Image guided high intensity focused ultrasound treatment of nerves
First Claim
1. A method for using a high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) probe to provide therapy to a peripheral nerve at a treatment site in a patient, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) positioning, external to the body, (i) a HIFU therapy probe having a focal point, and (ii) an ultrasound imaging device in proximity to the peripheral nerve;
(b) creating an image of the treatment site with the imaging device by generating a sequence of ultrasonic imaging pulses that propagate to the treatment site;
(c) verifying the position of the focal point of the HIFU probe relative to the treatment site in the image created in step (b) using imaging ultrasound;
(d) after said verifying, administering a dose of HIFU to the peripheral nerve to achieve a therapeutic effect; and
(e) during said administering, synchronizing and pulsing an HIFU wave produced by the HIFU probe with respect to the imaging pulses such that the HIFU probe'"'"'s focal point can be viewed in the image during treatment.
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Abstract
A method for using high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) to treat neurological structures to achieve a desired therapeutic effect. Depending on the dosage of HIFU applied, it can have a reversible or irreversible effect on neural structures. For example, a relatively high dose of HIFU can be used to permanently block nerve function, to provide a non-invasive alternative to severing a nerve to treat severe spasticity. Relatively lower doses of HIFU can be used to reversibly block nerve function, to alleviate pain, to achieve an anesthetic effect, or to achieve a cosmetic effect. Where sensory nerves are not necessary for voluntary function, but are involved in pain associated with tumors or bone cancer, HIFU can be used to non-invasively destroy such sensory nerves to alleviate pain without drugs. Preferably, ultrasound imaging synchronized to the HIFU therapy is used to provide real-time ultrasound image guided HIFU therapy of neural structures.
254 Citations
9 Claims
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1. A method for using a high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) probe to provide therapy to a peripheral nerve at a treatment site in a patient, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) positioning, external to the body, (i) a HIFU therapy probe having a focal point, and (ii) an ultrasound imaging device in proximity to the peripheral nerve; (b) creating an image of the treatment site with the imaging device by generating a sequence of ultrasonic imaging pulses that propagate to the treatment site; (c) verifying the position of the focal point of the HIFU probe relative to the treatment site in the image created in step (b) using imaging ultrasound; (d) after said verifying, administering a dose of HIFU to the peripheral nerve to achieve a therapeutic effect; and (e) during said administering, synchronizing and pulsing an HIFU wave produced by the HIFU probe with respect to the imaging pulses such that the HIFU probe'"'"'s focal point can be viewed in the image during treatment. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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Specification