface for engagement with tissues of a patient and, in combination with the ultrasonic motor, vibratable at a resonant frequency, and the improvement comprising:

a power control circuit electrically connected to the ultrasonic motor for supplying electrical power to the ultrasonic motor to produce ultrasonic frequency vibratory energy that is applied to the ultrasonic applicator,

a vibration monitor circuit electrically connected to the power control circuit for measuring an electrical vibration signal at the resonant frequency and proportional to a vibratory amplitude of the ultrasonic applicator so that the power control circuit supplies electrical power to the ultrasonic motor at the resonant frequency, and

a profile generator circuit electrically connected to the power control circuit for producing a profiled pulse signal, the profiled pulse signal with a first profile and a maximum magnitude during a first time portion and a second profile and a minimum magnitude during a second time portion, the second time portion being equal to or greater than, but no more than three times the duration of the first time portion, the fast time portion between one millisecond and fifty milliseconds in duration, and the maximum magnitude in the range between two and twenty times the minimum magnitude, so that, in combination with the electrical vibration signal, the power control circuit adjusts the supply of electrical power to the ultrasonic motor to produce profiled pulses of ultrasonic frequency vibratory energy.

2. The ultrasonic surgical apparatus of claim 1 wherein the resonant frequency is between 20 kHz and 200 kHz.

3. The ultrasonic surgical apparatus of claim 1 wherein a profiled pulse signal is generated not more than twenty times per second.

4. The ultrasonic surgical apparatus of claim 1 wherein the second time portion varies between consecutive profiled pulse signals.

5. The ultrasonic surgical apparatus of claim 1 wherein the ultrasonic applicator is an elongate solid probe.

6. The ultrasonic surgical apparatus of claim 1 wherein the ultrasonic applicator is an elongate hollow probe.

7. The ultrasonic surgical apparatus of claim 1 wherein the ultrasonic applicator is a flat radiating plate so that the ultrasonic frequency vibratory energy is distributed over the distal surface of the ultrasonic applicator.

8. The ultrasonic surgical apparatus of claim 1 wherein the ultrasonic applicator is a convex radiating lens so that the ultrasonic frequency vibratory energy is distributed over the distal surface of the ultrasonic applicator and can be concentrated at a depth in the tissues of a patient.

9. The ultrasonic surgical apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first profile has a monotonically increasing shape.

10. The ultrasonic surgical apparatus of claim 1 wherein the second profile has a monotonically decreasing shape.

11. The ultrasonic surgical apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first profile is a combination of a monotonically increasing shape and the maximum magnitude.

12. The ultrasonic surgical apparatus of claim 1 wherein the second profile is a combination of a monotonically decreasing shape and the minimum magnitude.

13. The ultrasonic surgical apparatus of claim 1 wherein the ultrasonic motor and the ultrasonic applicator are symmetric about an axis along which they are disposed for delivery of ultrasonic frequency vibratory energy in the direction of the axis.

14. The ultrasonic surgical apparatus of claim 1 wherein the electrical vibration signal is generated by a vibration sensing transducer located in or near the ultrasonic motor.

15. The ultrasonic surgical apparatus of claim 1 wherein the electrical vibration signal is proportional to a current of the electrical power supplied to the ultrasonic motor by the power control circuit.

16. The ultrasonic surgical apparatus of claim 1 wherein the electrical signal is proportional to a voltage of the electrical power supplied to the ultrasonic motor byte power control circuit.

17. A method of using profiled pulses of ultrasonic frequency vibratory energy to generate an expedient surgical effect and suppress or eliminate mode coupling, the method including the steps of:

engaging the tissues of a patient with an ultrasonic applicator of an ultrasonic surgical apparatus, and

powering the ultrasonic surgical apparatus with profiled pulses of ultrasonic frequency vibratory energy, the profiled pulses with a first profile and a maximum magnitude during a first time portion and a second profile and a minimum magnitude during a second time portion, the second time portion being equal to or greater than but no more than three times the duration of the first time portion, the maximum magnitude between two and twenty times the minimum magnitude, and the first time portion between one millisecond and fifty milliseconds in duration.

