Ultrasonic treatment and imaging of adipose tissue

• US 7,841,984 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2007
• Issued: 11/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Medicis Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: Medicis Technologies Corporation
• Inventors: Cribbs, Robert, Hillstead, Rick, Hennige, Carl
• Primary Examiner(s): Casler; Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): KISH, JAMES M
• Application Number:
  US11/776,436
• Publication Number:
  US 20080015435A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,238 Days
• Field of Search: 600/437, 600/438, 600/463, 601/2
• US Class Current: 600/437
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00106 ultrasonic
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22008 used or promoted
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/378 using ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0858 involving measuring tissue layers, e.g. skin, interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4494 characterised by the arrangement of the transducer elements devices for short-range imaging using particular transducer elements arrangements under G01S15/8909; arrangements of transducers in generation of mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic or ultrasonic frequency B06B1/0607
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0008 Destruction of fat cells
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0056 Beam shaping elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0065 Concave transducers
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0073 using multiple frequencies
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0078 with multiple treatment transducers
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0095 by modifying an excitation signal
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/027 with multiple foci created simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/02 Localised ultrasound hyperthermia hyperthermia in general A61F7/00

Abstract

A system for imaging tissue during ultrasound therapy treatments is described. The system has a high intensity focused ultrasound transducer, video display and controller. The controller has two receive paths for detecting cavitation and boiling in present during an ultrasound therapy treatment, and representing the two visually on a display.

Claims

1. An imaging system for use with an ultrasound system, the imaging system comprising:

a high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) transducer having a plurality of transducer elements for treatment of a volume of living tissue;

a video display having an X-Y coordinate display, the display having a plurality of pixels wherein each pixel has an X-Y address; and

a controller configured to power said HIFU transducer, said controller having a video output configured to produce the X-Y coordinate display on the video display and a receive path configured to detect acoustic information from said volume of living tissue, the receive path comprising;

a first receive channel configured to detect boiling by analyzing broad spectrum acoustic interaction radiating from said volume of living tissue; and

a second receive channel separate from the first receive channel configured to detect cavitation by analyzing sub-harmonic frequencies (f/n) radiating from said volume of living tissue;

wherein the video output is further configured to simultaneously provide a visual representation of boiling and a visual representation of cavitation if present at any particular pixel on the video display based upon detecting boiling and cavitation via the first and second receive channels.