Method and system for ultrasound treatment with a multi-directional transducer
First Claim
1. An ultrasound system for facilitating treatment to at least two regions of interest, said ultrasound system comprising:
- a control system configured to control operation of said ultrasound system; and
a multi-directional transducer configured for facilitating treatment in the at least two regions of interest, said multi-directional transducer comprising a single first transduction element, said single first transduction element having both a first firing face adjacent to and facing a first region of interest that is configured for radiating ultrasound energy to provide a first radiation pattern from said first firing face and a second firing face adjacent to and facing a second region of interest that is configured for radiating a second radiation pattern from said second firing face, wherein said second radiation pattern is different from said first radiation pattern and wherein said both first radiation pattern and said second radiation pattern are emitted on a single emission axis that is parallel to an axis of electrical excitation within said single first transduction element and wherein said single first transduction element expands and contracts in the same direction as said axis of electrical excitation and does not substantially expand and contract in a direction that is not parallel to the axis of electrical excitation.
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Abstract
A method and system for ultrasound treatment utilizing a multi-directional transducer to facilitate treatment, such as therapy and/or imaging or other tissue parameter monitoring, in two or more directions. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, a multi-directional transducer comprises a transduction element configured to provide for ultrasound energy, such as radiation, acoustical energy, heat energy, imaging, positional information and/or tissue parameter monitoring signals in two or more directions. The transduction element can comprise various materials for providing ultrasound energy or radiation, such as piezoelectric materials, with and without matching layers. In addition, the transduction element can be configured for substantially uniform, focused and/or defocused radiation patterns, as well as for single, multiple-element and/or multiple-element array configurations. In addition, an exemplary multi-directional transducer can comprise multiple elements, either side by side, stacked or in an array.
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Citations
45 Claims
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1. An ultrasound system for facilitating treatment to at least two regions of interest, said ultrasound system comprising:
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a control system configured to control operation of said ultrasound system; and a multi-directional transducer configured for facilitating treatment in the at least two regions of interest, said multi-directional transducer comprising a single first transduction element, said single first transduction element having both a first firing face adjacent to and facing a first region of interest that is configured for radiating ultrasound energy to provide a first radiation pattern from said first firing face and a second firing face adjacent to and facing a second region of interest that is configured for radiating a second radiation pattern from said second firing face, wherein said second radiation pattern is different from said first radiation pattern and wherein said both first radiation pattern and said second radiation pattern are emitted on a single emission axis that is parallel to an axis of electrical excitation within said single first transduction element and wherein said single first transduction element expands and contracts in the same direction as said axis of electrical excitation and does not substantially expand and contract in a direction that is not parallel to the axis of electrical excitation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A multidirectional transducer configured for facilitating treatment to at least two regions of interest, said multidirectional transducer comprising:
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a hand-held probe; a single first transduction element disposed within said hand-held probe, said single first transduction element having both a first firing face adjacent to and facing a first region of interest configured for radiating ultrasound energy in a first radiation pattern from said first firing face; and
a second firing face adjacent to and facing a second region of interest configured for radiating ultrasound energy in a second radiation pattern from said second firing face;
wherein both said first radiation pattern and said second radiation pattern are emitted on a single emission axis wherein said single first transduction element expands and contracts in the same direction as an axis of electrical excitation within said single first transduction element and does not substantially expand and contract in a direction that is not parallel to the axis of electrical excitation. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A method for multi-directional ultrasound treatment comprising:
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generating radiation energy in a multi-directional transducer substantially in only two directions along a single emission axis that is parallel with an axis of electrical excitation of said multi-directional transducer; radiating acoustical energy having a first radiation pattern from a first firing face of a single first transduction element of said multi-directional transducer to provide treatment in a first direction for facilitating treatment in a first region of interest; and radiating acoustical energy having a second radiation pattern from a second firing face of said single first transduction element of said multi-directional transducer to provide treatment in a second direction for facilitating treatment in a second region of interest, wherein said first radiation pattern is different from said second radiation pattern. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. An ultrasound system for facilitating treatment to at least two regions of interest, said ultrasound system comprising:
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a control system configured to control operation of said ultrasound system; and a multi-directional transducer configured for facilitating treatment in the at least two regions of interest, said multi-directional transducer comprising a single first transduction element, said single first transduction element having both a first firing face adjacent to and facing a first region of interest that is configured for radiating ultrasound energy to provide a first radiation pattern from said first firing face and a second firing face adjacent to and facing a second region of interest that is configured for radiating a second radiation pattern from said second firing face, and wherein said both first radiation pattern and said second radiation pattern are emitted on a single emission axis that is parallel to an axis of electrical excitation within said single first transduction element and wherein said single first transduction element expands and contracts in the same direction as said axis of electrical excitation and does not substantially expand and contract in a direction that is not parallel to the axis of electrical excitation. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45)
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Specification