Medical system having multiple ultrasound transducers or an ultrasound transducer and an RF electrode

• US 7,494,467 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2004
• Issued: 02/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Makin, Inder Raj S., Messerly, Jeffrey D., Mast, T. Douglas, Faidi, Waseem, Slayton, Michael H., Barthe, Peter G., Runk, Megan M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Winakur; Eric F
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fernandez; Katherine L
• Application Number:
  US10/825,952
• Publication Number:
  US 20050240125A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,775 Days
• Field of Search: 600/439, 600/437, 600/459, 600/462, 607/97, 601/2
• US Class Current: 600/439
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/148 having a short, rigid shaft for accessing the inner body transcutaneously, e.g. for neurosurgery or arthroscopy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/378 using ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/12 in body cavities or body tracts, e.g. by using catheters catheters per se A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/445 Details of catheter construction
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 23/0245 with ultrasonic transducers, e.g. piezoelectric
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0078 with multiple treatment transducers
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/02 Localised ultrasound hyperthermia hyperthermia in general A61F7/00

Abstract

An ultrasound medical system includes an ultrasound transducer assembly having various combinations of ultrasound transducers having different-shaped ultrasound emitting surfaces and/or different ultrasound transducer types, wherein the types are ultrasound-medical-treatment-only type, ultrasound-medical-treatment-and-imaging type, and ultrasound-medical-imaging-only type ultrasound transducers. Another ultrasound medical system includes a transducer assembly having an RF (radio-frequency) medical-treatment electrode and an ultrasound medical transducer.

Claims

1. An ultrasound medical system comprising an ultrasound transducer assembly having a longitudinal axis, having a distal end, and having:

a) a first ultrasound transducer disposed proximate the distal end and having a substantially-fully-cylindrical ultrasound-emitting outer exposed surface which is substantially coaxially aligned with, and outwardly-facing from, the longitudinal axis, wherein the first ultrasound transducer is an ultrasound-medical-treatment-only ultrasound transducer;

b) a second ultrasound transducer having a substantially-fully-cylindrical ultrasound-emitting outer exposed surface which is substantially coaxially aligned with, and outwardly-facing from, the longitudinal axis, wherein the second ultrasound transducer is an ultrasound-medical-treatment-only ultrasound transducer; and

c) a third ultrasound transducer disposed longitudinally between the first and second ultrasound transducers and having a plurality of planar transducer elements arranged to provide the third ultrasound transducer with an ultrasound-emitting outer exposed surface which is substantially-entirely planar or includes at least a concave surface portion.

2. The ultrasound medical system of claim 1, wherein the first ultrasound transducer is disposed at the distal end, and wherein the third ultrasound transducer is disposed proximate the first and second ultrasound transducers.

3. The ultrasound medical system of claim 1, wherein the ultrasound-emitting outer exposed surface of the third ultrasound transducer is substantially-entirely planar.

4. The ultrasound medical system of claim 1, wherein the ultrasound-emitting outer exposed surface of the third ultrasound transducer in its entirety has a substantially-cylindrically-focused shape.

5. The ultrasound medical system of claim 1, wherein the ultrasound-emitting outer exposed surface of the third ultrasound transducer in its entirety has a substantially-spherically-focused shape.

6. The ultrasound medical system of claim 1, wherein the third ultrasound transducer is an ultrasound-medical-treatment-and-imaging ultrasound transducer.

7. The ultrasound medical system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second ultrasound transducers has only one ultrasound transducer element.

8. The ultrasound medical system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second ultrasound transducers has a plurality of ultrasound transducer elements.

9. An ultrasound medical system comprising an ultrasound transducer assembly having a longitudinal axis, and having first, second and third ultrasound transducers each having a plurality of planar transducer elements arranged to provide each of the first, second, and third ultrasound transducers with an ultrasound-emitting outer exposed surface which includes at least a concave surface portion, wherein the first and second ultrasound transducers are ultrasound-medical-treatment-only ultrasound transducers, and wherein the third ultrasound transducer is an ultrasound-medical-treatment-and-imaging ultrasound transducer disposed longitudinally between the first and second ultrasound transducers.