18. An ultrasonic surgical apparatus for delivery of profiled pulses of ultrasonic frequency vibratory energy, the ultrasonic surgical apparatus with a housing to be held and manipulated by a user, an ultrasonic motor supported within the housing, an ultrasonic applicator connected to the ultrasonic motor and extending beyond the housing, the ultrasonic applicator with a distal surface for engagement with tissues of a patient and, in combination with the ultrasonic motor, vibratable at a resonant frequency, and the improvement comprising:

a power control circuit electrically connected to the ultrasonic motor for supplying electrical power to the ultrasonic motor to produce ultrasonic frequency vibratory energy that is applied to the ultrasonic applicator;

a vibration monitor circuit electrically connected to the power control circuit for measuring an electrical vibration signal at the resonant frequency and proportional to a vibratory amplitude of the ultrasonic applicator so that the power control circuit supplies electrical power to the ultrasonic motor at the resonant frequency;

a profile generator circuit electrically connected to the power control circuit for producing a profiled pulse signal, the profiled pulse signal with a first profile and a maximum magnitude during a first rime portion and a second profile and a minimum magnitude during a second time portion, so that, in combination with the electrical vibration signal, the power control circuit adjusts the supply of electrical power to the ultrasonic motor to produce profiled pulses of ultrasonic frequency vibratory energy;

the second time portion being equal to greater than but no more than three times the duration of the first time portion;

the first time portion between one millisecond and fifty milliseconds in duration;

the maximum magnitude in the range between two and twenty times the minimum magnitude, and

the profiled pulse signal generated not more than twenty times per second.

19. The ultrasonic surgical apparatus of claim 18 wherein the resonant frequency is between 20 kHz and 200 kHz.

20. The ultrasonic surgical apparatus of claim 18 wherein the second time portion varies between consecutive profiled pulse signals.

21. An ultrasonic surgical apparatus for delivery of profiled pulses of ultrasonic frequency vibratory energy, the ultrasonic surgical apparatus with a housing to be held and manipulated by a user, an ultrasonic motor supported within the housing, an ultrasonic applicator connected to the ultrasonic motor and extending beyond the housing, the ultrasonic applicator with a distal surface for engagement with tissues of a patient and, in combination with the ultrasonic motor, vibratable at a resonant frequency, and the improvement comprising:

a power control circuit electrically connected to the ultrasonic motor for supplying electrical power to the ultrasonic motor to produce ultrasonic frequency vibratory energy that is applied to the ultrasonic applicator;

a vibration monitor circuit electrically connected to the power control circuit for measuring an electrical vibration signal at the resonant frequency and proportional to a vibratory amplitude of the ultrasonic applicator so that the power control circuit supplies electrical power to the ultrasonic motor at the resonant frequency, and

a profile generator circuit electrically connected to the power control circuit for producing a profiled pulse signal, the profiled pulse signal with a first profile and a maximum magnitude during a first time portion and a second profile and a minimum magnitude during a second time portion, the second time portion being equal to or greater than, but no more than three times the duration of the first time portion, and the maximum magnitude in the range between two and twenty times the minimum magnitude, so that, in combination with the electrical vibration signal, the power control circuit adjusts the supply of electrical power to the ultrasonic motor to produce profiled pulses of ultrasonic frequency vibratory energy.

22. The ultrasonic surgical apparatus of claim 21 wherein the resonant frequency is between 20 kHz and 200 kHz.

23. The ultrasonic surgical apparatus of claim 21 wherein a profiled pulse signal is generated not more than twenty times per second.

24. The ultrasonic surgical apparatus of claim 21 wherein the second time portion varies between consecutive profiled pulse signals.

25. The ultrasonic surgical apparatus of claim 21 wherein the ultrasonic applicator is an elongate solid probe.

26. The ultrasonic surgical apparatus of claim 21 wherein the ultrasonic applicator is an elongate hollow probe.

27. The ultrasonic surgical apparatus of claim 21 wherein the ultrasonic applicator is a flat radiating plate so that the ultrasonic frequency vibratory energy is distributed over the distal surface of the ultrasonic applicator.

