Methods and apparatus for displaying information relating to delivery and activation of a therapeutic agent using ultrasound energy
First Claim
1. A method for administering a therapeutic agent to a patient, comprising the steps of:
- delivering a therapeutic agent to a region of interest in a patient;
generating an ultrasound image of the region of interest at a first ultrasound frequency selected for image quality;
transmitting ultrasound energy at a second ultrasound frequency that is not equal to the first ultrasound frequency, said second ultrasound frequency being transmitted to the region of interest for activating the therapeutic agent; and
generating a parameter display including an amount of microbubble destruction in the defined region of interest that is indicative of activation of the therapeutic agent in the region of interest and provides feedback control for said activating step; and
automatically adjusting a parameter related to the second ultrasound frequency in accordance with feedback control, wherein said parameter to be adjusted includes one of frequency, power level, beam pattern, or duration of the transmission of the ultrasound energy.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A therapeutic agent is incorporated into microbubbles of a contrast agent, and the microbubbles containing the therapeutic agent are delivered to a region of interest in a patient. An ultrasound image of the region of interest is generated by an ultrasound imaging system, and ultrasound energy for destroying the microbubbles of the contrast agent is transmitted to the region of interest. Parameter data that is representative of activation of the therapeutic agent in the region of interest is acquired, and a parameter display is generated. One or more parameters of the ultrasound energy applied to the region of interest for activating the therapeutic agent may be adjusted, either manually based on the parameter display or automatically based on acquired parameter data. In one embodiment, the parameter display is indicative of a parameter associated with the ultrasound energy transmitted to the region of interest. In another embodiment, the parameter data is acquired by detecting destruction of microbubbles of the contrast agent.
-
Citations
32 Claims
-
1. A method for administering a therapeutic agent to a patient, comprising the steps of:
-
delivering a therapeutic agent to a region of interest in a patient;
generating an ultrasound image of the region of interest at a first ultrasound frequency selected for image quality;
transmitting ultrasound energy at a second ultrasound frequency that is not equal to the first ultrasound frequency, said second ultrasound frequency being transmitted to the region of interest for activating the therapeutic agent; and
generating a parameter display including an amount of microbubble destruction in the defined region of interest that is indicative of activation of the therapeutic agent in the region of interest and provides feedback control for said activating step; and
automatically adjusting a parameter related to the second ultrasound frequency in accordance with feedback control, wherein said parameter to be adjusted includes one of frequency, power level, beam pattern, or duration of the transmission of the ultrasound energy. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. A method for administering a therapeutic agent to a patient, comprising the steps of:
-
delivering a therapeutic agent to a region of interest in a patient;
generating an ultrasound image of the region of interest at a first ultrasound frequency selected for image quality;
transmitting ultrasound energy to the region of interest at a second ultrasound frequency that is not equal to the first ultrasound frequency, said second ultrasound frequency being transmitted for activating the therapeutic agent; and
generating a parameter display including an amount of microbubble destruction in the defined region of interest that is indicative of activation of the therapeutic agent in the region of interest and provides feedback control for said transmitting step; and
automatically adjusting a parameter related to the second ultrasound frequency in accordance with feedback control, wherein said parameter to be adjusted includes one of frequency, power level, beam pattern, or duration of the transmission of the ultrasound energy, and wherein the step of generating a parameter display comprises generating an area display that overlays said ultrasound image and is indicative of the spatial distribution of a parameter. - View Dependent Claims (17)
-
-
18. A method for administering a therapeutic agent to a patient, comprising the steps of:
-
delivering a therapeutic agent to a region of interest in a patient;
generating an ultrasound image of the region of interest at a first ultrasound frequency selected for image quality;
transmitting ultrasound energy at a second ultrasound frequency that is not equal to the first ultrasound frequency, said second ultrasound frequency being transmitted to the region of interest for activating the therapeutic agent; and
generating a parameter display including an amount of microbubble destruction in the defined region of interest that is indicative of activation of the therapeutic agent in the region of interest and provides feedback control for said transmitting step; and
automatically adjusting a parameter related to the second ultrasound frequency in accordance with feedback control, wherein said parameter to be adjusted includes one of frequency, power level, beam pattern, or duration of the transmission of the ultrasound energy;
wherein the step of generating a parameter display comprises generating a graphical representation of a parameter associated with activation of the therapeutic agent; and
wherein said graphical representation comprises a graph of cumulative dose of the therapeutic agent as a function of time.
-
-
19. Apparatus for facilitating administration of a therapeutic agent to a patient, wherein the therapeutic agent is incorporated into microbubbles of a contrast agent and is delivered with the contrast agent to a region of interest in the patient, comprising:
-
means for generating an ultrasound image of the region of interest at a first ultrasound frequency selected for image quality;
means for transmitting ultrasound energy to the region of interest at a second ultrasound frequency that is not equal to the first ultrasound frequency and having a different power level, said second ultrasound frequency being transmitted for destroying the microbubbles of the contrast agent;
means for acquiring parameter data that is representative of destruction of the microbubbles of the contrast agent and provides feedback control for said means for transmitting;
means for generating a parameter display of the acquired parameter data, wherein the parameter display includes an amount of microbubble destruction in the region of interest that is indicative of activation of the therapeutic agent in the region of interest; and
means for automatically adjusting a parameter related to the second ultrasound frequency in accordance with feedback control, wherein said parameter to be adjusted includes one of frequency, power level, beam pattern, or duration of the transmission of the ultrasound energy. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
-
-
29. A method for administering a therapeutic agent to a patient, comprising the steps of:
-
delivering to a region of interest in a patient a therapeutic agent that is incorporated into microbubbles of a contrast agent;
generating an ultrasound image of the region of interest at a first ultrasound frequency selected for image quality;
transmitting ultrasound energy to the region of interest at a second ultrasound frequency that is not equal to the first ultrasound frequency, said second ultrasound frequency being transmitted for destroying the microbubbles of the contrast agent;
acquiring parameter data including an amount of microbubble destruction in the region of interest that is indicative of activation of the therapeutic agent in the region of interest and provides feedback control for said transmitting step; and
automatically adjusting one or more parameters of the ultrasound energy transmitted to the region of interest, based on the feedback control, wherein said parameter to be adjusted includes one of frequency, power level, beam pattern, or duration of the transmission of the ultrasound energy. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32)
displaying a parameter associated with activation of the therapeutic agent in a graphical representation comprising a graph of a cumulative dose of the therapeutic agent as a function of time.
-
Specification