Methods and devices to target vascular targets with high intensity focused ultrasound
First Claim
1. A method for applying heat from a position external to a patient to a region including a blood vessel wall internal to a patient, the method comprising:
- a. identifying a flow signal of the blood vessel;
b. determining an initial position and orientation of the blood vessel relative to a therapeutic ultrasound transducer positioned external to the patient;
c. determining the attenuation of an ultrasound beam propagated from the position external to the patient to the blood vessel;
d. determining treatment parameters based on the attenuation of the ultrasound beam;
e. delivering a dose of ultrasound to a nerve surrounding the blood vessel from the position external to the patient;
f. determining a response of the dose delivery to the nerve surrounding the blood vessel based at least in part on a reaction of the patient; and
g. generating converging ultrasound beams which originate at the position external to the patient and propagate to a position adjacent the wall of a blood vessel such that the blood vessel wall is incorporated into the focus of the ultrasound beams.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An ultrasonic applicator unit (2) is used diagnostically to locate a puncture wound (316) in an artery and then therapeutically to seal the puncture wound with high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU). A control unit (6) coupled to the applicator unit includes a processor (74) that automates the procedure, controlling various parameters of the diagnostic and therapeutic modes, including the intensity and duration of the ultrasonic energy emitted by the applicator unit. A protective, sterile acoustic shell (4), which is intended to be used with a single patient and then discarded, is slipped over the applicator unit to protect against direct contact between the applicator unit and the patient and to maintain a sterile field at the site of the puncture. The apparatus and method are particularly applicable to sealing a puncture made when inserting a catheter into an artery or other vessel. Several different procedures are described for locating the puncture wound, including imaging the vessel in which the puncture is disposed and use of a locator rod to determine the disposition of the puncture along the longitudinal axis of the artery.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for applying heat from a position external to a patient to a region including a blood vessel wall internal to a patient, the method comprising:
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a. identifying a flow signal of the blood vessel; b. determining an initial position and orientation of the blood vessel relative to a therapeutic ultrasound transducer positioned external to the patient; c. determining the attenuation of an ultrasound beam propagated from the position external to the patient to the blood vessel; d. determining treatment parameters based on the attenuation of the ultrasound beam; e. delivering a dose of ultrasound to a nerve surrounding the blood vessel from the position external to the patient; f. determining a response of the dose delivery to the nerve surrounding the blood vessel based at least in part on a reaction of the patient; and g. generating converging ultrasound beams which originate at the position external to the patient and propagate to a position adjacent the wall of a blood vessel such that the blood vessel wall is incorporated into the focus of the ultrasound beams. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for applying heat from a position external to a patient to a region including a blood vessel wall internal to a patient, the method comprising:
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a. identifying a flow signal of the blood vessel; b. determining an initial position and orientation of the blood vessel relative to a therapeutic ultrasound transducer positioned external to the patient; c. delivering a dose of ultrasound to a nerve surrounding the blood vessel from the position external to the patient; d. determining a response of the dose delivery to the nerve surrounding the blood vessel based at least in part on a reaction of the patient; and e. generating converging ultrasound beams which originate at the position external to the patient and propagate to a position adjacent the wall of a blood vessel such that the blood vessel wall is incorporated into the focus of the ultrasound beams, wherein the generating is controlled automatically without user input.
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Specification