28. The ultrasonic surgical apparatus of claim 21 wherein the ultrasonic applicator is a convex radiating lens so that the ultrasonic frequency vibratory energy is distributed over the distal surface of the ultrasonic applicator and can be concentrated at a depth in the tissues of a patient.

29. The ultrasonic surgical apparatus of claim 21 wherein the first profile has a monotonically increasing shape.

30. The ultrasonic surgical apparatus of claim 21 wherein the second profile has a monotonically decreasing shape.

31. The ultrasonic surgical apparatus of claim 21 wherein the first profile is a combination of a monotonically increasing shape and the maximum magnitude.

32. The ultrasonic surgical apparatus of claim 21 wherein the second profile is a combination of a monotonically decreasing shape and the minimum magnitude.

33. The ultrasonic surgical apparatus of claim 21 wherein the ultrasonic motor and the ultrasonic applicator are symmetric about an axis along which they are disposed for delivery of ultrasonic frequency vibratory energy in the direction of the axis.

34. The ultrasonic surgical apparatus of claim 21 wherein the electrical vibration signal is generated by a vibration sensing transducer located in or near the ultrasonic motor.

35. The ultrasonic surgical apparatus of claim 21 wherein the electrical vibration signal is proportional to a current of the electrical power supplied to the ultrasonic motor by the power control circuit.

36. The ultrasonic surgical apparatus of claim 21 wherein the electrical signal is proportional to a voltage of the electrical power supplied to the ultrasonic motor by the power control circuit.

37. A method of using profiled pulses of ultrasonic frequency vibratory energy to generate an expedient surgical effect and suppress or eliminate mode coupling, the method including the steps of:

engaging the tissues of a patient with an ultrasonic applicator of an ultrasonic surgical apparatus, and

powering the ultrasonic surgical apparatus with profiled pulses of ultrasonic frequency vibratory energy, the profiled pulses with a first profile and a maximum magnitude during a first time portion and a second profile and a minimum magnitude during a second time portion, the second time portion being equal to or greater than but no more than three times the duration of the first time portion, and the maximum magnitude between two and twenty times the minimum magnitude.

38. An ultrasonic surgical apparatus for delivery of profiled pulses of ultrasonic frequency vibratory energy, the ultrasonic surgical apparatus with a housing to be held and manipulated by a user, an ultrasonic motor supported within the housing, an ultrasonic applicator connected to the ultrasonic motor and extending beyond the housing, the ultrasonic applicator with a distal surface for engagement with tissues of a patient and, in combination with the ultrasonic motor, vibratable at a resonant frequency, and the improvement comprising:

a power control circuit electrically connected to the ultrasonic motor for supplying electrical power to the ultrasonic motor to produce ultrasonic frequency vibratory energy that is applied to the ultrasonic applicator;

a vibration monitor circuit electrically connected to the power control circuit for measuring an electrical vibration signal at the resonant frequency and proportional to a vibratory amplitude of the ultrasonic applicator so that the power control circuit supplies electrical power to the ultrasonic motor at the resonant frequency;

a profile generator circuit electrically connected to the power control circuit for producing a profiled pulse signal, the profiled pulse signal with a first profile and a maximum magnitude during a first time portion and a second profile and a minimum magnitude during a second time portion, so that, in combination with the electrical vibration signal, the power control circuit adjusts the supply of electrical power to the ultrasonic motor to produce profiled pulses of ultrasonic frequency vibratory energy;

the second time portion being equal to or greater than but no more than three times the duration of the first time portion; and

the profiled pulse signal generated not more than twenty times per second.

39. The ultrasonic surgical apparatus of claim 38 wherein the resonant frequency is between 20 kHz and 200 kHz.

40. The ultrasonic surgical apparatus of claim 38 wherein the second time portion varies between consecutive profiled pulse signals.