10. The ultrasound medical system of claim 9, wherein the ultrasound transducer assembly has a distal end, wherein the first ultrasound transducer is disposed proximate the distal end, and wherein the third ultrasound transducer is disposed proximate the first and second ultrasound transducers.

11. The ultrasound medical system of claim 9, wherein the ultrasound-emitting outer exposed surfaces of the first, second and third ultrasound transducers together in their entirety have a substantially-cylindrically-focused shape.

12. The ultrasound medical system of claim 9, wherein the ultrasound-emitting outer exposed surfaces of the first, second and third ultrasound transducers together in their entirety have a substantially-spherically-focused shape.

13. An ultrasound medical system comprising an ultrasound transducer assembly having a longitudinal axis, and having first, second and third ultrasound transducers each having a plurality of planar transducer elements arranged to provide each of the first, second and third ultrasound transducers with an ultrasound-emitting outer exposed surface which includes at least a concave surface portion, wherein the first and second ultrasound transducers are ultrasound-medical-treatment-only ultrasound transducers, and wherein the third ultrasound transducer is an ultrasound-medical-imaging-only ultrasound transducer disposed longitudinally between the first and second ultrasound transducers.

14. The ultrasound medical system of claim 13, wherein the ultrasound transducer assembly has a distal end, wherein the first ultrasound transducer is disposed proximate the distal end, and wherein the third ultrasound transducer is disposed proximate the first and second ultrasound transducers.

15. The ultrasound medical system of claim 13, wherein the ultrasound-emitting outer exposed surfaces of the first, second and third ultrasound transducers together in their entirety have a substantially-cylindrically-focused shape.

16. The ultrasound medical system of claim 13, wherein the ultrasound-emitting outer exposed surfaces of the first, second and third ultrasound transducers together in their entirety have a substantially-spherically-focused shape.

17. An ultrasound medical system comprising an ultrasound transducer assembly having a longitudinal axis, and having first, second and third ultrasound transducers each having a plurality of planar transducer elements arranged to provide each of the first, second and third ultrasound transducers with an ultrasound-emitting outer exposed surface which includes at least a concave surface portion, wherein the first and second ultrasound transducers are ultrasound-medical-treatment-and-imaging ultrasound transducers, and wherein the third ultrasound transducer is an ultrasound-medical-treatment-only ultrasound transducer disposed longitudinally between the first and second ultrasound transducers.

18. The ultrasound medical system of claim 17, wherein the ultrasound transducer assembly has a distal end, wherein the first ultrasound transducer is disposed proximate the distal end, and wherein the third ultrasound transducer is disposed proximate the first and second ultrasound transducers.

19. The ultrasound medical system of claim 17, wherein the ultrasound-emitting outer exposed surfaces of the first, second and third ultrasound transducers together in their entirety have a substantially-cylindrically-focused shape.

20. The ultrasound medical system of claim 17, wherein the ultrasound-emitting outer exposed surfaces of the first, second and third ultrasound transducers together in their entirety have a substantially-spherically-focused shape.

21. An ultrasound medical system comprising an ultrasound transducer assembly having a longitudinal axis, having a distal end, and having two ultrasound transducers, wherein one of the ultrasound transducers has a substantially-fully-cylindrical ultrasound-emitting outer exposed surface which is substantially coaxially aligned with, and outwardly-facing from, the longitudinal axis, wherein an other of the ultrasound transducers is disposed longitudinally proximal or distal to the one ultrasound transducer and has a plurality of planar transducer elements arranged to provide the other ultrasound transducer with an ultrasound-emitting outer exposed surface which is substantially-entirely planar or includes at least a concave surface portion, and wherein the one ultrasound transducer is an ultrasound-medical-treatment-only ultrasound transducer.

22. The ultrasound medical system of claim 21, wherein the one ultrasound transducer is disposed proximate the distal end, and wherein the other ultrasound transducer is disposed proximate, and proximal to, the one ultrasound transducer.